Page 99 of To Hunt A Wolf
Before I can speak, a loud crack splits the air, and I whip my head toward the sound. Thiago falls at my feet, his massive form a mess of blood and flesh and tissue.
Then I look up, past him to where Kari stands with a gun.
No darts. Just bullets.
She meets my eyes.
There’s not a shred of remorse in her gaze.
I don’t move.
I can’t.
Behind me, someone screams my name.
“Mac!”
It breaks the spell, and Kari blinks. She turns to the crowd.
“Mac is right,” she tells them in a voice I’ve never heard her use before. Cold authority rings out in every note. “As you know, she was given the incredible task of hunting down my father’s killer. And now, thanks to her, we know the truth. My brother, Thiago, has been working against my family for some time now. He had my father killed and even imprisoned me so that no one could challenge him.”
The crowd ripples with unease.
I stare at the gun Kari still holds at her side, heart thudding. On my left, Levi lies still from the darts. Considering how well they worked the first time, I know he won’t be getting up anytime soon. But if Kari so much as raises that gun in his direction, I won’t hesitate to put myself between them.
“Mac is a hero,” Kari declares.
The crowd cheers, pulling my attention back to them. To her.
What is she doing?
She meets my eyes with a sly smile that is more foreign than frightening. Who is this girl? Where is my friend?
Gone, her eyes seem to say.
“Mac deserves a hero’s reception,” she adds.
The crowd responds in kind, clapping and reaching for me now.
I back away from them, toward Kari.
She says something to her guards. I can’t hear the words over the crowd, but they move toward Levi, and my heart leaps.
“Get away from him,” I scream at them.
They ignore me, and I take a step forward, ready to fight them off.
The crowd has pressed in close now. Hands grab at me, and I shake them off. A strong grip closes over my wrist. I yank, but the voice in my ear stills me.
“Mac, it’s me.”
Tripp
I twist to look at him. “What are you doing here?”
My breath catches, and I start to glance around for the others. For Jadick.
“Getting you out of here,” he says in a low voice.
