Page 76 of To Keep A Wolf
But he only holds out a helmet. “Put this on.”
Relieved, I take it and shove it on.
Levi climbs onto another ATV and buckles in.
I take a steadying breath then square my back against the seat and punch the gas pedal all the way to the floor.The ATV shoots forward. I grip the wheel, using it for direction and also to hang on as I whip out of the garage and across the patch of concrete drive before careening onto the grass.
Levi is right behind me.
Down a short embankment and then up again, I drive a path that slices sideways across the hilly yard. Ahead, I catch sight of Jadick’s ATV as it disappears around the corner of the house. With the gas pedal held to the floor, I aim straight for him.
Above me, the rooftop of the house shows my father battling three guards at once. My stomach tightens, but I force my attention back to the turn coming up. My dad can handle himself. I have to believe that and clear my head for what I’m about to do.
By the time I reach Jadick’s ATV, it’s empty. Through my helmet, I hear the muffled sound of Levi’s ATV as it pulls up beside mine. We park and climb out, facing a tall hedge that separates this part of the grounds from the back gardens. It’s too tall for me to see over, but there’s nowhere else Jadick could have gone.
“He’s in there,” I say, already starting for a small opening where the back and side walls meet.
The gap is barely wide enough for a single person, put here only for the gardener’s access. I know because Kari and I used it more than once to sneak in and out when we didn’t want her brothers or father to know we were here.
Levi grabs my arm, stopping me. “Mac, we can’t just run blindly in there after him.”
“He’s going to get away,” I start.
“How?” he asks, and the question stops me. “He was getting away, and instead he parked here and ran back inside.”
“You think it’s a trap?”
“Damn right it’s a trap.”
I huff. “Even if it is, we can’t just stand here and do nothing.”
“Your parents and Tripp are already inside,” he says quietly. “Why not let them handle it?”
I stare at him, searching his depthless eyes for whatever he’s not saying right now.
“And you,” I prompt. “Let you go handle it. Everyone but me.”
“I have to challenge him—to end this,” he says, and I can tell from the anguish he wears that he hates to ask this of me. But he hates the idea of me getting hurt even more. And I soften because I feel the same about him. But—
“I can’t sit back and do nothing. Not where you and I are concerned,” I tell him. “I tried that, and look how many years we wasted apart. Look how many lives are being lost because of this mess. I’m going with you.”
He looks like he wants to argue, so I add, “Jadick wants us all to believe that loving our fated mate makes us weak, but I think he’s wrong. You make me stronger. Together, we can beat him. Apart… I’m not going to find out.”
His gaze burns into mine, and I bite my lip, wondering if he’s going to argue it further. Instead, he pulls me in and kisses me with an intensity that steals my breath. Then, just as quickly, he’s releasing me and stepping back, his hand sliding from my arm to my hand. Gripping tight, he says, “Together.”
I smile, wobbly thanks to the toe-curling kiss. “Together.”
Hand in hand, we slip through the hedge and into the garden to find the serpent that waits within.
CHAPTER22
The garden is a simple maze with multiple paths, all leading to a center fountain depicting none other than a naked Greek god of a man—Jadick’s favorite décor. Ugh. Luckily, the low hedge rows make it easy to spot anything taller than four feet. Unfortunately, that includes a fair number of marble statues—more nudes, of course—along with shrubs carved into spiraling patterns that swirl upward. Bordeaux has been busy. On the far right, the house rises up. From this angle, I can’t see the rooftop battle that’s clearly still raging from the snarls and gunshots still ringing out. My wolf senses movement on more than just the roof now, though. Worry spikes again at the thought of my parents and Tripp up against the evil Jadick has bred here, but I don’t let myself think about that. Not when I need to focus on this.
Sweeping my gaze right to left, I spot the archway set up in the very back, and my stomach sinks.
“He’s there,” I say, pointing.
“You see him?” Levi asks.
