Page 60 of Brutal Alpha's Sold Mate
Meanwhile, I line up a second shot for another cage. I fire, and the dart lodges in its flank. It snarls but doesn’t raise an alarm.
So far, so good. I see Theo gesture at the cages, continuing to feign interest. Malcolm puffs out his chest, waving his arms in grand motions. He’s likely bragging about the demon variety they can supply. My crew remains unseen on the perimeter, waiting for the sign that we’ll move in. But we plan to wait until I dart as many as possible, minimizing the risk of a demon rampage.
I load the next dart, focusing on a third demon hunched near a water trough. The shot hits its leg, and it whimpers before sagging. My pulse races. This plan might actually work. We’ll subdue most of the demons, then Theo can capture Malcolm and Wiley once they’re out of demon backup.
But as I pivot to target a fourth demon, I catch a flicker of movement from the corner of my vision. One of the wounded demons is stirring, letting out a deeper, raspier moan. Before I can steady my blowgun, it flails, probably feeling the toxinweakening it. A harsh cry bursts from its throat, loud enough to be heard a mile away.
I curse under my breath. This is exactly what we feared. The demon’s anguished noise ricochets off the barn walls, sending the other caged beasts into frenzied hisses.
Theo, Malcolm, and Wiley whip their heads toward the sound. Theo tries to keep them calm and redirect their attention, but Wiley squints in my direction, eyeing the tree line.
I hold my breath, flattening myself against the oak’s trunk. Malcolm steps closer to the cages, scowling. I see the moment he spots a dart embedded in one demon’s hide. He rips it out, holding it up to the light with a furious snarl.
My heart sinks. They know something’s off. Theo’s cover might be blown.
Malcolm snaps at Wiley, pointing to the cages. Theo edges in, as if trying to placate them, but the panic in his posture is clear. My shifters, still out of sight, must be tense, too, ready to charge. I mouth a silent apology for messing up the stealth portion of the plan. Not that I had a choice—the demon made the noise.
Then, in a move that crushes our best-laid strategy, Malcolm scrambles to a control panel by the barn. He slams his fist against a lever, and the chain-link fence slides open. My blood goes cold. They’re releasing the remaining demons. Half a dozen shapes lunge out of their cages with their horns raised, hissing with rage. This is a nightmare scenario.
Theo tries to stop Malcolm, but Wiley intercepts him, brandishing a wicked blade. Theo sidesteps, bristling with fury. The others have to move in now, or we’re all doomed. I set aside the blowgun and start to climb down. We’re heading toward full confrontation.
I watch the first demon crash out of its cage, claws scraping the ground. Another leaps to the fence, thrashing. Malcolm looks ready to bolt, though I can’t see exactly which direction he’ll choose. The whole scene teeters on the brink of bedlam. My heart races, and my instincts are screaming that we need to act. Like it or not, we now have an entire pack of enraged demons set loose by our targets.
Chapter 24 - Theo
I’m seconds away from having my throat ripped out by a demon that looks like it crawled from the worst nightmare imaginable. My wolf howls within, demanding to unleash every bit of strength I have left, but I’m pinned on my side with my claws scraping for traction. The demon’s black scales glisten with foul residue, dripping from horns that threaten to pierce my chest. One jerk forward, and I’ll be done.
I dig my hind legs into the ground, twisting just enough to shove upward. My ribcage protests, but I manage to wrench free from under the monster’s forelimbs. I shift quickly and rebound into a crouched stance, ignoring the sting of half a dozen wounds. Around me, the battlefield is filled with lesser demons spewing their toxic fluid while shifters from multiple packs hurl themselves into the fray. The stench of demon drool coats the area, making me want to retch.
I snarl, lunging at the demon’s exposed flank. My fangs scrape across its scales, but I can’t get a good grip. It roars, flailing its massive horns in my direction. I dodge it by a hair, rolling across the dirt. My pack—alongside Red Arrow, River Valley, and some East Hills wolves—charges in all around us.
I take a moment to catch my breath, searching for Kai in the melee. I spot her fur near one of the fences, tangling with another demon that’s nearly as large as this one. My chest tightens at the sight of her risking her life, but I trust her skill enough not to rush over and jeopardize both our positions.
A Red Arrow witch flings an explosive projectile at the demon I’m fighting, managing to weaken the scales near its neck. Sparks dance off the point of impact, and the demon reels, letting out a guttural snarl. I seize the opening, lunging forwardto clamp my jaws around the monster’s partially exposed throat. Hot, rancid blood coats my muzzle. I bite down, ignoring the burn in my muscles, and tear through flesh until the demon collapses. It shudders, letting out a final gurgle before going limp.
I stagger back, heaving as adrenaline surges through every fiber of my body. The witches chant from somewhere behind, launching more spells that illuminate the demon pen. Several watchers from my territory have formed a perimeter, driving lesser demons into corners with a mix of fangs and carefully placed steel spikes. I rub a paw across my face, trying to clear demon gore out of my eyes so I can find the next threat.
It seems the entire clearing has erupted into a frenzy of teeth, horns, and toxic slime. But I notice a shift in momentum as more shifters rally together, pressing in on the demons. One by one, the beasts slump under the combined might of witches’ spells and well-timed shifter strikes. My heart pounds with grim satisfaction. Teamwork is paying off.
I spot a lesser demon pivoting near the base of a toppled fence, preparing to pounce on a wounded River Valley wolf. I force my battered limbs into motion, sprinting across the churned-up dirt and tackling the demon from behind. My claws dig into its flank, and I yank hard. It whips around, snapping at my arm, but a swift slash to its vulnerable throat sends it crashing to the ground. The River Valley wolf gives me a grateful nod, stumbling away to find the healer we have stationed out of the warzone.
Somewhere close by, a massive demon roars, but I see half a dozen witches combining spells to hold it in place. A swirl of shimmering lights engulfs the monster as it screeches, thrashing wildly, before an East Hills wolf leaps for its neck andends the fight. My wolf exhales in relief. The tide has turned in our favor.
I shift to human form, searching the chaos for Malcolm and Wiley. I lost sight of them when the caged demons began rampaging, and now I curse the fact that I got so bogged down in this fight. If they escape, our entire plan might unravel. Then I catch sight of Kai darting past a broken section of fence, her eyes locked on two figures sprinting into the tree line—Malcolm and Wiley. My pulse spikes as I break into a run, ignoring my battered condition.
Kai’s powerful wolf bounds ahead. I grit my teeth, pushing my tired body to keep pace. I refuse to let these scum vanish and start over somewhere else, trafficking demons and souls for their twisted profit. The watchers and witches can handle the remaining demons. My job is to ensure Malcolm and Wiley don’t slip away.
They duck behind splintered crates that must’ve been part of their operation, likely containing demon feed or vile potions. Kai snarls, smashing through debris, and Malcolm lets out a startled yell. She lunges at him, fangs clamping around the fabric of his coat. He wriggles free, but not before Wiley tries to stab her with a short blade. I arrive in time to kick the knife from his grasp, sending it spinning across the dirt.
Wiley attempts to slip behind a stack of cages, but Kai blocks him, shifting into half-form to seize his arm in a vice-like grip. His eyes widen, panic etched across his face. “Let go!” he sputters, but she bares her teeth, twisting his arm behind his back.
Not this time, she spits through the wolf connection. He can’t hear her, but I sure as hell can, and she sounds fierce as hell.You’re done hurting people.
Malcolm makes a desperate lunge for the nearest exit, but I tackle him at full force. He flails, spitting curses, but I pin him hard, leaning my weight onto his spine.Congratulations, I rasp in my mind, blood oozing from a cut on my temple.You just lost.
He thrashes with a wild, cornered look in his eyes. “Kill me. Spare me the speech.”
I glance up as Kai marches Wiley over, now in her human form. I shift back too, keeping my hold on Macolm as I do.
