wall. I heard ribs crack under the impact and released him, stepping back. “Stay down. I don’t want to kill Heath’s son.”
“He’s as dead to me as I am to him. I’m going to have my due, damn it,” he answered, lunging for me again.
This time, I didn’t go for a disabling bite. I met him in the air and used my weight against him, taking him to the ground. He couldn’t fight free from under my weight as I aimed for his neck, sinking my fangs into it, tearing through all the vital things there. Windpipe, jugular. It didn’t matter. If it was in my way, I broke it. Blood rushed into my mouth, rich and thick. I tried to ignore it. This wasn’t a hunt. This was a war.
I didn’t wait for him to bleed out or suffocate like a normal big cat might. I shook hard, listening to his neck snap.
I dropped him and stepped away, looking back to Carey, who stared wide eyed.
“I’m so sorry. I tried to tell him to quit.”
“I know,” she whispered as I moved near to her again. She hugged me, and if I was human, I would have cried. I had just killed her brother and she was hugging me, covered in his blood. Finally, she continued whispering to me, “I think we should free Landon and Tywin.”
“No.”
“But…”
“Carey, it’s too dangerous.”
“We need them!” she said urgently. “Look. Dean is helping Emma. Landon and Tywin can stop him and you can keep protecting me!”
She was right. Emma and Heath were still fighting and it looked brutal, but Heath was beginning to bleed from several spots while Emma was fine. Dean had blood on his jaws. He was still cheating to help his mate win.
“Carey, we can get them after—”
She started running for Landon’s cage before I could finish. I went after her, glad that Dean was so focused on his mate and Heath that he was ignoring us. Carey started untangling chains.
“Carey, what are you doing?” Landon whispered. He was glancing anxiously over to the fight. “Please, run with the werecat.”
“No! Where’s the key? It must be in one of their pockets!” Carey ran for those next, and again, I followed. I glanced at the fight, seeing Heath on the ground with Emma over him. It didn’t last long as he regained the upper hand and used his body to shove her away. They circled for a second before meeting again in a clash of fang and claw.
“Jacky! I need your help!” Carey tugged on my fur, and I turned to the clothing left on the floor by the werewolves. I sniffed around it, not finding anything in Richard’s clothing, nor Dean’s. It was Emma who had been holding the key. Made sense, since she wanted to hold all the cards, the mighty half-witch and half-werewolf.
“Right here,” I told Carey. “Probably in her pants pocket.”
Carey dug with one hand and found it. I looked over to Landon and Tywin in their cages.
“Change into your werewolf forms,” I ordered quickly. “She’s going to let you out, then I’m going to try and get her out of here.”
They both nodded, stripping down fast as I led Carey back over to them. Thank God for wolves being obsessive over their mates. Emma was too busy fighting Heath and Dean refused to leave that unattended.
Or so I thought.
“They’re releasing the prisoners!” Dean snapped in our heads. I wondered if werewolves could talk privately or if their communication always went to everyone in the room. Could humans hear them? Or only animals?
Questions I really didn’t need answers to.
“Dean knows!” I told Carey, Tywin, and Landon. “Hurry, kiddo!”
“I’m going!” She was fumbling with one hand and I knew I couldn’t spare the entire minute to shift into human form.
“Get the reinforcements, Dean!” Emma roared.
“Dishonorable cow,” Heath growled. “You’ll die tonight. I promise you that.”
“You’ll try,” she hissed back.
Howls began to echo around the building. I couldn’t tell how many. When Carey got Landon’s cage open, he stumbled out, half shifted. She got Tywin’s open much faster, but they were still in the middle of their shifts.
I could hear the pounding footsteps of wolves. There was a hunting party coming, and it was coming for us.
“Carey! Lock yourself in a cage!” I used my head to push her into one, not having the time to worry about her broken wrist. She turned back to me, her eyes wide. “Keep the keys on you and only let yourself out when