Wolf Untamed (SWAT - Special Wolf Alpha Team #11) - Paige Tyler Page 0,108

pull the trigger. But as his finger tightened around it, he couldn’t see the sights of his weapon anymore.

He couldn’t see the weapon at all.

Panic gripped him as he realized his hand and arm wouldn’t obey the commands his head was sending. Shit, he wasn’t on his feet like he’d thought, but on his knees in the same position he’d been when he rolled away from Bree.

Just before that wet, warm sensation had hit him in the face.

Diego fought against the invisible restraints holding him in place, his heart rate accelerating like mad as every muscle attempted to move at once. He could feel his stomach twisting as more and more adrenaline dumped into his system, trying to force the slightest twitch of anything that would confirm he was still in charge of his own body. But absolutely nothing worked.

That wasn’t true. At least two parts of his body seemed to remain under his control—his eyes and ears. The sights and sounds of Bree and Brandon as they attempted to fight to get free of their bonds so they could help him were as terrifying as the paralysis itself.

Diego had no idea how long he fought that silent battle before Dave dropped to a knee in front of him. Hair lank, sweat rolled down his pale face and his nose dripped bright-red blood.

“What was that you said to me the last time we met?” Dave asked in a taunting voice that didn’t seem to go with how exhausted he looked. “Something about me never laying a hand on you, wasn’t it? Well, as you can see, it turns out I don’t have to touch you to get what I want. A little bit of my blood on your skin, and I can have anything I want. Even if what I want is you dead.” He let out a harsh laugh. “Actually, that’s exactly what I want. So, why don’t you lift that gun you’re holding in your hand right now, press it against your temple, and pull the trigger?”

The words might have been posed as a question—or maybe a suggestion. Regardless, Diego obeyed all the same, his hand coming up to rest the heavy weight of the SIG’s barrel against the side of his head.

Bree’s and Brandon’s screams were muffled by the gags as they twisted in an effort to get free of the tape, but all of that faded away as Diego felt his finger tighten on the trigger of his weapon. He fought against the order with everything in his soul, his whole body straining as he tried to move the barrel away from his head. His inner wolf joined the struggle, growling and flinging itself against the walls of the mental prison holding it hostage.

Diego felt his fangs extend, the taste of blood in his mouth giving him a boost as he realized at least one tiny corner of his mind—the one belonging to his werewolf—retained some level of control.

He fought harder, trying to get his fangs to come out more and struggling to extend his claws. He couldn’t tell if it was working, but he noticed Dave was getting agitated as hell, his face twisting in rage as Diego continued to fight him.

“Dammit,” he shouted, fresh blood running down his face as his nose started to bleed more. A vessel in his right eye burst, a red stain quickly filling the white. “What the fuck are you doing? Pull the trigger! Do it! Do it now!”

Face filled with rage, Dave smacked him hard, knocking Diego sideways so he was looking straight at Bree and Brandon. Despite the fangs in his mouth and the claws pushing their way out, Dave’s direct and specific order had his hand tightening on the gun. Diego could hear the trigger bar inside the weapon grate backward, and he knew it was a fraction of a second from releasing the hammer and firing the gun.

Bree’s eyes locked with his, tears streaming down her face as she yanked so hard on the tape holding her to the chair she was practically bleeding. A few feet away, Brandon was frozen solid in his chair, his eyes vivid yellow-gold, small fangs extending over his lower lip.

“Why won’t you fucking shoot yourself?” Dave shouted. “Do it, damn you!”

Diego barely heard him as he saw his beta shift, the muscles of Brandon’s forearms twisting as the thick layers of tape around them shredded.

Dave was so focused on Diego that he didn’t see Brandon leap at him until