The Gathering (27 page)

Garrett’s smile brought a fresh round of
tears to her eyes. A glance at her hand showed the bones had
stopped moving. The hair growing there was shrinking back into her
skin and the pain, that mind numbing pain, was subsiding.

When she felt whole again, she smiled up at
Garrett. “I think she’s gone.”

He kissed her and dragged her to her feet. “I
want you to go back to the forest. Stay with Judith.”

She looked at him and shook her head.
“No.”

He looked stunned. “No. What do you mean,
no?”

Rayna staggered when he grabbed her arm. “Are
you a Breed Leader?”

Now he looked confused. “Why the hell would
you think that?”

“Carmen said you were.” Rayna swallowed to
moisten her throat. “She said you gave me over to Victor in
exchange for becoming a Breed Leader.”

“Rayna… ”

“And that you and Carmen had this all
planned.”

“And you believe her?” he asked.

Her body still ached and the park was in
chaos. Rayna knew they didn’t have time for this discussion but she
wasn’t moving until she knew. “I don’t know what I believe.”

“Do you believe I love you?”

His voice was a soft whisper, his words
spoken with so much emotion it tore at her heart. “I thought I
did.”

He moved toward her, his arms wrapping around
her. “I have everything I need right here,” he said, his hold on
her tightening. “I don’t want Carmen, or the collective, and once
this is all said and done, I’ll prove it to you.”

She wanted to believe him. He looked sincere
but a small niggling of doubt whispered things she didn’t want to
hear.

“Just go back to Judith, Rayna. We’ll talk
about this later.” He kissed her, hard and fast before turning her
toward the forest and giving her a slight push.

“What are you going to do?”

“Don’t worry about me.”

She frowned at him. “Garrett…”

He was getting angry. She could see it on his
face. “I’ll meet you at the lake. Do as I say, Rayna!” He gave her
a shove, pushing her in the direction of the forest as he turned
back the way they’d come.

She spotted Dillon and Gavin. They had Victor
pinned to the ground but Rayna could tell the old man was shifting.
She didn’t want to be there when he did.

Giving Garrett one last look, she turned and
ran back to the forest, leaving her mate and his Alpha’s to deal
with Victor.

* * * *

Garrett watched Rayna until she was out of
sight. Her earlier questions confused him but he didn’t have time
to worry about them. He concentrated on his wolf instead, pulling
every ounce of energy he possessed into the shift. When he felt the
wolf stir, crawling slowly to the surface, he grabbed it.

Agonizing minutes of fighting and he felt the
first bone shift. He didn’t stop, not when the sound of gunfire
cracked across the park or when the sound of pained screams rent
the air.

Forcing the wolf to the surface, Garrett
shifted in agonizingly slow increments. The fancy half-shift he was
so fond of was impossible now so he settled for a full shift.

When he stood on four legs, he looked around
the park. He saw Judith run from the trees as Rayna approached and
he remembered why he loathed this form. He couldn’t speak, couldn’t
let anyone know what he wanted. He just hoped Judith would know to
get Rayna as far from the park as possible.

He turned and searched for Victor. He found
him moments later. He was the reason his mate was in danger and
he’d pay the old man back. Victor may have years of effective
fighting under his belt but Garrett had one thing Victor didn’t.
Youth. He growled and ran back across the park to where he was.

Gavin was shifting when he approached. The
side of Dillon’s face was a bloody mass of scratches and ripped
flesh. His eyes held a deadly glint. When Dillon called his wolf,
Garrett growled, catching Victor’s attention. The old man’s
expression showed he knew what he was about to do seconds before
Garrett jumped toward him.

They rolled together but Victor slung him
away and completed his shift within seconds. His wolf stood on two
legs, and Garrett would have been stunned by how effortlessly he’d
shifted if he’d had the time.

The old man’s coat was silver, his eyes
darker than most. They weren’t the normal amber but a darker
orange. Those eyes shining from the wolf’s silver coat gave an
eerie picture. He looked intimidating. Good thing Garrett wasn’t
intimidated often.

He snarled and leaped at him again, colliding
into his body with enough force to knock him to the ground. Victor
grabbed him around the neck, squeezing until Garrett thought he’d
pass out from lack of oxygen. When Victor leaned down, biting into
Garrett’s shoulder, his grip loosened enough to get away from those
grasping hands.

Garrett didn’t let a moment pass. He leaped
again, teeth bared and bit into Victor’s neck. The pained howl the
old man let out rang in his ears and he sank his teeth deeper. When
the flesh tore away, Garrett dropped and took several steps back.
Movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention and a
quick glance showed several shifters advancing. Dillon and Gavin,
now fully shifted, flanked him.

When the other shifters were close enough to
attack, Garrett stood stunned as they approached Victor instead of
them.

They attacked him as one. Garrett and his
pack moved back several feet as Victor’s attackers tore into his
flesh. It took Garrett several minutes to realize what was
happening. Apparently the position of leader for the Breeds worked
the same as it did for the packs. When someone killed Victor, power
would transfer. Garrett wanted no part in it. Leading the pack on
the mountain was enough, he didn’t need to be in control of an
entire area.

“Looks like we’ll not have to fight this
time,” Dillon said.

Garrett looked up at him, his lips pulling
back into his best impression of a grin. For once, he was glad. He
was tired of fighting. He just wanted to get his girl home and live
their lives in peace.

His last thought was pushed away as more
shifters fell around them. They all wanted a piece of Victor and
the old man was holding his own against the others. The fight was
vicious and it took only moments for the others to turn their
bloodlust on anyone present. The fight had come to them.

“That’s what you get for opening your mouth,”
Gavin said, ducking a swing from a werelion. He threw a punch of
his own before leaping. Garrett watched the brawl and knew he’d not
escape it.

Stretching his neck, he howled, and jumped
into the fray.

* * * *

Judith wouldn’t let go of her arm. Rayna
would have been upset if she weren’t amused. Apparently the woman
wasn’t going to chance her running back to the park.

They cleared a good deal of the forest, the
noise from those screaming and fighting dying away until nothing
remained but the sound of birds and the gentle sway of tree limbs.
They slowed to a fast walk and Rayna pulled her arm free of
Judith’s grasp and came to a stop. “I think we’re far enough away,
now.” She turned and looked behind her. No sign of Garrett. What
was he doing? The image of him and Carmen flashed into her mind.
She ignored it and turned to look back at Judith. “Do you think
he’s all right?”

Judith rolled her eyes. “Of course he’s all
right. Why wouldn’t he be?”

Rayna shrugged her shoulders. “He may be the
most arrogant Alpha I’ve ever seen but I still worry.”

“Well don’t. He’s fine.” Judith reached up
and tightened the rubber band holding her hair up before taking a
deep breath. “Did you see Garrett’s friend in the park?”

“Which one?”

“Chad.”

Rayna raised an eyebrow when Judith’s cheeks
bloomed bright red. What was that all about? “No. I didn’t.
Why?”

Judith looked away. “Well, he’s human.”

“And packing some serious firepower, I’m
sure. I’ve known Chad for years and I’ve never seen him without his
gun.”

“A gun will only slow a shifter down unless
he makes a head shot.”

“And I’m sure he knows this.” Rayna crossed
her arms over her chest and stared at Judith. “What’s going on with
you and Chad?”

Judith’s eyes widened. “Nothing!”

Rayna laughed. “Well that only makes it more
obvious something is going on.”

Judith blushed again and turned her back to
her. “It’s nothing, really.”

“Why don’t I believe you?” Judith didn’t
respond. Rayna could have teased her but for some reason she sensed
that Judith would be sensitive about it. She crossed the small
clearing they were in and walked in front of Judith. “Want to talk
about it?”

Judith smiled. “It isn’t the time. We need to
get you as far from the park as possible.”

She walked away without another word. Rayna
stared after her with a jumble of thoughts running through her
mind, the most prevalent being, Judith had a crush on Chad. She’d
bet money on it. Did he feel the same way about Judith?

A noise in the woods caught her attention and
instantly, Rayna was on alert. Judith stopped walking and turned
back to face her, her eyes widening moments later. “Rayna, look
out!”

Rayna turned, her own eyes widening when she
saw a log hurling through the air at her. She ducked moments before
it hit and heard the distinct sound of growling.

A wolf stepped onto the path and Rayna didn’t
need to be told who it was. The black fur and deadly glint in the
eyes told her.

It was Carmen.

She took a step backwards, casting a quick
glance over her shoulder at Judith. Her friend was trying to
shift.

Judith had never shifted more than once a
month and without the help of the others, Rayna doubted she’d
succeed. She wasn’t an Alpha and Rayna knew it would take her long
minutes to complete the shift, if she could even call the wolf.
Even then, she wasn’t sure it would help. Neither of them was
strong enough to take on an Alpha, by themselves or together.

Facing Carmen, Rayna was of two minds. A part
of her wanted to run but knew it would only heighten the experience
for Carmen. She would love that. To chase down her prey before
attacking.

The other part, the one that was tired of
running, that whispered that this wolf was trying to take her mate,
wanted to stay and fight, regardless of the outcome. It wouldn’t be
pretty either way.

Staring into Carmen’s amber eyes, Rayna made
her choice. She’d stay and fight. Fear should have been the only
thought running through her mind, but it wasn’t. It was of him.
Garrett. Her lover, mate to the wolf lurking beneath her flesh, and
the man who’d risked his life to save her own. She wouldn’t let his
sacrifice be for nothing.

The jet-black hair covering Carmen’s body
bristled and a growl emanated from her massive chest. She lunged so
fast, Rayna stumbled backwards, tripping on a limb and found
herself pinned seconds later.

She screamed, barely getting her arms up to
grab Carmen’s head before those wickedly sharp teeth tore into her
flesh. Claws ripped at her shirt, shredding the fabric to reveal
the soft flesh beneath. Pain laced through her veins as the wolf
tore at her, one paw swiping across her face before she screamed
again and kicked, trying to dislodge her.

For whatever reason, Carmen let her go and
stood. “Get up, dog.”

Rayna heaved several deep breaths before
climbing to her feet. The side of her face burned, as did her right
side. A glance down showed her shirt torn and blood running down to
coat the top of her jeans. The angry looking slashes from Carmen’s
claws had ripped her flesh. She hoped it looked worse than it
was.

She straightened and lifted her head,
ignoring her injuries. “Took you long enough to find me,
Carmen.”

Carmen’s lips pulled back and she licked her
teeth. “I needed to feed. I didn’t want anything to distract me
from killing you.”

And she will, Rayna thought. She listened to
the sounds in the forest, trying to find any sign of Garrett. There
was nothing other than the birds, the swaying of tree limbs and the
noise Judith was making.

She wanted to look behind her, to see how far
along the shift had progressed, but was afraid to take her eyes off
of Carmen. She had no choice but to fight her alone until Judith
could help and there was only one way to do that.

For the second time that day, she tried to
pull the wolf forward. The pain hit her moments later and she knew
it would be useless to try and shift. The pain alone would leave
her weak.

Glancing at the ground, she saw a branch the
size of her arm and picked it up. It was heavy but thanks to the
strength the wolf gave her she gripped it in two hands with little
problem. “Well, let’s get this over with. I have places to be.”

Carmen made a sound then that was part growl,
part howl. It sent goose bumps running laps down Rayna’s arm. She
came at her in a rush.

Rayna swung the limb, barely making contact
before Carmen shoved her out of the way. She hit her knees hard but
sprang up quickly, once again lifting her limb. The next pass
Carmen made, the tree limb connected with Carmen’s head. The blow
had the opposite effect Rayna had hoped. Instead of slowing Carmen
down, it enraged her.

The limb was roughly pulled from her hands,
splinters digging into her palms to leave them tender and bleeding.
One strong swing of Carmen’s arm sent her airborne, flying through
the trees to land with a thump. The air left her lungs in a rush
and she lay dazed for long moments before she struggled back to her
feet.

Seeing Carmen standing there, with a wolfy
grin on her face, caused Rayna’s wolf to stir. It slinked along her
bones and roared inside her head. The stinging pain in her
fingertips burned as her claws extended.