The Lamb Who Cried Wolf (7 page)

Still, Liam’s absence wasn’t very encouraging.

His guards joined the others, forming a circle around Brody and Soren. Soren began to take his clothes off, looking completely at ease and certain of his victory. Brody did the same, all the while struggling to calm down his racing heart. Even if he sensed the hostility in the air, he needed to be strong, to fight for his mate.

“You can still back down,” Soren threw at him. “It doesn’t have to be this way.”

“You’re the one who pushed my hand,” Brody replied. “I won’t allow anyone to hurt my mate, no matter what the price is.”

And that price could very well be Soren’s life, or even Brody’s.

Challenges were often to the death, the fight to be Alpha cruel, unleashing the beast inside them. There would be blood, and a lot of it. It was not like the fight for territory between two Alphas, where violence rarely reached such extreme levels. Even on common circumstances, a challenge meant far too much for both participants.

But for Brody, the stakes were much higher. He had to win this.

Finally, the clothes—and the proverbial gloves—were off. Soren’s form blurred as he shifted and Brody also allowed his beast to take over. His vision went monochrome and his limbs turned into paws.

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They circled around each other, and Brody assessed the way his brother moved, taking note of his stronger spots, of the way Soren would most likely attack.

For a few moments, he just waited. Sometimes, it was better to allow the opponent to make the first move. His brother knew that as well, but nevertheless, he lunged at Brody. Perhaps he didn’t think Brody could defeat him. After all, he was Alpha. He must consider himself the strongest of the pack.

Brody dodged Soren’s attack and answered with his own lunge.

His paw hit Soren’s shoulder, drawing first blood. Soren didn’t seem bothered by this. He moved out of the way and, as quick as lightning, jumped Brody again.

They collided against each other, jaws snapping, trying to reach vulnerable veins, claws scratching, drawing blood. Several times, Brody received a few well-placed blows from his brother. But at last, Brody saw an opening. He sunk his fangs into Soren’s shoulder, clamping them down and tearing into the sensitive tissue.

Soren howled in pain and tried to break away. Brody released his brother only when Soren’s erratic motions threatened to injure him.

He backed down and analyzed the situation with the instinct of the wolf and the intelligence of the rational shape-shifter. In his mind, Carson encouraged him.

Soren, however, seemed to have lost that balance in realization of his imminent defeat. He lunged madly at Brody, but Brody dodged him, nipping his brother’s side in the process. Soren’s attacks grew more and more inaccurate.

It seemed that the battle would be over soon. Soren was bleeding heavily from his shoulder wound and beginning to tire. Brody just needed to draw it out and go for the kill. Even so, he hesitated. His brother had lost, and he knew the others could see it as well. He heard it in the murmurs already rising in the crowd. It was only a matter of time until Soren fell.

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But then, Brody sensed something wrong. Pain assaulted him, not his own, but his mate’s. Brody howled in anger, his wolf no longer caring about the already defeated foe. He went into protective mode, his entire being yearning to be by his mate’s side and remove him from harm.

Dodging his brother again, Brody ran toward the edges of the surrounding circle. He snarled at the pack, uncaring of the shouts that reached his ears, trying to stop him. At last, the crowd parted for him and Brody sped back in the direction of the mansion, where his mate was.

“
Hang on, Carson
,” he sent to his mate. “
I’m coming
.”

“
Brody, don’t
,” Carson said weakly. “
They’ll just hurt you, too.

Please, don’t
.”

The words merely inflamed Brody further. He was so focused on his destination and his mate that he missed his brother’s approach until it was too late. A heavy body landed on his back, and sharp fangs dug into his flesh.

Brody struggled to release himself from Soren’s hold, uncaring that in the process, he might be making the situation worse. But his despair made him vulnerable, and Soren applied several more well-aimed bites. Pain filled Brody’s mind and body as the torture on Carson continued. Whenever he pushed Soren away, the other wolf returned with relentless persistence. Brody could still sense the weakness in Soren, but his brother must have realized Brody’s as well. He didn’t allow Brody to leave, and no matter what Brody did, he could not continue his flight toward Carson.

Assaulted from two different directions, Brody found himself unable to even focus on anything else but the pure need to reach his mate. At one point, he couldn’t even see his brother anymore. Only the sight of Carson’s blue eyes appeared in his mind’s eye, the way they’d been that time when they’d first met in Ramston, just a few days ago. Brody had failed him. He’d promised to protect Carson and failed.

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At last, a final blow from Soren made his body surrender, and Brody fell to the ground, incapable of getting up again. He sensed his brother somewhere close, and then, a foot landed on his neck. “This battle is over. Shift and yield.”

Brody didn’t answer, his desperate gaze still on the mansion in the distance. He tried to crawl away, even if he knew he could not reach Carson.

“Do you want to die?” Soren asked in exasperation. “Yield already.”

Somehow, even through all the pain, Carson’s voice reached Brody.
“Yield, Brody. Live. Please, for me.”

The pained plea crushed Brody. His soul crumbled on itself, and he turned back into his human form. “I yield,” he whispered.

Soren’s foot vanished from on his neck, and Brody heard orders being given. Guards appeared and lifted him up roughly. They were carrying him in the general direction of the mansion, so Brody didn’t bother to fight.

Carlie joined them, and through his haze of continuing pain, Brody heard her ask, “What happened to you? Why did you run like that?”

Brody didn’t reply. He couldn’t. He just focused on clinging to the connection between him and Carson. It remained there, still strong, and Carson seemed to be withstanding the pain of his attack. It was Brody’s only comfort.

“Just take me to see my mate,” he told his guards. “Can you at least do that?”

Carlie exchanged a couple of words with the men, and in the end, they agreed to let him see Carson for a bit. The Alpha hadn’t said he couldn’t, and they apparently believed Brody and Carson would die soon, anyway. Everyone deserved one last wish.

At last, they reached the mansion and the guards carried him toward the second floor. The mansion didn’t have cells, since wolves rarely, if ever, took prisoners. When someone broke pack law, the
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person in question was transferred to the elder’s headquarters and his fate decided there. Brody wondered if he and Carson would even live long enough to reach his father’s house.

The feel of his mate got stronger with each passing moment, and finally, a door opened. His guards stopped and dropped him to the floor.

“What happened here?” Carlie shouted.

Brody opened his eyes and saw his mate on the bed, full of blood, several bite marks covering his limbs and torso. There was some shredded wool around, a sign that Carson must have at one point become so terrified he’d shifted into his animal form. Lester sat on an armchair, arching a brow at Carlie, while his brother, Geoff, just stood there, smirking and still covered in Carson’s blood. “What?” Lester asked. “I didn’t hurt him.”

Something broke inside Brody. The need to kill invaded him, the desire to enact revenge. Whether or not he’d die after this day, these wolves would not live either. Adrenaline coursing through his veins, he shifted again and jumped Geoff. The man changed as well and tried to fight him off. Another wolf—Lester—lunged toward Brody, but Brody dodged his attack. In several powerful rips, he tore into Geoff’s jugular. Both Lester and Geoff tried to stop him, but the smell of Carson’s blood urged him on, making him ignore the pain. One final effort, and Geoff’s struggles ceased as life drained out of him.

With one foe taken down, Brody turned toward Lester. Alas, he didn’t have time to deal with Lester, as well. The other wolves jumped him, pinning him to the floor.

Again, Brody tried to fight, but the burst of strength given by his anger and despair was beginning to lose its potency. He heaved and bucked against his captors, and perhaps he might have broken free.

Unfortunately, in that moment, Soren entered the room, followed by more wolves.

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“What happened here?” he said, as if in echo of Carlie’s earlier words. “Are you mad, Brody? I thought you said the lamb was your mate.”

Soren approached Brody, and a distant thought made Brody realize his hypocritical brother suggested he’d hurt his own mate. He shifted into his human form and spat in Soren’s face. “You fucking bastard. You know very well what happened here. I’d have won the challenge.” He’d have lunged at Soren if the guards hadn’t held him down. “You set your cronies on Carson, knowing I would feel his pain, knowing I couldn’t possibly focus on the battle with my mate hurt. I can’t believe I was so fucking wrong about you. I don’t know who you are, but you’re not my brother.”

Soren looked dumbfounded. He turned toward Lester. “I told you the lamb was not to be harmed.”

“Alpha, you said
I
shouldn’t hurt him,” Lester replied. “
I
didn’t do anything. It was all Geoff.”

Brody strained against the hold the other wolves had on him.

“And he is dead now. I hope you know that I’ll kill you, too, if it’s the last thing I do.”

“I haven’t done anything wrong.” Lester sneered. “The lamb is prey. His flesh is our right.”

To Brody’s surprise, Soren punched Lester. “Enough. What happens to the lamb is not your decision, and semantics won’t change the fact that you disobeyed me. As my Beta, you should have known better.” He nodded toward the other soldier. “Take him. He’ll be judged for breaking pack law.”

Lester was dragged out of the room, futilely trying to protest.

Brody didn’t fool himself, however. Lester’s punishment didn’t mean he and Carson would be off the hook.

Brody closed his eyes. He just wanted to nuzzle close to Carson, to clean his wounds, to soothe his mate. Soren’s voice drew his attention, and Brody found himself forced to look at his brother as the other man spoke. “You sensed his pain?”

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Brody frowned. “Of course I did. He’s my mate. How could I not?”

Soren didn’t say anything else. He just turned toward Carlie and said, “Get a medic in here, and have him look over Brody and the lamb. And spread the word. I don’t want any further harm to come to them. “

Carlie quickly nodded and left the room. Brody didn’t know what to believe about Soren’s sudden change of heart. He just wanted to be left alone with his mate.

As if guessing his wish, Soren gestured the guards to release him.

“We’ll allow you to stay here with him, but don’t try to escape. The windows are barred and you’re not in any condition to flee pack lands.”

Brody just sat next to Carson and pulled him close. Almost instantly, Carson’s eyes cracked open. “B–Brody?” he asked. “Are you okay?”

“
I’m fine, little lamb
,” Brody said through their bond. “
They can’t
break me
.” Although they’d come awfully close, just by hurting Carson.

“I’ll be fine,” Carson whispered back. “I may not be a wolf, but I’m still a shape-shifter.”

Brody appreciated Carson’s courage, but it didn’t make him any less angry, desperate, and hurt. He felt Carson’s wounds healing slowly, as did his own, but they were both still so weak, and he didn’t think he could defend them should Soren decide to get rid of them.

One thing he knew was that his brother spoke the truth regarding the defenses of the mansion. These rooms were especially prepared for holding lawbreakers, and the outside of the mansion would not be easy to go through even if Brody and Carson were in perfect physical condition.

At last, they were left alone. Even if Brody sensed guards at the other side of the door, he supposed it was better than nothing. As soon as the other wolves granted them privacy, Brody released Carson
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from his embrace and left the bed. Carson whimpered in protest.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“Just to the bathroom, Carson.” He didn’t know how long Soren’s sudden bout of generosity would last, and he needed to get their wounds cleaned up. It would help them heal faster. He couldn’t rely too much on Soren’s medic, especially for Carson.

As quickly as he could in the circumstances, he made his way to the adjoining bathroom and started the water in the tub. While it filled with warm water, Brody returned to the sleeping quarters. He picked up his mate from the bed and retraced his steps, going back in to the bath. Gently, he placed Carson in the water, then joined his mate inside.

The temperature was just right, and it both hurt and soothed his wounds. Still, Brody felt clumsy, angry, and sad when he tried to wash his mate, only to find the previously flawless skin marred by angry bites and awful wounds.

The water grew red by the time they were in at least a satisfactory condition. Carson leaned against him, and gradually, Brody felt him relax. The pain was still there, but more dim. Even so, Brody could not feel relieved. The moments when he’d sensed Carson being hurt still passed through his mind, and his wolf’s anger lingered there, just waiting to reemerge.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Carson said. “I’m fine. We’re fine. We’re going to get through this.”

Brody forced himself to nod, even if he knew he couldn’t be very convincing. He got out of the bath and pulled Carson with him, finding with pleasure that his mate could stand on his own. As he rubbed them both dry, he heard the door open and felt the medic come in.