Wolf on the Run: Salvation Pack, Book 3 (17 page)

“I’m going to send Amos and a few of my trusted men back to investigate this Gator Rollins and find out exactly who he is and why he had Keith’s truck.” Ryan wouldn’t act until he had all the facts.

“I’m going with them.” Matt’s demands were getting tedious and bordered on insurrection. The crowd was growing restless.

“No, you’re not.” Ryan’s hands hung loose by his sides, ready to react if his brother attacked. “You’re going to stay right here until we find out exactly what happened. For all we know, this Gator fella stole the truck and the boys are on foot somewhere too ashamed to call home for help because someone stole their ride.”

Ryan didn’t believe that for a second, but he was hoping to diffuse the situation without having to murder his brother. Killing family, especially before breakfast, didn’t set right with him.

He addressed the crowd. “No one is to go off half-cocked and do something stupid. Do I make myself clear? The last thing we want is to get the authorities involved in our business.” That stirred them up a little. All werewolves disliked the human policing agencies in all their various forms. “We give Amos and his men time to investigate and find out exactly what happened.”

“I can tell you exactly what happened.” The voice belonged to one hell of a big male who walked out of the woods like he owned the place. Ryan’s hackles rose as the stranger approached. Ryan gave a quick jerk of his head and his sons quickly closed ranks around their mother.

“Who the hell are you?” Ryan demanded. The male kept moving closer, totally ignoring the crowd milling around him. He was ballsy, Ryan would give him that. He was about six inches taller than Ryan and much wider through the shoulders and chest as well. His shaggy short hair fell around his shoulders, framing a hard face. Ryan knew he’d never seen the man before in his life.

“I’m the one who killed those three bastards you’re looking for.”

Chapter Seventeen

Cole felt no fear as he faced down an entire pack of werewolves. Maybe he was stupid for coming here alone, but righteous anger had carried him this far and he wasn’t about to stop now.

A male off to his left howled and made a lunge, but he was hauled back by two others. Cole kept one eye on the out-of-control male and the other on the big man with the beard in front of him. This was Ryan Hatfield, the alpha of this pack.

“Well now, you have me at a disadvantage.” Ryan’s gaze narrowed. “You seem to know who we are, but who the hell are you?”

“Cole Blanchard from the Salvation Pack.” He stopped, hands down by his sides, legs braced, facing the alpha of Cherise’s former pack. Ryan Hatfield visibly stiffened.

“Salvation Pack?”

Cole cocked his head to one side, studying the man. He looked calm, but Cole could sense his underlying anger. Did he not know what the younger men had been up to?

“Yes. And three of your pack came on to our land uninvited.” Out of the corner of his eye, Cole could see the male off to the left was still being held back by several others.

The alpha glanced at the man. “Settle down, Matt.”

“My boy is dead,” the male roared. “This bastard killed him. I will have justice.”

“Funny,” Cole continued as though he hadn’t been interrupted. “That’s what I’m here for.”

That got Ryan’s attention. “What in the hell do you want justice for? Trespassing. If that’s a killing offense on your land, you should have thought long and hard about coming here.”

Cole shook his head. “Not for trespassing. For hunting a female.” Now that got their attention. “Your three packmates killed Cherise Michael’s mama in St. Louis and then followed Cherise. She ended up on our land. I came across them when they were hunting her.”

“You’re lying,” Matt yelled. “My boy wouldn’t kill anyone.”

Cole released a threatening growl. “Your
boy
and his friends planned to rape her before they killed her. I stayed back and watched and listened before I confronted them. Your
boy
—”
he put as much contempt in the word as he could, “—had the audacity to tell me to walk away and let them kill her. I was stupid enough to give them one final chance to leave.” Cole settled his gaze on Matt. “Seems like they thought they could take me because there were three of them.” He paused for a moment. “They were wrong.”

Matt howled and charged forward but was brought down by three men before he made it to Cole. He kicked and fought their hold, but there was no getting away from them. Finally, Cole turned his attention back to Ryan. “I want the death threat on my mate lifted.”

Ryan Hatfield sighed and scratched at his beard. “Your mate?”

“Yup.” Cole was tired of talking. “I figure if I challenge you for alpha then this pack becomes mine when I win. Then there won’t be any more talk of hunting Cherise.”

“She’s an abomination,” Matt shouted. “She can’t even shift. She’s not really a wolf.”

“Can she shift now?” Ryan asked.

“What the hell does that matter?” Cole had had enough. “She’s mine. That’s all you need to know.”

“I’ll fight him,” Matt roared. “It’s my right.”

An older male stepped forward. “Mine too. Gene might have been a wild one, but he was my son.”

“And mine.” A young male spoke. “Wayne was my brother.”

“All at once or one at a time?” Cole growled. He didn’t care. He was more than ready for a fight. “But are you willing to die for what they did, because I’m willing to die to protect my woman.”

He saw the younger one hesitate and, for a moment, thought he might back down. The pack howled in anticipation of the fight and the younger man squared his shoulders and stepped forward. Cole inwardly swore. He understood loyalty and courage and respected it. But dying because your brother was a stupid ass just wasn’t right.

Some might think him arrogant to assume he was going to win, but he wasn’t. Cole knew he was in for the fight of his life. But he also knew his own skills. He’d been born into a pack where fighting was a way of life. And this time he was fighting for his mate. That made all the difference in the world.

Cole glanced at the alpha. “I’ll deal with you when I’m done with them.”

Ryan cocked his head to one side and studied Cole intently. “Boy, I don’t know if you’re dumb as bricks or the devil incarnate.”

The corners of Cole’s mouth tipped up slightly. “I’d go with door number two if I were you.”

He felt the older male, Gene’s father, leap at him from behind and spun to meet him. Cole pivoted and swung his fist, putting every ounce of his strength behind it. The male couldn’t get out of the way in time and the crack resounded around the clearing. His opponent flew backward and fell to the ground. He didn’t move.

The crowd murmured and one of them gave a cry and ran forward. He fell to his knees and touched a finger to his throat. “He’s alive.”

Cole gave a sigh of relief. He really didn’t want to have to kill anyone. All he wanted was the guarantee of Cherise’s safety.

With that in mind, he focused on Ryan. “You’re alpha here. You can put a stop to this here and now. I’ll walk away if you give your word to leave Cherise and my pack in peace.” It was a huge concession, but the ones who’d murdered Cherise’s mother and attacked her had paid with their lives. At this point, all Cole wanted to do was go home to his mate.

But he couldn’t appear weak in front of this pack or they’d pounce on him in a heartbeat. Werewolves were more animal then human at times like this, and if he gave them any opening he’d probably end up dead.

“No,” the idiot named Matt yelled. “I will have his blood.”

Ryan’s jaw tightened and his eyes hardened. Cole’s heart sank, knowing he’d just lost the chance to end this situation peacefully. The alpha couldn’t afford to lose face in front of his pack or he’d be fighting off challengers for weeks or months to come. Cole hated pack politics, hated the structure that demanded one lead and the rest be subservient.

His thoughts went to Jacque and his friends. What they were creating in Salvation was something special. Their bonds went way beyond pack ties and were cemented by mutual respect and friendship. That’s the only way he’d been able to leave Cherise behind, as much as it had killed him to do so. He knew his friends would take care of her for him. If he died, they would protect her from future attacks.

But Cole didn’t want to die. He had too much to live for, especially now. All he’d ever wanted was peace. Cherise had given him that and so much more. She’d given him a glimpse of something even greater—love and a family of his own.

That was worth fighting and possibly dying for.

Ryan turned to Matt. “Are you sure you want to do this, brother?”

Crap, Matt was the alpha’s brother, which meant that one of the males he’d killed was Ryan’s nephew. There was no longer any doubt that he’d have to fight. The bonds of loyalty required it.

The crowd was growing restless. If something didn’t happen soon, he might find himself having to fight his way out of here. He’d gambled on tradition and the right to challenge the alpha for leadership. To Cole, it had seemed the best way to handle this with the least amount of bloodshed. If he became alpha of this pack, the rest would have to fall in line, and he could protect Cherise.

“I will have my revenge.” Matt shook off the grasp of the men holding him and yanked off his shirt. He rolled his thick, beefy shoulders. Cole almost rolled his eyes. That might intimidate humans, but not him.

“Does your alpha know you’re here?” Ryan suddenly demanded.

Cole was glad he could answer honestly. “No. This is between me and your pack. This is about my mate.”

Ryan gave a soundless whistle. “He won’t thank you for bringing the wrath of this pack down on him and his pack.”

“I could have killed you all one by one if I’d wanted to. You’ve grown too used to being around humans. Your security is lax. I counted on you having honor. My argument isn’t with everyone in this pack, just with those who want to hunt my woman, a woman who ran from this pack when she was only a child. She’s never come back, but you still hunted her and her mother.” That angered Cole, but he swallowed it back. He couldn’t afford to let his emotions rule him. “Your argument isn’t with my pack, it’s with me. It’s the right of any wolf to challenge for alpha of a pack.”

Ryan rubbed his beard and looked thoughtful. “What you say is true.”

“What?” Matt shook his fist in the air. “I want justice.”

“And you’ll have your chance at it,” Ryan promised. “Anyone who wants to challenge Cole Blanchard, step forward.”

Matt boldly stepped into the ring formed by the pack. “Who’s with me?” He held his arms in the air like a champion. No one moved, and he faltered. “What’s this? Are you all cowards?” Matt challenged Wayne’s brother. “Do you not seek justice for your brother?”

The younger male glanced at the older wolf Cole had knocked out earlier. That male was still unconscious. “Wayne had no right to kill an innocent woman and hunt another. I won’t compound his mistake.”

“Cowards,” Matt roared. “All of you are cowards. Well, I’m not afraid.”

Cole narrowed his gaze and spread his arms wide in invitation before taunting his opponent. “You should be.”

Cherise was going to kill Cole when she finally found him. “This way. Turn right,” she instructed Gator. They’d been driving as fast as they dared, trying to catch up to Cole. But Cherise knew in the pit of her stomach they were going to be too late.

It amazed her just how much she remembered about her former home even though it had been years since she’d been here and she’d tried to block all memories of Kentucky from her memory. “Pull in here. If we get any closer they’ll hear us coming.”

Gator stopped the vehicle and she jumped out before he even had it in park. The others pulled in beside them. Jacque, Louis and Gwen jumped out of one truck and Anny and Armand out of another. They were all united in their fear for Cole’s safety.

Cherise studied each face and saw the determination written there. How had they all become such an integral part of her life? When had they become her pack?

No time to ponder such things now. There was something much more important at stake—Cole’s life.

Jacque took the lead. “Follow me.”

Cherise started to tell him she knew the way but realized there was no need. He could smell the pack as easily as she could. There was a murmur in the air, voices low and filled with intensity. Then a communal roar.

She started to run toward it. Strong arms caught her around the waist and held her back. “We need to go in careful so we don’t get him killed,” Gator whispered almost tonelessly in her ear.

He was right. As much as she needed to find Cole, the last thing she wanted to do was get him hurt by doing something stupid. “I’m okay now,” she whispered back.

“I’ll take the lead.” There was steel in Jacque’s voice. This was the alpha of the pack speaking now, not the man who’d teased and fed Gwen when she’d sat in his lap. “Louis, you bring up the rear. Gator, you and Cherise behind me. Armand behind Anny and Gwen. Stay sharp and keep silent. We don’t know what kind of security they have.”

As it turned out, none at all. Cherise couldn’t believe they walked in totally undetected and unchallenged. Yes, they were quiet and cautious, but they didn’t meet a soul. It seemed everyone was so intent on the fight it didn’t occur to them that complete strangers might venture onto their land.

Her heart pounded so hard she was surprised no one else could hear it. She was sweating, her skin damp beneath her shirt.
Be okay
.
Be okay
, she chanted in her mind.

All she wanted to do was break free from the others and find Cole. How dare he scare her this badly? How dare he put his life on the line like this?

Gator put his arm around her and stopped her. He pointed to a group of bushes. She bent low and followed him as the rest of the pack spread out.

The noise was much louder now and she could hear individual voices. The entire Pike County Pack seemed to be gathered. Even though she’d been away a long time, she recognized most of the people there, remembered many of them coming by her parents’ home and sharing meals with them. Those memories hurt most of all. Life here hadn’t been all bad. Not in the early days, at least. Not until later.

Cherise realized the pack had formed a loose ring around two men.
Cole
. Her heart skipped a beat the moment she saw him. He was alive. But before she could feel any sense of relief, another male ran at him.

Matt Hatfield, the alpha’s brother and Keith’s father. She didn’t remember him well, but her father had warned her more than once to stay clear of him. He hadn’t had to tell her twice. There was something about Matt that made her suspicious. She hadn’t been able to put her finger on why, but she’d trusted her instincts. He was a big man, but not as big as Cole.

Cole met his attacker head on. The two of them collided as the crowd cheered. The fight was on.

Cole didn’t want to kill Matt Hatfield, but he knew the other male wasn’t going to give him a choice. He was out for blood and drew it first, dragging heavy claws down Cole’s side. The wound burned and Cole knew he was losing blood. But no major organs had been hit, making it superficial in his books.

He tossed Matt to one side, but Matt rolled and was back on his feet quickly, looking confident. He licked Cole’s blood from his fingers and then held his arms in the air as though he was already victorious. The crowd cheered and some of them chanted Matt’s name.

Cole ignored his injuries and stood there waiting for his opponent to finish trying to impress the pack. The fact that he wasn’t even acknowledging his injury finally permeated the group and they fell silent. Matt slowly lowered his arms down to his sides. He didn’t look quite as certain now. Now there was a hint of fear in his eyes below the bravado.

His side might hurt like a sonofabitch, but Cole knew it was already healing. All werewolves healed quickly, but Cole had always healed particularly fast. He’d never been more grateful for that fact than he was right now.