Raber Wolf Pack Book Three (17 page)

“Bout time you woke up to enjoy the party.” Zara’s insides turn. “I’m going to fuck you then I’m going to kill you and that alpha of yours. Or maybe I’ll do like I planned before and keep you for my play toy. You heard that, didn’t you? That’s why you freaked out?” Seth grabs Zara by the neck and begins to crush her windpipe. “If I would have taken you out that night, none of this would be happening.”

Zara clutches the hands around her and tries to pry them from her throat, unable to catch her breath. Her claws extend as she swipes roughly at Seth’s chest, leaving some damaging cuts in the process.

“You fucking bitch.” Seth rears back and slaps Zara so hard across the cheekbone that stars alight behind her eyes. Zara’s wolf takes over, bursting out again, just as Seth’s does the same. Zara is intimidated by the size and magnitude of Seth’s wolf next to hers, but refuses to give up without a fight.

Xavier! Where in the hell are you?
she screams through the pack link.

Coming. Other wolves attacking. I’ll get to you, baby. Swear it.
Zara’s panic does not lessen at Xavier’s words. If anything, it makes her fear increase because it’s unknown if he will be able to reach her in time. Zara tries not to show fear, but she reeks of the scent. She pulls in every amount of strength she can and prepares to fight.

Seth comes at her, snarling and chomping. Zara doesn’t back away. She does the same, knowing there is no way she can beat a male wolf in a fight, especially at his size. Both wolves’ snouts and faces are being nipped at. Blood begins to fall into Zara’s eyes, and the hope that she once felt when she found Xavier starts to fade, but she continues to fight.

“Stop!” a dominant male voice yells and Seth freezes as Zara falls to all fours. Zara’s eyes grow wide at the sight in front of her. “Zara, change to human.” Zara isn’t stupid by any means, but what this male is holding makes Zara do exactly that. “Good girl,” the male says like she is a pet dog, only more condescending. “Seth, you too,” he commands and Seth does the same.

Zara cannot breath. It’s lodged in her throat and about ready to choke her.

“Zara!” a tiny voice says with tears falling down her small precious face. Natalie.

“It’s okay, baby,” Zara consoles, just as Seth grabs Zara around the neck from behind, pulling her to his front.

“After I finish you off, I’ll take her with us. I’ve never been into pups, but what the hell,” Seth says in Zara’s ear. Lava flows into Zara’s veins at the thought of Natalie being hurt. Zara has no idea what Natalie is doing out of the den. She’s supposed to be under lock and key with three females and Maggie, but now isn’t the time to dwell on logistics. Right now, that male has Zara’s heart in his hands.

“Leave her alone,” she says through clenched teeth and Seth grips her tighter, cutting off her air.

“Aww, isn’t she cute, Donte?” Seth taunts, and Zara’s stomach falls to the ground. The male is the alpha of the Lobo pack. Fucking hell.

Xavier! Donte has Natalie!
she yells internally.

Fuck!
Xavier roars in her head.
I’ve got two wolves to take out. I’m on my way.

Zara keeps her eyes peeled to little Natalie, trying to come up with a scenario that will work, but nothing is coming into play at the moment.

“Seth, you were right. That one,” Donte points to Zara, “is going to be fun to take back and play with. This one, though,” Donte’s index claw comes out to a sharp point, “we don’t need.” He places the claw against little Natalie’s throat and Zara lets out a blood curdling cry.

“READY?” KENLY ASKS
Sabrea who nods. Kenly grabs her hand at the same time they touch Max. Upon contact, light shoots up from the three of them and dissipates just as quickly as it came, and they disconnect. Neither Kenly nor Sabrea feel any different.

Kenly’s hands glide over a now-human Max who moans with each touch. “Max, how do you feel?” she asks, hoping he’s all right.

“Tired,” he groans. Kenly inspects the cuts on his body.

“Shift. You need to heal,” she tells him.

Max pulls in as much strength as he can and shifts, but lies there unmoving.
Feel any different?
Kenly asks him.

A little, but could really use a healer.
The one thing that they no longer have. Stella is gone. Shit.

Zara
, Kenly thinks just as Xavier runs up to their small huddle. Thor also returns with blood caking his snout.

“Donte and Seth have Zara and Natalie,” Xavier says once he shifts to human. “We need to find them now,” he states, almost in a panic, but keeps his shit together, barely. He looks down at Max on the ground. “Fuck, is he okay?”

“He needs a healer,” Kenly says softly.

“Let me get some of our wolves here to guard Max and then we need to find Zara.” Xavier shifts back to wolf and sniffs the air for his mate, not seeing any Lobos around. He contacts some of the remaining wolves from the Raber pack and they come quickly. Kenly kisses Max’s fur then shifts back into a wolf and follows everyone.

She’s over there,
Xavier says. Thor, Kenly, Sabrea, and Gary follow.

“ZARA!” NATALIE’S
frightened scream has white flashing behind Zara’s eyes. Donte places his claw on the edge of Natalie’s neck, poking it in and Natalie screams.

The next seconds happen in a blur of movement. So quick that humans would never be able to catch it with the naked eye, but would feel the burst of air.

I’m coming!
Xavier yells and Zara shifts, spinning around so fast it catches Seth off guard. That second is the moment that Zara digs deep into Seth’s throat and rips it from his body. The kill isn’t celebrated, isn’t even on Zara’s radar.

No, only getting her girl is.

She begins moving closer to Donte, who stands there almost in shock like he didn’t think that Zara would fight for what was hers. Like she’d roll over and play dead. Fuck no. Donte definitely underestimated Zara.

Go up behind him,
Zara tells Xavier, who nods to the wolves with him.
Sabrea and Kenly, powers!
she yells.

Kenly stares at Donte intently and shakes her head after a few moments.
It’s not working!
she yells, frustrated and pissed as hell.

Mine either,
Sabrea adds.

Shit, he must have our powers blocked,
Zara thinks.

DONTE’S CLAW INSERTS
deeper into the young pup’s flesh, and he smiles sadistically at her screams. He’s never been in to killing kids, but the fact that this pup means something to that fucker Xavier and his mate, makes it utterly delicious.

The pup grips Donte’s arm, sinking her small fingernails into his skin, and he feels the small bite of it, but doesn’t stop what he’s doing. Donte can smell and hear the other wolves coming up behind him. He’s glad he forced that witch to put a blocking spell on him. Every link in the Lobo pack is broken and he’s the only one left, but he refuses to go out without taking someone that Xavier loves with him. He continues slicing her skin, making the incision deeper.

The place on his arm where the pup had dug in her nails begins to burn like acid on his skin. Each small second that passes, it gets more painful and his movements halt on the pup’s neck.

LITTLE NATALIE DOESN’T
know what is happening. She suddenly feels really, really hot and her tummy turns in circles like she’s going to throw up. Zara is right there and Natalie knows that Zara will help her. She just wishes Zara would get to her quicker as the hurt in her neck is bad, really bad. The crystal around her neck begins to glow, illuminating the space in front of her just as she gets hotter. Something is happening to her body. Fear wafts off of her.

XAVIER SNARLS.
That fucking prick. I’ll fucking destroy him!
he says to his pack through the link. The other wolves feel the pain deeply and want their piece of the ass who has their pack pup.

Not if we get to him first. The light. Both of you, come,
Zara thinks to Kenly and Sabrea.

Xavier and the wolves following him separate so that some are coming from the left of Donte and the others from the right.

Like some magnetic force pulls them forward, happening so fast that even the wolves have a hard time seeing it, Zara, Kenly, and Sabrea reach little Natalie, shift to human, and grab on to her body in a flash. The instant their hands make contact, blinding orange light shoots up through Natalie’s body, rocketing from the ground to the Heavens above. The wolves close their eyes against the shock of brightness that hits them so hard, they try not to take a step back, but some of them falter.

Natalie!
Zara screams, blinking her eyes repeatedly at the light, but clenching on to the little pup.

Male screams and yelps stifle the air as the light recedes. Natalie slumps into the three females’ arms and the four tumble down onto the grass as Donte’s body, nothing but ashes, floats to the ground.

Holy fucking shit!
Zara says, pulling Natalie into her arms only. She checks her little body everywhere, seeing no visible marks. Her neck is healed completely.

Xavier and the rest of the wolves come up quickly, shifting into human-form.