Have to avenger

My body reacted on instinct. Several of their strikes found purchase in my flesh, but I was able to hold them off. Their attack was meant to kill, but their faces wore matching expressions of dread.

Langdon grunted as he surged forward, throwing strikes hard and fast, one after the other. I blocked each and every one, keeping time with his incredible pace. I worked hard to defend myself, but not hurt them. I didn’t have it in me to harm them. I wasn’t compelled like they were. But the longer it went on, the more tired I grew and the more I realized the horrible truth I had tried to deny—I was just delaying the inevitable.

Abruptly, Jax made contact again, his fist striking hard into the side of my face. My head whiplashed to the side. For a moment my vision went black before it cleared again. The hit was hard enough to knock me to one of my knees. Amber took advantage, flying in fast.

I didn’t have an option not to hurt her. The only way to stay alive was to strike back and strike back hard. My Wolf had had enough. We needed to get to our mate, and his frenzied thoughts were taking over.

I spun on my knee and shot out my palm, making contact with her kneecap, shattering it into pieces. She fell to the ground screaming in pain. But at least she was down.

Langdon was next. Without even slowing down my motion, I blocked his next strike spinning him to the side and then punched the vertebrae right between his shoulder blades, at the top of his spine. He howled and fell.

“Fuck...I hate this shit,” Jax growled and struck even harder. I heard a sickening thud when his fist hit my chest. Fire erupted in my lungs—several of my ribs were broken, and I suspected at least part of one punctured my lungs. I gasped for air. Jax didn’t relent. Instead, he fought even harder. Shit, the little fucker was fast and strong. He’d apparently been holding out during earlier fights.

I spit blood from my mouth and pulled strength from my gut. I slammed my fist into his face, hard, growling, “Sorry man.”

He went down, out cold.

That just left Ryder.

Ryder circled me. He whispered, “I don’t want to do this.”

I tried to swallow past the lump in my throat. “I know...I’m so sorry he did this to us. Just let me incapacitate you. It’ll put you out for the count. By the time you heal, he’ll be dead.” It was a good plan. I had already successfully put down the three other wolves without killing them.

Ryder’s voice broke, “You know I can’t do that.”

And then he did the absolutely worst thing he possibly could.

He shifted!

“No!” I roared, the sound cut off as my Wolf surged forward, forcing my shift.

Ryder didn’t delay. His Wolf was on me in a second.

My Wolf swiped at him, causing deep claw marks on his chest.

Ryder’s Wolf whined but didn’t stop. He was no match for me, but I couldn’t slow down...I couldn’t hold back anymore—not when my Wolf was in control. My Wolf was going to end this.

In a lightning-fast strike, he had Ryder’s Wolf by the throat and clamped his jaw tight. Ryder’s Wolf went limp in his teeth.

I wanted to scream. I fought my Wolf for control, but he wouldn’t relent. He shook his head, growling with Ryder’s limp form in his mouth. And then he dropped him onto the ground.

Ryder’s Wolf was too hurt to hold his shape any longer. He shifted back to skin. Horror washed over me to see his broken body, blood pouring from the wound at his neck.

I was finally able to shift now that my Wolf was satisfied the foe was no longer a threat. I dropped to my knees by Ryder’s head. “No, no, no!!!” I chanted.

Ryder’s breathing was labored and broken.

There was so much blood.

My hands were bathed in crimson. I grabbed a scrap of t-shirt and held pressure to the wound in his neck.

But he was losing too much blood.

“Coal...,” he let out a coughing rasp. His eyes rolled wildly...looking for me.

“I’m here!” I cried, moving my face so he could see me.

“You...you need to...go,” his voice croaked.

“I can’t leave you,” I whispered in agony.

Tears trickled down his face. His gaze softened, the love I found in his eyes broke me.

My heart lurched in my chest.

I was afraid it was going to break into pieces.

Ryder looked at me with that same goofy expression he always gave me when we were kids. I loved that fucking expression...because it only came out when he was happiest.

Barely able to speak now, his words a jumble of emotion, “Go...get her...your mate. I promised...we’d get her back...no matter what...what it took.” He reminded me of his earlier promise. Ryder said we’d get Brinley back no matter what it took, no matter what he had to do. But not like this...I didn’t want this!

I swiped my tears away so I could see him. “Please hold on...please don’t leave me,” I begged. “You’re going to heal...it’s just going to take a little bit of time,” I reasoned, my voice quivering.

But even as I said the words, I knew the truth. If I left Ryder now, he didn’t have any chance of survival. He would bleed out before I had a chance to come back for him.

“A...mate...” he coughed blood.

I held his head to the side while the liquid dribbled down his chin and chastised him softly, “Shh...don’t try to talk.”

His eyes had taken on a glassy look. I wasn’t sure if he could even see me anymore. He continued rambling, “mate...precious...don’t...lose.”

Abruptly, my Wolf howled in my head, causing every nerve in my body to come to attention. I searched for what caused his distress, and then I felt it—Brinley’s pain!

I didn’t know what happened, but I was sure she was hurt.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!

Ryder was still lucid enough to catch my change in expression. He rasped, “It’s time...”

I pressed my lips to his forehead and held them there. “I will avenge you, brother! I swear it on my life...I will make him pay for this.”

Ryder just nodded and closed his eyes.

I kissed his forehead and whispered one last time, “I love you, brother. Goodbye...”