Luke's Dream (18 page)

“I promise, I will keep them off of you,” I
said as she rested her cheek on my chest.

She flattened her hand on my side, her cold
fingers branding my skin beneath the shirt.

“I’m glad you’re warm.” She immediately
relaxed into me and fell asleep.

I listened for any sign we’d been followed.
The night remained quiet except for a light wind rattling something
outside the barn. In an effort to keep Bethi warm, I tucked my leg
over hers and touched her cheek often. She didn’t seem to get any
colder.

As I lay there, my mind went back to the
fight. How many had died? Close to fifteen, at least. How had we
managed to survive? That thought set my focus on every cut and
bruise I carried. There were many.

I reached up and touched my neck, which hurt
the worst. As I’d guessed, the wounds were already crusted and
mending, but the bastard’s teeth had sunk deep, tearing flesh
instead of only puncturing. It hurt like a bitch, and I hated the
thought that Bethi was likely suffering far worse pain.

After she’d rested five hours, I woke
her.

“All right, luv. It’s time for us to be on
our way. The longer we wait, the more likely we are to run into
trouble.”

“We’re going to run into it no matter what,”
she said lifting her head.

She borrowed the flashlight to use the back
stall again then met me by the bike.

“Ready?”

She nodded tiredly and got on behind me.

Though she’d rested, she still fell asleep as
we pushed further north. When we turned onto the final road, I
nudged her awake.

“We’re less than an hour away,” I called over
my shoulder.

She nodded in response but stayed scrunched
behind me.

I was just thinking how unusually warm she
was starting to feel against me when something emerged from the
trees to my right.

“Shit,” I swore and swerved to avoid the
mutt’s charge.

Bethi moved behind me.

“They know,” I called back to her.

Her grip tightened around my waist, and I
opened the throttle.

There were only three roads into the pack’s
territory and, ultimately, the Compound. One came in from the
north, one from the southwest, and another from the east. We’d
abandoned the eastern route when we’d run into them last time. When
they’d found me south of here, I’d kept heading north, hoping
they’d think we’d switch from the obvious again. There was no
turning around anymore. We were too close.

Watching the mirror, I saw the lone wolf stop
running and stand in the middle of the paved lane, no doubt to
communicate our location to the rest of his group. It was ten
minutes before we saw another one.

A fully changed werewolf ran in front of us,
trying to slow me down, but I didn’t let up on the throttle.
Leaning, I swerved around the mutt and kept going.

Wolves poured from the woods behind us. More
than all the other challenges added together. If this bike stopped,
we wouldn’t have a chance. And I knew this road. There was a curve
ahead that would slow us. We needed help.

Using my left hand, I dug my phone out of my
right pocket. I quickly rang Gabby and pressed the phone to my
ear.

“Gabby, I have a problem,” I said as soon as
she answered.

Before I could say more, a chunk of wood came
flying at me and hit the phone from my hand. The device flew over
my shoulder and tumbled down my back.

A mutt closing in on our right growled as
Bethi snatched up the phone.

When she started shouting, I knew she’d
redialed Gabby.

“No,” she said. “Bethi. We need help. There
are too many. They can’t take me. If they do, we
all
die.
Please!”

She shouted the name of the road, which
pushed the mutts to try harder to reach the bike. One closed the
distance to within a few yards. The bike didn’t have any more to
give. Then, in front of us, more wolves started pouring from the
trees.

“Don’t let go!” I said shouted as I swerved
to miss the first of them.

I had to let up on the throttle or dump the
bike. When I cleared that wave, I opened the throttle again.

The mass of wolves chasing us had gained too
much ground when we’d slowed. One caught Bethi’s jacket. She
clutched her arms around my waist, locking her hands to secure her
hold. The jacket tore. That wolf fell back with his empty prize,
and another moved in to take his place running beside the bike.
Bethi caught him by surprise by kicking him in the face. The blow
tripped him back into his followers, causing several of them to
fall back.

Ahead of us, a group of six wolves burst from
the woods and raced toward us. The sight of a familiar grey wolf
almost relieved me. At least one Elder had arrived. But, who was he
helping? Us or them?

“If you get us out of this alive, I swear
I’ll stop trying to ambush-Claim you,” Bethi said.

She cringed behind me, and I braced myself as
the oncoming wolves ran at us. At the last second, they jumped,
sailing over our heads and into the pack of wolves following
us.

We have you, son,
Grey said in my mind
as four of their number surrounded us and two remained behind to
fight.

In the mirror, I watched the attackers
surround Grey and the other wolf. Bodies flew. The two were
obviously Elders and could do ten times the damage I could do. Yet,
I couldn’t let them face those numbers alone, and I couldn’t bring
this fight to the women and children at the Compound. Before we
reached the final bend, I skidded to a sideways stop, severed the
strap connecting Bethi to me, and leapt from the bike, already
transforming.

The four newcomers protectively surrounded
Bethi and the bike, facing off with our attackers. I joined their
protective circle, clawing and biting to take down as many as I
could. The odds were more favorable this time, giving me hope.

Behind me, Bethi moved from the bike. The
scent of her fresh blood washed the immediate area, distracting our
attackers. And me. Without thinking, I turned to look at her and
watched her stumble back against the bike.

I would have gone to her, but a random fist
clipped my collarbone. Facing the attacker, I sank my teeth into a
partially shifted flank until I could get a better hold on his
throat. Tossing him aside, I glanced up and noted the Elders
fighting their way toward us. No doubt they’d smelled Bethi’s
blood, too.

Focusing on the mutts before me, I shifted my
arm and swung wide, racking my claws across the middles of the
closest three. They growled, and while two of them swung in return,
the third one grabbed me and pulled me out of the defensive circle
we’d formed around Bethi. Like in the woods, I used my teeth and
claws to cut down those trying to get to her. When one tried to
jump over us, I jumped as well, blocking him.

As much as I gave out damage, I also took
some. Claws and teeth ripped into my hide. Some reopened wounds
that had started to heal. I didn’t let the pain distract me,
though. Nothing was more important than keeping these bloody asses
from Bethi and the Compound.

Then, teeth sank into the back side of my
neck and stayed there. Right where the other chap had nipped me. In
the midst of the snarls, grunts, and yips, Bethi’s voice rose above
the chaos. Rage filled her words.

“I have run…I have bled…I have
remembered
.”

I wanted to check on her but couldn’t. A
swarm of attackers seemed determined to bring me to the ground.

“I am the Wisdom of the Judgements, and I
will not fail again!”

The wolf attached to my neck suddenly
screamed and released me.

“Bite him again, and I will rip your tongue
from your mouth!”

The mass of bodies trying to bring me down
didn’t ease up with the release of the one on my neck. If anything,
they intensified. I blocked what blows I could, but so many were
pressed too close, I’d lost the room I needed to fight back. I
growled and used my teeth. Blood poured into my mouth.

“Now,” Bethi yelled above the chaos.

The weight on my back bore me down to one
knee. However, the pain and injuries inflicted by the mutts faded
to the background as the scent of Bethi’s blood grew stronger. Fear
gripped me, and I looked back for her. The space beside the bike
within the circle of safety was empty.

Where is she?
I sent to Grey, the
Elder who’d first communicated with me.

She’s coming to you.

A wolf beside me had his face tipped up. I
followed his gaze and saw Bethi tumbling through the air above us.
My heart nearly stopped as she started to fall. She opened her arms
and eyes, and I saw vengeance there. I swore.

Claws raked my side, bringing my focus back
to the fight. Some of the wolves who had been on me, moved toward
Bethi, who landed a few yards away. My stomach twisted seeing her
once again surrounded by mutts.

With more room, I fought harder. Bodies fell
to the ground as I tried to make my way to her side. She moved
fluidly, slicing any wolf who dared move within range of her
blade.

A horn blared long and loud a moment before a
white wolf landed in the fray. If I’d thought the other two Elders
impressive, Winifred stunned me. She moved so quickly, I could
barely focus as bodies fell around me.

A partially shifted brown wolf landed beside
Bethi, picked her up, and jumped back into the center of the
circle. He told her to stay then joined Winifred. Each body she
brought down, he lifted and tossed to the tree line.

Panting, I took a moment to catch my breath.
We were winning. The attackers’ numbers had halved. As if they too
suddenly realized it, as one, they turned and fled. No one gave
chase.

With the road cleared of attackers, I heard
the engines of two cars racing our way. I looked up the road and
watched as the two cars sped past toward the curve that led to the
Compound.

The man driving the first car was easily
recognizable, and I grinned as he looked at the bike. Thomas’ son,
Emmitt, glanced at me, anger in his eyes while I looked at the
woman and the two little children in the back seat. Was that the
other human Mate I’d heard about?

The coppery tang of blood called my attention
back to Bethi. Turning, I watched her fold an arm around her waist,
her face twisted in pain and exhaustion. Blood dripped down to the
road at her feet.

“She needs help,” I said, releasing the
transformation and moving toward her. Someone tossed Tinker Bell
pants at my chest. I quickly tugged them on and put an arm around
Bethi’s shoulder.

She leaned into me, sobbing.

“We’re almost there, sweetheart. Hang in
there.”

I quickly got on the bike and Jim, Thomas’
second son, set her on behind me.

“Mom’s ready,” he said.

I nodded and started the engine as Bethi
leaned against me.

“There’s no bag, so stay awake,” I said,
easing the bike forward.

She pressed her lips to my back and held on
to me.

The
wolves ran beside the bike, guarding us as I sped around the curve.
When I reached the long rutted drive to the Compound, I slowed
considerably. Bethi was in no shape for a rough ride. The woods
remained eerily quiet. No bird song or other natural sounds echoed
around us. Only the rumble of the bike engine and the thump of the
wolves’ feet broke the silence.

Nothing made sense to me. Why would the
Elders come to aid our fight against the unmated instead of
ordering the unmated to leave Bethi alone until she reached the
Compound for an official Introduction? So many had died because of
that decision. The Elders were supposed to protect our race, not
destroy it.

When we reached the ramshackle buildings, I
pulled to a stop beside the car that had passed us. It was empty,
but I was sure I’d see Emmitt soon enough.

I cut the engine and listened to Bethi’s
shallow breaths. The silence seemed to rouse her because she lifted
her head in time to see the woman who stood on the porch throw a
robe to the white wolf. The rest of the wolves kept their fur on,
probably a consideration to Bethi. I appreciated the gesture.

“Come on,” I said, holding out an arm so
Bethi could dismount first.

She moved slightly but didn’t get off.
Winifred quickly shifted to her skin and put on the robe.

“How badly are you hurt?” she asked.

“Just a nick,” Bethi said, still not
moving.

Winifred stepped toward us and plucked Bethi
off the back of the bike. The light breeze cooled and started to
dry the blood on my back. Most of it was hers. I dismounted slowly
as I studied Bethi. She didn’t look well. Her vacant stare through
glossy bloodshot eyes and her unnaturally pink cheeks on an
otherwise pale face worried me.

“Let’s get you inside,” Winifred said to her.
Then, she glanced at the brown wolf. “Jim, Emmitt’s saying the boys
are worried.” She herded Bethi toward the door while calling out
further instructions. “You should go reassure them. Grey and Sam
can handle things out here.”

Everyone moved to do as she said. Since
inside was safer than outside, I didn’t try to fight her.

Jim shifted and stepped in front of me just
as Bethi stepped inside.

“I’d like the keys back.” He held out his
hand.

“Give my apologies about the empty tank,” I
said, handing them over. Jim didn’t say anything, just took the
keys and stepped aside.

Realizing I was losing Bethi, I hurried to
follow. I’d known the Elders would take over when I brought her
here; yet, the loss was tearing me apart inside. I wanted her safe,
but I couldn’t let her go.

Seeing Bethi’s shuffling, pained steps wasn’t
helping calm me down, either. Couldn’t Winifred see Bethi couldn’t
walk?

Elder Winifred,
I sent to her as I
moved to scoop Bethi up into my arms,
I am stating my interest
in Bethony and ask that you take note of her interest in
me.