11
My chest tightened and I squeezed my hands into fists. I didn’t want to watch, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away. The two wolves circled each other. They were nearly equally matched. Alec’s wolf slightly larger than Tyler’s. After their last encounter, I knew Alec was the superior fighter. It didn’t surprise me after seeing how Tyler would default to those around him to finish his dirty work.
Even though I was pretty confident that Alec could handle himself, I was still terrified. I didn’t want anything to happen to him and I hated that this whole thing was my fault.
No.It wasn’t my fault. I was done with self-blame. I gave Tyler the option to break the bond. He brought all this on himself.
To my surprise, my wolf seemed to be backing me up. She was ready to be done with all of this once and for all. I realized I was holding my breath and released it before forcing myself into a steady breathing pattern.
It seemed like an eternity of glaring and snapping and circling before either wolf made a move. Tyler was the first to break, charging at Alec with his claws raised.
Alec was ready. Jumping, he met Tyler in the air, knocking the other wolf to the ground. Tyler quickly righted himself and attacked again, going in low and managing to swipe Alec’s rear side with his claws. I gasped and involuntary took a step forward. Kyle was quick to push me back, knocking me slightly off balance. I didn’t realize how unsteady I still was from my ordeal.
I took my eyes off the fight for a few seconds while I regained my footing, and when I looked back up, Tyler was on the ground. He rolled over, righting himself before turning back to Alec. He charged the dark gray wolf, knocking him down. The two creatures rolled together, fighting for dominance. Growls and snapping jaws and slashing claws blurred together as the wolves continued to grapple. Every time Tyler got a blow in, Alec was able to match him.
The fight was taking them further away from us and after a few more blows, they had moved just out of view. I wasn’t about to stay in my guarded position and miss out on what was happening. Quickly, I passed between Kyle and Malcom and jogged forward to find the battle.
Suddenly, a wolf rushed me, and before I could react, fangs were around my wrist. Teeth bit into my flesh and I screamed as I tried to pull my arm away.
Tyler had his jaw locked around my arm, sending pain so intense that it knocked the air from my lungs. Gasping and fighting to ignore the pain, I had no choice but to stumble forward as he dragged me.
Alec’s wolf appeared in front of me. Hackles raised, he growled. Tyler’s wolf ignored him, continuing to pull me along.
Hot tears streamed down my cheeks as I was dragged forward. I tried to fight back, but moving my arm sent fresh pain and I couldn’t get the right angle to land a kick.
“Let me go!” I shouted. What was Tyler thinking? I wasn’t going to bend to him, and he was outnumbered. The second he let of go me, he was a dead man.
Ahead, I caught sight of the edge of the ravine. It was a vertical drop at least twenty feet down. What was Tyler doing? Was he going to throw me over? Or pull both of us over the edge?
I yanked on my arm, gasping for air as his teeth bit even deeper into my skin. This was not how I was going down.
We reached the cliff and Tyler finally released my arm. I ran, but he blocked me in, his wolf much faster than my human form. I was inches from a fall that would mean the end of my life. All Tyler had to do was give me a little push.
“Let me go, you fucking sadist,” I shouted.
My friends were gathered in front us, careful to keep their distance. Tyler growled. I wasn’t sure what Tyler was hoping to gain from this, but he’d successfully gotten his message across to my friends. If they approached, he’d end me. Maybe he’d end himself too, I wasn’t sure.
“Back up, all of you.” I was cradling my bleeding arm with my uninjured one. Everything hurt but this wasn’t the time to let my guard down. I was seconds from death.
In all the times I’d wished for something to take me from Wolf Creek, I never thought I’d be where I was now. I had found friends, I’d experienced happiness, even if it was brief. If I walked away from here, I was going to do everything in my power to make sure deranged, power hungry men like Tyler and his father never hurt anyone again.
There had to be a way to end this, but it might cost me everything. I looked up at Alec and mouthed,I’m sorry.
Before I could change my mind, I moved to the side, quickly positioning myself behind Tyler. His head snapped to me, and he turned to face me, but it was too late. Using everything I had in me, I pushed. Tyler’s wolf slipped, his back legs the first to go over the edge.
Suddenly, someone grabbed me around the waist and pulled me away from the edge. Two more sets of hands grabbed hold of Tyler’s front paws right before he plunged to his death.
“I got you,” Sheila said, pulling me into her and away from the cliff.
Kyle and Alec were in their human form, holding on to Tyler’s wolf. They dragged him up, then stepped back. Malcom was still in wolf form, waiting in front of Tyler.
“What’s going on? Why did they do that?” I demanded.
“They stopped you from a life of mourning that prick. If he fell, his death would have been on your hands,” Sheila said. “You’re welcome.”
“No.” Tears stung my eyes. “I can’t keep living like this.”
“I know,” she said. “But you can’t kill him. It would drive you mad.”