“What is it?” Charley asked.
“Nothing.”Focus. She wanted to yell at Mike to hide, since many paws were making a lot of noise shuffling through the leaves and remnants of snow. The Kitcheners were coming.
Charley lifted her bow, ready for action. They wouldn’t engage until it looked like one of their men was in trouble. Cassidy was sure Zach would be upset if she had to come to his rescue. Again. Mike, however, might not mind.
Leading the Kitchener Clan in their wolf form was Chris Wentworth, the Beta. Charley looked over at her and nodded, indicating she knew who he was. Several more came up the path. They must have sensed the other wolves and were probably trying to figure out where they all were and how many there were. Mason was somewhere behind them, but he wouldn't be there for a while. If any of the wolves shifted and tried to enter the cabin, she wasn’t sure what they would do. Trevor would need help, for sure.
Charley nudged her. “Is that Doug?”
When Cassidy spotted him, her heart dropped to her stomach. Seeing him again brought up so many bad memories. “Yes.”
“Get ready.”
Cassidy raised her bow while trying to keep out of sight as much as possible.
When one of the wolves headed toward the cabin, Ian and Alex came out of the woods. Together with Mike, they charged. In that instant, it was as if a world war had broken out. For a second, it was twenty against three, but soon the other wolves rushed in to help.
Cassidy tried to locate all of the Granger-friendly clan, but seeing into the mêlée made it almost impossible—ear tags or no ear tags. Eventually, she was able to spot all of the pro-Grangers except for Trevor, who was in the cabin, and one other. Most likely that wolf was in a wait-and-see mode. Ian had explained that when a fresh wolf entered an existing fight, it was much easier to take someone down.
One Kitchener wolf was circling behind the group. Before Cassidy was aware of what was happening, Charley’s arrow shot through the air and almost went through the wolf.
He let out a howl, but with the growls and howls in front of the cabin, no one seemed to notice. Either they were too busy fighting for their lives or they didn’t care.
The wolf who’d been shot didn’t move, probably because the sedative that had coated the arrow was doing its job. When it wore off, she suspected he would limp back to the parking lot. Unless someone removed the arrow, though, healing would be long and painful.
A wolf cried out, forcing Cassidy to glance his way. It was Mike.Shit. Three wolves were circling him. She readied her arrow, but there was no way she could take out one of the moving wolves without possibly hitting Mike.
Move to the side,she mentally urged her mate. If only she could telepath her wish to him, it would make her chance of hitting the right wolf much easier.
A Granger-friendly wolf joined Mike, increasing the odds.Good.
“It’s Ian,” Charley whispered. It was almost as if she could read Cassidy’s mind.
Ian took on two of the wolves, allowing Mike to concentrate on the third one. While she didn’t want to look away, she wanted to see how Zach was fairing too. She also wanted to keep tabs on Doug.
When she found Zach, her heart stopped. He and Doug were locked in battle. Her fists tightened on the bow, ready to pull it back. She had a clear shot but didn't take it. Zach would want to deal with Doug himself—if he could. While he had fully healed from his ordeal with the human vigilantes, she didn’t think he was up to speed on his fighting skills, like some of the others were.
Ian, who was fighting alongside Mike, was holding his own with the two wolves. He’d bitten one in the side, and the other wolf was hobbling. Cassidy didn’t think that fight would last much longer. Mike seemed to be winning his battle with the other wolf too.
From behind Zach, another wolf charged. Cassidy didn’t even think. She aimed slightly in front of the wolf and released the arrow.
Thwack. She only hit its rear end, but once the sedative reached the wolf’s bloodstream, he’d fall. Only he didn’t. Using some sort of super human—or super wolf—power, the shot wolf reached Zach and chomped down on his flank. Her mate let out a howl.Shit.
Chris Wentworth, who, along with another Kitchener wolf, had been fighting Seth, took off toward Zach as soon as he heard him howl. Chris ran toward the fray.Shit, shit, shit. Zach wouldn’t survive taking on three wolves.
“I got this,” Charley said. She raised her crossbow, but Cassidy didn’t know how she could avoid hitting Zach. The wolves were circling, biting, and rushing around.
The wolf that Cassidy had shot with an arrow, staggered, but he managed to get up again. With what she believed was his last ounce of energy, he leapt at Zach once more, and Cassidy stared in horror.
Doug went in for the kill when all of a sudden Chis attacked Doug!What the hell?There was no way he could confuse Doug for one of the Grangers.
The wolf with the arrow in his side, collapsed, and Zach moved out of the way to let Doug and Chris fight.
“I have a shot,” Charley said. “Do you want me to take out one of them?”
“Not yet. And not Chris. Why is he fighting Doug?”
She looked over at Cassidy and smiled. “It’s either kill you or take out Doug. I’m betting Chris believes this is as good of an excuse as any to get rid of his competition.”