Shadow Walker (23 page)

It was now or never. She couldn’t stand at the top of these rocks all night. Taking a deep breath, she readied herself for battle. The Tigress leapt down and heard a snarl to her left, hidden in the rocks, but expected.

A growled response rumbled low in her throat. Tension coiled her muscles, readying her for a fight. Turning in a slow arc, she spotted the wolf hidden in the shadows. When he realized he'd been spotted, he lunged. His powerful jaws wide and ready to snap. Rolling her eyes, she wondered when they would ever learn. The Tigress dropped back onto her haunches like she was about to turn and flee, then swung back with a powerful swipe that tore into the left side of the wolf’s face, blinding him for a moment until his healing ability kicked in. She hoped to be able to take care of him before that happened.

The black wolf yelped and staggered to its right, she lunged in with another powerful dig, catching the wolf across the throat. One swipe wasn’t enough to behead a Were with her claws, but slashing one’s throat was an effective way to pause them long enough so that she could try.

The black wolf dropped back onto its haunches, and she leapt onto him, finishing him off with a few furious strikes and one well-placed bite to sever his spinal cord. She pulled away with a snarl. The wind blew and she caught the scent of another not too far away.

One down, two to go
, she thought with a sneer, blood dripping from her mouth. Raising her nose again, the Tigress tried to find out where.

A burst of gunfire caught her by surprise, and her ears lowered. Braedyn and Peyton must be near, unless the other two Guardians, Allen and Terry, had circled back, too.

“Amber?” Peyton called out.

She roared out her position, not bothering to transform in order to communicate.

“Are you all right?”
the Alpha asked.

Unable to determine his location, Amber knew they were relatively close.
“Fine, I took one down. There is at least one more. Is Peyton covered?”

“Circle back to be safe.”

The Tigress paced back a few steps, trying to catch a bead on the other wolf’s location before the Alpha and Peyton came any closer. Pricking her ears, she listened for movement.

“Be careful of the rock formations. One was hiding and tried to take me by surprise,”
she warned.

Another rapid burst of gunfire rent the night and Amber cringed.

“One more down,”
the Alpha confirmed.

“I’m tracking yet another.”

Pacing a little further, she put her nose to the ground this time and opened her mouth a little to weed out the taste of the minerals. Her ears twitched at the sound of rocks falling and she looked up in time to see a man leap down, his sword extended. The Tigress managed to jump back in time to avoid the strike.

She growled and moved back a few paces, trying to gain enough time for Braedyn and Peyton to distract him so she could shift to her human form and retrieve her sword.

The man charging had a buzzed haircut and a scruffy face. He was built like a dream, of course, most of the assholes were. He swung the sword in an arcing motion. The Tigress dodged and attempted to swipe at him from the side, missing by mere inches, and then leapt back from his counter.

Amber saw the Alpha wolf running up behind and leap onto her attacker’s back, his teeth snapping at the man’s neck, his weight forcing the man to the ground. She quickly took her chance to shift back to her human form. Just as her clothing manifested, Peyton stepped around the edge of the massive rock piles with his M4 raised. Upon seeing her, he lifted the barrel a fraction, and then trained it on the snarling heap prone on the ground.

Amber called upon her sword, feeling the magical electricity arc through her arm when it appeared in her hand. She walked toward the fray, unafraid. The Alpha wolf glanced up and slid from the attacker just before the swing of the sword, their movements so fluid, it looked like it had been choreographed.

The man on the ground had dropped his sword when the Alpha tackled him. Amber took the attacker’s head in one solid downward swing. She stepped back to catch her breath, glancing over in time to see Braedyn shift into human form.

Peyton let out a deep breath. “How many more?”

“I took one out on the other side of the pile,” Amber said, motioning behind her. “Then these two. Those were the only scents I was able to pick up. The mineral smell from the rocks threw me off.”

Braedyn nodded and ran a hand through his hair. He manifested a leather band and tied his hair back from his face. “If I figure Elan right, there will be a few more. He’s going to have a few standing at his side.”

“Yeah, he’s not going into anything without at least two others. I can’t see him holding a group of more than five or six though. My bet is he only has two with him.” Taking another deep breath, she allowed her sword to vanish. It was too heavy a burden to carry around when she could call upon it with a thought.

“They took down a bear for a distraction?” Braedyn asked, scenting the air.

Amber nodded and brushed her hair back from her face. Following suit, she manifested a thick band to pull it back. “The mineral smell threw me and then the spicy scent of the bear…it took me a bit to catch a bead on them. I had to get right into the bear to get their scents. They were good at covering their tracks. They used the rocks well, I have to admit.”

“They were some of Harlan’s best,” Braedyn said with a nod. “I was told by some of the refugees that five of his personal band were unaccounted for after Harlan’s death. Looks like Elan found them.”

“So we’re looking at two more with Elan,” Peyton said, checking the clip in his rifle.

Braedyn nodded. “These three were meant as a distraction. I think we need to get back to Sorenson’s.”

“Then you two go. You can get there faster without me—”

“No,” Braedyn said, shaking his head, his voice firm. “We’re not leaving you.”

“Then one of you goes.” Peyton raised his rifle. “I can handle myself pretty well with this thing. There is no use in both of you walking me back. You’re forgetting this is what I do and
have
been doing for the last twenty years.”

Braedyn turned to look at her. “You’re quicker.”

Amber paused to look at both men, moistened her lips, and then shook her head. “No. I made a promise to Casey when I left. I’m not walking away. She’d have my ass if anything happened to either of you.”

Braedyn raised his brows. He wasn’t used to her telling him ‘No’ in such a way. But then again…there hadn’t been a Casey before. While she was loyal to her Alpha, there was a loyalty to Casey Amber was unable to explain, and he knew it. Under normal circumstances, she would buckle under his command.

“Let’s just double our pace back. We’ve been gone little more than an hour. If we rush, we can make it back in half the time. Let’s get halfway back, and I’ll think about sprinting the rest of the way,” Amber said when Braedyn didn’t respond to her flat-out refusal.

Braedyn nodded. “I’ll accept that.”

Amber knew Peyton was pissed off. She and Braedyn kept switching off scouting ahead like before, but this time he was running to keep pace. No matter how many times he’d pled with them to go ahead, both she and the Alpha had ignored him. She rushed ahead, they were close, and her gate faltered at the trace of fresh blood again.

Adding another burst of speed, she tore down the trail. In the shadows hanging from the branches above was Terry, Dean’s best friend. He was disemboweled and left over the trail in warning.

She skidded to a halt and sprung back in the opposite direction. Her muscles burned, and she projected to the wolf what was ahead.

“Don’t leave his side,”
the Tigress warned.

It had been less than fifteen minutes since they’d left the bear. They were nearing the halfway point back to the Sorenson mansion. Peyton was hustling, doing damned good for a man his age. Better than most men
half
his age.

Shifting back into human form, she took up residency on his right. When the Alpha didn’t shoot ahead, Peyton knew something was wrong. His pace slowed a little and he frowned.

“What’s the matter?” Amber asked, decelerating with him.

“We’re not far. Now go,” he huffed.

The Alpha circled back to Peyton’s left. The old man slowed to a stop.

“If there’s something ahead, I need to slow and catch my breath a moment. Braedyn didn’t go ahead like usual, and we’re close enough you can run the rest of the way. I’m not stupid.”

Amber looked at the Alpha, and then back to Peyton. “I found Terry ahead.”

“Is he all right?”

Clearing her throat, she shook her head. “No, he’s been killed and strung above the trail. We don’t want to risk an ambush, so we’ve come back…”

Peyton’s expression grew dark. “That bastard is between me and my kids and just killed another I considered one of my own.” His grip tightened on his M4. “Right this moment, I am not one to be
fucked
with.”

“I picked up Allen’s scent, but I don’t know if he’s all right or not. I didn’t get a visual.”

“One of you has to go,” he insisted.

Amber shook her head and laid a hand on his arm. “They are already there, Peyton. Now it’s up to Casey and Pierre.”

“I’ll be damned.” He took off sprinting. “One of you goes
now
! I can make a four-minute mile. Whoever stays with me, we can handle it.”

She turned to the Alpha.
“Go, I’ll stay with him. Be careful, they have a gun with silver bullets,”
the Tigress warned.

“See him to the house, and then come as backup. Get him to safety first.”
The wolf shot ahead, tearing down the trail.

A few moments later rapid gunfire charged the air.

“Terry’s gun, its silver bullets,” Peyton panted.

“We know. Right now, we need to get you into the house. We’ll worry about the rest as we get to it.”

Peyton controlled his breathing and put on another burst of speed. When they came to the clearing, his legs nearly gave out. He stopped to stare at the young man. His grip tightened on his rifle, and he bared his teeth.

“They won’t walk out of here tonight alive, I promise you,” he vowed, turning to her.

Another spray of gunfire spurted near the rear of the house.

“The garden,” Amber said, struggling to keep pace with him and not barrel ahead. Braedyn had made her promise to see Peyton safely inside first. She couldn’t leave him. There could be more in wait.

Raising her head, off to the left was a werewolf. A scent she didn’t recognize. She motioned to alert Peyton to its location.

He raised his rifle, pointing it in the correct direction, and Amber couldn’t help but wonder how well he could see in the dark with only the moon to guide him.

She called on her sword, registering the smile on his face before gunfire came again, and she was knocked off her feet. Peyton cursed and returned fire. Grunting, she rose to a crouch and felt the tender spot at her temple where she’d head-butted the tree. Sluggish for a moment, Amber shook her head, trying to assess possible injuries. But her adrenaline was pumping so hard it was difficult.

Peyton was no longer at her side.

Other than the knot on her head, she didn’t feel any other pain and jogged ahead to locate the gunfire.

“I hate those fucking things!”

She saw Peyton level his rifle. “You son of a bitch!” he snarled, pulling the trigger. The bullets tore through the man’s neck, and Peyton didn’t let off until the attacker’s head rolled from his shoulders.

“Peyton—” she said, coming up behind him.

He turned, holding the muzzle of the gun in the air. “Are you all right?”

“I think so.” Amber rubbed her head. “What happened?”

Peyton looked her over with a critical eye. “I saw his eyes shine before he fired. All I could do was shove you out of the way. You were the target.”

She gave him a weak smile and shook her head, then spotted the six holes peppered across the front of his coat. “You stepped in front of me.” Putting her hand on his chest, she frowned at him. “That wasn’t part of the deal.”

“Sue me,” he grumbled, turning toward the house. “Let’s go.”

“Are you okay?” Falling in step with him once again, her senses were on high alert. The sluggishness from before gone.

“Yeah. Bulletproof vest. I’ll have a couple of huge bruises, but I’m fine.” He frowned glancing at her again. “You’re sure you didn’t get hit?”

“I’m sure. Come on.”

They rushed across the expanse of the front lawn, and using the Tigress, spoke to Casey’s wolf. Sprinting the last hundred yards, her friend opened the door. Putting her hand in the middle of Peyton’s back, Amber shoved him through first and slammed it behind them.

When he turned, Casey saw the holes in his vest. “Dad?” Her eyes were wide and she grabbed him by the shoulders.

“I’m fine honey.” He struggled to catch his breath and pulled her to him.

She turned to Amber with a frown.

“I have to get back out there. Braedyn is around back, and Elan is here.” Putting a hand on Peyton’s shoulder, she gave him a grim smile. “You’re a tough man, Peyton. I’m going out the back.”

“You think that’s wise?”

Turning, she discovered Dean leaned against the doorway. It was the exit needed to make her plan work. “I would rather be a distraction to save Braedyn than have Elan take him by surprise.”

A muscle in his jaw twitched when he saw the holes in his father’s coat. His gaze hardened when it found hers again.

Amber walked toward him, since he was blocking the only route to the back of the house. This was hard, she hadn’t planned on seeing him again until this was all over and didn’t want to have to say good-bye all over again. “Dean, please.”

“We’ve already lost Terry,” Peyton said with a shake of his head. “Let her go son and hopefully we won’t lose Pierre and Allen as well.” He held up Terry’s M4 and tossed it to Dean. “At least this isn’t in their hands anymore.”