Werewolf Rage Book #2 in the Taming The Wolf Series (9 page)

“Perry just told me everything she told you.
And like you, I’ve promised to stand for her. Tonight we’ll call a meeting for the whole town and tell them what we’re up against,” he said motioning for Kurt to come over.

Ava scooted in, allowing her uncle to sit beside her as Cole stood next to the table, staring moodily at her father. Harry told Kurt the gist of the situation and Kurt shook his large bald head, smiling surprisingly.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve had a war. I wouldn’t mind a good fight,” he said grinning to himself.

Harry sighed.
“Kurt, this isn’t like the last time. Now we have people who depend us. Fighting a rogue bunch of werewolves trying to take over our territory is different now that we’re not stupid teenagers. This man, Braxton Mayhew is determined to have Perry and isn’t going to rest until he kills Cole for interfering.”

Kurt nodded his head.
“My wife and daughters are well aware that I’m a werewolf Harry. It’s part of who we are. Territory and mates and family. We fight for those things and we defend them to our death. You forgot to mention yourself though. When Braxton finds out that Perry has picked a new mate, he won’t care about killing Cole. He’s only going to want your blood.”

Ava felt her stomach twist sickly and Perry made a soft moaning sound as she gripped Harry’s arm.
Harry glanced at Perry before looking back to Kurt.

“What makes you say Perry has a new mate?” he asked, looking down at the table.

Kurt snorted and stood up. “We’re not idiots Harry. I can smell it,” he said and walked away. “I’ll call everyone together to meet in the park tonight. There’ll be some who won’t support you though.”

Ava swallowed and leaned forward, ignoring Cole as he sat down next to her. “Dad, is it true?
Have you and Perry chosen each other as mates?”

Perry
blushed bright red and cleared her throat. “We haven’t talked about it.”

Harry, still holding Perry’s hand in his looked down at their clasped hands and then looked at Perry, smiling so sweetly, it made Ava’s breath catch.

“Perry, let’s go for a run.”

Perry looked at him shyly and nodded her head.
Ava and Cole watched as the two left the pub quickly hand in hand.

Cole sighed and stood up, running his hand through his hair.
“Well that’s that then. Kurt’s right. Braxton finds out about your dad claiming Perry, he’s dead.”

Ava stood up and walked over to the bar, grabbing an apron to wrap around her hips before looking at Cole with a glare.
“Look, you don’t know my dad. He took on a man half his age just a few months ago in a challenge and won easily. My dad can take on anyone and win. Braxton is the one who is dead if he tries to take Perry back.”

Cole grinned at her as he leaned against the bar.
“
So feisty
. Fine, I hope you’re right by the way. We’re on the same side on this. Especially since it looks like you’re going to be my niece,” he said with a grin.

Ava rolled her eyes and went to turn the sign to open.
Life was just too weird sometimes.

Ava worked hard for the next four hours since the pub was more crowded than she’d ever seen it. Kurt had brought out extra tables from the back and he’d called in his wife Simone to come in and help wait tables. It was almost as if the men in the community could sense a threat and were coming together of their own accord.

When her time came to go
and the evening waitress came in to relieve her, she looked to Kurt. She’d stay if he needed her to, but with the big meeting tonight when her father told everyone what they were up against, she just needed some time to settle. And she needed Cyrus. He had stopped in but only for five minutes before heading out to talk to some werewolf families on their borders about the changes they were making.  Cyrus was determined that every woman know her rights. She’d whispered in his ear what was going down later that night and he’d promised to be back in time.

Kurt walked over and hugged her.
“Sweetheart, you’ve been running back and forth for hours. Go home and rest before tonight. I have a feeling that your dad will need you. Go on now,” he said, pushing her to the door.

Ava grinned and took off her apron, throwing it to her uncle who caught it with a smile.
“Thanks Kurt. I’ll see you tonight then,” she said and walked past a few tables of men conversing in low serious voices.

When she pushed through to the daylight she sighed in relief.
She had been run off her feet but it was more than that. Being a werewolf she was super sensitive to emotions and undercurrents. And the pub was so full of werewolf testosterone, she’d felt like she was suffocating at moments.

She rolled her shoulders and neck trying to loosen up her body and let go of the tension.
She sighed knowing what she really needed was a hard work out. She moved into a light jog and reached the park within minutes. She grinned happily as she saw at nine kids waiting for her near the edge of the park. She raised her hand high and waved.

“Ava!” the kids shouted and ran to greet her.

Ava ran to her students and gave a few of them high fives and knuckles. She grinned happily at her protégé’s and instructed them to limber up and get ready. She put them through basic warm ups and then had them work on their back handsprings.

“Balance is
key,” she told them after an hour. “If you don’t have a strong sense of balance, gymnastics is not for you,” she said looking them in the eye. “Today I want you to all balance on one hand for at least a minute.”

She laughed at the groans and exclamations.
Phillip, a new boy who had just started coming week snorted loudly. “That’s impossible. Unless you have ropes and string or something,” he said looking at her as if she were insane.

Ava raised an eyebrow. “Impossible?
Fine. If I can hold myself up with one hand for two minutes, you owe me a perfect back handspring. Today,” she said, knowing he’d been struggling with it.

Phillip’s face reddened on being called out and he scuffed his foot as his friends hooted and egged him on to accept the challenge.
Bitsy, her youngest student at seven, stepped forward smiling shyly. Her pale white blond flaxen hair pulled tightly back in a ponytail.

“I know you can do it Ava.
You can do anything,” she said.

Ava grinned and pulled the young girl in for a quick hug. “I appreciate your faith in me Bitsy,” she said grinning at Phillip who was grimacing.
Being a werewolf meant the kid automatically had way too much pride to step back from a challenge. She wasn’t surprised when he finally nodded his head.

“Okay.
If you can hold yourself up on one hand for two minutes I’ll do a back hand spring,” he said, poking out his chest.

Ava nodded her head gravely and shooed the kids back with her hands.
“Give me some space. When I fall down I don’t want to kick you in the face,” she warned with a grin.

Bitsy
laughed, the sound high and girlish. “You won’t fall Ava!”

Ava grinned and stepped up into a basic hand stand.
After a few seconds she lifted one arm to the side. She stared at her hand splayed on the soft green grass and focused her whol
e
cor
e
on being centered and strong. She felt the muscles in her arm tighten and strain but couldn’t help the smile as a minute passed and she could hear the astounded murmurs of her kids. As another minute went by she was about to flip down when she heard a sound that sent a cold bolt of electricity down her body. It was a very faint growl coming from her left.

Ava kicked her feet down quickly and scanned the trees and bushes dotting the park as the children surrounded her cheering and jumping around.

“
Quiet!
” she ordered, holding her hands up.

She heightened all her senses and then turned around quickly as she sensed movement behind her.
Ten feet away was a large menacing hybrid. It looked even bigger than the ones who had treed her before. This one was a mottled gray color and sleek. The muscles in its shoulders moved elegantly under its fur, shouting control and power. It was staring right at her with its human like gray eyes. She glanced at the paws and felt a shiver of dread and disgust. Human like hands with vicious claws moved toward her silently on the grass.
Stalking
her.

It was almost surreal. A second ago, she was coaching her kids and now there was an enormous monster right in front of her.
  But it was as real as grass beneath her feet.  She could smell its harsh musky scent and sense it’s excitement.  It was hungry.

The predator had gotten close without her not
icing. The creature was moving in a slow circle around her, it’s clawed feet silent on the grass.  And then all of a sudden it was towering over her on its hind feet. She was used to people being taller than her, but on its hind feet it looked at least seven feet tall.  She swallowed nervously and her breath hitched in her chest as she sensed it was ready to spring.

Ava became aware of the sounds of horror and terror surrounding her and she had to shake herself.
No way was she going to let a hybrid hurt one of her kids. She moved in front of them and held her arms out protectively. “
Run to the pub
. Everyone, as fast as you can,
run to the pub!
” she said, in a voice cracking with authority and fear.

“Move!” she screamed when no one moved.

Phillip grabbed
Bitsy’s hand and took off, running around the hybrid in a large arc. The other kids flew after them spurred on by the loud and aggressive growls. One girl, a thirteen year old with a long red French braid, freckles and a One Direction t-shirt came too close to the hybrid and it jumped toward her.

Ava shrieked in protest and jumped between the girl and the hybrid. The girl’s terrified screams faded as she sprinted away to freedom.
The hybrid tilted his head curiously at her, surprised that Ava would stay and challenge it. The hybrid’s human-like smile screamed violence as it paced around her, circling her as it emitted a constant low growl that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She was tempted to cover her ears but she didn’t want to show the animal any fear.

Ava shuddered as she stared unblinking at the creature.
She stepped back slowly from the beast, trying to put space between her and the predator while never allowing it to get behind her. She knew if she could get close to a tree she could jump up to safety, but it was so close to her that it wasn’t a possibility. She might have a chance if she could change into her wolf form. She just wasn’t sure she could do it fast enough before the hybrid was upon her, tearing her apart.

She swallowed nervously and moved back as the hybrid stepped forward, growling louder now
, showing it’s long sharp teeth in what looked like a grin. She couldn’t help wondering what it would feel like to have those teeth tear into her body.

There was no way she could take this monster on. It was faster than her and stronger than a bodybuilder.
But whatever she did, she couldn’t let this thing kill her. She couldn’t die. Not now that she had Cyrus. 

She could sense the hybrid was having fun with her.
Playing with her. But her time had run out. It was about to attack her, she could tell from its movements. Its ears went back and it hunched forward. She would have to fight the hybrid as she was. When the realization came, a strange and silent calm came over her and the adrenaline kicked in.

The hybrid leaped forward without any warning, reaching for her neck with its claws.
Ava watched it as if it was in slow motion and leaped to the side rolling and coming up on her feet instantly.

The hybrid made an angry human like scream and turned around, pulsing in anger at being thwarted.
Ava watched it’s heavily muscled shoulders bunch and studied the animal. Half human, half wolf and completely insane with the desire to kill. Her senses were so focused on the animal, she could barely hear anything around her. She was faintly aware of screams and shrieks of fear of the other people running from the park to safety, but none of it mattered. The only thing that mattered was survival. And she was on her own.

The hybrid stalked toward her quickly this time, now crazed with the desire to tear into her.
She knew she had to do something now. As the animal leapt toward her, shrieking in blood lust she jumped up, flipping backward and using her right foot and the momentum she had, kicked it squarely in the chin, knocking the animal up and away.

Ava landed lightly on her feet, facing the animal again as it came to its feet slowly, whining and shaking its dazed head back and forth.
Ava knew she had to act now, while it was still stunned if she had a chance of living another day. She recalled her hundreds of self-defense classes and moved forward and did a basic front snap kick to the Hybrid’s head. She stepped forward into it, using her entire bodyweight as well as her momentum. She felt her foot make solid contact and the animal’s head flew backwards. She stepped back in a fighting stance as the hybrid made a loud squealing sound before collapsing again.

And then the pounding of the ground worked its way through the fog that had surrounded her. One wolf, followed closely by four others rushed past her making her hair move in the wind they’d
caused. She stepped back slowly as the wolves she knew, Cyrus, her father, Kurt, Cole and Tobias circled the hybrid. Cyrus began to tear the hybrid to pieces, growling in murderous rage as the other wolves surrounded him in case the hybrid tried to get away.

She closed her eyes at the blood and screams of the animal and felt frozen almost as she turned away from the awful scene of carnage
. Within seconds multiple little arms surrounded her, hugging her tightly.

Ava blinked as full awareness came back to her slowly and she looked down to see all of her students surrounding her with tear stained faces.
Her own face crumpled as the reality of what had just happened settled on her and she hugged each of the children back, ignoring the tears of reaction slipping down her cheeks.

“Come, let’s get away from here,” she said at last, not wanting the children to see the hybrid’s violent death.
Being werewolves, they were more accepting of blood and violence than regular children, but she hated the thought of them being traumatized by it.

She ushered them to the far side of the park collapsing onto her knees as the kids refused to leave her side.
More people from surrounding businesses and homes rushed toward them as she began to shake.

Bitsy stared at her, her eyes sad and wet. “I thought you were dead Ava,” she whispered brokenly and then covered her face with her hands, sobbing her little heart out.

Ava pulled Bitsy’s small body onto her lap as she comforted the small girl, rubbing her back and trying to smile.

“You thought I was dead?
What?
I thought you guys trusted me to take care of myself,” she said in a light hearted voice she didn’t feel at all.

Bitsy looked up at her in shock.
“Ava, that was a hybrid. No one survives a hybrid attack. My dad said so. No one,” she whispered, wiping a tear off her cheek with the back of her hand.

Phillip looked at her with awed respect.
“Ava did. I saw it from the sidewalk. She kept kicking it every time it attacked her,” he said, his eyes wide.

The other kids began to talk all at once, now that the fear and danger were past and relief was setting in.
Bitsy saw her mom and stood up to her run into her outstretched arms. Ava moved to follow her but was ripped off the ground by two arms and held tightly against a hard, heaving chest.

She turned around and threw her arms around Cyrus’s neck, holding tight as new tears coursed down her face.
Cyrus picked her up and walked with her toward his house, ignoring the yells and cheers and questions being thrown their way. Ava hid her face in Cyrus’s neck as her body shuddered in relief and reaction. With his arms around her, she finally felt safe. He opened the front door with one hand and kicked it shut with his foot as he walked quickly to the large leather couch in the front room.