N. Walters - Alexandra's Legacy

Deciding the best defense was offense, he launched himself without warning. He landed on top of the larger of the two and sank his fangs deep, drawing blood, tearing flesh. He immediately leapt off the wolf’s back, kicking it backward in the process, as he jumped at the other one, bringing it down as it moved toward Alex.

In a blur of motion, he jumped from one opponent to the other, always inflicting some damage. He knew he couldn’t kill either of them like this. That wasn’t his goal. He planned to weaken them first and then move in for the final strike.

The smaller of the two brown wolves cut away suddenly, racing toward the safety of the woods. Joshua growled in fury. He knew he couldn’t allow the wolf to escape and bring back reinforcements, but he didn’t really have any choice. There was no way he could leave Alex unprotected.

Channeling his rage, he jumped at the remaining large wolf. They rolled to the ground, churning up the dirt as they growled and snapped and clawed at one another. Joshua knew his opponent was weak from the prolonged battle. He heaved himself on top of the wolf, clamping down hard on his neck.

This time he didn’t let go. Bones crunched beneath his powerful jaws.

A few minutes later, he dropped the deadweight, flinging it away in disgust. He stood there, lungs heaving, as blood dripped down his flanks.

Alex faced him bravely, hunting knife in hand. He’d known that she’d find it. Her face was stark white, but her hand was steady. As he trotted toward her, she began to tremble. “Oh, God,” she muttered as she sank to the ground, dropped the knife and buried her face in her hands.

Worried, he hurried up to her and licked the side of her face. They didn’t have time to waste. He had no way of knowing how close reinforcements were. There could be dozens more hunters and werewolves searching for them.

He wanted to change back into his human form, but he knew he couldn’t expend that much energy. Not until they were safe. He was more powerful in his animal form, his senses keener and sharper. And at the moment, that was more important than appearing human for her. Alex had to accept him for what he was.

Opening his muzzle, he carefully took one of her hands into his mouth and tugged gently. She raised her head, swiping at the sweat on her brow and the tears that clouded her eyes.

He tugged again.

“What?”

He backed up, pulling at her.

“All right. All right,” she groused. “Hold your horses.” She clambered to her feet and picked up his hunting knife.

He dropped her hand and padded to the side of the tree and pawed at his clothing.

“I suppose you want me to take that.”

He nodded and she groaned. “I’m talking to a wolf. Do you have any idea how weird this is for me?” She didn’t wait for an answer, but kept on muttering to herself as she grabbed the handgun, checked the safety and stuffed it in the waistband of her jeans. She jammed the hunting knife back in its sheath and shoved it in her coat pocket before gathering up his clothing and boots.

“I need to find my Glock and my knives.” She started to go around him, but he moved in front of her, blocking her path. There was no time. The wolf that had escaped was moving fast. There was no way of knowing how close the other members of his group were. There would be more of them. Of that, Joshua had no doubt. They had to move. Now.

“I guess that’s a no.”

Bitterness filled him. He wished they were mated. If they had completed the mating ritual, if he had claimed her for his own as his wolf was demanding, she’d have been able to hear his thoughts and to communicate with him mentally. That would have been a huge advantage when he’d been fighting the others. He’d have known what was happening to her at all times. When the shots had rung out, his heart had almost stopped. It was only when he’d heard the return fire that he’d managed to start breathing again.

Sometimes honor was a bitch.

They’d talk about this later. The important thing now was that they needed a safe place to hole up for the night. Their enemies were still searching for them, the sun was sinking and total darkness wasn’t too far away.

Alex was holding his clothing in her arms, her body swaying with fatigue. He hated the fact she couldn’t rest, but since there was nothing he could do about it now, he put it out of his mind as he nudged her body and then padded into the woods. He paused and glanced over his shoulder. Alex was staring at him.

“We’re just going to leave them, I guess.” She stared down at the carcasses that were flung carelessly across the dirt. She sighed and swallowed hard. He stood motionless, watching her gather her strength once again. Pride filled him when she shook herself, tilted her chin upward and stalked toward him. She never looked back as he led her deeper into the forest.

There was a cave not too far from here that would afford them some safety. Joshua recognized the area. He’d scouted this land when he’d been little more than a boy. Now, he was glad he had. Being familiar with it would give them an edge. And right now they could use any advantage they could get.

Alex stumbled behind the gigantic black wolf. Joshua! It was amazing to her, yet all too real that this magnificent predator was the same man who’d brought her a T-shirt because she needed clean clothing and who’d stopped and bought her a coffee earlier today for no other reason than because he’d known she’d wanted one.

She’d seen more blood and death this afternoon than she had in her entire lifetime. And she’d kill again if she had to. Staring down at her hands, she was unable to believe that they weren’t coated in blood. Sure, they were stained from where she’d bandaged Joshua’s injury, and from where she’d struggled to shove the dead werewolf off her, but that was it.

Somehow, she felt as if there should be more. She knew she’d done what she’d had to do to protect herself and Joshua, but still, it wasn’t easy.

The new life that had been thrust upon her was certainly more violent than the one she had left behind, and that was saying something considering where she’d grown up.

Swiping the back of her hand over her forehead, she then wiped it over the leg of her jeans. She was exhausted. Her legs and feet had long passed the burning-muscle stage and were almost completely numb. Her arm ached from carrying Joshua’s clothing. It wasn’t a large bundle, but it seemed as if she’d been lugging it around forever.

Realistically, she knew it had probably only been for two hours, maybe less, but it was hard going. There were no trails and she was constantly having to scramble over fallen trees and push her way through thick brush. She almost resented how easily Joshua maneuvered through the woods in his wolf form. She wondered what it must feel like to be that strong and agile. She guessed she’d eventually find out.

If she lived long enough.

She bit her lip to keep from asking to stop. There was no way she’d give in to weakness. Besides which, she knew they couldn’t stop. One of the wolves had gotten away and that could only mean one thing. There would be even more enemies on their trail.

When Joshua finally stopped at the base of a rather large hill, she almost cried with relief. Then she almost cried in agony when he started up the steep incline. She sucked in a deep breath and stared at the rocky hill. She could do this. There was no other choice.

Sighing, she put one foot in front of the other, being very careful where she placed her boot. As tired as she was, it wouldn’t take much for her to lose her focus and stumble. She couldn’t afford a sprained ankle or something worse at this point.

She concentrated on her breathing, which was becoming more labored with each step. Her sweat-stained clothes were sticking to her and she felt curiously detached from her body. One step. Then another. There was nothing else she had to think about. Nothing else she had to do. She trusted Joshua to stay alert.