N. Walters - Isaiah's Haven

He reached over his shoulder and dragged her off, throwing her aside. Meredith flew through the air, twisting her body so that her side and not her head took the brunt of the fall. The wall came up fast and she struck it hard. She slipped to the floor, momentarily stunned.

Hank and Teague were fighting Spencer. He was stockier than the other two, but thick with muscles. Both her adopted sons were strong, but they didn’t have the strength of a purebred werewolf. Spencer tossed a chair at Hank. He batted it aside. Teague slid a table at his opponent, momentarily distracting him.

Blood flowed down Hank’s arm and chest. Teague’s face was bloody and he was favoring his left leg.

Meredith shoved herself up, nails clicking against the floor as she launched herself forward. She started to go for Briggs, but saw Isaiah falter. Blood ran down his shoulder. Without a thought to her own safety, she launched herself at Adams.

Isaiah was in the fight of his life. If he’d only had time to convince Meredith and her pack to leave. Having them here split his attention and made him handle the situation in a much different manner. Hell, he’d actually tried talking to the other werewolves, even though he’d told the others not to bother. Diplomacy wasn’t his strong suit, but he’d tried. Anything to protect Meredith.

But they had killing on their minds. He’d seen it in their eyes. At the very least they planned to steal the women for themselves. Meredith would survive, but if they ever found out that Neema was a half-breed, they’d make her suffer long before they killed her.

Adams was a worthy opponent, a dirty fighter. But he wasn’t fighting for his mate, his pack. Isaiah was.

He tossed the large man into a table and went after him. The two of them grappled, knocking aside several chairs and another table. Adams had partially shifted, his fangs had elongated and his fingernails had lengthened into talons. He growled and slashed at Isaiah with his claws. Isaiah jumped back but he wasn’t quick enough. Sharp claws dug a short furrow across his shoulder, drawing blood. Isaiah pretended to falter, wanting to draw his prey into a false sense of victory. He waited for his chance to attack.

A low growl sounded off to his right. He caught a flash of black fur. Saw Meredith jump toward Adams, teeth bared and ready to tear at the man’s flesh. Adams caught her in his strong grip before she reached him and he flung her aside.

Isaiah howled as he watched Meredith fly through the air, her body hitting the wall with a deadly force. Adams took advantage of his inattention, drew a knife and took a swipe at him. The blade cut into Isaiah’s chest. Blood spurted from the wound.

Fury, the likes of which he’d never felt in his life, burst through him. Anger replaced the blood in his body. Determination filled his bones. He ripped his bloody shirt away as he kicked off his shoes and shifted.

Fabric shredded as his body changed. Bones reformed. Deadly claws replaced fingernails. Fangs dropped down from his elongated jaw. He wasn’t completely changed when he vaulted toward Adams. His opponent swung the knife, but Isaiah clamped his heavy jaw down on the male’s wrist and bit clear through the bone. The cracking sound and the resulting scream echoed around the room.

He heard another howl and whirled around in time to see Meredith with her jaw clamped around Briggs’s neck. The male dug his fingers into her mouth, trying to pry it apart. Meredith used her strong legs to push against Briggs’s body, launching herself away from him before he could break her jaw.

Isaiah growled and jumped at Briggs. He hit the other man with his huge wolf body and sent him sprawling on the floor. Isaiah sensed movement behind him and flung himself to the side just as a silver blade went flying past him. The knife hit the hardwood floor with a heavy thunk, the handle vibrating.

Michael was nowhere to be seen. Teague and Hank were doing their best with Spencer, but both of them were injured. Benjamin was injured, but he and Kevin were protecting Neema.

This had to end before one of them was killed.

Blood dripped from Meredith’s jaws. Hers or Briggs, he didn’t know. She was moving slowly, limping slightly.

“Give it up, Striker.” Briggs rolled to his feet, his hand clamped to his neck. “You can still walk away. All we want is the women. Hell, we’ll even kill the male pups quick and easy.”

Isaiah didn’t rise to the taunt. He kept his gaze on Adams who was slinking in behind him. The other male pulled out a gun and aimed it at him.

“Silver bullets.” Adams smiled as he pointed the barrel of the semiautomatic, not at Isaiah, but at Meredith.

Isaiah stilled, waiting for his chance to attack.

The door burst open and a huge black wolf flew at Briggs. Isaiah moved without thinking, launching himself forward and hitting Adams full force.

The gun went off. His leg burned, but he ignored it. He was on top of his victim now and there was no mercy left anywhere in his soul. This male had threatened his woman.

Adams shifted, but Isaiah already had his strong jaws clamped around his opponent’s neck. He used his powerful body to hold Adams down as he tore at his flesh. Blood flowed over his muzzle and down his throat. He didn’t let go.

When the male was weakened, Isaiah shifted back to human form, wrapped his arm around Adam’s neck and twisted, breaking it with a loud crack.

He dropped the body and whirled around, ready to fight. But it was already over. Briggs lay on the floor, his eyes wide open, his neck at an unnatural angle.

Spencer was still alive, but Teague, Hank and Michael were subduing him. All of them looked the worse for wear, but at least they were alive.

Where was Meredith?

Panic filled him. Was she hurt?

The female black wolf was in front of him, teeth flashing, hackles raised as she stared down the massive black male wolf facing him.

Isaiah felt his heart turn over. Meredith was protecting him.

He stumbled slightly as he made his way to her side. His left leg was bleeding and he knew the silver bullet had hit him. He had no idea how bad the injury was yet and didn’t care. Meredith was safe.

Naked, he crouched beside Meredith and placed his hand on her back. Her thick, black fur was soft and glossy. He wanted to bury his face in it and just breathe in her essence. Instead, he swiped the back of his arm over his mouth. It came away bloody.

A massive male wolf sat across from them, waiting patiently, his head cocked to one side. The tension in the room grew. In spite of the gravity of the situation, Isaiah felt the corners of his mouth turning up in a grin. “Hey, brother. Nice of you to drop by.”

Isaiah hunkered down beside her. Meredith felt his hand on her back, caressing her fur. She could smell his blood and her panic increased. How badly was he hurt? They needed to figure out who this strange wolf was and now.

Then Isaiah spoke, and it took her a moment to make sense of his words. Brother . The wolf was his brother.

The large black wolf began to shift. In seconds, the wolf was gone and a man remained. He was tall and broad. His rough-hewn face was familiar. It was easy to see the family resemblance.

Meredith shifted. Her body ached, but she knew she’d be fine in a day or so. That might not have been the case if Isaiah and his brother weren’t here. She owed him. Both of them.

Normally, nudity didn’t bother her. She was a werewolf after all. Still, it was disconcerting to meet Isaiah’s brother wearing nothing but her skin.

Isaiah swore. “Ben, give me your damn shirt.”

Her son didn’t hesitate. Before she could protest, Isaiah was slipping Benjamin’s shirt around her shoulders. He stood in front of her, blocking everyone else’s view of her as he tucked her arms down the sleeves and did up the buttons. The tail of the shirt came down to the top of her thighs, covering everything important.