Terry Spear - Destiny of the Wolf

“Your mate was a whore and brought shame to both the pack and our family’s good name. It was only a matter of time before she took off with Joe. He’d been stealing from the silver mine so he and his lover could leave here. You would have gone after her, killed Joe, and brought her and her bastard children back to the pack as your own, while she remained the female pack leader, weak and disloyal. With her lover dead, do you think she would have changed her ways? Bah! She would have been more depressed. bringing the whole pack down with her. I couldn’t allow it.” Uncle Sheridan tore at his shirt. “You want me to fight Trevor. I will.”

Lelandi hated Sheridan, but his words tore at her heart. He was probably right about everything he said. The pack would have suffered. But she couldn’t agree her sister should have died because she had loved the wrong man.

Darien grunted. “No. I only wanted to draw the truth from you. You’ve shamed the family and our pack. You’ll fight me.”

Several of the pack members patted Trevor on the back, although some gave him dirty looks. Taking an underage lupus garou was unacceptable in their society, and Lelandi wondered again if it was Caitlin.

She glanced at Doc Mitchell and his gaze met hers. Caitlin’s parents were absent. In fact, no underage lupus garou were present. When Bruin had such a gathering, everyone from the pack, regardless of age, was required to attend.

Darien kissed Lelandi’s lips. “I’m sorry, Lelandi. I had to be sure.”

“You’ve always done right by me. You will for Larissa as well.”

Darien took a deep breath and nodded. ‘It ends here and now.” He turned to face his pack. “To the field.”

The battlefield.

As SOON AS LELANDI SAW SHERIDAN IN HIS WOLF COAT, SHE knew he was the one who’d stalked her in the woods. Too bad the pickup hadn’t run him over on the road.

Nearly everyone loped out into the winter setting in their wolf forms where the upper crust of snow was crisp and giant snowflakes fluttered earthward. Wolves have the advantage over larger animals on deep-crusted snow, although Lelandi figured Sheridan wouldn’t fall through the snow like a moose or elk might, slowing him down. despite his heftier size. Though she could hope.

Carol, not ready to join the wolf pack to watch another killing fight, didn’t shapeshift. Maybe because she was afraid to turn wolf or the fear another wolf would attack her again. Lelandi’s father, who remained in his wheelchair, watched out the sunroom window with Carol at his side. Since the accident, he hadn’t been able to shapeshift, and she knew he felt like less of a lupus garou and battled depression, wishing often he had died with his people. Although she was certain he wanted desperately to be the one to avenge Larissa s death.

Both grays and reds alike formed a circle while Darien and his uncle faced off. Sheridan was taller by four inches and stockier built, but Darien had youth and strength on his side.

Leidolf crouched, ready to pounce, but Uncle Hrothgar growled at him, and her brother bowed his head slightly and straightened. For an eternity, it seemed Darien stared Sheridan down. Their wolf coats kept the chill out, the second dense coat keeping the snowflakes from touching their skin and melting. Everyone patiently watched for the showdown to begin while neither panted, just watched each other, their tails stretched stiff behind them, their thick hair standing at attention, ears perked, waiting for the other to move.

Lelandi’s mind worked over the past events, and she realized how easy it had been for Sheridan to cover his tracks since he was always in charge of the investigations—even to confirm Larissa had committed suicide.

Darien turned and walked in a circle toward his uncle, who immediately moved away.

Sheridan continued to avoid Darien, but the pack leader was quickly closing the gap. Inwardly, Lelandi darkly smiled. The first test and Sheridan had failed. The bastard. Sheridan tried to turn, but he wasn’t agile enough and Darien bit him in the flank.

If Lelandi hadn’t been in her wolf form, she would have cheered Darien.

Sheridan yelped and dodged before Darien took another bite. He wouldn’t kill him quickly, she figured. Not after Sheridan had murdered her sister, two pack members, and tried to murder Lelandi.

His people and hers would want justlce— lupus garou justice, but drawn out enough to make it count.

Sheridan tried to hide his limp from the wound, but he continued to circle around the inside of the group, keeping away from Darien. By the way his tail drooped slightly. Sheridan was already showing signs of defeat.

When he neared Leidolf, her brother snarled at Sheridan, his teeth bared, his tail straight—readying for the attack.

Lelandi’s fur stood on end. Let Darien take care of it, she prayed. But Sheridan snapped back at Leidolf, so close Lelandi nearly died. Leidolf’s blood was running hot, the way the anger swelled deep inside him and she, being so connected with her triplet’s emotions, felt swept into the maelstrom.

In the blink of an eye, Leidolf responded to Sheridan’s taunt and attacked, sinking his teeth into the bigger gray’s side.

Sheridan could kill her brother for being such a hotheaded fool as soon as the bigger gray shook him loose. But she didn’t expect Sheridan to free himself from Leidolf’s grip, then bite into Leidolf’s neck, since Darien was more of a threat.

Instinctively, Lelandi went for Sheridan’s throat and grabbed hold. She felt Darien brush against her side, trying to get to Sheridan, but she couldn’t let go for fear the gray would kill her next. As fast as it took a bolt of lightning to strike the ground. Sheridan released Leidolf and seized Lelandi’s throat. He would kill her like he murdered her sister, and if he did, he would destroy Darien’s reason to live.

She didn’t have time to panic, or feel Sheridan’s jaws clamping down tighter, stopping the air from flowing, before Darien grappled his uncle’s neck with his powerful jaws. Biting down hard, he crushed the bone and the life out of the gray.

Sheridan’s mouth loosened on Lelandi’s neck, and they both collapsed. When she fell on her side, she lay still, trying to catch her breath. But it was worse than that, and she couldn’t help being totally humiliated. Darien quickly changed into his human form despite the cold and held his hand over the wound on her throat. “Carol.”

His own neck bleeding, Leidolf nuzzled her face.

Darien lifted Lelandi from the snow and hurried her into the house.

“Lay her there, Darien. I... I’ve never taken care of an injured wolf,” Carol said, opening a first aid kit.

“They can be testier than in their human forms, but in Lelandi’s case, I’m not sure that’s always true,” Darien said, a slight smile curving his lips.

Lelandi growled.

Doc Mitchell stalked into the house, zipping up his jeans and grabbed his bag. “Came prepared for any eventuality.”

“Why isn’t she changing back?” Carol asked.

Jake threw on a pair of jeans. “Too tired, loss of blood, trauma.”

Carols gaze strayed to Leidolf, yanking on a pair of olive drab khakis.

“I’ll take care of Lelandi,” Doc Mitchell said. “You look after Leidolf.”

Leidolf buckled his belt. “I’m fine. I don’t need looking after.”

“Sit, son, and do it for your mother. She’s already lost one of you, and she’s looking a little pale,” his father said.

Leidolf grumbled, then sat on a chair, his face scowling while Carol wiped away the blood on his throat, and then bandaged him.

Lelandi studied the way her brother treated Carol with such annoyance and the gentle way in which she ministered to his wounds, Possibility?