Ellen would be fine. Their baby was fine. No matter what, his wolf would make sure of that. Cyrus had no idea what he’d done. But Hollis’s wolf was only too happy to show him. Ellen may have shown him he was a wolf, but Cyrus had unleashed it. And now his wolf wanted nothing more than to see Cyrus bleed out on the concrete under their feet.
“Your loyalty is surprising, Dr. Robbins, if misguided. She is mine. She’s always been mine,” Cyrus taunted. His words were like gasoline on an open flame. “You will die here, tonight, and she will go home with me.”
Hollis let the fury engulf him. Instinct was all the wolf needed. A pack of Others stood between him and Cyrus. His wolf looked forward to the practice.
Combining his medical knowledge with the wolf’s physical dominance was highly effective. A claw swipe to the back of the leg meant slicing through the fibular artery. Sinking his teeth into the belly of an attacker was easy. Teeth shredded muscle to disembowel his victim. Death wasn’t necessary. Razor-sharp claws shredded skin, muscle, and bone—disabling his foe and freeing him to move on to the next one. He was only beginning to realize how powerful he was.
And so were the Others.
Seven bodies lay on the ground. Six Others hesitated, staring between him and Cyrus. Suddenly their own mortality mattered. Maybe Ellen was right. Maybe cutting off the head would free the rest. Maybe killing Cyrus could end this all.
If only the vaccine would work. But he saw no dilated pupils, heard no break in Cyrus’s breathing, or involuntary spasms of his muscles.
“A challenge?” Cyrus asked. “You’re so quick to die.”
Hollis charged, dodging Cyrus at the last minute. Claws gouged a hunk of meat from Cyrus’s thigh. A warm spurt of blood spattered Hollis’s fur, the scent mingling with the stench of fight, adrenaline, pain, and death. His wolf breathed it in.
Cyrus’s grip on the knife tightened as he swung the blade with enough force to split muscle from bone. The impact was jarring—the pain unexpected. Hollis shook it off, his wolf dismissing the blinding throb of the wound.
He circled, moving in, then backing off. Cyrus didn’t like it, so Hollis’s wolf kept at it. He was light on his feet, quick. His opponent hadn’t expected that, and it gave him the edge he needed. The wolf pounced, knocking the man face-first to the concrete parking lot. He bit into the thick trapezius, shredding the muscle fibers on the right side before he leaped back.
Cyrus rolled, his eyes blazing with rage. “You can’t hurt me. You’re not a real fucking wolf.” He smiled. “That’s why your mate left you. She missed a real man in her bed. A real wolf.”
Hollis’s wolf lost control and Cyrus used it against him. He attacked blindly, putting himself in harm’s reach. Arms like steel bands clamped him tightly, a searing burn slid deep in his side. The fucker’s blade fit between his ribs to puncture his lung. But it wasn’t just a blade… His blood felt heavier, thicker around it, weighing him down and making his already labored breathing a true challenge.
“Silver,” Cyrus ground out, ramming the blade deeper. “Hurts, doesn’t it? It will weaken you, too. You’ll see.”
His wolf fought harder, frantic to knock the blade free. When that didn’t work, he bit into Cyrus’s right hand, crushing bone until Cyrus released him.
“Enough,” Cyrus said. “Is this little display because she’s watching? You’re the only one who doesn’t know you’ve lost.”
Hollis wouldn’t look at Ellen, he couldn’t. He had to focus.
Cyrus smiled. “Have you ever fought a wolf, Dr. Robbins? Time to teach you what pain is.”
Ellen moaned then, the muffled sound echoing in the van, demanding his attention. Pain didn’t describe the pressure that threatened to crush his chest. It was more urgent, desperate, and impossible to ignore. He knew what pain was. Having her in danger—their baby in danger. And knowing she hadn’t trusted him to keep either one of them safe. It shredded his heart and infuriated his wolf.
“He’s mine,” Cyrus said to his pack before he fell forward onto his knees, his body contorting and stretching.
Now would be a good time to attack. Cyrus had never been honorable, there was no reason Hollis had to be. His wolf could easily tear him to pieces.
But he wasn’t Cyrus.
He scented cars arriving, aware of the rubber on asphalt, the low hum of an engine, but his gaze remained on Cyrus. Whether it was more Others, police, or Finn, he couldn’t afford to look. Now was the time to finish this. For Ellen. For his pack. For his child. And for his wolf.
Cyrus’s massive white wolf charged him, his teeth sinking into Hollis’s back leg and flipping Hollis onto his back. Neck exposed, Hollis dug his back legs into Cyrus stomach and kicked with all he had. Cyrus flew back, slamming into the parking lot, shaking his head as he stood on all fours.
Cyrus wavered then, his body racked with sudden coughing. Blood dripped from his jaws, pooling on the ground beneath his front paws.
The vaccine.
Cyrus glared at him, his growl wet and garbled. Internal bleeding. Cyrus charged again, leaping onto Hollis’s back and biting into his shoulder. He hung on, as if he knew what was coming. Teeth sunk deep, he tugged with all his strength, pulling the fur and muscle free from Hollis’s shoulder.
Hollis growled, falling hard onto his back and pinning Cyrus between him and the asphalt beneath. Cyrus’ body going unexpectedly still. Hollis stood, staring down at the white wolf. Eyes rolled back, tongue lolling, the wolf seized violently, flopping against the concrete before going still again. White fur receded as Cyrus’s involuntary shift began.
Shifting now meant certain death. But staying in wolf form wouldn’t help him recover this time. The vaccine stole that from him. Stunned, Cyrus pushed himself up and onto his feet. His misshapen hands clawed at his own chest and throat, an ear-splitting screech piercing the air as the man’s warped chest expanded farther. Stuck between wolf and man. Cyrus’s eyes bulged as he stared at Hollis, his entire body bowing tight before blood erupted from his mouth. Hollis watched, stunned, as Cyrus’s chest swelled, expanding rapidly. Blood streamed from his nostrils, eyes, and ears.
&nb