He paid it no attention.
His one red eye stared balefully at me as he rose to his back legs, the hair covering him swaying in the cold wind. He was almost as tall as the building behind him, and Grant raised his gun, aiming for Livingston’s head. He fired. I heard the bullet hit.
Livingstone grunted, turning his head toward Grant.
“Oh shit,” Grant breathed.
Livingstone roared at him. Grant took a stumbling step back toward the other side of the roof.
“Here!” I shouted. “We’re right here!”
Livingstone ignored me. He lunged toward the garage, smashing into the dark sign above it. The metal shrieked as the pole snapped, falling down toward the roof. Grant turned and ran toward the other side, jumping off the edge of the roof just as Livingstone hit the building, the brickwork cracking. Livingstone crawled up the side of the garage, claws punching through stone. The skylights on the roof shattered as he reached the top, glass raining down inside.
Livingstone pulled himself to his full height. He tilted his head back and howled.
It echoed throughout Green Creek. I covered my ears as Gavin whined next to me, curling himself around me, his head against my chest, tail wrapped around my legs.
By the time the howl faded away, Livingstone was looking down at the two of us.
“You,” he growled, his one eye flashing red, and even I felt it, the pull of the Alpha. It was as if claws were raking against my head and chest, the bonds of my pack writhing.
Gavin pulled away, moving until he stood in front of me. He crowded against me, pushing me away from his father. He was growling lowly, and I felt his anger, his fear. But he wasn’t scared of his father. He wasn’t scared for himself.
He was terrified for me.
I put my hand against his back, digging my fingers in, his hair fluttering against my skin.
“Take,” Livingstone snarled. “You take. From me. No more.”
I looked to my right.
Gregory had recovered. The wolves that hadn’t been hit by the silver gathered around him.
I looked left.
Wolves walked slowly down the street, eyes orange and trained on us.
And Livingstone said, “Kill them. Kill them all.”
Gregory ran toward us, surrounded by wolves.
The wolves at the other end of the street hurtled forward.
Livingstone raised his claws high above his head, his misshapen hands curling into fists. He brought them down onto the roof. The building shook, mortar raining down. He did it again and again, and the moment before the garage roof gave way, he jumped. He landed on the street as Gordo’s collapsed behind him with a crash, smoke and dust billowing up toward the stars.
Gavin jerked his head side to side.
There was nowhere to run.
Livingstone took a step toward us.
He stopped when a wolf jumped onto his back, claws and fangs tearing over and over.
He roared in anger, reaching behind him, wrapping his claws around Rico’s back. Rico yelped before Livingstone threw him across the street. Rico disappeared into the diner, the windows shattering, the silver grates breaking as he landed inside.
Chris and Tanner shot through the alley, moving swiftly around Livingstone. He reached for them, but they darted out of the way, striking quickly, like a snake. They bit his ankles, the backs of his legs, drawing blood as they moved in tandem. Livingstone managed to clip Tanner’s hindquarters, knocking him to the ground.
The people on the roofs rose and began firing at him and the wolves running toward us.