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Gabe shook his head and snarled. The ache of the shift was still in his bones, but he didn’t notice. He was in survival mode, and all his focus was on Sam’s gray wolf, circling him, waiting for his chance. Gabe sniffed the air. Sam’s emotions came to him, caught in the odor of his sweat—anger, fear, frustration.
But the number one emotion was need.
Sam’s need for Serena floated to Gabe on the breeze. Gabe growled. Mine. He leapt for his brother’s throat.
Sam darted out of the way, his reflexes fever-fast. He came back in, going for Gabe’s back legs. His teeth skimmed Gabe’s hamstring. Nearly too late, Gabe jerked his leg out of his brother’s jaws.
On the edge of his concentration, he heard the sound of a loud pickup coming up the road. But he didn’t stop. He dove for Sam’s exposed throat. Sam dropped his head and Gabe’s teeth sank into Sam’s tender nose. Blood gushed in Gabe’s mouth. His wolf howled inside with success, and he clamped his teeth down harder.
In the back of his mind, he registered the shouts of men. Someone called out his name. “Wulfric!”
Sam yanked his head back, trying to shake Gabe free, but Gabe used his powerful forelegs to brace himself and sank his teeth in deeper.
Victory was inches away.
Gabe heard more shouts and then a loud bang. A sharp pain hit him in his flank. He let go, whipping around to the new threat. Sam dropped back. He fell to the ground, bounced back up, and came at Gabe with the ferocity of a freight train.
Gabe reeled out of Sam’s way. No, out of both of their ways. Two Sams danced in and out of his vision, blurring together in a haze of gray fur in the light of the rising sun. Gabe threw himself to the side, and hit the dirt hard. He lay there, panting and dizzy as the drug overwhelmed him. Sam had regrouped. He faced Gabe, teeth bared.
This was it. Gabe had to get up or the other wolf would have him at his mercy.
He struggled to stand as his brother rushed him. There was another loud bang. Sam jerked and went down, up almost as fast and racing for Gabe. Gabe tried to move, tried to stand up, but he couldn’t even lift his head.
Sam’s eyes were hazy but still focused on Gabe. Sam slowed and stumbled, but his momentum kept him going. He ran into Gabe, landing on him and crushing him into the dirt. Gabe’s reactions were too slow. His last memory was the gaping sight of his brother’s jaw opening and lunging for his neck, just before he passed out.