Kendall froze in terror. They would kill him. In their were form they would be stronger, more agile. While Burke still had at least a foot and fifty pounds on them, fighting in this snow would be like dancing in wet concrete.
Bemis ran at Burke, his paws prancing through the snow. Why did Burke look so composed? Her knees were shaking. Tears froze on her skin.
In the fighting style typical to the coyotes she knew, he leapt into the air, his back paws poised for a powerful kick. But Burke threw a punch, fist crunching against face, sending Bemis backward, ass over tea kettle.
Kendall let out a happy cry. But her joy was short lived. The other two attacked together. Kicking, punching, swirling, snarling. A tornado of arms and legs, fists and paws swirled before her.
She glared at Carl who stood by, nose in the air as if he were watching a bull fight in Spain. “You can stop this,” she yelled at him.
He flicked her a glance. Disinterested and colder than the weather. He had to end this, before Burke was hurt. She couldn’t live with that.
Carl must have read her mind, the bastard. His thin lips curled upward ever-so-slightly. She swallowed back bile.
“Are you ready to leave with me then? Stop your useless escapade?”
She saw Burke take a kick to the chest, stagger back a step. His coat was ripped from their claws. Pursing her lips, she turned back to Carl knowing what she had to do. The decision she had to make. If he’d call off his goons, leave Burke unharmed, she’d go with him.
She wiped furiously at a tear. Then she nodded.
Carl was at her side in an instant, grabbing her by the arm and turning away from Burke. He dragged her along.
“Wait. Call off the fight.”
“Not a chance.”
“You promised,” she said hotly, tugging away from him. His thin fingers bit through her clothes into her flesh.
“I did no such thing.”
She quickly retraced his words. Then swung at him with her free arm, crushing his nose with the side of her fist. Adrenaline surged through her veins and she felt a brief satisfaction as his head popped back and he looked at her in surprise. While she’d always seen her stature as a detriment, finally being tall and athletic made sense. Made her feel powerful.
But the look of fury that replaced his surprise made her take a step back.
“You ungrateful little whore.” He grabbed her arms, hauling her inches from his face. “Your father should have taken a heavier hand to you when you were still trainable.”
Kendall’s gaze dropped to the medallion that had bounced out of his shirt collar in the tussle. The purple stone in the center held her powers.
He narrowed his gaze. “You’ll never get them back you know. From now on you’re a simple little human.”
Simple little human?
A stupid woman would stay in a situation… Burke’s words drifted through her mind. She wasn’t stupid.
She was a fighter. A woman in control of her destiny. Not the wallflower Carl expected her to be.
Kendall smiled then. A happy joyous smile. Pieces of the puzzle fell into place.
“Why are you smiling?” Carl asked in his superior way.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Burke break Gent’s neck. Three Dirk bodies lay at his feet. She’d been so worried about him minutes ago, but the man was a fighter. It surprised and pleased her that he could take such good care of himself.
As Carl started to follow her gaze she whipped her head forward, smacking her forehead against his bloody nose. A loud crack echoed in her ears before he toppled backward.
Burke materialized at her side, a long, strong leg kicking. His boot landed against Carl’s middle sending the man hurtling over the cliff in front of the house. She grabbed Burke’s arm to pull him back to safety.
They peered over the edge together, arms around each other. Carl’s body landed against a jagged bolder. It was a gruesome sight and yet Kendall’s spirits lifted. He was dead, unmoving, his head practically detached from his body. He would never bother her aga—
A loud blast rang across the mountain top. At her side, Burke sucked in a startled breath. As if in slow motion she turned, saw him gaping down at his chest. His knees started to buckle and she used every ounce of her height and strength to push him back away from the edge of the mountain. He landed in a pile of soft snow.
Burke stared up into Kendall’s incredible blue eyes, gasping for air. He had to change. But he couldn’t. Wouldn’t.
A shadow fell over them. The first sniveling werecoyot he’d sent careening backward peered over her shoulder now.
“Get up.” Kendall was right. He did had a pitiful Jersey accent.
When Kendall made no move to rise, the coyot reached for her. “Now bitch.”
“You’re not taking her so you might as well leave,” Burke growled.
“She’s not yours to keep, dog.”
Burke spared Kendall the briefest of glances. Yes she was. He hoped.
Kendall cried out as the werecoyote grabbed her by the hair and hauled her to her feet. Tears sprang to her eyes and she kept her gaze focused on Burke as she fought the man holding her. Pain flooded his body, not just from the bullet pressing against his heart, but from the thought that he really could lose her.
That smarmy asshole could drag her down the mountain and he’d never see her again.
He had to. Oh God, he had to.
An incredible roar filled his ears. Blood, terror, a jet plane overhead, he didn’t know where the sound came from but the beast inside would no longer be denied. He’d lived a lonely life since Annabelle.
He’d lost her.
He would not lose Kendall. Not now.
The roaring stopped and sounds collided around him. Gin barking. Kendall crying. The wind howling.
We end this, his beast snarled.
Gin leapt through the air, his mouth latching around the coyote’s forearm. Burke shifted. A shot ricocheted against a rock behind him.
His muscles rippled, bones popped and he took pleasure at the fear in the coyot’s eyes. Between Gin’s grip and the werewolf bearing down on him, the weasel let Kendall go and she fell to the side.
Blocking out everything but his prey, Burke attacked. Viciously.
He was on the coyot a second later, knocking him into the snow as his jaws closed around his throat. He squeezed slowly, feeling the life drain out of the creature beneath him. Then he gave a quick shake, severing skin, muscle, and tendons.
Covered in blood, Burke collapsed in the snow beside the body. Death had a peculiar scent. He’d lived without it so long he’d forgotten.
Chest heaving, he tried to slow his lungs. Tried to shift back. But the beast resisted, rarely getting to run free. To do the job it was created for. It was not as sure the threat was over.
But Burke pulled back on the leash. His muscles contracted. Bones snapped. Fur disappeared.
Cold and snow bit at him. But, neither the frigid temperature nor the gun shot had hurt as badly as knowing he was about to lose the woman he loved.
She stood but a few steps away, trembling, eyes large. The sheen he saw there made his heart plummet. She was terrified.
He didn’t blame her one bit.
Throwing back his head he let out a howl of fury. Not again. He had to send her away. Far away where no one would harm her. Dammit, he should be able to protect her, but how would he protect her from himself? From what he truly was? Given the option, he’d give up everything for her.
She sank to her knees next to him. Started to reach out. But he stopped her with a shake of his head. “Leave Kendall.”