Stolen and Forgiven (Branded Packs #1)(37)

“Enough,” Holden said. “We’re done. You can’t hurt her anymore.”

Henry met Holden’s eyes. “We tried biting before, you know. But it never worked. Now I think it must have been the wrong wolf and perhaps the wrong human. Maybe it was the blood in her veins and the vaccine aided her transition. We will have to try that out in the future. But perhaps it was also the fact that you are the Alpha and Test Subject A is your mate. Hmm? Interesting isn’t it. I can’t wait to dissect her again to see what I find out.”

Holden took two steps forward but Soren’s growl held him back. He stopped but didn’t keep his gaze off the doctor.

“You know you can’t kill me,” Henry continued. “You are nothing. Just a wolf with no power. The guards here will protect me. And when I am through with Test Subject A, I will find more of you to study. We will make shifters of our own. You can’t fight back because you are scared. Little wolves with your tails tucked between your legs.”

Holden threw his head back and howled. Before the humans could react, he jumped, his hands turning into in claws. The doctor jerked once as Holden sliced through the man’s neck. Henry gurgled before he fell to his knees, not even allowed to take one last breath. Holden rolled to the side and knocked a guard on his ass, taking his Taser and throwing it toward Ariel. His mate caught it easily, arming herself. The rest could fight as wolves, but she wasn’t ready for that yet.

“Stop!” one guard yelled, his arms up.

Blood dripped from Holden’s hands, and his chest heaved. He could kill each one of these guards now and get his people out. He’d find a why to hide them all and try to keep them alive. But the countless other shifters in the world would pay the price. It wasn’t time their plan.

Yet.

“We let you kill him because he tortured a human,” the guard said, his face pale. Holden remembered him. This was the one from before that hadn’t wanted to hurt the wolves. No, this was one who merely did a job. A horrific one, but he didn’t enjoy it. “We can’t let you go if you keep fighting. We can say the doctor had an accident, but if you don’t get back behind the gate, we will have to fight back.” The guard let out a breath. “I know you have extra senses. Use them and find the guns we have on you.”

Holden inhaled deeply and cursed at the tang of metal, gun oil and gunpowder too close for comfort.

“We’ll take care of the doc, but you need to get back. You hear me?”

Holden could hear the fear in the man’s voice, but understood the chance they had here. No more bloodshed—at least for the time being. The man who had hurt Ariel had died by his hand. It would have to do. For now.

“Keep your men away from us,” Holden said. “We won’t be lying back anymore.”

The guard lifted his chin, and Holden slowly backed away so he stood behind the gate. Ariel came up to his side, her body tense but her gaze on the ones that had threatened to hurt them. The metal fence closed in front of them, locking them in once more. But things had changed ever so slightly, and they all knew it.

No matter what happened next, they had stood up for themselves, shown the humans that they would no longer merely lie down and take it.

The guards backed away with the doctor’s body in tow, leaving the wolves behind the fence.

“Do you think I’m a monster for killing him?” Holden asked.

“I’m only pissed I couldn’t do it myself,” Ariel answered. “You’ll have to teach me that claw trick.”

Soren let out a snort beside them. “It's not over, you know. They’ll come back to find out more about the change.”

“And I have a feeling they might still punish us for what happened to that douchebag doctor,” Theo put in.

Holden nodded. “I know. It’s far from over, but damn, it felt good to use my claws again.”

“Next time let the rest of us join in,” Soren said softly. “We were all set until that guard backed off.”

Holden brought Ariel into his arms, needing her body pressed close to his. “I know. And I thank you for that. Now let’s get back to the den center and make sure everyone is aware of what just happened. It’s only the beginning.”

“Only the beginning,” Ariel repeated softly. “But we won’t back down.”

He kissed her once, hard and fast. “Never.”

The River Pack was just one of many thought lost to a world of terror and pain. But soon the humans would remember who saved them. Soon there would be vengeance.

And as long as Holden had his mate by his side, he could face the future. Because without her, there wasn’t a future worth living.





Chapter 10


Ariel fingered the mating tattoo on her arm, freshly inked and yet not painful at all. In fact, the buzz of the needle pressed against her skin had only turned her on. Okay, so maybe it had been Holden’s cock firmly pressed against her ass while she’d gotten her mating tattoo that had turned her on. He’d made her sit on his lap while Gibson finished up the ink, and she hadn’t put up much of a fight.

Or any fight, really.

“If you keep doing that, I’m going to bend you over the table and f*ck you before we head back to the center of the den.”

Ariel rolled her eyes at her mate’s warning, even as her nipples hardened at his words.