The Wolf Within (Purgatory #1)(60)

“You’re dying!” Judd jumped toward him. His claws were out and the silver was burning his neck.

Duncan punched him, driving his fist right into the werewolf’s face. Blood spurted as Judd’s nose broke, and Judd flopped to the floor, screaming.

The other werewolves stopped advancing.

“Alpha…” A low whisper that came from another convict that Duncan recognized. Charles Rist. He’d enjoyed killing children. That twisted freak should never see daylight.

Duncan let his gaze sweep over them all. “Who’s next?”

Charles came for him. Running and snarling, even as smoke rose from the burning skin on his neck. He swiped out with his claws, slicing Duncan across the stomach.

And Duncan swiped out with his own claws. He gutted Charles, and the werewolf fell to the ground, screaming.

Duncan expected shots to rain down on him from above, but when he shot a quick look up at the guards, they hadn’t moved.

What the hell?

But he wasn’t about to lose focus then. “Next,” Duncan said, and it was a demand.

Only no one else stepped up. Their gazes were on the moaning Charles, and then, one by one, the men lowered their heads.

“Alpha.” Clear. A growl from them all.

Duncan stood before them, body tense and ready for battle. “Why aren’t the guards attacking?” His voice was low, designed to carry only to the paranormals near him.

One man, a werewolf Duncan had never seen before, glanced up quickly at the guards, then his gaze darted to Duncan. The werewolf looked young, barely over twenty, and his face was so pale. “They like to watch us fight each other.”

What?

“When we kill each other,” the young werewolf continued, “that’s one less prisoner for them.”

The werewolves were backing away from Duncan. Slinking away. No more challenges? This was too f*cking easy.

Only the pale werewolf was lingering. “You’re gonna be dead soon,” he said as he swallowed. He licked his lips. “You…you don’t want to challenge for alpha.”

Challenge for it? Hadn’t he just damn well won the title? The competition had been slim.

But the werewolf crept closer even as Charles crawled away. “They weren’t saying you were alpha…they were saying…s-saying they’d let the alpha take you out.”

Oh, really? “So where the hell is he?”

“He…he sliced open the last new werewolf and went with the guards to the infirmary. They…they let him do whatever he wants. He said…” The werewolf glanced over his shoulder. “He smelled something sweet in the air and w-wanted a bite.”

The thunder of Duncan’s heartbeat echoed in his ears.

Something sweet.

There was only one sweet thing in Purgatory. And he’d left her in the infirmary.

“The last werewolf,” Duncan forced himself to speak. “Did you get his name?”

A fast shake of the guy’s head. “He went down too fast. Alpha…the alpha knew him. Said h-he’d finish him this time.”

Fuck, f*ck, f*ck.

Duncan spun away and ran back for the silver doors that had sealed behind him. He shoved his fist against those doors. “Let me out!” He had to get back to the infirmary. Back to Holly.

She’d said that she would leave. Be gone. Please, be gone.

The door began to dent beneath his hammering fists. Guards shouted for him to stop. Oh, now they were getting involved? Screw that.

The escape was supposed to go down at any time. They were cutting it to the wire. The alpha was gone. Duncan was betting that his trip out of general population had been perfectly timed so the fellow could work on the escape. Like there’d be an escape without the alpha’s permission.

Don’t be near Holly. Don’t. Be.

And he was in the wrong damn place. If he’d just stayed with her for a few more minutes…

The plan was screwed.

He kept pounding with his fists. Started to carve up that metal with his claws.

“Stand down!” A shout from above. Duncan guessed they’d just realized the silver wasn’t working to control him. “Stand down, or we will fire!”

Let them. He had to get out of there, and if it took some silver bullets to the back in order to get the job done, he was ready for the pain.

Holly was in the infirmary. He suspected that Connor was there, too. He sliced open the last new werewolf. If he needed to bleed in order to get his ass taken there, so f*cking be it.

He slammed his fists into the door again.

And the silver bullets slammed into his back.

***

“You bitch!” But the words were said with admiration. Admiration? The werewolf with Duncan’s eyes stumbled back and yanked the scalpel out of his shoulder. He’d been too close for her to hit his heart.

Next time.

The doors swung open behind him, and guards came in. Gray uniformed, armed guards. “Help me!” Holly cried out. “The prisoners are—”

They were dragging someone in behind them. A man with blond hair. His green prison jumper was soaked with blood.

He moaned, the sound heavy with pain.

Connor?

“Leave him,” the werewolf—he shouldn’t have Duncan’s eyes—snapped to the guards.

They dropped Connor and turned for the door.