Echoes of Fire (The Mercury Pack #4)(54)

Frowning, the blond male turned to face him. “What? Why the hell does he want it?”

The tall male shrugged. “Don’t know, didn’t ask.”

Holding a shovel, the dark-haired male pulled at his collar. “I don’t think I want to ride in a van with a dead baby.”

The tall male looked at him. “Why? It’s dead.”

The blond male blew out a breath. “We’re gonna burn in hell for this, Tom.”

“We’re already destined for hell,” said the dark-haired male, holding out the shovel to him.

“True.” The blond male grabbed the shovel.

As one, the pack attacked. They bolted out of the trees and lunged, catching the bears off-guard, giving them no time to shift.

The gray wolf slammed into the blond male’s back. Knocked him flat on his stomach. The wolf didn’t give him a chance to flip over. He tore into the bear’s back with teeth and claws as the man kicked and yelled. Eli’s wolf joined him.

Pushing himself upward, the bear unbalanced the wolves and rolled onto his back. The bear grabbed the shovel beside him and slammed it at the gray wolf’s head. The wolf moved aside, but the shovel clipped his shoulder. Pain rippled through the wolf. He ignored it. Pounced again.

The shovel hit his back this time, and the impact reverberated through his bones. Eli’s wolf closed his jaws around the bear’s wrist, cutting through arteries, making him drop the shovel with a loud cry of pain. He swung his arm out, dislodging the wolf. Blood sprayed from the injury.

The two wolves attacked as a unit, fast and furious. The bear fought back, just as furious. He punched. Clawed. Rammed his forehead into the gray wolf’s muzzle. Bit into the ear of Eli’s wolf.

The enemy was strong. Fast. Determined. He was also afraid. And breathing in the scents of fear, anger, and blood fed the gray wolf’s fury.

The bear punched him with a meaty fist. The hard blow made the gray wolf’s teeth rattle. The next punch sent the wolf sprawling.

The bear shot upright and tried to stand. Failed when the gray wolf sprung onto his chest and slammed him back down to the ground. The bear grabbed the wolf’s neck, holding his snapping jaw at bay. Swiped his free claws over the wolf’s face, making blood splatter over them both.

Eli’s wolf was back. Bit into the bear’s arm. Yanked the limb so that he could no longer slash at the gray wolf.

With a roar, the bear used his grip on the gray wolf’s neck to shove him hard. He then tried to bolt upright, swinging his free fist at the jaw clamped around his arm. The bear was slowing now, weakening. But the hard punch still sent Eli’s wolf crashing to the ground.

The gray wolf bit into the bear’s other arm, sinking his teeth deep. Tugging hard enough, he almost dislocated the male’s shoulder. Cursing loudly, the bear reached over with his now-free arm and gripped the wolf’s foreleg. Squeezed hard enough to snap bone.

Pain pounded through the wolf, radiating up his leg and to his shoulder. He couldn’t hold back a yelp as he bounded backward.

The bear rolled onto his stomach. Crawled toward the van using his elbows. Just as he began to rise, Eli’s wolf landed on the male’s back. Slammed him back to the floor. Ripped his shirt and back to shreds with his claws.

The male’s body shook. Skin rippled. Tufts of fur appeared. But the male was fighting the shift, knew it would leave him vulnerable. It occurred to the gray wolf that this male had little control over his inner animal.

With yet another roar, the bear flipped over fast. Threw so much of his weight into the move that it flung Eli’s wolf aside. He righted himself quickly. The male then slammed his elbow into the wolf’s neck. Tried to rear up again.

Blocking out the pain coming from his wounded foreleg, the gray wolf sprang forward, pounced on the bear’s chest, and clamped his jaws around the bear’s throat. Eyes wide, the bear struggled, but Eli’s wolf slashed at his stomach. The bear stabbed his claws into the gray wolf’s flanks, but the wolf held tight. Didn’t release him. Not until the life left his eyes.

Stepping away from the dead body, sides heaving, the gray wolf glanced around. The other bears had also been tackled to the ground and were dead. Satisfied, the wolf subsided when he felt his human half reach for the surface.

Careful of his broken arm, Bracken managed to get to his feet. He noticed his pack mates were covered in gashes, bites, and puncture wounds. Derren’s shoulder had been dislocated, and Eli had a bad bruise on his side that suggested he might have a broken rib or two.

Clenching his teeth against the pain of his injuries, Bracken glared down at the corpses. Archer had sent the bastard to exhume the bodies of his family. That sick fucker had even wanted possession of his nephew, Hayden, and God only knew what the son of a bitch would have done with him.

Adrenaline and anger pounded through Bracken, and he felt that all-too-familiar buzzing in his brain to leave, track, hunt, kill. The fucking Alpha bear would keep coming. Keep targeting Madisyn. Keep—

“I know what you’re thinking, Brack,” said Jesse. “But if you go, you leave her vulnerable.”

Bracken’s jaw hardened. Damn the bastard for knowing him so well. “She’s protected.”

“Not as well as we’d like. She doesn’t live on pack territory. Archer knows that. Knows how much easier it would be for him to get to her if you weren’t around. What better way to get rid of you than have you go hunting him?”