Chapter 186

Matt

Before I could protest, Celeste had dropped her gun and was jogging down the spiraling steps back into the church. I cursed and took off after her. I caught up to her on the stairs, grabbing my gun from my belt as I went.

The fight on the ground was in full swing, and like I suspected, Celeste wasn’t content to wait it out. I loved her for it, even as fear spiked through me.

She glanced at me as we reached the bottom. “This ends now,” she said.

I nodded and kissed her, our lips smashing together in a frantic kiss. She pulled away first and pulled her gun free.

“Together?”

I forced a smile. “Together.”

She nodded, then pushed open the church doors. Then we were running toward the worst of the fray. Celeste took in the chaos and dropped her gun. A moment later, she let the shift run through her. By the time we reached the worst of the fight, she was in her wolf form. She tore into the closest wolf with a sharp growl. It had its jaws around Seth’s neck, but quickly let go when Celeste barreled into it. Seth turned and jumped, tearing into its side with his claws.

I lifted my gun and shot a wolf that tore at me. It fell to the side, shifting back to reveal a human. Fuck, they were using rogues. They must have let them loose in the town.

As a wolf, my sense of smell was enough to tell me who was part of our pack and who wasn’t. The reinforcements had a distinct smell, as well as Nina’s pack. It was the humans I worried about. If they weren’t careful, they might shoot down the wrong wolf.

As if on cue, a series of shots rang out down the street. I didn’t have time to look before another wolf was leaping for me. Before I could react, Celeste was there. She took the wolf to the ground, its throat in her jaws. She shook her head and the wolf’s neck snapped.

I couldn’t fight in this form. There were too many wolves. Too many rogues. Before I could overthink it, I let the shift wash over me. I dropped to my knees, my bones cracking and reforming. I knew shifting made me vulnerable for the moments it took for the change to settle completely, but I didn’t think I had a choice.

At this point, it was either fight as a wolf or die as a human.

It was a mistake I’d have to live with as I felt teeth clamp around my neck. I tensed. This was it. I’d taken the risk, and I was going to die. I just hoped Celeste made it out alright. She deserved to live and be happy.

I braced himself, but before the wolf could finish the job, it slumped to the ground, a bullet between its eyes. I had a feeling I knew who was looking out for me. I nodded toward the apartment building, not seeing Jack but hoping he could see me.

I didn’t care about our animosity, or that Jack was a Schreiber. He was here, fighting for us. Fighting for Celeste. I just hoped he made it out. I wanted to make things right with him. I missed our friendship. Maybe it was foolish, but I wanted it to go back to the way things used to be between us.

I didn’t allow myself to dwell on it too much before I leaped back into the fight, looking for Celeste. She was holding her own on the corner, locking in a fight with a slim white wolf. She was winning, blood staining the wolf’s coat.

She could fight, that was for sure. Even if the methods made me want to commit murder, Alyx managed to turn her into a warrior. Just watching her made my heart race.

A large black and brown wolf began circling me. I followed suit, keeping it in my eyesight. This wasn’t Ronan, but I kept waiting for him to appear. He wanted me. I killed his brother. I helped capture his father. It was only a matter of time before he came for me, and I planned to make him suffer for what he’d done to Celeste.

The wolf leaped for me, but I darted to the side, narrowly escaping its jaws. It was a rogue. It had to be.

The rogue darted for me again, but a large wolf fell into step beside me. Enzo.

We fought side-by-side. Unfortunately, we couldn’t save this one. We couldn’t save any of the rogues they’d brought here today. It hurt my heart as I tore into its neck. It slumped to the ground, and a man appeared. Late-forties, with his neck torn to shreds.

I forced myself to turn and keep fighting. There wasn’t time to dwell. After all this was over, I’d have the chance to think about everything I’d done. All the people I’d killed. It would haunt me for the rest of my days, but that was the price war extracted from all of us. If it didn’t take our lives, it took our souls.

The fight was spreading out in the streets. Enzo took off for a nearby building, heading for a familiar wolf. Nina was locked in a battle with a big white wolf.

Celeste nuzzled against me. There was blood on her maw and coating the fur along her chest.

Before we could move, three wolves dove for us. They started circling, herding us away from the worst of the fight. I jumped for one, but another appeared, forcing me back. We were being pushed further and further away from our allies.

Celeste looked for an opening but couldn’t find one. They forced us back almost to the steps of the church, snapping at us, but not attacking. Around us, another rush of wolves joined the fight, trapping our allies around the street. We were outnumbered.

“This is fun,” a familiar voice said, and I snarled. Alyx stood on the church steps, a gun in his hand. Another man stood beside him. Ronan.

Celeste snarled low as more wolves joined the fray. We were vastly outnumbered now, and our allies were too pinned down to come help us.

Ronan smirked as he looked at me. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this,” he said.

I just snarled low, baring my teeth at him.

He frowned. “You both took something from this family. Miles’s blood is on your hands.” He nodded at me. Alyx jolted in surprise. Did he still not know that? “Jeremy’s blood is on yours.” His gaze turned to Celeste, and she pinned her ears.

“I can’t wait to make you suffer for it,” Alyx snarled, his gaze pinned on her. There was something wild about the look in his eyes. “I definitely made Zoe suffer.”

Celeste and I both bristled in outrage.

“That’s right. I gutted her and strung her up. She screamed and screamed, but no one came to save her. That traitorous bitch.” He spat on the ground.

Ronan only had eyes for me. Hate filled them as he took a step forward. “Your time is up, Matt,” he said. “I’m going to enjoy this.”

Then both Alyx and Ronan shifted. They were going to do this as wolves, and Matt had the feeling they were going to drag this out. They want him and Celeste to suffer.