Wolf Triplets (Triplet Harems Book 3) Page 2

  Casey didn’t waste a moment before shifting. Her wolf form was white as fresh snow, her eyes the same piercing blue as in her human shape. As she faced down the wolf, she knew what the men of her pack would think: that she should’ve run and left the fighting to the males.

  But Casey wasn’t about to do that. Instead, she stared down the wolf, baring her teeth and letting out a low growl. The other wolf, lean and muscular, formed a slow half-circle around her, each waiting for the other to pounce.

  The other wolf struck first. It hunched back then leaped through the air, flying toward Casey. But she was ready. She moved to the side, taking advantage of her smaller size. Instead of the wolf landing on her, it slammed into the wall behind Casey, a hard thud sounding out and cracks splitting along the wall.

  She stepped back, watching the wolf scramble to its paws. A trickle of blood formed in the corner of its mouth and Casey knew the impact had done some major damage. She watched the wolf carefully, trying to predict its next move. Outside of the cabin, more baying filled the evening air. She recognized a few of the howls, some of them from the men of her pack.

  But she didn’t have time to think about that. The wolf was back on his paws, anger burning in his eyes. Normally, a male wolf would be more than a match for a female like her. But Casey could tell by his smaller size that he was a gamma—one of the lower-ranking members of his pack. His breaking off alone was a bad move, and she knew he likely was hoping to capture a female on his own as a show of his value to the pack.

  Casey wasn’t about to give him that chance. He lunged forward again, and this time Casey knew exactly what to do. She stepped to the side once more, but instead of letting him sail into the bed behind her, she leaned in and bit down, catching him by the neck and pulling him to the ground. With a hard twist, she broke the wolf’s neck, killing him instantly.

  After checking to make sure he was down, Casey shifted back to her human form.

  Hell no, I’m not hiding out in the house. She thought as she left her room. Stay inside like a good little female. Not a chance in hell.

  She hurried to the front door and, after taking a steeling breath, opened it.

  Casey wasn’t ready for what she saw.

  Outside there were dozens of wolves in the middle of a heated battle, the full moon bright in the night sky above. Through the chaos, she could make out the members of her pack. But she didn’t spot her uncle or her father.

  She shifted into her wolf form, running into the fray. The males of the pack were all there, but they were outnumbered. As much as she wanted to remain calm, all she could think about was whether or not this was it, that the wolves of the surrounding packs had picked tonight to destroy the Redtooths once and for all.

  A tinge of panic ran through Casey as she weaved through the battle, roars and howls sounding out all around her. Bodies began to drop, members of all of the packs falling to the teeth and claws of the others. All she wanted was to find her father and her uncle, to help them if she could.

  But she didn’t catch sight of them. More panic ran through her as she realized her father wouldn’t be much of a help in the fight. If she could find him, she knew, she might make the difference between a deadly conflict and one they all survived.

  This is a nightmare, she thought as she took cover behind one of the cabins. So many of the younger males are gone...if they were here...

  She put the thought out of her head, knowing “what ifs” wouldn’t do a damn bit of good. Up ahead, she laid eyes on the alpha’s cabin, the massive three-story home where Parker, their alpha, lived. Wolves from the other pack drew closer and closer to it, the wolves of the Redtooth pack fighting them at every step of the way.

  Casey knew the older members of the pack would be no match against the wolves on the attack. Something had to be done, something that would turn the tide and, at the very least, convince the other wolves to back off.

  Then she spotted him. Her father, his form white like Casey’s but bigger, more muscular, was in the middle of squaring off with two other wolves. She watched as her father prepared to strike, his body moving awkwardly with the limp.

  Two against one...he’s not going to survive.

  She knew she had to help. Casey rushed toward her father, taking place at his side as soon as she cut down the distance. James whipped his head in her direction, and Casey could tell he hadn’t prepared for his daughter to show up.

  His expression was one of concern. Without speaking the words, she could sense he was thinking, “Leave—get out of here while you can.”

  But she had no such intentions. Casey turned her attention back to the two other wolves, letting out a harsh growl and baring her teeth as the fur on the back of her neck stood at attention.

  She was ready, and this time, she wanted to make the first move. Casey burst into a run, flying toward the wolf on the left. Casey launched into the air, and before the wolf had a chance to react, she slammed into him, the two bodies becoming a tangle of fur and teeth. She could smell the anger, the rage of the other wolf. He snapped his teeth at her, trying to take a chunk out of her neck.

  But she was too fast. The wolf overextended himself, and Casey took full advantage of it. She opened her mouth and bit down on the wolf’s neck, snapping and twisting and killing him as quickly as she had the other.

  When the wolf was down, she looked up just in time to see her father take down the other in the same way. Once the fight was over, he shifted back, and she did right after him.

  “Case!” he called out. “What the hell are you doing? Why aren’t you in the house?”

  “You think I’m going to stay cooped-up while you do all the fighting?”

  He shook his head, seeming to know there was no arguing with her. “Fucking hell. You could’ve gotten yourself killed!”

  “Are you kidding? You were the one about to get himself killed—taking on two wolves at once with your injury.”

  He opened his mouth to speak but appeared to think better of getting into a fight with her in the middle of a battle.

  “Where’s Uncle Sam?” she asked.

  “He ran off.”

  “Ran off?”

  “Said that the attack’s probably being led by one of the alphas of the other packs. If he could take him out, they’d break it off.”

  “Are you freaking kidding me? He’s not an alpha—he can’t fight with one!”

  “That’s what I said! But you know how he gets.”

  “We have to find him. We have to find him before he does something stupid.”

  “No kidding. If he takes on the alpha...”

  He trailed off, and both of them knew there was nothing else to be said. They shifted into their wolf forms and took off toward the alpha cabin. But when they arrived, Casey knew something had gone horribly wrong.

  The attacking wolves were formed up around the front of the house in a half circle, none moving, all focused on the door. Casey and James stopped behind them, the scent of death in the air. None of the other wolves paid any attention to Casey and James.

  They shifted into their human forms.

  “What the hell is going on?” asked Casey.

  James said nothing for a moment.

  “Where’s Parker?”

  “This...this is bad,” said James.

  Before Casey could say anything else, the front door to the alpha cabin opened. A figure emerged from the darkness, a tall, built man carrying...something.

  Casey gasped when she realized what it was.

  A body.

  The man was huge, easily over six-and-a-half feet. He had fire red hair and a beard to match, and was dressed in jeans, boots, and a red-and-black flannel shirt. His face was square, a sneering expression painted on it.

  “Fucking hell,” said James. “That’s Byron Reed—the alpha of the Moon Beasts.”

  Casey only knew the name by reputation. Byron was one of the most ruthless men in the region, known for his brutality. He and his pack had been at
odds with the Redtooths for as long as Casey could remember, and she understood right away that he was likely the one in charge of the attack.

  And she could make out who was in his arms—it was Parker, their alpha. Byron effortlessly tossed Parker’s body onto the dirt, the wolves around him howling in approval.

  Casey was stunned. Parker, their alpha, was dead.

  “Oh my God,” said James. “They took out Parker...”

  Casey didn’t need him to explain what this meant—the fight was over. They’d lost.

  Byron put his hands on his hips and spoke.

  “All right, Redtooths. I know your scared asses are hiding around here somewhere. And in case you’re too fuckin’ timid to see what just went down, your alpha’s dead. Fucker didn’t put up much of a fight, either.”

  He looked around, pleased with himself.

  “So, you can surrender now, or I can pick you all off one at a time. Your call. But either way, this is now Moon Beast territory.”

  But the pack didn’t step out to surrender. Instead, they emerged from the trees, the two dozen or so wolves still remaining. And at their head was the huge, gray form of Sam. He stalked toward Byron, shifting back to his human form when he was in front of him.

  “Who the hell are you?” asked Byron.

  “Sam Shaw,” he said. “Alpha of the pack. As of now.”

  “What’s he doing?” asked Casey. “Is he going to surrender?”

  “That doesn’t sound like Sam. More likely, he’s going to do something stupid as hell.”

  “All right, Sam Shaw,” said Byron. “You want to make this fast? Got some other shit to do.”

  Sam squared his shoulders and spoke. “No surrender.”

  Byron raised his eyebrows.

  “Are you fucking serious? Then, what, you’re fine with the rest of the pack gettin’ wiped out?” he sneered. “Aside from the females, that is.”

  Casey tensed at his words.

  “No,” said Sam. “We’re gonna fight this out—alpha to alpha. You win, the territory’s yours. I win, you get the fuck out of here.”

  Byron let out a booming laugh, the rest of the wolves laughing along with him.

  “All right,” he said. “That’s how you want to play it? Don’t mind taking out two alphas today.”

  “Dad!” hissed Casey. “We have to do something?”

  “There’s nothing to do,” he said. “Sam’s the highest-ranking wolf. He wants to fight, we can’t stop him.”

  Casey knew he was right. Before she could say or think anything further, the two wolves shifted and began slowly circling one another.

  Tension welled in Casey’s stomach. She could see how strong Byron was, how much of a match he was for Sam.

  Then Byron leaped.

  It all happened so fast. There were snarls and barks, flashes of teeth and claws. But among the chaos, Casey watched as Sam managed to sink his teeth into Byron’s side, blood forming in his copper coat. Then he swiped at his face, carving a red line along his snout.

  Byron did the same, taking a chunk out of Sam and sending him dropping to the ground.

  Byron shifted back to his human form, blood staining his shirt. The wound was severe—Casey could tell even from the distance.

  “Byron!” called out one of the wolves. “You’re hurt!”

  Byron appeared shocked. Blood poured down his face.

  “Fucking hell!” he said, leaning over from his wound. “Come on! We’ll come back to finish these fuckers off.”

  He was hurt, and Casey could tell it was serious—serious enough for him to call off the attack. The wolves formed up around him as he limped toward the trees. Within minutes, they were all gone.

  Sam rolled over onto his side, now back in his human form. “R...Redtooths!”

  The remaining members of the pack emerged from their hiding places, Casey and James joining them. They formed into a circle around Sam, whose skin was white, blood seeping from his wound.

  “Sam!” shouted James as he ran to his brother, dropping to his knees.

  Sam coughed and sputtered, blood pooling around his lips. Casey joined her father, placing her hand behind Sam’s head and lifting it slightly.

  “Uncle Sam!” said Casey, her voice panicked. “We need to get you inside. We need—”

  He shook his head. “You don’t need to do a damn thing—I’m done. “

  “No, you aren’t,” said James. “You’re gonna be fine.”

  Sam let out a dry, pained laugh. “Always a dumbass, little brother,” he said with a smile. “But...here’s what’s gonna happen. I got him good enough to pull back. But they’re gonna return—you know this. And when they do, it’ll be for keeps.”

  “And you’ll be here to help us fight them,” said Casey, tears forming in her eyes.

  Another laugh. “I won’t even be here to have my nightly glass of whiskey. No—this pack’s gonna need a new alpha. It needs to be ready for when Byron comes back. Otherwise...”

  He coughed once more.

  “Call back the rest of the pack,” he said. “Call them back and let them know what’s at stake. If we can’t pull the Redtooth pack together...we’re done.”

  He turned his attention to Casey.

  “Niece...I don’t have the easiest time showing it, but you know I love you like crazy.”

  “And I love you, too.”

  He smiled weakly.

  “You’re...you’re gonna be the future of this pack. I don’t know how, but I can feel it. And you’re strong as hell, tough as they come. You’re gonna need to be ready. But I know you will.”

  He closed his eyes, and moments later, his chest stopped its rise and fall.

  Sam was gone.

  Sadness and anger and rage boiled inside of Casey.

  But his words weren’t lost on her. She was ready to do what needed to be done.

  She was ready to step into her destiny.

  CHAPTER 3

  JAKE

  “Another fucking round!”

  Jake’s voice boomed through the bar, the rest of the patrons cheering at his request. The bartender went to it right away, pouring a long line of whiskey shots.

  It was Friday night, and Jake was ready to party. Classes that week had been a bitch, he and his brothers working their asses off to get ready for upcoming finals at the University of Chicago. He knew that it might’ve been a better idea to take it easy that night, get in a little studying before turning in early, ready for a weekend of hitting the books.

  But he was ready to party. And so were his triplet brothers, Bryce and Hunter.

  “How many is that?” asked Bryce, he and Hunter seated at a nearby booth.

  “Enough to put him in the damn hospital.” Hunter looked up from the hardback novel he was reading for long enough to speak, his green eyes behind dark-rimmed glasses.

  “Aw, come on, you pansies,” said Jake as he took two of the shots from the bar and placed them in front of his brothers. “Cut loose for once.”

  Jake watched as Bryce eyed the shot, his sketchbook out on the table in front of him. Bryce considered the drink for a moment before setting to work with his pencil, drawing the small glass in a quick series of motions with his hand.

  Jake laughed at his triplet brothers. They were all wolves of the Redtooth clan, and all seniors at the university. But they couldn’t have been more different. Jake was the all-American jock, captain of the football team, and as athletic as they came. Bryce was an art major, his paintings and sketches already the talk of the art scene in the city. And Hunter was an English major, planning his first novel.

  And while they all liked to party, none of them went as hard as Jake.

  He raised his glass, gathering the attention of the rest of the students in the bar.

  “All right, you fuckers!” he said, speaking through a big grin. “You all ready to graduate?”

  Cheers sounded out, and Jake brought his shot to his lips, the rest of the students doing the same. He thr
ew back the whiskey, the booze burning his throat in just the way he liked. More cheers as he pumped his fist into the air.

  Once the noise died down, Jake slid into the booth next to Bryce and across from Hunter. He glanced at the drinks, seeing that they were both untouched.

  “What’s the deal, boys?” he asked. “It’s senior year, we’re all about two weeks away from graduation, and neither of you gives a damn about anything but studying?” he glanced over at the book and then the sketches. “Or whatever it is you’re doing?”

  Hunter set down his book, and Jake saw that it was something by Charles Dickens.

  “You know,” he said, “part of ‘graduation’ is actually passing the classes.”

  Jake waved his hand through the air, dismissing the idea.

  “Come on—we’re all kicking ass. Soon we’re gonna graduate the top of our class, and then...”

  Jake noticed a tense look on Hunter’s face.

  “What?” asked Jake.

  “Nothing,” replied Hunter.

  Jake reached over and gave Hunter’s broad shoulder a playful push. “Come on, man—we’re brothers. Don’t tell me ‘nothing’ when I can see you’re thinking something.”

  Bryce turned his attention to Hunter, and he and Jake waited for him to speak.

  “Just thinking about what the hell’s going to happen when we get back.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Jake.

  Hunter went on. “The whole point of us going to college was to get us exposed to the real world, come back with a better idea of how to live among the humans, right?”

  “Right,” said Bryce. “Had to talk the damn old-timers into it, though.”

  “So when we get back, all of us college grads and ready to make some changes, you all think they’re just gonna...listen to us?”

  “They’re going to have to,” said Jake. “We’ll be the alphas of the pack one day. We’re going to be in charge sooner or later.”

  “’Later’ being what I’m thinking,” said Hunter. “They’re not going to want to give up their power, and most of the alphas have been in charge for decades.”