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I had a duty now. To Sasha, to Mongrel, to Silver, and—yes—even to myself. I couldn’t let the brother of my heart fall. It was my job to ensure he survived to live a long and happy life with his mates. There was still a chance we could all come out of this alive.
But first, we had to put our enemy to bed.
I could feel Sasha inside that clubhouse, battling to remain conscious so she could fight alongside her people. Her wild fury and single-minded determination was a palpable war drum beating the air. Our two packs responded as one—hers and mine—giving everything of themselves to defend our home ground.
This was exactly the sort of selfless courage I’d come to expect of my brave, infuriating mate.
Even with a bullet to the gut she was fighting back, burning brighter than any star. I begged the Goddess to hold my little alpha in the palm of her hand just a while longer. All she had to do was get through this fucking mess then I would bend on my knees and beg her forgiveness. Do whatever it took to help her set up the life she truly deserved.
Because I saw it now, clear as day. Sasha was the true alpha here. She was the one I wanted to serve for the rest of my life. That woman was worth all the heartbreak this world could dish out and any pain waiting in the life beyond.
Fuck my cursed blood.
It wasn’t until I’d seen my mate’s lifeblood spilling onto the thirsty gravel in sluggish pumps that the pitiful reasons I’d made up for staying away were struck from my mind. All I was left with in that moment—the worst few seconds of my life—was the agonizing truth.
I was losing her. Losing the best thing that had ever happened to me. I’d defied the Blood Moon Goddess and now my intended mate was being taken from me. By force. Before I’d even allowed myself to get to know her, let alone worship her as she deserved.
For Sasha—my mate—was Goddess-touched. I would happily die here today if my death would ensure she could walk free and clear from the taint of the Bone Crushers once and for all. The stain I’d felt on my life—the long reach of my father’s violent shadow—fell away and I was left with a force greater than endless hate.
Something pure and bright and true stood in its place.
Alongside that glorious feeling, was the icy realization that I’d been offered the chance to become a better man than my father, and I’d almost thrown it away. For pride. Because I was the stubborn fool too afraid to bend to the one person willing to stand up and challenge me in front of the pack.
I swallowed all of that down. Turned it into a strength which burned in my gut. Fueling my body when the adrenaline of battle would have given way to exhaustion. I stayed true to my namesake and kept my head through the carnage in front of me, providing our wolves with the cover they needed to get this shit done.
While my Enforcer and former Sgt. at Arms tore through the throat of enemy after enemy, all three of us hunted for the one viper in our midst who truly mattered. Venom. The new alpha of the Bone Crushers MC. He was the one we had to put in the ground for this river of blood to end.
Calm as you please, I scanned the battlefield for anyone unlucky enough to catch either of my fierce brothers in their sights, and took them out. Felled man after man. My determination to see this through was matched only by the brave beacon of light pulsing from inside that clubhouse.
I got it now. Sasha and I weren’t two alphas, we were two halves of the same whole.
Her heart and my own beat in tandem throughout the battle. Our souls fused. United by this singular purpose. The simple belief that our people could survive this—that they had to survive this—and the bone-deep knowledge that it was up to us to ensure they got the chance.
Through our brief connection, I also got the merest glimpse of what a permanent mating bond with such a creature might be like. If I was ever lucky enough to be offered another chance at true happiness.
Because tomorrow, and tomorrow, and all the tomorrows after that, I would spend the rest of my days making up for every fucking stupid thing that had come out of my mouth since I’d met my little alpha. And pray that Sasha would one day allow me to worship that beautiful strength—up close and recklessly personal—rather than from afar.
Loving a woman like Sasha felt delicious and perilous.
It was the kind of love that set your pulse to racing and sucked your soul out of your skin. But underneath that danger was a sweet surrender so real—so all-consuming—I could almost taste it. A hard man like me could lose themselves forever in the soft wonder of that kind of woman.
With a ferocious growl that licked across my skin, Carbon snapped the neck of his latest quarry and spun on his heel. My Enforcer launched himself through a reinforced window of the clubhouse right as I felt a spike of adrenaline from Sasha—one born of pure terror—which dragged my attention from the battle at hand.
In the same moment, Mongrel barked. One short, sharp, victorious yip to get my attention.
Venom. He’d found that fucker.
Hold on, baby, I called to Sasha in my mind, as I felt a blood-thirsty surge of elation swell from those inside the clubhouse. We’re gonna fucking end this.
Reloading my gun, I swiftly followed my former Sgt. at Arms as he took off in the direction of the back courtyard. Claws scrabbled for purchase on the concrete. He rounded the bend, massive chest rattling as he closed in on our prey.
47
PARTING GIFT
Sasha
Crusher barely had the energy to moan and lift his hands in self-defense while my people continued their assault. Walking as if in a dream, Winter stepped gracefully around the bloody turmoil. She didn’t even spare a sneer for the biker at her feet who had stripped us of our dignity and hope on a daily basis.
