Light the Fire (Jackson's Hollow #1)

Chapter 64

Ryker had never been in a fight this big before, large enough to be called a battle if this was the start of...no, he didn't want to think that way. Luckily, his white hot rage was enough to burn away any focus that wasn't on what he was doing right now, which was hunting down Duncan.

He had to know by now. Duncan had to know that Blake was fine because Blake was right there. Standing on a picnic table, scattered paper plates and plastic forks and spoons beneath his feet, cheap table covers ripping as he dug his claws into the wood. Which Ryker didn't appreciate, but that was the least of his worries.

One of Duncan's werewolves lunged at him, but Ryker surged forward and slammed into him first, knocking him to the ground. He bit into the other wolf's shoulder and shook him once, getting a squeal out of the scrawny grey creature as it squirmed to get away. Ryker released him, concerned with more important opponents.

Was this a bid for power? The stupidest one ever? The Callahans were here, too, and the Monroe pack wasn't weak. And the group Blake had talked to didn't seem bent on starting a war. But what else could Duncan be up to, if he wasn't calling his people off? Unless he was so blind with the need for revenge over his not-dead Beta that he was just moronically pushing his pack to fight for no real reason. Or he did want a war and had just decided on it?

Ryker moved closer to Blake, growling at him in an attempt to tell him to call off his pack. And some of the wolves seemed to be trying to stop fighting, but some...

It was starting to seem like there was maybe a bigger divide in the Duncan pack than Duncan had been aware of. If only half his pack were listening to his Beta in his absence, then that was a real problem. Duncan's problem, not Ryker's, but it had suddenly become his problem as well.

And that was not okay with him.

Accept surrenders, Ryker sent out to his pack. Try not to kill.

His dad's growling message came through right after–even though Ryker was next in line, his dad wasn't fond of him ordering the pack around when Malcolm was right there. What's going on?

Not entirely sure, Ryker sent back, pausing a moment to swipe at a young wolf who stupidly thought he was going to take on the next Monroe Alpha. But I'm thinking we're mostly fighting wolves loyal to Jake, not Duncan.

If Ryker's guess wasn't right, then Duncan was going to have a lot to answer for when he showed up. As it was, Duncan was probably never going to be his favorite person.

Ryker! Now Lexi? It was taking a lot of focus to keep the communications going while also fighting off these idiots.

What? He growled back impatiently.

There's another group coming in from the East, just heard from AJ.

Damnit. He swung his head around, trying to spot Charlie to see if he was able to lead a group to head off the newcomers.

Don't worry, I got it.

Lexi!

I've got a group I can take, and Aaliayah's got the pack's kids, don't worry.

Ryker growled fruitlessly, because he could tell the distance between them was already increasing. She must have gathered a group up the moment she heard the news. He whipped around to see if he could see her leaving the house, but instead he caught sight of his beautiful girl, and was momentarily stunned at the sight of her, arms encircled by flames, eyes fierce as she scanned the yard. Their eyes met for a long moment, and then suddenly she shot a flame straight toward him.

If he didn't know her, he might have thought for a second that she was betraying him–but this was Jo. And so he dove to the side and was rewarded by a yip of pain from behind him. He turned to see that she'd grazed the hind legs and tale of a wolf that'd been trying to spring on him from behind.