“You will not be able to help yourself. You will mate. It is just a matter of who it will be with.”
Alex found the very concept appalling. “That’s disgusting. I’m not an animal. I’m not.” She backed away from both men, holding her hands out in front of her as if to ward them off.
“Alex.” Her father reached for her, but she shook her head and turned toward the door. She needed to get out of here. She needed to be by herself to think, to sort out all that she’d learned.
But it was too late. Joshua had cut off her escape, silently sliding in front of the door. His arms were crossed against his chest and his legs were spread in a wide stance. No, she wouldn’t be leaving that way.
“I’m going to my old room.” She stalked toward the hallway. She could always climb out through the fire escape.
“No.” Joshua grabbed her arm, the heat from his fingers practically burning her through the material of her sweatshirt as he thrust her toward a corner of the living room. “There’s no time.”
Glass shattered and a huge wolf jumped in through the low kitchen window from the small fire escape that was below it. Several men followed. Another crash came from down the hall and Alex feared that more were coming in through her bedroom window.
Her father crouched in a fighter’s stance, ready to face the threat. “Take her and get out. I’ll hold them off.”
“No!” she screamed. She wouldn’t leave him. It didn’t matter that he’d lied to her, or that her life was coming undone, he was her father. She knew he loved her and had lied to protect her. She’d rather fight and die beside him. Drawing her weapon, she took aim and fired as the first wolf attacked.
Chapter Three
Joshua watched in awe as Alex squeezed off two quick shots, hitting the largest wolf in midair as it launched itself at her father. There was no hesitation. She was definitely an alpha female, ready to fight and defend what was hers.
The wolf let out a yelp and hit the floor with a thud, its mouth opening on a snarl. Alex fired another round, this one straight into the animal’s heart. The wolf went silent, its bleeding body stretched across the floor a mere foot from her.
Joshua forced his eyes away from her and toward the men racing down the hallway. There was no time for him to transform into a wolf, so he swooped down and drew a deadly, silver-coated hunting knife from the sheath tucked in his boot. He threw it at one attacker even as he launched himself at the largest of his foes.
They slammed against the floor. Joshua immediately rolled so that he was on top, his large hands wrapping around the other man’s neck. His opponent bucked, his eyes and the veins in his neck bulging as he attempted to dislodge Joshua. He brought his hands up, jabbing quickly at Joshua’s throat, forcing him to lean away. His attacker took advantage, rolling them both to the side. The moment Joshua’s grip slipped, the other man pounced again.
Both of them were panting hard now, sweat beading on their skin. They grappled, neither of them giving ground. Joshua rolled to his feet and risked a glance over at Alex and her father. James was currently fighting two attackers and Alex was locked in hand-to-hand combat with another. Joshua growled low in his throat, the need to protect her almost overwhelming all else. Only years of discipline, and the fact that he knew these particular wolves wanted Alex alive to mate with her, kept him from doing something stupid, like trying to race to her defense before he’d dealt with the much larger threat in front of him.
The fight was primal and brutal, each of them intent on permanently disabling the other. There would be only one winner. Death or retreat were the only options for the loser. Joshua had never retreated from a fight in his life. He was the Striker. He could afford to show no weakness. To walk away would cast doubt on his abilities, would be a slur against his family heritage.
But he’d do it for her in a heartbeat if it meant the difference between Alex being safe or being in jeopardy. That thought made his heart stop beating. When it resumed, it pounded with such force it was a wonder it didn’t erupt from his chest. He could not allow her to mean that much to him. He could not afford such a weakness.
Putting aside all other thought, he concentrated on his opponent. Tall and strong, with short blond hair and piercing gray eyes, he was a formidable foe. This was no young stripling, but a warrior in his prime.
But he was the Striker. Years of tradition and pride welled up inside him and a deep calm settled over him. Everything around him seemed more vibrant, all motion seemed exaggerated, as if it was in slow motion, allowing him to take in everything around him and make decisions.
When his opponent lashed out at him, Joshua ducked beneath the other man’s arm and spun around coming up behind him. Wrapping his thick forearm around the man’s neck, he jerked hard. The crack seemed unusually loud in its finality. The body in his arms went limp and he dropped it carelessly onto the floor, wading back into the fray.
Bloodlust was pumping through his veins, demanding a sacrifice. The fact that Alex was in danger was unacceptable to him. With a roar, he grabbed the man that was trying to corner Alex. Somewhere along the way she’d lost her revolver and was now holding him off with a knife.
As if sensing his presence, the young man turned just in time to avoid Joshua’s punch to the back of his head. Tipping back his head, Joshua’s opponent howled. The remaining attackers raced across the room and dove through the shattered window, retreating to fight another day.
“Are you all right?” He gripped Alex by the shoulders, shaking her when she didn’t immediately answer him.
“I’m fine.” She sounded irritated. “I can’t believe how fast those guys were. One of them knocked the Glock from my hand before I even knew he was there.”
Joshua’s lips twitched at the disgust he heard in her voice. His little alpha was pissed with herself for not being able to hold on to her weapon. He bit the inside of his mouth to keep from smiling. She definitely wouldn’t appreciate his humor right now. But damn she was adorable, and sexy, when she was angry.
“Dad?” She shook herself out of Joshua’s grasp and strode toward her father. James was sweaty, his shirt was torn, but he looked fine. In fact, he looked as pissed off as his daughter. Joshua was struck at that moment by how much they resembled one another.
Reaching out, James wrapped his arm around Alex and tugged her close. “I’m fine, baby. Are you sure you’re all right?”
“I lost my gun.” She said it as if she was admitting some dark sin.
Her father gave her a comforting hug, pride etched on his face. “You did extremely well considering you didn’t know what to expect.” He ran his hands over her arms and back as if to reassure himself that she was okay. “The problem is that these were, for the most part, young men. Only two of them were seasoned warriors. The next time it won’t be so easy.”
“Easy.” Joshua could hear the growing horror in her tone. “That was easy?” Her eyes strayed to the large gray wolf lying dead on the floor and to the man with the broken neck. She swallowed hard, her hand going to her stomach.
He knew she was experiencing the aftermath of the fight. The adrenaline was still rushing through her system with no way to expend itself. He knew she must be feeling queasy. The fight was bad enough, but she’d had a huge shock on top of it. Still, she was steady on her feet. Once again, he found himself pleased with her inner strength.
James kissed her forehead before releasing her. “You must go with Striker.”
“No. I won’t leave you.” She glared at Joshua as if he’d suggested it and not her father.
Joshua held his hands out in front of him. “He’s right, Alex. They’ll be back or another group will come. Next time they may be larger and more organized.”