She saw their bodies-naked as if they’d just shifted back-stiffen in outrage when they perceived her. She tried to tell them with her eyes to run, escape while they could. They didn’t all need to die today.
The stubborn jerks, so brave and wonderful, would never turn tail and run.
Oh, how I wish I could have one last chance with them, to tell them how much I love them both.
Brandon growled when he saw Josie, terrified and crying. His anger exploded at finding her trussed and strung up like an appetizer for later. He couldn’t stop his beast from bursting forth. His hackles rose in stiff spikes along his spine as he watched the arachnid shifter who’d caused so much havoc and terrorized his woman. I’m going to tear your legs off one by one, you fucking bastard.
Beside him, Clint’s body went rigid, and his voice when he addressed the cadaverous man in front of them was the low, controlled tone of a man in the grips of white rage. “Release our woman.”
The immense spider shifted back into its human form-not a prettier sight. With a cold smile, the shifter opened his arms wide. “What kind of greeting is that? In case you hadn’t noticed, you’re in my home. I realize your pea-sized canine brains might not be able to grasp it, but I am the one in control here. I will decide what happens.”
“This is your last chance. Let her go if you want to live.” Clint spat the words out through stiff lips, his fists clenched at his side. Brandon marveled at his control.
The spider shifter laughed, a rusty sound that held no mirth. “What, aren’t you going to chivalrously offer to trade yourselves for her? And you call yourself her lovers.”
Clint took a step forward and cocked his head. “Drop the pretense. We both know you never intended to let her go. All the scare tactics, those weren’t meant for us. She was the one you wanted all along.”
“Give a prize to the talking doggie,” said the voice of evil as he clapped. His eyes blazed as he hissed at them. “Stupid mutts. You had the biggest reward of all, and you never even realized it.”
“That’s because in our eyes, Josie isn’t a prize but a person, one whom we cherish.”
The nasty being chuckled. “Weaklings. And to think you’re what stands between me and ownership of this city. Not for long. Once I kill you, control of the pack will fall to me.”
“And just how do you plan to kill me?” Most people when confronted in the buff would appear in a position of weakness, but naked and cocky, Clint looked dangerous. And if Brandon ’s wolf could have grinned, it would have. Here we go. It’s about to start.
Brandon knew Clint taunted the arachnid on purpose. They’d discussed their plan before going in. In a nutshell, Clint would distract the bad guy while Brandon freed Josie. A great plan, if it worked. But, unlike the trap on the way against shifters whose minds were controlled by the spider, fighting this creature would be more treacherous. For one, they’d have to be on constant guard-in their minds. Since they’d entered its lair, Brandon felt the pressure pounding against his thoughts. Insidious whispering that oozed along the walls in his psyche looking for a breach point.
In the midst of battle, how much harder would it be to prevent the slippery, evil tendrils from entering?
Not that it mattered. They’d both do anything to free the little mouse who’d taken over their hearts. Death paled in comparison to a life without her.
And the deciding moment had arrived. Clint said something that finally pushed the alien shifter over the edge. With a high-pitched cry, the cadaverous body was replaced with his alter ego, the eight-legged freak.
Clint had also allowed his wolf to burst free, and as he ran, snarling at the arachnid, Brandon quickly made his way toward Josie.
Brandon forced himself to look away from her face as he used his teeth to tear through the silken threads binding her. He didn’t want to be distracted. Sticky and stronger than it appeared, the cocoon didn’t shred as rapidly as he would have liked. Behind him, he could hear the sounds of battle as Clint fought the beast alone.
Once Josie’s arms and legs were freed, Brandon shifted long enough to say “Go! Run! Get in the SUV, and get away from here.” Brandon pushed her in the direction of the stairs.
She hesitated. “But what about you and Clint?”
“Piece of cake.” Brandon gave her a cocky grin and a hard kiss before shoving her again toward the stairs. A yelp made them both turn. Clint limped back from the monstrous spider, blood streaming from a wide gash in his side. Time to squish the spider.
Chapter Ten
“Run,” Brandon ordered her before he ran toward the nightmare battle, his pale buttocks flashing until he shifted back into his wolf shape.
Josie stayed rooted to the floor. She couldn’t stop herself from watching. As wolves, Brandon and Clint were magnificent. Even injured, Clint lunged at the massive spider from one side while Brandon worried at it from the other. But the freak of nature was wily, not to mention multilimbed. It batted them away to bloody effect. Its many faceted eyes glowed red, and from its maw dripped a slime that made Brandon yelp when it touched his skin.
They needed help. But the only person left was her. I can’t do this. I can’t. Oh, my God.
Even as she whimpered in terror, she picked up a rusted piece of metal, its end jagged and dangerous. She forced herself on legs that shook to approach the spider. It turned its nightmarish head toward her, and even in its inhuman guise, she heard it chuckle. Whispers swirled around her, sibilant sounds that taunted her and made her whole body tremble. So focused was she on ignoring the voices, she didn’t see the hairy leg that arched out. She couldn’t miss feeling it, though.
Its clawed tip jabbed her in the stomach and knocked her down. As she lay there, stunned, pain spread its eager claws throughout her body. She heard howling, an eerie sound that preceded the invigorated sounds of battle.
Josie tried to push herself up, but the agony proved too much, and she slumped back.
Is this how I die?
Her fingers scrabbled against the hard floor and encountered the metal lance she’d dropped. She grasped it, only one thought in her mind-save the ones she loved.
She waited for her moment, free of fear for once in her life. Calm as a windless day, she prepared to face the end.
But not alone. When the lumbering body of the spider straddled her as it backed away from an intense attack, she gathered her last reserves of strength-and the love she carried for Clint and Brandon-and shoved the spear up through the soft underbelly of the beast.
The gushing ichor burned as it splashed down on her. Not that she noticed. Out of strength, she closed her eyes.
Clint couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw Josie-sweet, timid Josie-brave her fear and come back to help them. He didn’t have time to shift and yell at her to run away, but he saw with horrible clarity the leg that shot out to stab her in the stomach. She dropped to the floor, and a red film descended over his eyes. Grief and anguish gave him new energy, and he attacked the spider that wouldn’t die. He and Brandon had scored numerous hits on the beast, and while it leaked bodily fluids, they had yet to weaken it.
It didn’t help that his mind was in a constant battle to remain unfettered. The arachnid’s powers of persuasion were unbelievable, and Clint was thankful that the rest of the pack was busy elsewhere preventing the spider from calling its reinforcements.