Burian snarled by Yev’s ear. “Outsiders can never be trusted.”
Father shushed him with a gesture, and when he grabbed Radek’s jaw, Yev exploded with a fury he’d never felt before. It pumped into his muscles with a force that allowed him to break the hold of three men and dash to Father’s side. He grabbed his forearm so hard it made a weird, dry noise, like a branch about to snap. Father flinched, but didn’t otherwise move. The scene froze in the ice of his gaze, only Coal whimpered inside the house, filling the air with the scent of raw terror.
“Don’t,” was the only thing Yev could produce with his throat tight. “No one dare touch him!”
“Why, son? Do tell me? Why should no one touch this outsider? And you better think through your next words,” Father said in a calm voice that had a painfully sharp edge.
Fedir glared at him, still holding Radek’s arms back, but Yev knew the answer the moment he caught a glimpse of the amber eyes filled with hope and trust.
Yev was in freefall. Radek’s warmth still clung to his cooling skin, a reminder that outside of the world of stern rules that guided the existence of the pack was someone who had never judged Yev and wouldn't demand more than he could give. Someone, who’d given him a glimpse of a future Yev had long given up on, someone who offered him understanding no one else in the world could.
They could live here, in the woods. Him. Radek. And Coal.
“I love him, Father,” Yev uttered, and while it should have been a difficult thing to say, it rolled off his tongue as smoothly as words of appreciation had earlier this morning.
Despite his dire position, Radek’s gaze softened as he looked at Yev as if he were the Moon-Eyed God himself.
Father huffed and stepped back, as if they were both covered in sewage. “And for that you forfeit a future with your pack? Your family?”
Yev shuddered, but let go of him too, itching to tear Radek out of Fedir’s grip, yet unwilling to try his luck when his boy’s life was at stake. He knew what Father meant, but while it hurt him to the core to make that choice, he couldn’t have lived with the alternative. “I see him as my mate. I want him as mine forever, and I owe him my loyalty like you owe yours to Mother.”
He could hear Burian spit on the ground not far behind him, but he wouldn’t acknowledge the bastard.
Father made a gesture ordering Fedir to let go of Radek, but even freed, the boy didn’t dare make any abrupt movements and stood like a statue.
“If that is your wish,” Father said, “then you’ll have to live with that choice. This is the last time we speak, and you are to never make contact with the pack again.”
Each word was a cut leaving an open wound, but Yev had enough scars to know he’d one day heal. Even if life would never be the same.
But Burian decided his open disgust wasn’t enough and approached in two quick strides. “Are you fucking kidding me? He'll get away with this? With keeping this boy behind your back and lying to our faces? Repeatedly? That fox bastard knows our business, and you’ll just let it go?”
Enough was enough. If words weren’t working, he’d challenge them with brute force and they would find out who was willing to fight for their convictions.
Yev snarled at him before Father could have, growing as his roar turned inhuman, dull, coming straight from his innards. Burian changed too. His eyes glowed with a reddish light as he shifted, spreading long fingers with razor-sharp claws, hunched over like the beast he was. Like a monster straight out of human nightmares, the kind of creature that kept children from going out after dark. While not as muscle-packed as Yev, Burian’s werewolf form was unusually tall, with long limbs that turned into effective weapons, but Yev was ready to fight for his new life.
He lowered his body, eyes searching for anything that could tell him what Burian’s next move would be, because this fight was happening, no matter how much Yev longed to let it go.
Turning werewolf was a clear challenge, and blood would be spilled no matter what.
But only one of them would leave unscathed, and when Burian made a leap to the side, to unexpectedly change direction and strike, Yev was ready. Paying no mind to Olek’s whimper, he ducked and punched Burian’s unprotected stomach. His opponent gave a dull grunt but just as Yev was about to roll away, sharp teeth sank into his side, as if Burian wanted to bite off a chunk from his waist.
Tears stung Yev’s eyes, but he fought through the pain and rolled over with all his strength, crushing Burian to the ground with his own weight. The ferocious jaws opened to release a pained wail, but Yev would not give his opponent any chances and spun around, grabbing Burian by the throat and holding him down.