Fuck you.
I pushed the trigger all the way down, and a billowing cloud of gas exploded. The gray wolf reared back, roaring and snapping its teeth, and the black wolves whined as smoke rose from their skin. Sam screamed as well and doubled over, clawing at her face.
I tumbled back. My eyes and skin burned, and nausea rolled over me like a freight train. The gray wolf’s snout wrinkled as he bared his teeth at me and released a hateful growl.
I could
barely see him through my swollen eyes.
“Get the hell back!” I aimed the canister at him with my thumb held lightly over the trigger. His honey eyes narrowed, and his body trembled with rage. Then, in a flash, he took off, running impossibly fast back toward the fair.
Run, fucker.
I could barely see through the tears that were flowing from my puffy, stinging eyes. My lungs and skin also burned, and my breathing became ragged. It was worse this time than at the motel. What the hell is this stuff? Sarin gas?
Forcing my eyes open, I surveyed the chaos around me.
Sam had stumbled to her knees and kept cursing between coughs. The black wolves had retreated several dozen feet and were rubbing their snouts with their paws.
Police officers with glowing batons swarmed our position. I staggered away from the incapacitated wolves and into the arms of a patrolman.
For a glittering moment, the fair had been a dream. Now, I just wanted the nightmare to be over.
26
Jaxson
People dove out of my way as I barreled through the fair on all fours.
I had to get the wolfsbane off. Savannah might still be in danger from the rogue wolves and demons—or even my pack, after what she’d done.
I didn’t have time for this.
Chemicals burned my skin, and my eyes stung so badly, it was nearly impossible to see. But that was nothing compared to the rage boiling in my veins.
Wolfsbane, of all things. After we’d saved her from the demon and the white wolf, she’d sprayed us with that.
Of course she did. She was a LaSalle. How could I imagine that she was any different?
Wolfsbane was toxic to werewolves. It blinded our senses, burned our flesh, and stopped our ability to shift and regenerate. It was a curse from the gods.
So was she.
I rounded a corner and growled as I spotted a dunk tank game. It would have to do.
The terrified dunkee jumped off his platform as I leapt through the air and dove into the water. From the instant relief, I knew that at least the version she’d blasted at me was water soluble.
Once I’d sufficiently thrashed around in the tank, I leapt out and shook, spraying water over anyone foolish enough to stand nearby. My wolf was pissed and wanted to bite the LaSalle woman.
They killed our sister. With wolfsbane.
My body trembled with fury. Just having the residual scent of it on me made my wolf want to rip throats. It had taken all my control to back off when I saw the canister in Savannah’s hands. That shit had killed my sister. I would never forget. Never forgive.
And gods, I wanted revenge.
Yet, when my sister died, I’d been the one who’d had to bring the pack in line to prevent all-out war with the LaSalles. I’d had to swallow my anger to do the right thing. And I’d have to swallow it now. I needed the cursed woman alive.
I started running back toward where I’d left her. With my wolf enraged, I’d need to shift to get control.