Chapter 63

If the wolves were going to attack, the plan was put on hold when Blake bounded over to them. He jumped around like a puppy, tail swishing, massive paws flopping around. He butted his head against one wolf's shoulder and then smacked another in the face with his tail as he passed by.

Jo gave Ryker's fur a gentle squeeze. He was tense but he didn't seem uneasy. Instead, he seemed in charge and ready for anything, though that was a feeling more than a certainty.

She wasn't sure how they were going to have a real conversation when none of them were human and Ryker couldn't talk to any of them. Maybe going full-on wolf hadn't been the best idea, but then again, how else could they have caught up?

Blake bobbled around to each of the wolves and then leapt behind a bush. A moment later, he stood up in human form, hands on his hips, obscured from the waist down by leaves. Ryker growled at him, and Jo rolled her eyes. Well, that was one way to get a translator.

"They're glad I'm not dead, but they sure are pissed that they thought I was," Blake said, crossing his arms over his chest and grinning. "Seeing how I'm super loved and everything. Of course they'd be upset."

One of the wolves in the Duncan group made a noise that almost sounded like gagging.

Blake smirked over at the wolf while Jo tried to hide her smile behind a hand. She slid off Ryker's back, ignoring the low rumbling sound emanating from him. It was obvious these wolves weren't going to attack them anymore. Or if they were, she'd barbecue them. Simple as that.

"So do they know where Duncan is?" Jo said, jumping straight to the point. Unlike Blake, she was highly aware of the importance of time right now.

"Yeah..." Blake glanced at the wolf closest to him, eyes defocusing for a moment before he grimaced and looked back at her, apologetic. "He isn't in range because he led another team around the other side of the mountain toward the Monroe house."

A furious growl tore from Ryker as he swung toward his home and Jo quickly grabbed at the fur along his neck, reminding him she was here. "Wait," she said softly. "We need to find out anything important before we run off." His body was trembling with the need to move, but she could tell he was going to wait. Jo glanced at Blake sharply.

"How many? And can you and this group try to intercept them and stop them while we run to the Monroes?"

Blake frowned and rubbed his chin as he looked at the other wolf again, taking a few precious moments before finally looking back at them. "I've asked them to try to intercept Duncan, but I'm going to go with you guys in case they miss him. Otherwise he won't believe you if you say I'm alive."

Blake rubbed his neck sheepishly and looked off into the woods, mumbling to himself about idiots and how they were too damn loyal for their own good. Jo had to agree. Life would be much easier right now if Duncan wasn't so attached to his Beta.

Too bad it also made it harder to hate Duncan now, almost as if he was a slightly decent human being. Much easier to hate the guy you might have to burn to a crisp.

"Sounds like a plan," Jo said, looking down at Ryker. "Want me to come with you guys or head back to the car?"

In an answer that didn't surprise her one bit, Ryker lowered his haunches again. God, they were going to have to develop a wolf-saddle or something if this was going to be a regular thing.

Jo climbed back up onto Ryker's back, burying her hands in his thick fur and getting a good grip. Blake joined them in his wolf form again, looking gangly and a little scruffy next to Ryker. He swished his tail and turned in a circle as Ryker started forward again, gaining speed quickly this time.

She would bet anything that Ryker was warning his family about Duncan's approach, but she still wanted them to get back to the house as quickly as possible. Did all of this have to happen on Lexi's birthday?

Hopefully they could get Duncan to back down once he realized that Blake was fine, more or less. The Beta seemed to be having a good time as they ran; he kept jumping over any obstacle in his path with a boundless enthusiasm. He was probably glad to get out of the guest house.

Cold wind whipped across her face as Ryker tore through the woods, his enormous stride eating up the ground. Maybe they should've gone to get Blake this way, though the possibility of falling off at this speed was making her giddily terrified. Breaking a bone would be the least of her worries.

Jo didn't realize how much distance they had traveled until she spotted the roof of the house through the trees. She dug her fingers deeper into Ryker's fur as two wolves bounded toward them, almost completely identical. AJ and Lincoln, hopefully? Ryker didn't stop as the other two wolves raced toward them then turned and ran alongside them. One of them snapped at Blake, who skipped out of the way.

As they closed in on the house, Jo could feel the tension in the air, like how the air became still before a thunderstorm. Wolves were everywhere, with only a few people still left in their human forms.

Lexi was perched on one of the tables, still human, her arms crossed over her chest. Brett was sitting at the table, phone out and texting, while a golden and brown wolf paced around nearby. Talon and Conner were barely visible under the table, playing with a set of toy trains. A huge wolf, the same height as Ryker but bulkier, stood at the ready nearby. She was going to guess that the wolves were Aaliyah and Malcolm, probably. This would all be a lot easier if she could communicate telepathically, too. Actually talking to Ryker right now would be incredibly useful.

Jo swung off Ryker's back the second he slowed down enough for her to safely get off. Relieved to have her feet on solid ground, she ignored his concerned growl as most of the wolves swung their attention toward him, probably receiving orders or an update or something. While she was relieved to see Duncan hadn't attacked yet, she couldn't quite figure out how they'd beaten him. Unless he'd taken a really, really long route toward the Monroe house, he should have been arriving at about the same time.

"Oh good," Lexi said, jumping off the table. "Maybe someone can finally explain what's going on now that y'all are back." She eyed the couple of unfamiliar wolves from the Duncan pack who'd stuck with them instead of joining the interception group, eyebrow arched in confusion, then glanced at her pack members as the ones in wolf form started to circle the newcomers warily.

Yeah, Jo doubted they'd managed to keep her focused on her party with half the party-goers now in wolf form. Not to mention them bringing several Duncan wolves to crash it.

"They're just being cautious," Jo said, glancing at Ryker before looking back at Lexi. There wasn't any point keeping this from her anymore. "Long story short, there was some miscommunication and Duncan thinks we hurt Blake, he–"

But she didn't get to finish, because all of the sudden, howls and snarls broke out from the trees on the other side of the house. The side they weren't on. Of course. "Shit," Jo said, turning in time to catch Ryker and Blake taking off toward the sound. A grip on her arm had her whipping right back around, other arm half-raised in preparation to defend herself before she realized it was Lexi.

"What is happening?" Lexi demanded angrily.

Still no time for explanations, because Brett was there now, shoving Conner and Talon into Lexi's arms. "Lexi, get them inside." Before Lexi could argue, he added an emphatic "please." He ran a hand through his hair. "I need to be there in case someone is injured."

The second Lexi's expression softened with hesitation, he took off, yelling a thanks as he rounded the house.

Jo met Lexi's gaze guiltily, and Lexi grumbled. "Go. I know your long range fireballs are probably more useful than another teenage wolf. I got the kids." Jo wasn't sure she would have been so accepting of the circumstances in Lexi's shoes–guess that was what happened when you were an Alpha's kid. Always thinking about the good of the group.

"Everyone helping is important," Jo reminded her. And you never knew where the fight would end up, although Jo hated to think of them making it to the house before they'd managed to connect Blake and Duncan and calm things down. That couldn't be too hard, could it?

Lexi and Jo parted ways, Jo following the path Brett had taken. Immediately she was confronted by what seemed to be total chaos. Where was Duncan in all this? How many groups had he sent out to the Monroes? If he still wasn't here, this could be a bigger problem than they'd been expecting.

Noting a pair of wolves fighting pretty close to her, Jo drew her fire to the surface, cupping the warm starters in her hands. She didn't release it yet though, scanning the territory to make sure no one in her pack was in dire need. Jo didn't want to lose anyone tonight because of one single, stupid, power hungry idiot.

Now if there was one person she wouldn't have any regrets frying...well, a Jake-kebab sounded awfully appealing at the moment.

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A/N: I'm sorry that I didn't update last week! This season has been a little crazy and trying. But hopefully there will be a Wednesday update this week, along with the next chapter of Race the Storm! Thank you for reading, commenting, voting for, and following along with this story!