With Caution

that little bastard out here,” Dirk yelled at Jake and charged him.
    The wolves let out a deep, rumbling growl and bared their teeth.
    Jake sidestepped and faced Dirk as he rushed by. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
    The wolves hurried to flank Jake, still snarling, then two more came over the fence and joined them. What were they doing here?
    Remi ran into the foray with his adrenaline already high from the small fire. He guessed he had his answer as to how the fire started. Jake had been right in sending Sterling with Rhys. At the moment all he wanted was a little revenge for his brother.
    “What the fuck do you want?”
    Dirk turned on him, his face red and twisted. He looked like hell. His clothes were all over the place, his white, blood-splattered shirt half tucked in, half not. His long hair was tangled, sticking up in all directions, and had leaves clinging to it. “You little fucker, this is your fault. All of it.”
    Expecting Dirk to lunge, Remi braced himself. But Dirk didn’t move forward. He stood there, a blank look on his face. “You killed her just like you killed that fucking faggot.”
    What? Killed her? Who? Dirk had finally gone completely mad . He was blaming Remi for Billy’s death? The odd realization zapped the energy right out of him.
    Jake rushed to Remi’s side, as did their other four pack members, but Remi remained focused on Dirk.
    He appeared every inch the madman. Remi almost pitied him…almost. Then it occurred to him what else Dirk had said. Her. Oh God, no. It felt like someone had taken a baseball bat to his stomach. “What did you do to my mother?”

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    “If it weren’t for you, none of it would’ve happened.” Tears streamed down Dirk’s face and spit flew from his mouth. “She would have been happy if you’d never been born. She blamed me for running you off. I tried to help you. I tried so hard to make you do right. It worked for awhile, then you got caught up with this”—he raised his hand, indicating Jake—“loser.” Dirk shook his head and the volume of his voice lowered. “You made me do it. You made me kill that little fag. Just like it’s your fault Sterling got what was coming to him. He upset your mother, telling her he wanted to live with you. Then she started talking about leaving and how she’d lost you boys. Like the two of you meant more to her than me.”
    “What are you talking about?” Remi’s stomach sank. It felt like he’d swallowed rocks and they’d gotten caught on the way down. What had Dirk done? “Where is she?”
    Dirk reached under his un-tucked shirt. “Gone. You killed her.”
    Tears stung Remi’s eyes. No, she couldn’t be. Not now, when they were so close to freedom. She’d survived too many beatings to be dead.
    Jake stepped in front of Remi, knocking him down, then a blur of black fur jumped at Jake.
    A loud pop sounded.
    Jake roared and leapt forward over a black lump.
    Remi blinked, trying to focus. A wolf lay on the ground. The smell of blood slammed into him. Crawling forward, he grabbed his pack member.
    Another wolf had Dirk’s hand in his mouth, and was growling and shaking.
    Something fell and Dirk ran. Jake took off after him. As did three of the four wolves.
    A gun, Dirk’s service revolver, lay in the grass several feet above them. No. Remi glanced down at the wolf in his lap. Zack. It was Zack. He didn’t know how he knew, but he did…he could feel it.
    Tracing his hands over Zack’s fur, Remi found the blood right dead center of the chest where the heart was. “Hang on, Zack.” He put his hand over the fur and willed it to heal. He’d helped Rhys and Eddie. He’d made Keaton’s cut close. He could do this.
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    With Caution
    Zack’s heart was still pumping, Remi could feel its beat. The rhythm grew slow and the blood felt as though it was gushing out, but there was still a heartbeat. Zack’s chest rose and stuttered back down several times. More and more time passed between each breath. Blood continued to soak Remi’s hands.
    Remi pushed harder. Wolves could heal anything, couldn’t they? Why wasn’t the bleeding slowing? Remi’s eyes blurred. Tears streamed down his cheeks, but he brushed them away with the back of his hand. He was aware of the other wolf, and that the yelling had stopped, but he kept his hands on Zack. Closing his eyes, he pictured Zack well.
    Heal, damn it. It had to work.