Vann's Victory by Sydney Presley Page B

fire the Taser without hitting Caleb. Foster slid to one side, down the wall until he smacked onto the floor. Caleb went with him, snarling as he bit deeper. Then he snapped his head toward Kip, ripping out Foster’s throat.
    The silence was deafening.
    Sickened by the gory sight, Kip went to Vann, who was sprawled on the floor panting.
    “My leg,” Vann said.
    “Shift, then shift again. Quickly, Sir, while you have the energy.”
    Vann closed his eyes as Kip stepped back to give him room. Vann shifted to human form, his leg bent at an angle no leg should be bent in. Vann’s face, pale and sweating, scrunched up in his pain.
    “Again, Sir. Now!”
    Vann took a deep breath, opened his eyes to stare at Kip then shifted again. His howl was heartbreaking as his broken bone knitted back together, but it was the only way to heal. With a brief glance at Caleb to make sure he wasn’t intending to harm them, Kip returned his attention to Vann.
    “So tired,” Vann said.
    “I know, Sir, I know.” Kip went down on his knees to stroke Vann’s flank, watching him carefully for signs of shock. “Rest for a moment. That’s all you need, just a moment.”
    Sounds of approaching wolves and the scent of Dillon tore Kip’s concentration from Vann.
    “The Highgate men are here, Sir. It’ll be okay—everything will be okay.”
    Kip stood then went closer to the opening. He spotted Dillon and the other wolves. “The wolf in here with us is a trustworthy man as far as I know. Caleb. He killed Foster, one of Wickland’s men.”
    Dillon filled the room with his presence. The other wolves remained behind him. Dillon shifted, the top of his head almost touching the ceiling.
    He stared around, widening his eyes a little at the blood spatter, at the torn-out throat sitting on the floor. “We caught a few other guards out there on the perimeter. We’ll need to do a head count once we’re back at Crossways to see if any got away.” Dillon looked at Foster. “He got what was coming to him, I take it?”
    Caleb growled.
    “He did,” Kip said. “Caleb’s understandably angry. Confused.” He hunkered down, placing a hand on Caleb’s head. “These are the good men I told you about, Caleb. They won’t hurt you.”
    “If Bennett and Wickland weren’t being dealt with by Alpha Newart,” Dillon said, “I’d kill them myself for what they’ve done to this pack. Those children…” He walked over to the cells. “They’ll get help. With your consent, Kip, Alpha Newart will probably want to take them to a hospital institute. I suspect Vann’s father will want to go with them, to work on some kind of medicine that will ensure these children can shift, something they’ve never been able to do because it hurts them too much. Or maybe Aaron might be able to create something that will take their pain away if shifting isn’t possible.”
    “Whatever is best for them,” Kip said. “If it means they can lead happy lives, then they must go wherever Alpha Newart sees fit.” Kip swallowed. “I can visit, get to know them, something that’s been denied me all these years.”
    Dillon nodded. “Then let’s get this crap sorted. The sooner the better.”
    Kip couldn’t agree more.
     

Chapter Nine
     
     
     
    Vann stared at his parents and Terena. They stood opposite him in a row in the living room of the only home he’d known. His mother, a slight woman with black hair coiled into an elegant chignon, had tears in her eyes and held out her arms. He went to her, feeling like a cub again, except their size roles had switched. Instead of his head resting on her chest, hers rested on his. His father came to Vann’s left side, Terena to his right, and their family circle was complete.
    “Oh, son, I can never thank you enough for what you’ve done,” his father said, his voice rusty. “The nightmare is over.”
    “And you found my boy, they said?” his mother asked, her words muffled within their embrace.
    “Yes, and he’s a