Chapter 9

Two days later Amethyst was coming down the stair case when the door flew open bouncing off the wall behind. In it stood Mark Hartman with a crazed look in his eye, he pointed a gun at Amethyst. "Come here girl before I shoot you!" She had to do what he wanted if not it could cost Willow her life, she was in the kitchen. The words that Rain had said to her on her wedding day came to mind, "some day the safety of the pack may fall on your shoulders." It appeared the day was here. She slowly moved towards Mark and when she was standing before him he grabbed her by the arm. He laughed, "you thought you got away from me you little slut. I surprised you."

"You won't get a way with this Mark; my mate Rain will kill you."

He laughed "maybe, but you're going to be dead first. Amethyst you will make such a beautiful corpse. Shame you could not see your way to doing things my way. Then you would not have to be concerned with dying." He began laughing and whispered, "You only would wish you were dead."

Fear filled her mind and body. She began to shiver, he pulled her up against his chest turned her so that they were backing out the door. Once out side he pushed her towards the woods behind the house. Inside the woods he began to drag her by her arm. She cried out, "you're hurting me, stop it!" He just turned jerk her hard, and when she fall he kicked at her. She cried out as pain shot through her leg. Pulling her up he dragged her deeper into the woods When she had fallen a third time, he grabbed her by the hair wrapping it around his arm several times and pulled her to her feet. He started down a path that leads to a ravine and to the lake. Rain had said the ravine had a sharp drop off to it. Amethyst thought," if I shift Hartman will kill me with the gun. If I bide my time maybe at some point shifting might save my life."

"I am taking you to the ravine to the drop off; it will look like an accident when I throw you off." The sneer on his face made him look like a demon she had once read about in a book. She shivered, and pulled back to drag her feet. Amethyst stopped dragging her feet when Hartman pulled the trigger back, and aimed the gun at her. Once they were moving again he laughed, "Smart girl, to smart for your own good."

Amethyst mind raced then it hit her mind like a slap to the face, "My father is still alive Hartman you failed to kill him."

"You lie bitch. Big Red and Ray killed him. They told me they saw the vehicle go over the cliff; no one could have survived the two hundred foot drop. Nice try to up set me, but you have failed."

"My father did survive," Amethyst said with pride. If you kill me he will see to your death. My father killed your associates on a back road south of here.

"I will just have to kill him myself to make sure it is done right this time," Hartman said with a wild look on his face.

Rain driving back from Coyote Ridge with Richardson after doing some business in town felt Amethyst's fear, and then he felt her pain. Stepping on the accelerator the truck flew. Rain turned to Richardson and said, "It Amethyst she's scared." The truck pulled into the yard came to a sliding stop. Gravel and dirt flew into the air. Rain jumped from the truck and rushed into the house calling "Amethyst, no answer. Willow rushed out of the kitchen asked what was wrong. "Where is Amethyst?" but Willow told him she didn't know. Rain looked in side the house in every room calling her name, but no answer.

Rain rushed out side rang a bell that hung at the far south side of the porch. Storm, Smitty, Joe, Mike and Pend ran up. Amethyst has been taken find her. All in one accord the men shifted into wolf form. Rain heard Amethyst voice in his head, "the path behind the house." Then Rain howled, and the pack rushed into the woods following Rain. Moving in one unit the wolves spread out slightly.

Running and scenting the ground in fifteen minutes the pack had found Hartman and Amethyst. The wolf pack seem to know exactly what to do silently they began to surround Hartman. The wolves were moving from shadow to shadow to keep out of sight. Then Hartman noticed several wolves, he laughed as if sanity had completely left him. The ravine was only another fifty yards away.

Grabbing at Amethyst tearing her shirt, he said, "hungry you bastards, you can have the bitch! While you're eating her I'll just slip away!"

"Amethyst said "yes throw me to the wolves; I would have a better chance of surviving with them, then with you." She tried to pull free, but Hartman had her by the hair. He jerked it, pulling her back and making her cry out.

"Maybe I should just put a bullet in you head and leave the scrapes to the wolves." Hartman pulled her hair laughing. "This is your death sentence bitch. There will be nothing left of you when they are done. They will tear the flesh from your bones." He laughed pulled a knife from a sheath that hung from his pants belt; he took Amethyst by the arm and sliced her. Blood ran down her arm to her fingers then dripped to the ground. Amethyst screamed, again Hartman laughed, "Does the blood excite you bastards" he yelled at the wolves then have at her.

Rain growled; the fury he felt was endless. His hair stood up on his back, his teeth bared. He was shaking inside, "How dare he injure his mate, vengeance must be swift an immediate. He would tear him to pieces and not give it another thought." Moving slowly towards Hartman the gun came up, Rain stopped. Then Rain realized, "the man had no idea that he was dealing with werewolves and it was his life not Amethyst that would cease to exist."

With all the power Hartman had he pushed Amethyst at the wolves. The wolves rushed in and Hartman turned to run. Hartman did not get six feet when Rain and Storm jumped hit him from the back driving Hartman down on to the ground. The gun fired the bullet hit a tree. "The man screamed until Rain tore out his throat, his head lay off to one side at a weird angle. Hartman throat was half gone, blood rushing out of what was left of his neck on to the ground. Storm and Rain flipped his body over a sound came from Hartman's lips and Storm took the man by the throat tore more of his throat out. Rain watched Hartman's body jerk a couple of times and then he was dead!

Amethyst cried out when her father took a piece of his shirt, wrapped her arm. Richard said, "Amie you will be fine in a few hours, I know it hurts like hell. He hugged her and his heart slowed to normal. Releasing Amethyst as he noticed Rain rushing to them."

Rain rushed to her shifted into human form. She fell into his arms hugging him, loving him for saving her life. Rain lifted his head, "Mike, Joe dispose of the body as you had Big Red. Rain took Amethyst in his arms, walked her back to the house. Rain knew in a few hours Amethyst arm would heal, there would be no scar as a reminder of what happened in a couple of days.

Storm walked beside Rain felt jealousy rising in him. He wanted what his brother had a home and a mate of his own. He would have both," he thought.

Richardson smiled to himself, "his daughter was safe, married, and would have a wonderful life here. They all accepted Amethyst." His mind went to the pretty woman who kept Rains house, Willow. They had talked to the wee hours. Enjoyed each others company. She had invited him over to her house and he had gone. It was wonderful he thought waking to someone special at your side. Humans seem to take a long time before deciding on someone to spend their lives with. With were's it usually was fast and furious and mated for life. They had not made love, but both had fall a sleep on Willows couch. The thought brought a smile to his face.