2

Charles pounced, his front paws aimed at my chest. When his claws ripped into my skin and his momentum pushed me over, I screamed. I landed on my back, my head hitting the trunk of a lodgepole pine. The stinging exploded down my spine while a pounding throb flooded my brain. My chest clenched from the cuts, and my favorite fuchsia shirt was now ripped and stained crimson with blood. My head fogged from a combination of fear and suffering.

He dug his claws deeper into me, and I whimpered loudly. His mouth opened, and his tongue lolled out as if he were smiling and crazed.

I had to get my knife. There was no telling how far he would take this, especially with the other four behind him, pacing and yapping, egging him on.

Letting my instincts take over, I rolled onto my side, catching Charles off guard. He fell off as I got my knees underneath me and jumped to my feet.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw white fur barreling toward me. Before I could move, Pearl had steamrolled me straight into the tree. I couldn’t catch my breath, and my ribs screamed, on the verge of collapsing.

They’d never injured me this badly before. Usually, I got a few bruises or scratches from being shoved or grabbed, but this was far beyond that.

Screaming from my injuries, I grabbed her neck behind her wolfy head and yanked. She faltered a few steps, then swatted at my arm, her claws slashing my skin. The other three wolves surrounded me, caging me in by the tree as Charles got back to his feet.

His icy-green eyes glowed as he linked to the others. They had to be discussing what to do with me.

Pearl took a few steps back, and I swore I saw regret or uncertainty in her hazel eyes, but within a second, they hardened.

All five of them moved toward me. This wasn’t just bullying—they were intent on hurting me, possibly worse. I was out here alone and completely at their mercy.

More paws pounded toward us, and I hoped Theo had returned home from his run and seen that I needed him. But when the other five didn’t react, my stomach soured.

I swallowed, knowing I had no choice. I had to use the knife…if I could get to it. I wasn’t ready to die. I believed there was something more out there waiting for me.

I bent to retrieve the knife from my ankle strap. As soon as I moved, they rushed me, likely because Pearl knew what I was doing. Our parents had given us each a knife.

Josh jumped onto my back, knocking me over. I did a forward roll, his claws tearing the skin along my spine. Torturous agony radiated all over my back, chest, and ribs. My vision blurred, and another scream rang in the air from somewhere…or maybe I was yelling. Not that it would do any good.

As I landed back on my feet, I flailed the knife around, desperate to hit something, anything. I felt it connect, and a wolf whimpered, but I wasn’t sure who. I could only hope I’d hit some sort of mark.

My hope was short-lived as Bryson and Fred attacked me from opposite sides.

They nipped at my shoulders, their teeth cutting my flesh, but not so deep that I’d bleed out…at least not quickly.

Whimpers from Charles and Josh hit my ear. Then Fred and Bryson were ripped away from me. I smelled four new shifters, people I’d never met before. I couldn’t see what was happening.

My shirt was shredded, so I wrapped my arms around my chest, ignoring the throbbing that ripped through me, and scooted back to the bottom of the tree.

I took in the four newcomers. They radiated even more power than Zeke did. One had blond fur, while the others were various shades of brown. They definitely weren’t from our pack, as most of us were gray and white. We’d gotten another pack involved in our confrontation.

Zeke was going to kill us…especially me.

   

Blood leaked from my shoulders down my arms, the warm liquid coating my fingers as I took in the sight before me.

Pearl had lowered her head to the point it was almost touching the ground. She was cowering as Charles and the others had tried to make me do.

Charles and Bryson swayed on their feet. Josh and Fred were slumped at the bottom of the two trees closest to me where they’d been tossed.

I quivered as the adrenaline wore off and the reality of the situation washed over me.

I wasn’t sure how far Charles and the others would’ve taken this attack. I understood they had wanted to make me cower, and I’d refused. But to what end? My death? And why the hell hadn’t I submitted? Why had I fought back, making the problem worse? I had to be a glutton for punishment, but the thought of giving them more power over me didn’t sit right.

The blond and the two darkest-furred wolves hunkered down in front of me. They watched Fred and Josh get back on all fours and kept an eye on Pearl and the others. They bared their teeth, revealing they were fine with attacking again if needed.

The chestnut-furred wolf trotted over to me, his warm and somehow familiar indigo eyes examining me. They captivated me as I struggled to place where I’d seen them, but I came up blank. Despite Zeke leading the Oregon territory, I rarely associated with wolves outside my pack members. Of the few I had met, I would’ve remembered eyes like those.

He huffed and shook his head as if completely disgusted by what he saw.

Now that was a look I recognized. Everyone in my pack looked at me that same way. Like they couldn’t believe someone could have such weak magic.

He sniffed me, then gently nudged me with his head. Pain rocketed through my ribs, and I gasped and jerked away.

Flinching, he hurriedly moved back and flicked his head up, trying to communicate with me. He wanted me to stand.

Sitting here all night wasn’t an option, so I gritted my teeth and slowly climbed to my feet. More suffering enveloped me, but somehow, someway, I got onto two legs, each breath labored.

I looked down, cataloging the injuries I could see. As I’d suspected, my shirt was in shreds and drenched in crimson. The bites on my shoulders were deeper than I’d imagined and would take a couple days to heal, even with my shifter magic. My body stung and ached, a combination I’d never experienced before, and my suffering increased as the adrenaline wore off.

Charles whimpered and stepped toward me, and even though I wanted to flinch, my body remained still. I locked eyes with him again. I had to stop doing that, but I physically couldn’t force my gaze away. It was as if something inside me had taken control, and I was at its mercy.

Charles emanated a strangled, angry noise—a warning.

The blond wolf sidestepped between us and growled at Charles, forcing him to drop to all fours and submit again.

The chestnut wolf huffed, and now that I wasn’t locked in some demented power struggle with Charles, I turned my attention to him. The wolf jerked his head behind us in the direction from which we’d all come.

“Do you want me to head that way?” I asked.

He nodded and jerked his head again.

I wondered if these wolves were from the Southwest pack, but I didn’t care. Even if they were, they’d helped me, which was more than my own pack had ever done, and they were trying to communicate with me with growls and barks, showing me some respect.

I would use them for help as long as they were willing, though once I got home, I’d be on my own. But Theo, my best friend and the alpha heir would be there and have some influence, so things might not be quite so dire.

My knife had fallen to the ground during the attack. There was a little blood on the tip, confirming I’d hit someone before they’d teamed up and jumped me. I bent down to retrieve it, and blood rushed to my head, causing the world to spin. My ribs screamed in protest, and bile inched up my throat.

The chestnut wolf grunted as he ran to me and picked up the knife with his mouth. He then trotted toward our pack neighborhood.

Standing upright, I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to focus so that I wouldn’t vomit. Taking a small step forward, I closed my eyes and waited for the discomfort to intensify, but the movement wasn’t as bad as bending over. Nothing below my waist hurt, so there was that.

I took slow and steady steps, following the chestnut wolf.

The three strong wolves formed a barricade behind me, growling softly as if they expected Charles and the others to attack. My pack wolves stood in place while I shuffled away, the chestnut wolf slowing to walk by my side.

An owl hooted close by while a larger animal—I guessed a bobcat from the sound—stalked around near us. Nature was back in full swing as if nothing almost life-altering had occurred.