19

DERRICK

We were outnumbered three to one.

My wolf had barely managed to get back on his feet when another wolf slammed into me and drove me down again.

Around me, wolves snarled and crashed into each other. Through the bond, pain ripped through the Obsidian Wolves. Every injury hit me like an echo.

Claws tore through flesh.

Blood filled the air.

They had the advantage, and they knew it.

The only thing that mattered was getting back up.

Somewhere in the chaos, Amira screamed again.

The sound cut through everything.

A sudden burst of orange flashed across my vision. Fire brushed against my fur. Two wolves yelped and jumped away from me.

Turning my head, I saw Amira.

She stood near the fire with a burning log clutched in both hands. Her face was pale, but she didn't hesitate. Grabbing another flaming branch, she swung it like a baseball bat.

The burning wood connected hard.

A wolf stumbled back with a howl.

Using the opening, I rose to my feet. One wolf still clung to me. Grabbing it, I twisted sharply and snapped its neck.

Its body dropped lifelessly to the ground.

Without stopping, I launched myself at the remaining two.

One barely escaped.

The other crashed into me.

We rolled across the dirt. It was smaller than me and much leaner, but it fought like its life depended on it. Claws raked across my side. Teeth snapped near my throat.

It landed a few solid hits.

Then I caught an opening.

My jaws closed around its throat.

Blood spilled.

Moments later, it stopped moving.

Breathing hard, I turned to find the wolf that had escaped.

What I saw made my stomach drop.

Amira had pulled the flare gun from the bag.

She raised it toward Thorne and the wolf fighting him.

The second she pulled the trigger, another wolf lunged at her.

Shift.

The command shot through our bond.

She was still human.

Her knee was already damaged.

She could barely move.

There was no chance she would survive long under a wolf's claws.

But she didn't shift.

Instead, she hit the ground with the wolf on top of her.

Her scream tore through the night.

Rage exploded inside me.

My wolf roared.

We threw ourselves at the attacker, hit it full force, and sent it flying through the fire to the opposite side of the Wayfarer's Camp.

The wolf rose again.

Even through the dirt and matted fur, I could feel its strength.

Under different circumstances, I might have respected it.

Tonight, I wanted it dead.

No one touched my mate.

Not and walked away alive.

The fight was brutal.

It fought hard.

Hard enough that by the time it finally stopped moving, silence had begun settling over the camp.

Bodies lay scattered across the ground.

Dead wolves.

Blood.

Smoke.

The battle was over.

Turning, I quickly searched for the others.

Everyone remained in wolf form except Eldric.

He was kneeling beside Amira.

Even from a distance, he looked pale.

Far paler than normal.

"Shift," he said roughly. "You have to let your wolf heal you."

At once, I shifted back and ran over.

"How bad is it?"

Dropping beside her, I checked her head first.

Then her neck.

Both were fine.

There was a deep gash across her shoulder, but it wasn't enough to explain the fear in Eldric's voice.

Then my eyes dropped lower.

My heart nearly stopped.

Her leg.

Blood covered it.

Too much blood.

"Her femoral artery has been cut," Eldric said grimly. "If she doesn't shift within the next few minutes, she'll die."

His voice tightened.

"Someone get me a belt."

"Shift," I told her quietly.

Her eyes met mine.

Fear filled them.

Pure fear.

"You're going to die. You have to shift. Now."

"No," she rasped.

Her voice barely carried.

"No. I can't."

"Yes, you can."

Panic gripped me.

"Shift, damn it. Shift."

A shadow moved over her.

Immediately, she tried shrinking away from it.

Thorne rushed over and handed Eldric a belt.

"Will this work?" he asked quietly.

"It'll give us a little more time."

Working quickly, Eldric wrapped the belt high around her thigh and tightened it into a tourniquet.

Blood still seeped through.

Too much.

"But not much time," he added.

Then he looked at me.

"Derrick."

The meaning was clear.

We were running out of options.

"Twenty-foot perimeter," I ordered hoarsely. "Everyone. Now."

"But—" Selene started.

"Do it!"

My voice cracked through the camp like thunder.

No one argued again.

Within seconds, everyone moved away.

When they were gone, I knelt beside Amira and pressed a hand against her chest.

Her heartbeat was weak.

Too weak.

"When I brought you into the Obsidian Fang Pack, you swore loyalty to me," I said softly. "And I swore loyalty to you."

She stared at me.

Pain clouded her eyes.

Fear still held her prisoner.

"You're safe here. Nothing is going to hurt you."

My throat tightened.

"It's only you and me."

Carefully, I took a breath.

"I'm going to shift, Amira."

Her body tensed instantly.

"Your wolf needs to see mine."

My voice dropped lower.

"She needs to know that my wolf would never hurt her."

Emotion clogged my chest.

"He would die protecting her."

Tears filled her eyes.

"Let her out."

The words came out almost as a plea.

"If you don't, you're choosing death."

My hand trembled against her chest.

"You're choosing death for both of you."

Nothing changed.

Only pain.

Only fear.

For one horrible moment, I wasn't sure she even heard me.

The thought nearly broke me.

"Please don't do this," I whispered.

Then I released my wolf.

The change came instantly.

My wolf had been fighting to get out.

The second he emerged, he pushed close to her and whimpered softly. He nudged her with his head and stayed beside her.

Protecting her.

Waiting for her.

Seconds crawled by.

Each one felt endless.

Then she closed her eyes.

A shaky breath left her body.

The change finally began.

Slowly.

Far slower than it should have.

Every second stretched my nerves tighter.

Then, at last, the shift completed.

A small honey-colored wolf lay beneath me.

Weak.

Shaking.

Alive.

Relief hit me so hard my legs nearly gave out.

She was alive.