chapter 10

Dayne’s POV

The wraith’s howl rips through the farmhouse, a sound like death itself, and Talis’s hand in mine is the only thing keeping my wolf from tearing through the walls to face it. Her silver-blue eyes burn with defiance, her alpha strength pulsing through the mate bond, but the blood seeping through her bandages makes my chest tight. She’s fierce, my mate, my step-sister, but the wraith, whatever cursed thing it is, wants her, and I’ll burn the world down before I let it touch her.

“Stay behind me,” I growl, pulling her toward the living room, where Luka’s barking orders, the pack scrambling to barricade the shattered windows. Her scent, wild and fierce, fills my lungs, and the bond hums with her refusal to back down.

“I’m not hiding, Dayne,” she says, her voice sharp, her claws twitching. “That thing killed my parents. It’s mine to face.”

I spin to her, my hands gripping her shoulders, the bond flaring with heat and fear. “You’re hurt, Talis. You go out there, you’re giving it what it wants.”

Her eyes narrow, her wolf’s power crackling. “And if I stay, it tears through the pack to get me. We end this now.”

Luka’s voice cuts through, urgent. “They’re at the door! Five wolves, and that red-eyed thing’s leading them!”

Regan’s at the couch, Eli clutched to her side, her poker raised. “We can’t hold them off much longer,” she says, her voice steady but tight.

I look at Talis, her face set, her wounds not slowing her fire. “Together,” I say, my voice rough, giving in to her strength, to us. “But you stay close.”

She nods, her hand brushing mine, the bond sparking. We move to the door, Luka and Jenna flanking us, their weapons ready. The pack’s eyes follow us, some wary, some trusting, and I feel the weight of leading them, of keeping her safe.

Outside, the night is alive with growls, the wraith’s red eyes glowing like coals in the dark. Five wolves flank it, their fur matted, but it’s the wraith’s presence, unnatural, heavy, that makes my wolf snarl. Glynn’s scent lingers, but he’s not here, and that worries me more than the beasts in front of us.

“Stay back!” I shout, my voice carrying, my wolf itching to shift. Talis steps beside me, her claws out, her stance ready, and I feel her power through the bond, matching mine.

The wraith lunges, faster than any wolf, its jaws snapping at Talis. I shift in a heartbeat, my black fur ripping through skin, and tackle it, my teeth sinking into its shoulder. It’s like biting stone, its flesh unnaturally tough, but I hold on, my wolf roaring. Talis shifts too, her silver-blue fur gleaming, her claws slashing at a wolf that dares approach her.

We fight as one, our movements synced, the bond guiding us. She takes down a wolf, her speed blinding, but the wraith turns on her, its red eyes locked on her like she’s prey. I slam into it, knocking it back, but its claws rake my side, pain searing through me.

“Dayne!” Talis’s voice, human now, breaks through, and I see her shift back, blood dripping from her reopened wounds. She’s at my side, her hands on my fur, her eyes wide with fear not for herself, but for me.

“I’m fine,” I growl, shifting back, my hand grabbing hers. “Focus on the wraith.”

The remaining wolves circle, but the wraith’s the real threat, its growl shaking the air. Luka and Jenna hold off the others, their shouts and clashes fading as I lock eyes with the beast. It’s not just a wolf, it's something ancient, cursed, and it wants Talis’s bloodline.

“Talis, run!” I shout, but she’s already moving, not away but toward the wraith, her claws out, her alpha power blazing. She’s reckless, fearless, and I love her for it, even as my heart pounds with terror.

She dodges its jaws, her claws slashing its face, but it’s too strong, knocking her to the ground. I roar, diving at it, my teeth finding its throat, but it throws me off, its strength unreal. Talis scrambles up, blood streaming, and we attack together, our wolves in perfect sync, claws and teeth tearing at the wraith.

It howls, a sound that shakes the ground, and suddenly, it bolts, vanishing into the trees. The remaining wolves scatter, their courage gone without the wraith. Talis collapses, her breath ragged, and I’m at her side, my hands checking her wounds, the mate bond screaming with her pain.

“You’re insane,” I mutter, pulling her close, my voice thick. “You could’ve died.”

She laughs, weak but fierce, her hand on my cheek. “So could you. We’re in this together, remember?”

I nod, my forehead against hers, the bond flaring with relief and need. But the wraith’s escape gnaws at me, its red eyes burned into my mind. It’s not done, and neither is Glynn.

The porch is quiet, the pack inside tending wounds and watching Eli. Talis sits beside me, her bandages fresh, her face pale but determined. The night air is cool, the Rockies looming, and the mate bond hums, binding us closer with every shared breath.

“We can’t stay here,” I say, my voice low, my hand brushing hers. “The wraith knows where we are. Glynn’s using it, even if he can’t control it.”

Talis nods, her silver-blue eyes distant. “It killed my parents. I felt it, Dayne. It’s tied to my bloodline, to me.”

I grip her hand, my wolf growling at the thought of losing her. “We’ll find it. We’ll end it.”

Luka steps out, his face grim. “Savannah’s talking. Says Glynn’s holed up in the old mill, ten miles north. He’s got more wolves, and he’s waiting for the wraith to finish you, Talis.”

Her jaw tightens, her voice steady. “Then we go to him. We take the fight to the mill.”

I shake my head, fear clawing at me. “You’re not ready. You’re hurt, and that wraith ”

“I’m ready,” she cuts in, her eyes blazing, alpha-strong. “I’m not letting it take anyone else. Not Eli, not the pack, not you.”

Her words hit hard, the bond flaring with her resolve, and I want to kiss her, to hold her, to keep her safe forever. But she’s right, we can't wait. “Okay,” I say, my voice rough. “We go at dawn. Together.”

She smiles, faint but fierce, her hand squeezing mine. “Together.”

But as we sit, the wraith’s howl echoes again, closer, hungrier, and a new scent hits me human, not wolf, carrying a metallic tang. Luka’s eyes meet mine, his knife out, and I realize the wraith’s not alone. Hunters. They’re here, drawn by the wraith, by Talis’s bloodline, and they’re coming for us all.