chapter 11

Talis’s POV

The hunters’ scent of metal and sweat cuts through the cool night air on the farmhouse porch, mingling with the wraith’s lingering howl, and my wolf bristles, silver-blue eyes flashing with a mix of fear and fury. Dayne’s hand tightens on mine, the mate bond pulsing with his protective rage, but I feel it too the weight of this new threat, hunters drawn by the wraith, by my bloodline, just like they were drawn to my parents. I’m not running, not hiding, not letting Glynn or this cursed beast take anyone else from me.

“Get inside,” Dayne growls, his ice-blue eyes scanning the trees, his body tense, ready to shift. “Hunters aren’t like wolves. They’ll shoot first.”

I shake my head, my claws twitching, pain flaring in my bandaged side. “I’m not leaving you to face this alone. We’re stronger together.”

His jaw clenches, but the bond hums with his reluctant pride. “Damn your stubbornness,” he mutters, his voice rough, but his hand squeezes mine, grounding me.

Luka’s at the door, his knife glinting, his voice low. “I see movement of three, maybe four humans. Rifles. They’re circling the house.”

Regan’s voice carries from inside, sharp with urgency. “Eli’s with Jenna in the basement. We need to hold the ground floor.”

I meet Dayne’s eyes, the bond flaring with our shared resolve. “We take the hunters out, then go for Glynn at the mill,” I say, my voice steady, alpha-strong. “No more waiting.”

He nods, his hand brushing my cheek, the touch igniting heat despite the danger. “Stay sharp, Talis. I can’t lose you.”

Before I can respond, a gunshot cracks through the night, the porch railing splintering inches from my head. Dayne shoves me down, his body shielding mine, his wolf snarling through the bond. “Move!” he roars, pulling me toward the door as another shot rings out.

We dive inside, Luka slamming the door shut, the pack scrambling to barricade it with furniture. My heart pounds, my wolf clawing to break free, but the pain in my side slows me, blood seeping through the bandage. Dayne’s eyes flick to it, his face darkening.

“You’re bleeding again,” he says, his voice tight, his hands checking my wound.

“I’m fine,” I snap, pushing his hands away, my wolf’s strength surging. “Focus on the hunters.”

Luka’s at the window, peering through a crack. “They’re spreading out. Two at the front, one at the back. The wraith’s still out there I can smell it.”

My stomach twists, the memory of those red eyes burning. “It’s working with them,” I say, my voice low. “Like it worked with Glynn to kill my parents.”

Dayne’s hand grips my arm, his eyes blazing. “We don’t know that. But we’ll end it, Talis. I swear.”

The bond pulls tight, his promise anchoring me, but a crash at the back door snaps my focus. A hunter, his rifle raised, bursts through, his face masked by a black bandana. I move before I think, my claws slashing his arm, the rifle clattering to the floor. He screams, but another shot rings out from outside, grazing my shoulder.

“Talis!” Dayne’s roar shakes the room as he tackles the hunter, his fist connecting with the man’s jaw, knocking him out cold. My shoulder burns, but I push through, my wolf snarling, ready to fight.

Luka and Regan drag the hunter to the basement, the pack moving like a well-oiled machine. But the wraith’s howl cuts through again, closer, and I feel its pull, like it’s calling my bloodline, my alpha power. Dayne’s at my side, his breath ragged, blood on his knuckles.

“We can’t stay here,” I say, my voice firm. “The wraith wants me. We use that to draw it to the mill, take out Glynn and the hunters in one strike.”

His eyes narrow, fear and fury mixing. “You’re not bait, Talis.”

“I’m not,” I say, stepping closer, my hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat through the bond. “I’m a weapon. Let me be one.”

His growl is low, possessive, but he nods, his hand covering mine. “We do this together. No reckless moves.”

I nod, the bond flaring with our shared strength, but a shout from Luka pulls us back. “Another hunter's back door!”

We sprint to the kitchen, where a second hunter’s trying to break through, his rifle jamming the lock. Dayne shifts, his black wolf leaping, taking the man down before he can fire. I follow, my claws out, my wolf pushing to shift, but I hold back, knowing I need to save my strength.

The hunter’s down, but the wraith’s howl is louder, closer, and I see it through the window in its massive form, red eyes glowing, standing over a third hunter’s body, blood pooling. My heart stops. It’s not with the hunters, it's killing them, too.

“It’s not their ally,” I whisper, my voice shaking, my wolf recoiling. “It’s hunting everyone.”

Dayne shifts back, his face grim, blood on his lips. “It’s after your bloodline, Talis. Hunters, Glynn, it doesn't care. It wants you.”

We climb to the roof through a hatch, the pack following, the night air sharp against my skin. The wraith’s below, its red eyes locked on the house, its growl vibrating through the shingles. The hunters are fewer now, two retreating into the trees, but the wraith’s presence is heavier, its cursed power pulling at my wolf, my bloodline.

Dayne’s beside me, his hand on my back, the bond steadying me. “We draw it away,” he says, his voice low. “Lead it to the mill, where we can trap it with Glynn.”

I nod, my eyes on the wraith, fear and fury mixing. “How do we trap something like that?”

Luka’s voice is grim, his knife out. “Fire. Old pack lore says wraiths burn. We get it to the mill, use the fuel tanks there.”

Regan’s eyes widened, her voice soft. “That’s risky. The mill’s old could take us all out.”

“It’s our best shot,” I say, my wolf’s strength surging, my silver-blue eyes flashing. “We end this Glynn, the wraith, the hunters.”

Dayne’s hand tightens on mine, his eyes fierce. “You’re not going alone. We do this as a pack.”

I nod, my heart pounding, the bond flaring with his resolve, his need to protect me. But as we plan, a figure stumbles from the trees Savannah, her hands free, her face pale. My wolf snarls, betrayal fresh, but her eyes are wide with panic.

“I escaped,” she gasps, blood on her cheek. “Glynn’s at the mill, but he’s not alone. There’s another wraith.”

My blood runs cold, the world tilting. Another wraith? Dayne’s growl shakes the air, his wolf close to the surface. “You’re lying,” he snaps, grabbing her arm.

“I’m not!” she cries, her voice breaking. “I heard him talking. It’s coming for Talis, for her bloodline. Glynn’s using them both.”

The wraith below howls, joined by another, deeper, more guttural, and my wolf senses it two cursed beasts, drawn to me, to my power. Dayne pulls me close, his voice a low vow. “We end this, Talis. Together.”

But as the second wraith’s howl splits the night, closer, hungrier, I know we’re out of time. Glynn, the hunters, two wraiths, it's a trap, and I’m the bait, whether I want to be or not.