chapter 7

Talis’s POV

The farmhouse shakes with the howls of Glynn’s pack, their snarls clawing at my nerves as I grip Dayne’s hand, the mate bonds a lifeline in the chaos. Savannah’s betrayal of her text to Glynn, pinpointing my injury burns in my chest, but her tear-streaked face, pleading about her son, twists something inside me. My side throbs, blood seeping through the bandage, but my wolf surges, silver-blue eyes blazing, ready to fight, to prove I’m more than Glynn’s lies.

Dayne’s eyes meet mine, ice-blue and fierce, his body tense like a coiled spring. “Stay close,” he says, his voice low, commanding, but there’s a tremor of fear for me, I realize, and it makes my heart stutter. Our bond, forbidden and raw, pulls us together, even as Savannah’s treachery threatens to tear us apart.

“Lock her in the basement,” I say, nodding at Savannah, my voice steady despite the pain. “We will deal with her later.”

Luka hesitates, his brown eyes flicking between us, but Dayne nods. “Do it,” he orders, and Luka grabs Savannah, her sobs muffled as he drags her away.

Regan’s at the window, her poker raised, her voice shaking. “They’re closing in. At least ten wolves now.”

My stomach twists, but I force myself to stand taller, ignoring the burn in my side. “We hold the house,” I say, my wolf’s strength seeping into my words. “No one gets in.”

Dayne’s hand brushes my arm, his touch igniting fire through the bond. “You’re hurt, Talis. Let me handle this.”

I glare at him, my wolf snarling. “I’m not sitting this out. We fight together, or we lose.”

His jaw tightens, but his eyes soften, a flicker of pride breaking through. “Together,” he agrees, his voice rough, and the bond hums, binding us tighter.

A crash splinters the front door, wood flying as two wolves burst through, their fur matted, eyes wild with Glynn’s rage. I move before I think, my claws extending, my wolf pushing closer to the surface. Dayne shifts beside me, his black fur a blur as he tackles one, his jaws snapping. I dive at the other, my claws raking its side, blood spraying as it yelps.

Regan swings her poker, catching a third wolf that leaps through the broken window, while Jenna, small but fierce, grabs a knife from the kitchen and joins the fray. The pack fights as one, but the wolves keep coming, their numbers overwhelming. My side screams with every move, but I push through, my wolf’s power surging, my silver-blue eyes cutting through the dark.

“Talis!” Dayne roars, his human voice breaking through as he shifts back, blood on his lips. “Behind you!”

I spin, dodging a wolf’s jaws, but its claws graze my shoulder, pain flaring. I slash back, my claws finding its throat, and it collapses, but more are coming, their howls deafening. Dayne’s at my side, his hand grabbing mine, pulling me toward the stairs.

“We need higher ground,” he says, his voice urgent. “The pack can hold the ground floor.”

I nod, my breath ragged, and we run upstairs, Luka and Regan following, Jenna covering our rear. The hallway is narrow, the old wood creaking, and I feel Glynn’s presence, his scent everywhere, like a nightmare I can’t escape.

The upstairs hallway is a choke point, the walls lined with old photos of the Blackshaw pack, a reminder of what we’re fighting for. Dayne barricades the door with a dresser, his muscles flexing, his tattoo stark against his skin. My wolf wants to touch him, to ease the tension in his face, but the howls below keep me focused.

“How many are left?” I ask, my voice low, my claws still out.

Luka peers through a crack in the boarded window. “Six, maybe seven. They’re regrouping.”

Regan’s panting, her poker stained with blood. “Glynn’s not with them. He’s waiting.”

My heart sinks, the memory of his cruel smile flashing in my mind. “He’s playing with us,” I say, my voice shaking. “He wants me to break.”

Dayne’s hand finds mine, his grip firm. “You won’t break, Talis. You’re stronger than he knows.”

His words, raw and certain, make my wolf howl, the bond flaring with heat. I want to believe him, but the pain in my side, the blood soaking my shirt, makes doubt creep in. “What if I’m not?” I whisper, hating the vulnerability.

He turns me to face him, his ice-blue eyes burning. “You are. You fought tonight like an alpha. I’ve seen it from the start.”

Before I can respond, a new sound cuts through a child’s cry, faint but unmistakable, coming from outside. My blood runs cold, Savannah’s words echoing: He has my son. Dayne’s face hardens, his wolf snarling, and I know he heard it too.

“That’s her boy,” I say, my voice steady despite the fear. “Glynn’s using him to draw us out.”

Luka curses, his knife glinting in the dim light. “It’s a trap. He wants you, Talis.”

Dayne’s grip on my hand tightens, his voice deadly. “He’s not getting her.”

I pull free, my wolf roaring, my eyes blazing silver-blue. “We can’t leave a kid out there. I’m going.”

Dayne grabs my arm, his face a storm of anger and fear. “You’re not going alone.”

“Then come with me,” I say, my voice fierce, matching his. “We end this now.”

He hesitates, then nods, his wolf’s strength merging with mine through the bond. We move to the window, Luka and Regan at our backs, and I see him, a small boy, tied to a tree, Glynn’s wolves circling. But it’s the figure behind them that stops my heart: Glynn, his dark eyes locked on me, his cruel smile promising pain.

“Talis,” he calls, his voice carrying through the night. “Come out, or the boy dies.”

Dayne’s growl shakes the air, his body shielding mine, but I step forward, my wolf ready. “I’m not afraid of you,” I shout, my voice ringing with alpha power.

Glynn laughs, the sound chilling. “You should be. I made you, and I’ll break you.”

The boy cries again, and Savannah’s scream echoes from the basement, raw and desperate. Dayne’s eyes meet mine, a silent vow, and I know this is it the moment we face Glynn, together, or lose everything. But as I step toward the window, ready to fight, a shadow moves behind Glynn, another wolf, larger, its eyes glowing red. It’s not one of his pack. It’s something else, something worse, and my wolf senses it as a new threat, one even Glynn doesn’t control.