VICTORMy paws thundered against the earthen floor, snapping fallen branches and dried leaves in my wake. A flurry of heavy breaths and howls sounded as a pack of five of us cut our way through the forest toward the sanctuary. Alec had enlisted two other wolves to help him with his breaking and entering abilities along with the theft of blood. We hadn't had to go to a blood bank at all. There was a local blood drive in town to encourage people to donate. We simply tapped into their supply. I was sure they wouldn't miss the ten bags we had nabbed. We made sure to snatch the common types so they could be easily restocked. I accompanied them—along with Saint—to make sure things went as planned and none of the wolves got any nefarious ideas. The duffle hung from my jaw, sharp teeth piercing through the knitted handles. I was as gentle as I could be as I dodged thick roots that arched from the ground and large boulders that served as unrelenting obstacles in my path. A foreboding sensatio

VICTOR"Dea!" I had shifted when I watched the horrific scene unfold. She was attacked and I was nowhere near her to help. My claws swiped at the underbelly of a rogue wolf, penetrating deep until guts spilled from the bloodied incisions. They were all going to die. My remorse bled from my wounds and stained the ground, not a drop remaining in my system. Not when one of them had gotten so close to ripping the best thing that had ever happened to me away. Their numbers were finally dwindling while the death count on my land grew at an alarming rate. I wasn't a superstitious man when it came to death but even I had reservations regarding starting a life on land tainted with so much blood. This made me angrier. I tried to do a good thing, tried to help these creatures that were revolting against me, and this was my payment—them going after the person I loved. "I think I've figured out who their leader is."I heard the drawl of Julian's voice before I saw him. A breeze tousled my lon

VICTOR I carved a hand through my hair as the blistering water cascaded down my taut muscles. The sweltering heat did nothing to rid my body of its tension. My guilt refused to swirl down the drain with the soap suds from my body and hair. Maybe it wasn't even guilt anymore. Maybe it was the fact that I missed Saint. I found myself seeking her out during my day. When I needed something done, I'd begin to instruct her only to realize she wasn't there. When I needed to share something, I sought her out. When the pack house was finally complete I couldn't even step into it. I could barely step into my apartment without being reminded of the girl. The girl who never got the chance to fully live. Once the doctor had cleared Dea, she returned to her usual routine. I saw her on the weekends now, unable to bear the thought of entering my apartment. Besides that, I had a lot of work to complete in the sanctuary. Tania had placed a ward around the sanctuary's border. Only wolves I trusted c