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My mouth went dry, and a cold chill zipped down my spine. He was going to make good on his threat to murder my family.
No! That’s not going to happen. We are ready for him.
I squeezed my hands into tight fists. “I can go out there and help fight.”
This was my fault. I brought him here.
My mother scowled. “Absolutely not. I need you here with me. There will be wounded, and I’ll need someone to help me tend to them as they come in.”
I drew in a shaky breath and nodded. “Okay.”
My mom waved for me to follow her and called over her shoulder, “Let’s go, my love.”
She disappeared down the hall, knocking on all the doors, rousing anyone who wasn’t already up.
I hurried out after her and nearly collided with Willa in the hallway. The moment Willa saw me, she wrapped her arms around me and pulled us both to the ground when she all but collapsed against me.
Her body shook as she sobbed into the crook of my neck.
I patted her back and made a hushing sound. “It’s okay. Come on. We have to get downstairs.”
I wrapped my arm around her waist and got my footing before leading her down the hall to the stairs. I wasn’t the only one here with something to lose. Willa had a mate and a brother. Not to mention the pup growing in her belly. Almost everyone here had family.
My heart pounded so violently I thought it might beat out of my chest, and I was forced to draw in a short breath to keep from hyperventilating.
The pack needed me to be strong. I needed to pull myself together.
I gripped the banister tightly as we made our way down. Willa leaned on me, and I practically had to support her weight as we took one step at a time.
The limp in her leg was pronounced. I wondered if she would ever walk normally again. Her pregnancy made shifting impossible, leaving her to heal at a snail’s pace.
I could see the bandage bulging from underneath her pants. “How are you feeling? How is your leg holding up?”
It might not hurt to take her mind off the impending attack if only for a few seconds. I wouldn’t mind a distraction either, but as we reached the bottom of the steps and I saw all the terrified women and children gathering in the front room, I knew there was no way my brain was going to focus on anything else but the current incursion.
Willa made a noise in the back of her throat, drawing my attention back to her. “I’ll live. It’s not me I’m worried about.”
Her gaze shifted to the window where the curtains had been shoved open. The first rays of sunlight were beginning to beam in. A deer and her fawn grazed in the grass, completely unaware of the battle that was about to come. If only I could be so lucky.
But I wasn’t, and I had people depending on me to be a leader.
I stiffened my spine and straightened my shoulders. “Let’s get you to the sofa so you can sit down.”
I didn’t wait for her to respond before leading her to the couch and helping her to sit next to me.
Willa sank down into the cushion and leaned back so her head was resting against the pillows and she was staring up at the ceiling. “I can’t help but think that this is my fault.”
Tears brimmed in her eyes, and her bottom lip trembled. “I should’ve never run away with Jacob in the woods. I’ve put everyone in danger and cost my parents their lives.”
Willa put her hand on her belly and let her eyes slide shut. Her face crumpled, and tears glided down her cheeks.
I put my arm around her shoulder and pulled her into me. “This isn’t your fault. None of this is your fault. Or mine. Or anyone, except for Alpha Dane’s. He’s a maniac doing this to everyone. Don’t forget that.”
I sat taller as I let my words sink in. None of us asked for this. Alpha Dane was a tyrant, determined to squash anyone who didn’t agree with his way of thinking. Our only crime was standing up for ourselves, for our freedom. There was no shame in that.
My mom cleared her throat as she made her way down the stairs with a couple of girls. She ushered them to the couch on the opposite wall before she moved to the center of the room.
The room quieted, and everyone turned their attention to her.
