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‘There is no need to choose between your mate and your pack,’ the Moon Spirit’s voice whispered in my mind. ‘They are one and the same.’
Were they though?
‘Your mate is pack. Your pack is family.’
‘But I’d kill for my mate,’ I countered, not seeing how they were the same.
‘You’d also kill anything that threatened your family. There is no separation between the two. Your mate and pack equal your family.’
Could it really be that simple?
My wolf grunted like he was annoyed that I couldn’t see the two things as one. It would be something I’d have to think about more.
My attention shifted to Deacon, who headed toward me with a serious expression on his face. He frowned at the she-wolf still unconscious on the ground, but I saw the corner of his lip tilt upward. He looked almost pleased while I just wanted to disappear.
“Well done,” he said when he was closer.
I debated snarling at him. My mate being held at knife point was not a situation to be proud of.
“You handled that really well.” He praised stepping over the downed wolf.
I scoffed, biting my lip and fighting the need to put Pearl behind me. My instincts were on high alert that I wanted to protect her from everyone, regardless of if I trusted them.
“I feel… volatile,” I admitted, stroking Pearl’s hair with my hand, hoping that touch would calm me.
“That is to be expected. Though your mate was threatened, you showed incredible restraint,” Teo chimed in, back in his human form. “Not just anyone could see past the initial rage and show mercy.”
“I wasn’t feeling merciful,” I countered, my anger reducing to a simmer now that we were talking about it.
“It wasn’t the first thing on your mind, I’m sure. I think your instincts are admirable.” Teo smiled like he was proud of me. I could sense his sincerity, but I didn’t feel like I deserved it. While my wolf and I hadn’t completely lost our shit, we were dangerously close. The next time something happened, I wasn’t sure we’d be able to stop ourselves.
The amount of power I felt coursing through me was immense, with no end in sight. I’d experienced this power before, had accessed it a couple times, but this time had been different. It was easier to reach, which made me apprehensive and leery. I didn’t trust it or myself not to completely lose control. I had to figure out how to harness and focus the power, so it did what I needed it to do.
A shrill scream split the air, making everyone bristle and look around for the source.
“There!” Arden shouted, pointing behind the group to the trees.
Deacon growled as I tried to figure out what was going on. Estella the human was running toward us with several wolves snapping at her heels. Her wolf’s chest was coated red, like she’d just torn into something to protect her human half.
“Rylan,” Pearl said urgently, drawing my attention. “Are they entranced?”
“Yes, subdue only,” I shouted, pleased to see all the enforcer wolves nod their understanding and take up defensive positions.
Estella ran straight to Deacon, who grabbed her and tucked her behind him. Her wolf was snarling furiously, her teeth bared.
“Stay back,” I told Pearl, who thankfully nodded and stayed where she was.
Enforcers and entranced wolves engaged in combat all around me. Arden had shifted to her wolf form and ran toward the stampeding wolves.
A black wolf speckled with white caught my eye and held my gaze. My lip curled at the obvious challenge, pulling my own wolf to the surface. I had a sinking suspicion that I knew them, but I couldn’t be sure.
Power surged through me as I stared into their eyes. There was a manic air to the wolf, which worried me. He didn’t seem to have gone feral, but he clearly wasn’t in control, and that alone was driving the shifter to anger. Drool dripped from his jowls, and I knew I had only moments before he attacked me, and I’d be forced to defend.
‘How did we do this last time?’ I asked my wolf, feeling our power bubbling just under the surface of my skin. It wasn’t burning like before, which concerned me.
‘We were enraged because our mate had been injured. We weren’t in control of our emotions like we are now.’ My wolf guided the power up from our core to our chest.
My muscles bulged, and it felt like I was going to burst apart from the power filling me up. Black fur rippled down my arms as my hands shifted, claws curled and ready to tear something apart.
