My familiar glances back at me and gives a soft yip before turning and facing the wolves again. I get this overwhelming sense of calm and trust but I have no idea where it’s coming from.
The wolves start to back away slowly before turning and loping deeper into the forest.
Jay quickly shifts back and starts putting his clothes back on.
“That was incredible!” He sounds completely shocked by whatever happened.
“Explain,” Nic says roughly, wanting an answer now and I agree with him.
All I need to know is that the wolves are gone so it’s safe to get further in the forest, so we can go help Anna.
“It was Bailey. He was able to communicate with them and me. Not with words but feelings, he sent the sense of calm and trust to them, and they left. It was incredible, I’ve never heard of that before or experienced it,” Jay explains.
It does sound amazing but it’s something to worry about later.
“Come on,” I say heading deeper into the forest until I think we are far enough away to transport out of here.
I look at all of my mates, and they’re all staring back at me. My guys, ready to charge into battle with me even though they just suffered at this man’s hands. My ride or dies but tonight, Ryan dies.
I picture Anna and I’s apartment and use my magic to take us there.
We land in the apartment to see it completely trashed. There are clear signs of a struggle everywhere and my heart drops. Are we too late?
I bust through the mess to check her room and mine but both are completely empty.
“Where could she be?” I ask, panicking.
The guys appear as lost as I do as we try to picture where he might have taken her. I’m about to suggest splitting up and searching the campus for her when I hear a slight whimper. It’s barely anything but Bailey latches onto the noise and races into Anna’s bedroom.
We all follow quickly behind him to see him clawing viciously at the closet door which is closed tight. I check behind me with the guys to see they’re ready for anything.
Jay has shifted into his wolf, Nic has magic swirling in his hands, Kiran and Jax are surrounded by their powers of light and dark and Jeremy is full demon with his weapons raised. I pull a dagger out of it’s sheath before grabbing the handle and swinging the door open.
It swings wide to show me my worst nightmare, Anna laying in a puddle of her own blood, dead. She is deathly pale with her skin stained in crimson. We must have been seconds too late since she hadjustmade a noise.
I collapse to my knees next to her and uncaring of the blood, wrap her up in my arms. The guys are swearing up a storm behind me but I don’t pay them any attention. My heart is broken on the floor next to me.
“Where did Ryan go?” Jeremy asks, voice hard and terrifying.
I think we are all ready to tear him limb from limb for killing Anna. She may be my best friend, but she had grown close to the guys while we’ve been together.
She has been the friend I always needed, my first true friend who has stuck by me and I let her down. I’m the reason she’s dead on the ground in front of me instead of a long life ahead of her.
I pat her hair back away from her face, ignoring her slit throat and it’s weeping wound. It doesn’t even look as bad as it did when I first saw it.
“I’m so sorry Anna, I love you. I hope wherever you are, you can forgive me.”
I’m crying, tears falling everywhere as I weep over my best friend’s body.
“Aly.” Jay sets his hand on my shoulder as he kneels down next to me. I ignore the fact that he only has a pair of pants on, I don’t know if I’ll ever feel attraction again with the guilt drowning me.
I ignore him, but he tries again, “Aly, I’m so sorry. We will get revenge for Anna. Ryan will die at our hands, I promise you.”
I give a slight nod, the idea of revenge giving me a purpose, a reason to go on. That and the fact that my mates need me, even if I may never recover, they need me.
“Is it just me or does it look like Anna’s neck wound has completely healed?” Kiran asks hesitantly from above us. It’s almost like he didn’t want to say it, but he knew he had to.
I check the wound and he’s right. It’s completely healed, the only way you can tell there was once a slice there is from the blood.
