He was going to do it.
He had to.
We both knew it.
I shook my head anyway, my tears surfacing and my heart pounding.
I wasn’t a fighter.
I wasn’t even a badass.
I was just fucking desperate.
I dropped to my knees at her side. She was thrashing and jerking.
Timber hadn’t done it yet, despite the wounds on his arms that were still bleeding.
I hoped he wouldn’t.
That he couldn’t.
Even though I knew she didn’t have a future.
Suddenly, a thick, tattooed fist collided with the side of Timber’s head, and he crumpled on top of Harper.
My gaze snapped up, my lips parting in horror as I found Rhone Longfang standing above my best friend, looking even more pissed than I’d ever seen him.
This was it.
The only way this situation got any worse.
Rhone shoved Timber off of Harper’s. One of his hands gripped the back of her throat before she could get free. The other grabbed her waist, and he hauled her back to her feet like she weighed nothing.
“Please don’t.” My voice cracked. My body trembled.
The Beta ignored me.
I braced myself for the twist of her neck. The crack of her spine. The scent of her blood.
But it didn’t come.
Harper snarled and fought. Blood dripped down her face, arms, throat, and chest. It flung around the room. With the way he held her, she wasn’t hurting—and she wasn’t hurting him.
“Who. Did. This?” Rhone gritted the words out. It took me a few seconds to realize he was talking to me, and that he’d probably already asked once or twice.
Two people flanked him.
Ryker.
Sutton.
“Velour,” I whispered. “He attacked her. He left to find a way to save her, but he was wrong, and he didn’t come back. We came here to tell the Guild. Neve was going to kill her. We thought we had a little longer.Ithought we had a little longer.” I was trembling.
Shaking.
Rhone stalked out of the bar, holding my feral best friend to his chest so she couldn’t get free.
Timber moved a little.
