Page 110 of The Secret Mate Society

I didn't wait to see if he succeeded.I bounded back to Ethan, my claws making quick work of the remaining rope strands.The moment he was free, I pulled him against my chest, his naked body shaking against my fur.

"I knew you'd come," he whispered, his voice breaking."I knew you'd find me."

My heart swelled even as my Alpha form made it nearly impossible to respond with words.I growled, pulling him tight against me.I had to get him out of there.Now.

But Jake wasn't done.Through the smoke and flames, I saw him rising, his fur still smoking, his eyes locked on us with murderous intent.He was between us and the door, blocking our escape.

"You're not taking him from me," Jake growled, his massive form swaying but determined."If I can't have him, no one can."

He lunged one final time, and I knew I had only seconds.I shoved Ethan behind me, my massive werewolf form acting as a shield between him and the charging rogue.Jake's claws were extended, his jaws wide, every ounce of his remaining strength channeled into this final attack.

I met him head-on.

We collided in an explosion of fur and fury, crashing through a burning support beam.The impact sent showers of sparks raining down around us as the weakened structure groaned.Jake's teeth found my shoulder again, tearing deeper this time, but I barely felt it through the adrenaline coursing through my veins.

My jaws clamped down on his throat.

He thrashed violently, trying to throw me off, but I held firm.My teeth sank deeper, past fur and flesh, until I felt his windpipe collapse under the pressure.Jake's struggles became more frantic, more desperate, his claws raking down my sides in a last-ditch effort to break free.

I didn't let go.

Blood filled my mouth, hot and coppery.Jake's movements slowed, his yellow eyes dimming as the life drained from them.I felt the moment his body went limp, felt the last shudder of breath leave his lungs.But still I held on, my wolf demanding absolute certainty that this threat would never rise again.

"Calder!"Ethan's voice cut through the roar of flames."Calder, please!We have to get out!"

The urgency in his tone snapped me back to reality.The barn was an inferno now, flames consuming everything.The ceiling beams were groaning, ready to collapse at any moment.I released Jake's limp body and let it drop to the burning floor.

I turned to find Ethan huddled against the far wall, his skin reddened from the heat, tears streaming down his face.Whether from smoke or emotion, I couldn't tell.I bounded toward him, scooping him up into my arms.

His hands linked behind my neck, his naked body pressed against my blood-soaked fur."I'm sorry," he whispered into my ear."I'm so sorry for everything I said."

There was no time to respond, no way to tell him it didn't matter, that all that mattered was getting him to safety.I could feel his heart hammering against my back as I charged toward the barn door, flames licking at my paws with every step.

The main door was completely engulfed, but there was a side exit I'd spotted earlier.But as I turned toward it, Jake’s staggering form appeared in front of me.A gurgle escaped his throat as he attempted to growl, blood pouring out of him.His clawed hand was already lifted high and I didn’t get a chance to turn away.

I braced myself for the hit, but it never came.Instead, I heard Ethan cry out in pain, blood sprayed across the barn floor as Jake tore his thigh open.

In one swift movement, my left hand shot out, claws ripping through Jake’s throat until I felt his spine on the other side.But I didn’t stop.My claws tore through his neck, nearly severing his head.And finally his body crashed to the floor, never to move again.

I stumbled backward, nearly dropping Ethan as his blood poured from the deep gash in his thigh.His scream of pain cut through me worse than any of Jake's bites had, and I felt my wolf howl in anguish at my mate's injury.

"Hold on," I tried to say, but it came out as a growl, my vocal cords still shaped for a beast.I pressed my massive paw against the wound, trying to stem the bleeding, but blood seeped between my clawed fingers.

The barn groaned ominously above us.A support beam crashed down where we'd been standing moments before, sending up a shower of sparks and burning debris.The side exit was our only chance now.

I cradled Ethan against my chest as carefully as my Alpha form would allow and ran.The flames seemed to reach for us, hungry and alive, but I pushed through, ignoring the searing pain as fire licked at my legs and back.Ethan's blood was warm against my fur.There was too much of it, and panic threatened to overwhelm me.

The side door was ahead, warped from the heat but still intact.I lowered my shoulder and crashed through it, wood splintering around us as we burst out into the cold night air.I didn't stop running until we were well clear of the barn, my legs finally giving out near the tree line.

I collapsed to my knees, still holding Ethan, my body beginning the painful shift back to human form.Bones cracked and reformed, fur receding, until I was kneeling naked in the dirt with my mate in my arms.His face was pale, far too pale, and the wound in his thigh was still bleeding heavily.

"Stay with me," I begged, my voice hoarse and raw.I pressed both hands against the gash, applying as much pressure as I could."Ethan, please, stay with me."

His eyes fluttered open, unfocused and glassy."Calder," he whispered, his hand reaching up to touch my face."You came for me."

"Of course I did," I said, tears streaming down my face, mixing with the blood and soot covering us both."I'll always come for you.Always."

Behind us, the barn's roof collapsed with a thunderous crash, sending flames shooting into the night sky.Jake's body was being consumed now.Soon nothing would be left of the monster who'd tormented Ethan for so long.But the victory felt hollow with Ethan bleeding out in my arms.