Page 86 of Patrick’s Seduction

In her blurry vision, another wolf appeared. The dark brown wolf snatched Cameron by the back of his neck, making him withdraw his fangs from her neck, flinging him off her. With relief and horror in equal measure, she saw the dark brown wolf rip Cameron’s throat out without him getting an opportunity to fight back. Limp, Cameron’s body fell back on the ground, the brown wolf standing over him triumphantly, blood dripping from his open mouth.

Suddenly, Fallon felt her body cramp and spasm. She howled, but within a couple of seconds the howl transformed into a cry, and she felt her body shifting back into her human form. Pain surged through her, and she screamed. Her neck wound was bleeding profusely, and the pain was unbearable.

“Fallon!”

It was Patrick who called her name, but she couldn’t reply. She felt cold and scared. When strong arms wrapped around her, she managed to look up and recognized Patrick.

“I’ve got you now, baby,” he murmured.

Around her she heard voices and howling, commands and cries, but it was all different now. She couldn’t hear the sounds as clearly as before and couldn’t smell any of the wolves or vampires any longer.

“Something is wrong.”

Patrick’s heart had nearly stopped when he’d finally been able to subdue the driver of the SUV with Virginia’s help and tried to come to Fallon’s aid. She’d saved his life—and put herself in danger in the process. He’d charged toward her, intent on killing Cameron, when a dark brown wolf had come out of nowhere and slaughtered Cameron before he could kill Fallon.

Fallon was naked and injured. But one thing was clear immediately: she was human again. Her werewolf aura was gone. He was relieved but worried about her injuries. She was losing so much blood. He pressed one hand on the wound, then bit into the wrist of his other one and held it to her mouth so she could drink from him.

When she began to suck on his wrist, he let out a sigh of relief. But the danger wasn’t over. The fight was still raging in front of the house. The wolf who’d saved Fallon looked at them, then raised his head and howled so loud that the entire forest could hear him. Several other wolves trotted out from the shadows behind him, howling with him.

Suddenly, the sounds coming from the front of the house started to subside, and from what he could see from his position, the fighting seemed to have stopped.

“This is Patrick,” he said into his mic. “Anybody? What’s going on out front?”

“They’re surrendering,” Amaury reported.

“Yeah, weird,” Luther confirmed.

“And they’re shifting out of their wolf forms,” Yvette added.

Patrick shook his head in disbelief and looked up. The wolf who’d saved Fallon shifted in front of his eyes. The wolves surrounding him followed his example. One of them ran back from where they’d come and brought back a stack of clothing.

The brown wolf, definitely their leader, stark-naked and clearly unconcerned about it, made a few steps toward him and Fallon. On his chest was a wolf tattoo with something written underneath it in a language that he couldn’t read. The other men had the same tattoo.

“Will she live?”

Patrick nodded. “Thanks to you.”

“And your blood,” he added with a nod at his wrist.

Somebody handed him his clothes. He pulled on his pants, but took the shirt and handed it to Patrick.

“For her.”

Patrick took it and covered Fallon with it.

“You can call off your witches,” the stranger claimed. “We won’t hurt you or your people.”

Patrick hesitated. “Why should I trust you?” It could all be a trick—saving Fallon’s life and then tricking them into trusting him so they’d lay down their weapons.

“Because Striker Reed does.”

Surprised, Patrick let out a breath. “You’re Striker’s intervention?”

“That what he called it?” He shrugged. Then he introduced himself. “Jude Beaumont from the Werewolf Alliance. I’d shake your hand, but…”

Patrick nodded. His hands were otherwise busy, cradling Fallon in his arms, putting pressure on her wound, and feeding her his blood.

“Patrick Woodford, Scanguards,” he introduced himself, then added, speaking into his mic, “Everybody, lay down your weapons. We have a truce.”