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“I was tricked.” Tegan glared at Cord, who brushed it off as he got off the bed he lay on.
“Salem,” Tove said softly even as she took Tegan’s hand and squeezed. The Principal looked at Tove, and what he saw on her face made his knees weak from the look she gave him. “Castor?” Tove said quietly. “You need to do it quickly.” She raised her eyes to Cord, and reaching over, she placed her hand on Tegan’s stomach.
Cord nodded just as the Elite Sentinels moved forward to investigate their whispers. “Does she need healers?” Cord asked softly.
“Yes.” Tove wished she could comfort Salem, but there was no time. “I will let you in, Castor, so you can see where we need to go.” Cord looked at the Lycan for a moment in surprise at the access. With a nod, he grabbed Tove by the hand, and they both vanished from the room.
“Dad?” Michael jerked upright in his seat.
“Marcus has Zahra,” Salem told him before he turned to look at the Elite in the room. “I do not care who ordered you, Elite, when he comes back with my daughter, I want Pure Castors in here to aid her.” Salem’s eyes raked over them all. “I am your Principal, and you answeronlyto me unless the Great Council say otherwisein my presence.” He noticed with satisfaction that the Elite Sentinels stood down.
“She’ll be okay.” Tegan was talking to Michael, but she looked to Salem as he turned towards them both.
“She has to be.” Salem closed his eyes as he reached for his son. “Shehasto be.” He sent a plea to the Ancients for his daughter to be all right as they waited.
Marcus was tiring, but he ran onward. He held Zahra close to him as he ran. His wolf would have been faster, but she was too weak to hold on. He knew the Elite Sentinels were behind him, guarding his rear. He had managed to pull on a pair of combat pants before he had found Zahra. He glanced down at the female in his arms. Her blonde hair was matted with blood, one eye was swollen shut from where she had been struck. There was a deep gash to her stomach, and he feared the reason why as he was only picking up one heartbeat, and it was hers. A very faint heartbeat at that.
Blood continued to run down her legs even as he ran, and he pulled her closer to him on instinct. Zahra was conscious—the tears running down her face were proof of that—but she had uttered not one word since Marcus had found her. He had asked her if she could stand, and she had shaken her head. When he moved forward to pick her up, she had scrambled away from him, and it had torn at his heart. He had known Zahra her whole life. He had been in the room when she was born. Gently, even though he had no time, he had reminded her it was him and he would never hurt her.
A snarl behind him had alerted him to a Drakhyn, and Marcus had spun and killed it in one smooth motion. When he turned back, Zahra had her eyes screwed shut and her hands over her ears. Carefully, he had approached her and taken her hands away. He had placed them around his neck and picked her up. Zahra had said nothing, but she had turned her head into Marcus’s shoulder. He had seen the dirty mattress she had been on and noted grimly how soaked with blood it was.
Once they had cleared the nest where the Drakhyn had her, an Elite Sentinel had changed from his wolf form into Lycan and gave Marcus a shirt to cover Zahra. They had pulled it over her swiftly as she had stared vacantly into the darkness. As they ran from the Drakhyn, Marcus had told the other packs heading to them where they were and left the packs to deal with the Drakhyn. Two of the Elite Sentinels had fallen back to aid with the clean-up.
Marcus ran with three other Elite Sentinels, three in their wolf forms, one ran ahead and two took up the rear. An Elite Sentinel had offered to carry Zahra, but she had clung to Marcus, and he had kept a hold of her. He wished he could stop, but as the distance grew in front of him, he knew the Drakhyn were in pursuit. As they ran, he was aware that she was fading.
Marcus could do nothing to stop the blood, and he knew not only Drakhyn would pick up their scent. There were other predators in the night in the woods, and he and the Elite Sentinels had to be aware of all the dangers.
When he heard Tove calling for him, he knew he was in reasonable range for aid. They were heading to Elrick, Second of the Pack of the Seven Woods, an older pack where he had visited some years ago. Elrick ruled the pack as they waited for the alpha to reach maturity. Marcus told the Lycan with him where to head, and as the howls of the Drakhyn surrounded them in the forest, the Lycan grit their teeth and ran faster.
Alpha, it is Taras. We approach from the west.
How many?Marcus sent.
Fifteen, Alpha, coming in hard, in a few strides.
Sure enough, the pack burst through the trees and quickly surrounded Marcus and the Elite Sentinels.
Will she live?Taras asked through the link.
She is fading fast. I need a Castor.
One has arrived at our base. He is heading out with two others.
Cord.Marcus felt relieved as he ran. The young Castor would not be able to heal Zahra, but he could take her from here and get her aid. He gripped the female in his arms tighter as they ran. The howls of the Drakhyn hunting were getting closer.
Nothing can touch her again,Marcus sent over the link. He received the affirmations from his fellow Lycan, and he felt them disperse in the trees, ready to meet and fight the Drakhyn. Marcus did not slow, even when he knew it was only him and one other beside him. The Elite Sentinel still ran ahead of them, scouting the way.
We are close,the soft feminine voice came over the link.
Nyla?Marcus asked.
I have him with me. He is fast.
Marcus almost laughed. Cord Ivanov continually surprised Akrhyn with his skills. Suddenly he came into view ahead of them and was running straight at Marcus. With a skill only a Sentinel had, Cord swerved and avoided crashing right into them.
“Give her to me,” Cord demanded with a wild look over his shoulder. “They are too close.” Zahra screamed at his warning. The sound split the night, and everything in the forest stilled. “Marcus!” Cord cried desperately as he reached for her.
“Take us both,” Marcus held one arm out. “Send others for the Elites.”
