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“You better not make a noise. They’re still distracted.” Rocco whips his wolf head in my direction, narrowing his eyes. His hackles lift on his back, the fur sticking straight up. He’s bigger than me, more muscular, and it’s enough to get me to slink back even more. Am I a coward? Maybe. But I’m also smart. I’d rather be timid and safe than test them and get my ass chewed off. Literally.
Branches crack somewhere close, and Rocco picks up his pace, charging forward. I catch a strong whiff of Eliana’s scent. Her whimper sounds out next, igniting warmth inside me. I have to get her. I have to protect her.
“They’re coming from the east. Stay on guard and don’t stop. We’re closing in on Eliana. Kellan too. The traitor found her for us.” Rocco’s voice whips through my head again, and I force him out, concentrating on the world around me. I focus on Eliana. As long as I keep my attention on her, I feel stronger. I am stronger. My need to protect her overwhelms me completely, consuming my very being.
A white wolf jumps from the right, skidding across the ground in front of us. Its blue eyes sparkle in the light of the pale sun, and it snarls and snaps its teeth, launching at Rocco.
He growls and charges the wolf, knocking into him and sending him rolling, his wolf form smaller than Rocco. He’s definitely not the alpha, but he must be one of the pack protectors. Maybe a betaborne.
“Tear his throat out, Davian. I will pin him, and you bite him.” It’s the first time Rocco has ever said my name. He overpowers the white wolf, using his body weight to keep him on the ground.
I hesitate, realizing my mistake immediately. Not rushing to obey will be the end of me. But I don’t want to kill this guy. I just want to run.
A huge wolf launches from the trees, his silver coat sparkling almost like platinum in the sunlight. He plows into Rocco, forcing him off the other wolf, and the two of them snap their teeth and growl, snarling and fighting each other.
“Hugo, get the pup!” the obvious alpha commands, his thought ringing in my ears, surprising me. “Don’t let him escape.”
The other wolf, Hugo, gets to his feet and charges toward me. I scramble back slipping and sliding across the frozen ground. My paws refuse to obey my brain. Shit. Shit. Shit.
“Don’t even think about it, infraborne.” Hugo growls and stalks me, taunting me by slowing his pace. “You’re coming with me.”
No, I’m fucking not. Whipping around, I dive into the thick frozen tundra and wiggle my way between gnarled branches barely big enough to accommodate my body, and not the betaborne. I crash through the other side and bolt away. Rocco shouts in anger, threatening to kill me for my cowardice. But he can’t kill me if I’m gone. He’ll have to catch me first, and there’s no fucking way I’ll allow him to do that again. I will get out of here alive.
I just need to find Eliana.
This might be the worst idea ever, but I don’t know what else to do. There’s only one way I can quickly find Eliana, and that’s by calling for her. It can also bring a dozen wolves in my direction. I don’t think I could fight more than one guy, and at this point, I’ll probably fail. I’m not great in my wolf form.
“Eliana!” I howl with my thought, projecting my need to find her into the forest. “Eliana!”
I keep my pace steady, darting and swerving through the trees, trying my best to stay off the worn paths and taking the harder way through the untouched brush and deep snow.
Silence greets me, Eliana’s voice no longer trickling through my mind. She’s too far away. She might have already escaped, leaving me alone on this frozen mountain.
Fuck me. I deserve this. I have failed her over and over again, and the universe is punishing me. Teasing me and taunting me for my inability to be strong enough for such an incredible woman.
I charge between two trees, slowing down at the sight of a clearing. I have no idea where the fuck I’m going, only that I need to keep running.
I don’t get a chance. I hear the growl too late, and a hulking body smashes into my side, knocking me off my feet.
“You’re dead! I’ll rip you apart piece by piece and paint this fucking mountain with your blood in warning.” Rocco sinks his teeth into my side, tearing at my flesh and fur, sending agonizing pain exploding through me.
I should’ve known better. I shouldn’t have tried to run. I just—
I shriek, my wolf voice high-pitched and screaming in a way I never knew possible. A part of me dies inside. It feels as if my mind and body separate as my wolf thrashes and tries to break free of Rocco.
He snaps his teeth again, tearing at my throat. I jerk my head, and he only gets a mouthful of fur. Scrambling on my paws, I try to escape, rolling and bucking my body. Rocco latches his jaws on my tail and drags me several feet. I can’t escape him. No matter what I do, he’s just too strong. Too fast. I truly am an infraborne.
“No! Stop!” Eliana’s voice echoes as she screams the command.
Rocco stops in his tracks, whipping his attention to Eliana. Standing naked in the freezing cold, she clutches a large branch, reminding me of the fierce woman from the first time we encountered Kellan by the creek searching for water. But something is different. Her eyes flash gold, and her wolf form peeks through as if she calls to my very soul.
“I’ll kill you, asshole!” Eliana swings the branch, egging Rocco on.
Her words trigger him, and he snarls. Launching forward, he barrels toward Eliana. Fear captures my heart, stealing the beats and leaving me breathless. Pain radiates through me, and I morph from my wolf form into a man. I feel more powerful this way. I feel as if I can better fight in the body I know best.
A part of me also wants to be in the same form as Eliana.
“Rocco! Don’t!” My voice rips through the air, but he doesn’t stop.
