AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Do butterflies even swim?” Meira asks, her brow arching.
“It’s just the technique of the arm movements in the water that depict their wings,” I explain. “But I do agree swimming might help strengthen and build endurance for when your wolf comes out.”
She drags her gaze from Lucien and Bardhyl to me. “I never back away from a challenge, so I agree to the pool party.” She eyes Bardhyl.
The three of them break into chatter, and I’m struggling to focus on anything but last night’s event.
Hope shattered her when she discovered she hadn’t transformed. It’d been heartbreaking to watch her expression crumble. I won’t deny I had my hopes up that she would experience her first shift last night. The energy lifted all the hairs on my body; my wolf bounced inside me frantically for her release.
But she never did… Why the fuck not?
I say nothing about my worries. Not until I have time to look into her blood results and understand what piece of the puzzle I’m missing.
We aren’t far from the compound, and these woods are familiar now. I couldn’t be happier to be surrounded by my pack and the safety of our walls. I’ll deal with Mad and his bullshit after I heal Meira. That’s my priority.
I listen to them ramble about swimming, and maybe sharing her with my two closest members will work out better than I expected. Though there will be some nights I’ll want her completely for myself and no damn sharing will be happening.
The trees thin the closer we get to the compound and already I can see the top of the old fortress in the distance over the treetops. I can’t keep the smile off my face and never thought I’d be so happy to get home.
A sudden heavy scent, wet dog fur and freshly turned soil, finds me on the breeze the whistles past us. My hackles bristle. Wolves.
Bardhyl and Lucien ease back with Meira between them.
Dead silence floods the woods.
I cut my men a look of concern. “Keep her close.”
I smell it again, and I sniff the air, confirming it’s Ash Wolves. Before I can respond, movement from my right draws my attention.
“Dušan,” a male commands, the voice familiar. When the stranger emerges from the shadows of the forest, it’s Danu, a Beta I recognize. I’ve spoken to him maybe once or twice before. My pack grows weekly and I try to do the rounds to familiarize myself with everyone, but he’s a recent recruit. He stands twenty feet away, tall and lanky with short, golden hair. He stares at us like a stunned deer.
“Did something happen to you?” I ask, closing the distance between us.
He doesn’t respond but looks scared, his shoulders drooping forward, panic flashing in his gaze.
A low snarl reverberates in my head that something is wrong.
An unexpected explosion of thunderous footsteps drum behind me like a storm.
I pivot around to discover a dozen Ash Wolves in human form charging at us from all around. Members I’ve enjoyed a meal with, shared a beer with… Now anger warps their expressions toward us. And I’m fucking confused about what is going on, and I react too slowly.
Bardhyl whips around, but one Alpha has jumped onto his back, the other kicking his legs out from under him. He snarls, his arms flaying as he loses his balance and hits the ground on his knees. The Beta on his back injects a syringe into his neck. The Viking pushes them aside with a wild swing of his arm, sending them off their feet. He clutches the side of his neck and stumbles before falling back to his knees and flat on his face.
Fuck!
I lunge toward them, roaring, my pulse on overdrive, while Lucien drags Meira to safety. She’s stumbling to get away, her eyes wide at the unwarranted attack.
But it’s too late. Others crash-tackle Lucien and shove her to the ground. He swings out an arm and attacks one of them, but three more jump on him. Meira frantically scrambles to her feet and picks up a branch as a weapon.
I charge and whip my arm around Meira’s waist, wrenching her to my side.
“What the hell is going on?” she murmurs.
I back away from the dozen Ash Wolves, members who are supposed to be loyal to me. Lucien lies on the ground, buried under the three men.
Ice fills my veins.
“You will pay with your life for this deceit.” I growl, fully aware that we’ve been ambushed. How long had they waited out here for our return?
