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“Be reasonable, Aldric,” Monte says, confirming my suspicions.
“I’m done listening to you. I’m done playing by your rules,” Aldric says, an unhinged madness creeping into his tone that sends shivers of disgust racing up my spine. “It’s my game now, and I get to play with my toys.”
“Aldric,” Monte says, panicked. “I can fix this, I can—”
“What are you doing out here little wolf?” a woman says from beside me, snapping my focus from the conversation inside.
I crouch low and turn to face her, internally chastising myself for getting so distracted when I pause. I know that voice, that face, that blonde hair. She’s the beta from the Whitlock pack, the one that betrayed them, another shifter responsible for Oliver’s death.
I bare my teeth, keeping my growl low, still hoping no one heard her yet. My hind legs bend, and I’m about to lunge at her when another voice stops me dead in my tracks.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Isabella,” Monte drawls, his cool tone sending a shock of dread through me. I turn to face him, still watching Elise out of the corner of my eye. He raises the barrel of his pistol as he closes the distance, trained right between my eyes.
“Say goodnight,” Elise says, a sinister grin curling on her lips as she launches herself at me. My jaw snaps open, ready to go down fighting and take at least one of them out, to be remembered as a hero, when her fist smacks against my temple. The force knocks the air from my lungs, and I desperately try to take another breath, to orient myself, to keep fighting.
No, that wasn’t a fist—it was a rock.
Elise lets the stone drop to the ground, the clatter of the blood-coated weapon seeming to bounce in slow motion.
Blood—my blood.
Realization smacks into me like a freight train, and my body snaps out of the state of shock. Pain shoots through my skull and down my spine as I desperately try to hold on.
My consciousness ebbs. I stumble, blood trickling down my fur and onto the cracked pavement.
“She was mine to deal with,” Monte admonishes and rushes to my side just in time to catch me around my shoulders as I lose my balance. I try to fight his hold, try to get back up to fight, but it’s too late. Darkness sweeps in, spreading across my vision until the world is shuttered away, locked behind an impenetrable black wall.
I cock my ears with my last ounce of strength, desperately trying to make out their words, but they’re mere static now as the pulsing pain throbbing in my head steals away the final shred of my awareness.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Skylar
Zayn’sblackwolfweavesin and out of the trees on the far side of the field, silent and lethal with his graceful movements. I lose him a few times amongst the trees and brush, and honestly, if I didn’t know he was there, I doubt I would notice him. Zeke was right; his stealth is unmatched. His twin is like his silent shadow, unable to be seen until it’s too late.
As an assassin, Zeke knows a thing or two about getting in and out without a trace, but Zayn just has a way to his movements that make him blend into the background. You wouldn’t know he was there unless he wanted you to know.
Memories of my first time here flash through my mind as I stand in the expanse of green grass, remembering how the blades tickled my paws. This is the same field Zeke took me to connect with my wolf, the same field I truly started to explore the bond tying us together. Inhaling a deep breath of the crisp autumn air, I let it relax me, appreciating how far I’ve come and hoping this place, and the man beside me, can help Zayn step into the full potential of his power, because while he has potential, the rest of the tests weren’t perfect.
This was the last test of the three—sparing, shooting, and speed.
The sparing … wasn’t great, but that’s to be expected. The shooting was an improvement, but his wolf, his speed, and his agility are where his true strengths lie.
“See,” Zeke says, unable to contain the excitement in his voice as he wraps an arm around my shoulder. “I told you, the guy is all stealth.”
“I never doubted you,” I remind him, snuggling into his embrace.
“Did you see that?” Zayn asks, poking his head up from behind a bush. I nearly jump, my heart thundering as I glance between him and where I swear his wolf was just a moment ago.
“Of course we did. Now get some clothes on,” Zeke shouts, shaking his head in exasperation, but I don’t miss the glint of pride in his eyes as he watches his brother.
His twin gives us a thumbs-up before disappearing behind the bush again. My lips pull down in a frown as he vanishes, wishing I’d caught more than the glimpse of his arm.
“So what do you think?” Zeke asks, drawing me from my thoughts.
“I think he has potential,” I say, my stomach twisting as the words leave my lips. I know he would be an asset to the team, and despite his lack of offensive training, he would be an amazing spy, but I can’t help but worry for his safety.
“But?” Zeke asks, his grey eyes shining like he can sense something is plaguing my thoughts.
