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Wyatt pointed up at the opening above us. “Helicopter inbound.”
Her face fell. “Are you serious?”
“Unfortunately,” I said.
The look of hopeless despair was only on her face for a moment before steely determination reappeared. She turned to address the survivors as the whir of propellers grew louder. “Get ready everyone. Prepare yourselves. Looks like we have another fight ahead of us.”
“What’s going on?” Crew asked, hurrying over to join us.
Before anyone could fill him in, the aircraft’s engine thundered above us as the helicopter flew over the opening of the volcano. Shouts of surprise and worry rippled through the group. A lead weight dropped into the pit of my stomach. The helicopter wasmassive, at least twice the size of the one we had down here. It was large enough to hold dozens of people. Gods only knew what kinds of horrors Simon had sent to decimate us.
The aircraft hovered above us for several long seconds, then lowered. I frowned at its wobbly descent. It paused, then continued lowering, as if the pilot was unsure of his skill.
“Back up!” Crew shouted. “Against the walls. Back.”
The survivors scurried back, clumping together in a single unit, ready to face whatever hell poured out of the huge helicopter.
Five feet from the ground, the chopper again bobbled, inching down slower than I’d anticipated. The landing gear touched, rose again, then touched heavily down, the ground shuddering beneath us. I gripped Wyatt’s hand, and he squeezed back. Terror swirled in my stomach like a swarm of bats as the back hatch lowered after the engine shut down.
From the back hatch, a shadowy figure rushed right at us, and a gasp went through the crowd. I gasped as well, but not in horror. No, my gasp was something more like shock, relief, and disbelief.
“Kiki? Kira?” Kolton shouted.
Tears burst from my eyes at my brother’s voice, an emotional dam breaking in an instant. I broke free from the group and bolted across the black volcanic stone floor, my boots thudding as I sprinted.
“Kolton?”
His face broke into a massive grin, and he opened his arms for me. I leaped into his embrace, so many emotions rushing through me as sobs racked my body. I’d been worried that he might have already died in the war, that I would die here. Part of me had been convinced I’d never see him again.
“I thought we were too late,” he murmured in my ear. “When we saw the smoke coming from the volcano, we decided to check here first. Are you okay?”
I nodded against his shoulder, swallowing down my tears to speak. “I’m okay. Oh, shit, hang on.” Turning away, I waved at the survivors. “It’s okay. It’s friends. We’re safe.”
They’d already guessed as much by my reaction, but my words sent a ragged and weak cheer through the group.
Wyatt, grinning like a little kid, strode forward. “You know how to make an entrance, don’t you, asshole?” He grabbed Kolton and hugged him.
Laughing, Kolton hugged him back. “You know me. Although, I should be punching you in the face for worrying me like that.” He looked at both of us and smiled, tears shimmering in his eyes. “We were worried. When the show ended so abruptly…” He trailed off, then cleared his throat. “They sent out a message saying that unfortunately, due to situations beyond their control, the mansion had been overrun, and all theallcontestants had been killed. They spouted some horseshit about Von Thronton battling hordes of creatures as he tried to save you, but only he managed to get out alive.”
“Of course they did. Gods, I hate that fucking vampire,” Wyatt muttered.
Kolton shook his head. “We couldn’t believe you were gone. Couldn’t allow ourselves to accept it. We knew—like, absolutelyknew—if anyone could survive Bloodstone, it was you two.”
“You keep saying ‘we.’ Who are you talking about?” Wyatt asked.
“Sorry to break up this lovey-dovey shit, but we got stuff to do,” a baritone voice said.
I glanced up at a broad-shouldered wolf shifter stepping out of the helicopter. He was vaguely familiar. I didn’t know him, but I was sure I’d seen him once or twice before, if only fleetingly.
“What are you doing here?” Wyatt asked, his face breaking into an even bigger smile.
The man stopped walking and rolled his eyes, waving Wyatt over. “Fine. Let’s do the whole hug thing. I know you like that pansy shit.”
Wyatt laughed and hugged the other man, slapping his back. Now I remembered him. He’d come around our house once or twice when Wyatt had meetings with my dad. This was Wyatt’sotherbest friend. The only person who came close to the bond he and Kolton shared.
When they’d finished their bro hug, they walked over to us. The big man nodded to me. “You’re Kira.” He said it like a statement rather than a question, and he put a thumb to his own chest. “August. August Evander. I figured I had to come save my alpha’s ass.”
I frowned at Wyatt, who rolled his eyes before punching August’s shoulder. “Unofficial packs don’t have alphas. Not aleaderalpha, anyway. I keep telling you that.”
