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“Is that a challenge?”
“Maybe.”
“Careful, sweetheart. You might not like the consequences.”
“Who says I won’t?”
I gasped as Ridge’s hand traveled up my thigh, his fingers teasing the sensitive skin there.
“Isn’t that what you wanted?” he shot back, his eyes dark with desire. “Are you ready?”
At that moment, the piercing howl of a wolf echoed through the air, sending dread through me. It wasn’t one of ours. I would recognize their voices anywhere.
“Did you hear that?” I asked.
His posture stiffened. “Stay close.”
“Like I’d do anything else.” I scanned the area for any signs of danger.
“Any idea who it is?” he asked quietly, all vestiges of our earlier teasing gone. Now, he was the fierce protector I knew and loved.
“No idea,” I said. “But they’re not one of ours, that’s for sure.”
Another unknown howl reverberated through the woods, chilling me to the bone. Ridge’s eyes locked onto mine, and without a word, we both shifted into our wolf forms, our senses heightened for any sign of danger.
We raced through the forest, our paws barely making a sound on the damp earth beneath us. The air was thick with tension, and Ridge’s protectiveness radiated from him. We reached the spot where we’d left our clothes and shifted back, hurriedly getting dressed.
“The Greenthornes’ followers, hunters, or any other potential enemies could be lurking around here,” Ridge said, his words clipped as he pulled on his shirt. “I don’t want them catching us off guard.”
“Neither do I.” I pulled on my dress and tied my hair back into a ponytail. “Let’s get moving.”
We backtracked through the woods, trying to retrace our steps to where we’d left the rest of the pack. Every nerve in my body was on fire. The air crackled with energy. Whatever was coming, it wouldn’t be good.
I gripped his hand tightly. “Do you think it’s one of the Greenthornes?”
“It could be something else entirely. Whatever it is, we’re not going down without a fight.”
“Damn right,” I said with a sudden surge of fortitude.
As we pushed through the underbrush, a booming voice echoed through the trees. “Found you!”
I nearly jumped out of my skin at the unexpected sound, and Ridge’s eyes widened in surprise. Dean Aldrin emerged from the foliage, a smug grin on his face.
Ridge growled. “What are you doing here?”
“Following you, of course,” Dean said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “I figured you two might need some backup.”
“Backup? Or did you just want to spy on us?” My wolf wanted nothing more than to rip his throat out.
“Little bit of both.” He shrugged, completely unashamed. “But seriously, there’s something going on in the woods tonight. I thought you might want to know.”
“Clearly,” I said, my gaze flicking back to Ridge.
“Keep moving,” Ridge said firmly. “And stay on high alert. If there’s someone out there who wants to harm us or our pack, we need to be ready for them.”
My wolf snarled in agreement as I nodded.
Dean clapped his hands together. “Let’s get going. And remember, guys—stay frosty.”
