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Quickly, I sniffed Lola. She was still breathing, and she hadn’t hit her head.In a flash, I raced to the back door of Lola’s place, and without hesitation, I rammed myself through it, splintering the door right off its hinges.
I was shocked at my wolf’s strength. Never having taken the time to learn what my wolf could do, I told myself that soon I’d shift more and find out what we were capable of. Now was not the time for that, but I would go all out to get to my brother.
I launched myself into the woods and ran as hard and fast as I could, the sound of the gunshot playing over in my mind.
As my wolf and I raced to the manor, it dawned on me that we were in sync with each other for the first time. Neither of us was battling for control because we had the same purpose right now: getting to Kyle and making sure he was okay. With our cohesion, we could move faster. We were stronger. Together, we could accomplish anything.
Despite the danger to my brother and Audrey looming over me, I finally understood the peace of balancing with my wolf that Ridge always talked about. It was remarkable.
An angry howl came from behind me, and I instantly recognized it as Ridge’s wolf. He must have been looking for me, and by the sounds of it, he was worried. But I couldn’t appease him yet. The yelling and gunshots over the phone worried me more, and I couldn’t stop for him. I had to get to my brother.
The manor wasn’t too far now. I dodged trees and fallen logs, my paws sending dirt and grass into the air. When it appeared in the distance, my wolf and I maintained a high speed, never slowing or getting winded.
The heavy oak front door was wide open, and I didn’t hesitate to enter. It didn’t matter what I came upon. Nothing would stop me from doing what I needed to do.
The inside was a mess. Furniture was trampled and busted up all over the place, the walls were riddled with holes, and shattered plaster littered the ground. Blood coated the floors.
At the foot of the stairs lay Audrey, motionless in her human form. Blood pooled around her, spilling from her wounds. The scent of silver stung my nose. Panic flared within me, and I feared she was dead.
“Tori, run!” Kyle shouted as he struggled with a hunter trying to get the upper hand.
My brother looked exhausted, but he kept attacking, never letting up. Another hunter lay unconscious on the floor. I wanted to restrain him and make sure he didn’t get up, but Kyle was breathing too heavily. He was too covered in blood for me to tell how injured he was.
The two battled for the hunter’s gun. He fired off several shots that missed Kyle, but the bullets flew wildly through the air. I crouched, praying I wouldn’t get hit.
The feral inside me was gaining in bloodthirst, making me panic. I didn’t want to kill anyone, but I wouldn’t let that fucker hurt my brother. When Kyle slammed the hunter’s wrist a few times to loosen his hold on the gun, I waited until Kyle ducked away, then launched myself and tackled the hunter off my brother. I clawed at the hunter as he screamed, swiping into deep layers of his skin. Blood splattered around us. All I could see was red as I gouged his chest with my claws. Blood started leaking from his mouth.
My bloodlust rose in flames, and I snarled in delight. The hunter’s blood was so enticing. I went for it, imagining the blood coating me in my kill, my victory.
A heavy body crashed into me hard and rolled me over, preventing me from killing the man. I fought it, thinking it was the other hunter. But then I caught the scent. Ridge’s wolf was pinning me to keep me from losing control and murdering the hunter I’d severely injured.
Who could say what would happen to my feral nature if I killed a man? Would I ever come back from that?
Ridge growled and nuzzled my neck, forcing me to smell him. Gradually, my wolf and I came back from the red haze that had been overtaking us.
Kyle and Audrey materialized in my mind, and I was able to rationalize again. I needed to check on them. Without effort, I shifted back, kissed Ridge’s muzzle, and slipped out from under him. I hurried over to my brother and Audrey, Ridge slinking along behind me.
“Oh my god! Audrey?” My voice trembled with fear. There was no denying my terror that she wouldn’t make it. She was losing so much blood. It didn’t matter how much pressure Kyle applied. The blood just kept pouring out.
“The damn manicured hellion jumped in front of me and took the fucking bullets!” Kyle yelled as he desperately tried to stop the bleeding. “Where are the spelled capsules? I need one in her now, and tweezers to get the bullets out.”
“On it.” I ran past them and flew up the stairs to the guest room, where I grabbed the bag from where I’d hidden it. I tore the bathroom apart for the tweezers in my toiletry bag. Grabbing the robe from the door, I pulled it on to cover my naked body for my brother’s sake.
When I made it back to Kyle, he ignored his own injuries and forced a pill into Audrey’s mouth, rubbing her throat to get her to swallow it. When he was satisfied, he grabbed the tweezers and worked on getting the silver bullets out of her. The faster they were removed, the quicker she’d heal.
Every time I attempted to help my brother, he hissed at me. “I’ve got it under control.”
Worry ate at me as I watched him work on her. Ridge grabbed me by the arms and pulled me aside once the hunters were contained and couldn’t attack us while we were distracted.The adrenaline rush started to dwindle, and I vibrated from the shock.
“Little wolf, are you hurt? Is any of this blood yours?” Ridge frantically checked over my body, roaming his hands over my skin.
“Um, I don’t think so,” I stuttered as I tried to center myself.
Ridge’s breathing was ragged, and when he was satisfied he hadn’t found any injury, he pulled me in tightly and kissed everywhere his lips could touch.
“I heard the gunshots and I almost lost it. I was running as fast as I could, and all I could think was that I’d lose my fated mate all over again. That I’d find your bloody body on the floor like last time, but that this time, you wouldn’t wake up.” His hands stroked up and down my back as he tried to get his breathing under control, his throat thick with emotion.
Inhaling his scent and using his warmth to help calm the shakes, I relished his hold as I watched Kyle work on Audrey. Tears stung my eyes.
