Chapter 3

Amara turned as the wolf stepped from the shadows. She froze, her blood turning to ice. “Guys,” she whispered, stopping and trying to step between the wolf and her friends. Neither Becca nor Zoe paid her any attention. “Guys,” she said again, this time with enough snap in her voice to get them to stop talking.

Zoe turned to her, clearly annoyed, hands on her hips. She didn’t even get the question out before the wolf lunged for her. It was huge, it’s thick fur a red, russet color, a vicious growl issuing from its throat. It landed on Zoe’s back, pushing her down into the dirt. Becca’s scream ripped through the night, right before a second wolf went for her, its teeth aiming for her throat.

Helpless, Amara started to reach for her friends when a third wolf charged at her. She ran, her footsteps pounding against the pavement, her heart feeling as if it was about to burst in her chest. Fear coursed through her veins, and she pushed herself harder, hoping she hadn’t just left Zoe and Becca to die. Hoping she wasn’t about to die herself.

She could hear the wolf running behind her, his paws scraping the street. He was gaining on her. Amara glanced over her shoulder. The wolf was tan, his tongue lolling out of his mouth in what looked like a sloppy grin. The wolf was enjoying the chase.

Amara’s toe caught on the sidewalk and she went down, landing hard on her hands and knees. She could feel the blood running down her leg beneath her jeans, feel the deep gash on her palm. She tried to move, to crawl away from him, but she didn’t get far before she felt his teeth dig into her leg, ripping the denim and slicing open her skin. She screamed, loud and long, kicking at him with her other foot. She felt her shoe connect with his skull and his grip loosened, but it didn’t stop him. He lunged again, and another wolf joined him; the russet one that had attacked Zoe. Blood dripped from his muzzle, and he bared his fangs with a deadly growl.

Amara held up her hands, trying to block her face, but it didn’t stop the russet wolf from attacking her throat. She felt his teeth sink into her shoulder, felt her muscles rip away from her clavicle. The salty, copper scent of blood filled the air.

Darkness began to invade the edges of her vision, and she felt consciousness begin to slip away.

Just then, a third wolf jumped into the fray, knocking the other two off of her. Reflexively, she pressed her gloved hands to her shoulder, attempting to stop the bleeding. The black and silver wolf growled menacingly at the other two, lunging and biting, fending them off. She heard one of the wolves yelp in pain, watched as the tan one was thrown against the wall and fell limply to the ground. The remaining two were growling and biting at one another. She tried to stay conscious as the black and silver wolf ripped into the russet wolf’s flank and drove him off.

Her vision began to fade, and then everything went black.

Nova waited until the enemy had run for cover before transforming back into himself. He felt the familiar pain and the tingling feeling as his bones became human once more, and his fur retracted back into his skin. The only thing he wore were his black spandex shorts that clung so tight they were like a second skin.

The girl lay on the ground, completely passed out. Her clothes were ripped, and she was covered in blood. Her shoulder was torn so bad he could see bone beneath. Crouching down, he lifted her into his arms and began to trudge back toward her friends.

Nemoy was waiting for him, standing over the other two girls. One of them was badly hurt, but at least she was breathing. The other one looked like she’d gotten by relatively unscathed. Guilt washed over him as he stared down at them, and he saw the same resigned expression on his brother’s face. They should have stopped this from happening. Yes, they had been outnumbered, but it was their job to protect the humans in their territory, and they had failed. If only they’d gotten there sooner.

“Is she alive?” Nemoy asked, his voice rough. He was bruised and dirty, a long gash bleeding down his arm, but otherwise he looked okay. He was looking at the girl Nova carried in his arms.

Nova nodded. “Barely.” Glancing down at her still face, a sense of duty gripped him, and he suddenly felt as if he didn’t want to let her out of his sight.

“Yeah,” Nemoy said gravely, “this one, too. But the other one…I don’t know if she’ll make it.” His voice was strained. “Set her down. I’ve already called the cops. We have to get out of here, let Father and the Council know we’ve been attacked.”

Obliging, Nova set the girl down on the ground, gently laying her head against the cement. He could faintly hear the sirens in the distance.

“Come on,” Nemoy called. He was already a few yards up the street.

Nova stared down at the girl, wishing he could have done more for her and her friends. She began to stir. He was still staring at her when she opened her eyes. They were a startling slate grey, almost silver. And completely surprised to see him. “I’m sorry,” he said, though the words felt completely inadequate.

“Nova!” Nemoy shouted again, impatient now. “Leave her. We have to go!”

Reluctantly, Nova stood, taking one last look at her before loping off after his brother.

Nemoy paced back and forth in front of his father’s chair, his face stern. “This could mean war, Father. One of the outsiders that attacked the human girls was the son of the Valley Clan’s alpha. Nova hurt him pretty bad; they’re going to retaliate.”

“They were attacking the humans,” Nova shot back. His father merely surveyed him over the tops of his fingertips. “What else were we supposed to do?”

“There’s nothing else we could have done!” Nemoy exploded. “They could have killed those girls! One of them may or may not survive. We did what we were supposed to do. And in doing so, we may have begun a war.”

“You have not begun a war,” their alpha said. Both his boys fell silent. “We will meet with the Valley Clan, explain the situation, and renew the treaty.”

Nemoy gaped at him. “You cannot be serious. They’ll never go for it!”

“Father, the Valley Clan have been after our territory for years,” Nova said quietly. “This felt deliberate. They knew we would be there. They attacked those girls to provoke us. Father, there is no way they will renew the treaty.”

“They will,” the Alpha insisted. Nova merely shook his head. Nemoy let out a cry of frustration.

“Listen to your father.” Neveah, the female alpha of the Clan, stepped forward, her long, dark hair streaked with gray. She kept it tied back in a long plait down her back. Just his mother’s serene presence was calming to Nova. “We cannot jump to conclusions on this one. We must try diplomacy first.”

Disgusted, Nemoy shook his head. “Diplomacy. Well then, Father, you have doomed us all.”