Jordan couldn’t move. Fear gripped her, paralyzing her wolf’s body as she stood and watched from where she hid.

When she saw Carter holding Austin hostage and Samuel trying to keep himself from shifting, she knew she had to do something. But what? Carter could kill Austin or Samuel could shift before she even had a chance to fight. She couldn’t leave to get help either as she didn’t know where to go. She only knew she had to do something.

Must … protect … pup … mine.

And so she thought she would call out. She knew she was pretty close to camp, and if she howled loud enough, someone would hear.

She howled as loud as she could, pushing her wolf’s lungs to capacity. The sound was foreign even to her own ears, and she didn’t really put much thought into it. She relied on her instincts, hoping to God it would be enough.

When she saw Jackson’s wolf coming in through the trees, she breathed a sigh of relief. Her instinct told her to go to him, but her mind told her to stay. Carter had looked around when she started howling, but he seemed too occupied keeping both Austin and Samuel in check to investigate.

So, she was still here, hiding in the bushes. She could use that to her advantage. But how? Jackson and Samuel were now fighting, and it seemed like a lost cause. If Jackson won, Carter would surely still kill Austin. She had to do something.

Her eyes trained on Carter, watching his every move, like a patient predator waiting for an opening. When Samuel rolled Jackson over and got on top of him, Carter screamed in delight and raised the knife above his head in victory.

Save … pup … Go!

She sprang into action, leaping from her hiding place and straight at Carter. Holding out one paw, she aimed for his head her claws raking down his face. She swiped backwards to pull him away from Austin. He didn’t know what hit him.

Carter yowled in pain, screeching at the top of his lungs. Jordan only hoped that Austin would use this chance to get away.

“What the fuck!” Carter shrieked, covering his face as he rolled on the ground in pain.

This was her chance. Jordan jumped on top of Carter’s prone form, pinning him down. She didn’t even hesitate, and neither did the wolf inside her. It went straight for the shoulder, tearing at the skin with its sharp jaws. Carter’s screams were deafening, and he struggled to get the wolf off. Cartilage and bone cracked under its teeth, and when Carter stopped moving, Jordan reined the wolf back, releasing his shoulder. It backpedaled, but kept its eyes on Carter.

He was still, but his breathing was labored. Lycans were taught not to kill unless it was absolutely necessary. However, Carter was maimed enough that he wouldn’t be able to recover quickly.

“J-j-Jordan?”

She whipped her head around. Austin was sitting on the ground, a look of pure shock on his face, his body shivering. She padded over to him and he reached out, his small fingers running through her fur. The boy’s skin was cold as ice, and she rubbed her muzzle on his hand. He let out a soft cry and then embraced her, gripping her neck so tight all the air squeezed out of her. But she didn’t mind one bit.

“Samuel!”

She looked back, to where Jackson and Samuel had been brawling. However, Jackson had changed back into human form, while the other man remained in Lycan form. What the hell was he doing? He was no match for a Lycan, and a feral one at that.

Jackson was very still as Samuel snarled and gnashed its fangs at him. “Samuel,” he said in an authoritative voice. “Change back now.”

The power in his voice sent a tingle throughout Jordan’s body. The air around them was thick and charged. Even Jordan felt a compelling urge to do anything Jackson said.

“Samuel. As your Alpha, I order you to change. Now.”

The wolf let out a strangled squall, then bowed, its ears turning down and head sniffing at the ground. Slowly, it began to change, the fur turning to skin and paws to hands.

Jackson stood there for a few seconds, then his head turned toward Jordan and Austin. His face shifted from tension to relief and he dashed over to them.

“Austin!” He scooped up his son and held him tight. “Austin … are you okay? Did you … did he hurt.”

“Pa!” he sobbed as he buried his face in the crook of his shoulder. “Pa … Pa …” He was hiccupping and crying at the same time.

“Shh … it’s all right,” Jackson soothed. There was a slight tremor in his hands as he held his son. “You’re safe now. I’ll never let anything happen to you.”

“Pa … Jordan … she … saved me.”

Jackson looked down at her. “Jordan … I …” He bent down to her wolf’s level, Austin still in his arms. His green eyes bore right into hers.

She wanted to hold him too, to tell him everything was going to be okay. However, she was still in wolf form, and well, frankly, she had to think practically. She would be fully naked if she shifted right now.

He must have realized what she was thinking. “Why don’t you and Austin head back to camp and you can get some clothes?”

Oh, thank God. She bobbed her head up and down, approximating a nod. Jackson’s hand brushed her neck affectionately, and she licked at his face, then Austin.

“Jordan, that tickles!” he giggled.

“Go on now.” Jackson stood up, then glanced over at Samuel and then Carter. “I’ll stay here and radio Garland. Just keep walking east for about half a mile.” He gripped his son’s shoulder. “Are you going to be okay to go head back by yourself?”

He looked at Jordan. “I’ll be okay. I won’t be alone.”

Jordan was pretty glad she didn’t get them lost. It would have been embarrassing, especially after Austin’s declaration. His words had made her heart soar with joy. And that he was safe was the most important thing. She didn’t know what she would have done if anything happened to him.

Austin followed her close as they walked back to camp. She didn’t even notice that the rain had stopped before it became a full-on storm, so the scent of the camp was still faint in the air. When they got there, the fire was blazing, and there were still people scrambling about. Radios crackled and voices grew frantic.

She nudged at Austin, swinging her head toward the camp. He must have understood what she was trying to tell him, so he dashed off toward the familiar figure of Garland. Satisfied that the boy was taken care of, she walked over to the ladies’ area.

With all the adrenaline gone from her body, she felt bone tired. It was an effort to change back, but she managed. There were towels ready for them placed in a tote hanging from one of the hooks. What she really needed was a shower, but this would have to do.

After wiping the blood off her and changing into her clothes, she walked back to camp. The excitement had somewhat died down, but she could still hear voices and activity as she approached.

“Jackson! Oh, thank God!” Liz’s voice was shrill. “I thought I’d lost you!”

Jordan halted, her blood pounding in her temples at the sight in front of her. Jackson and Liz, locked in an embrace, their lips pressed together.

And there it was. The perfect couple. The perfect family, really, with Austin there, who clung to his dad. She pivoted on her heel and walked away.

She could feel her throat closing up, but she refused to spill any tears. Not for Jackson. She thought … what the hell had she thought? That he would choose her over Liz?

Outside the sex, he couldn’t stand her. Even told her she could never be a mother to Austin. And she knew that. She was too self-centered. Her work was her life, though at this moment, she couldn’t quite remember why. When Jackson said he wanted to talk, he probably was trying to let her down easy. Well, she’d make it easy for him.

Her wolf howled in pain, scratching at her to get her attention, but she ignored it.

Think. She had to escape this place, but she was in the middle of nowhere. Maybe she could hike back, but she didn’t even know where the hell she was.

Her keen hearing picked up the sound of an engine. She followed it until she came on a cleared, but unpaved road. There was a truck waiting there, its headlights pointing straight at her, nearly blinding her. She didn’t hesitate.

“Hey,” she called to the man in the driver’s sat. She recognized him. Jesse.

“Jordan?” he asked. “What’re you doing here?”

“I … I need to get back to the house.”

“Is everything all right? The Alph—”

“Are you going back?”

He scowled, then glanced behind him. “Yeah. I gotta take that bastard Carter back to the doctor to get him patched up. He’s stopped bleeding out and we’ve tied him down just in case.” He spat. “If you ask me, you shoulda left him for dead.”

Jordan couldn’t agree more, but there were more important things. “So, can I get a ride?”

“Of course,” he said. “Hop on.”

“Thanks!” she circled back around to the passenger’s side and slid in.

“Ready?”

Was she ever. “Let’s go.”

The truck rumbled down the path, further and further away from the camp. Jordan told herself this was for the best.