chapter nineteen
She was certain she was pregnant the moment she shifted. Flora had predicted she would give birth. Only a true seer could have known about Elsie’s curse. She must be right about Kallie, too. She’d lain with Wolfrik during the full moon. Who else would father the strong son the soothsayer had foreseen? Wolfrik had to be the father. Kallie wouldn’t mate with anyone else.
She sat naked on the ground, head lifted to the round moon—her hand on her belly.
A whine caught her attention and she dropped her gaze, looking over at Wolfrik, still in wolf form. He gave his whole body a good shake as though he couldn’t believe what he’d just done. Then he gave her one last look before bounding away.
Kallie turned her attention back to the moon. The big, bright, beautiful moon. The pregnant moon. She beamed up at it and gave thanks.
A mother. I’m going to be a mother. I know it.
Even though she couldn’t be absolutely sure, happiness lifted her heart and made her feel weightless, as though she might float above the treetops and into the brightening sky.
Wolfrik had to know it was a possibility. What had gotten into him? Did some subconscious part of him want this, too? One thing Kallie did know about him was that he would need time to process their full moon mating. She could be patient and give him time. He had always come back to her so far. She felt confident he’d do so again.
Getting to her feet gently, she stretched her arms above her head and yawned. A smile settled over her lips like a comfortable cotton dress. She took careful steps over the forest, concentrating on the loamy earth between her toes. When she took her time, she didn’t notice her bad leg as much. It too seemed weightless this morning. She should enjoy the sensation while she could. Soon she’d be carrying a lot more weight around her middle.
Kallie stroked her belly tenderly, feeling more aware of her body than she had in months.
The clang of the gong reverberated through her body as its sound wave crashed over the trees. When she reached the den, most of their group had already gone. Heath and Alec paced the glade.
“There she is,” Alec said, pointing at Kallie.
She raised her brows.
“We were beginning to worry when you didn’t emerge from your shelter,” Alec said.
“I went for a run,” Kallie said. Her voice sounded dazed. She felt so blindly happy that she didn’t care how she appeared.
“I’ll get your dress for you,” Heath said. He froze mid-step and frowned. “Wolfrik’s not in there, is he?”
Kallie rubbed her lips together and shook her head.
Once she gave him confirmation, Heath hustled the rest of the way to the shelter and crawled in, returning swiftly with Kallie’s yellow dress.
“Thanks,” she said as she pulled it over her head.
She trailed Heath and Alec to the glade, lost in thought and wonder. The males stopped frequently and waited for her to catch up. Such sweet guys. Would her boy be patient and kind? She’d teach him manners. It’s not as though she could leave those lessons to Wolfrik. She laughed softly to herself.
Reaching the glade late had its advantages. There was only a short line at the cauldron. Heath and Alec stepped aside and urged Kallie to dish up first. She smiled at them gratefully.
“Good morning, Kallie,” Maureen chirped.
“Good morning,” Kallie returned with a wide grin. “Mind giving me more?” she asked after Maureen filled her bowl halfway.
“Not at all.” Maureen spooned extra porridge into Kallie’s bowl.
“Thank you.” It wasn’t time to eat for two yet, but why wait?
Kallie cradled the bowl and glanced around, locating her friends. She would have liked sitting alone, lost in her happy thoughts, but she didn’t want to appear rude.
“Look at you all glowing,” Rosalie said as Kallie took a seat. “Did Wolfrik finally claim you?”
“No.” Kallie shoveled a large spoonful of porridge into her mouth and savored the warm grains between her teeth.
“Then why are you smiling?” Rosalie asked with a pout.
Kallie swallowed the porridge down, turned to her friend, and leveled a warm gaze over her. “Because I’m happy.”
Rosalie grinned back. “I knew it! You’re lovestruck.”
“Ugh,” Camilla said, rolling her eyes. “Love sucks.”
Olivia nodded, her bottom lip pouting.
Rosalie tossed her hair back. “It only sucks when there’s no one to love you back.”
Camilla huffed.
“Anyway, I’m not looking for love at the moment,” Rosalie said. “We used to have fun. Remember?”
“That was before a dark cloud settled over the hollow,” Camilla grumbled. “My youngest sister was banished; Em wants to claim a female; and Jordan went from despising Raider to rubbing against him like a bitch in heat.” She glared across the clearing to the stump where Jordan straddled Raider, her arms wrapped around his neck.
Kallie looked at the impassioned pair and was thrilled to notice no more stabs of jealousy, only a longing to be with her own male.
“You have to move on sometime, Cam,” Rosalie said. “Best thing to do is hump another male—and soon. You’ve already waited an entire moon cycle. It’s not natural.” Rosalie wrinkled her nose.
Camilla set her bowl on her lap and folded her arms. “And who would you suggest, Roz?”
With a finger pressed to the bottom of her lips, Rosalie leaned forward and looked around the glade. “Justin?”
Camilla scowled. “Never again.”
“Carter?”
“Meh.”
“Patrick?”
“Are you trying to piss me off?”
“Right. Never mind. He’s emergencies only.”
“Or after you’ve had too much brew,” Olivia added. It was the first time Kallie had heard her attempt a joke in a month. Rosalie and Camilla ignored it.
“What about Chase?”
“So I can have Taryn all up in my face?” Camilla straightened her spine. “No, thank you.”
“Hudson then.”
“Great. Another one of Jordan’s castoffs and the one who wanted her for his mate. You’re full of shit ideas, Roz.”
“Hey, he needs to heal, too. Maybe you could help each other out.”
Camilla dropped her arms and gripped her bowl before shooting up. “I’m not in the mood for this,” she announced before storming away.
“I’ll talk to her,” Olivia said.
Rosalie traced her lips absently, eyes glazing over. “Maybe I should sleep with Hudson.”
Kallie laughed and shook her head. “Is sex all you think about?”
Rosalie lowered her hand. “I can’t help it if I have a voracious appetite. Tell me you understand?”
Kallie placed a hand over Rosalie’s and squeezed. “Yes, I do.” She grinned then proceeded to gobble down the rest of her porridge.
Bad wolf.
Bad, bad, bad wolf.
Wolfrik stomped over ferns. He purposely whacked his way through prickly brush as though to punish himself. He deserved to get scratched up and whipped across the face by low-hanging branches. Yet again, he’d acted on impulse, and yet again, there was no turning back.
Only running away. You’re good at that, aren’t you?
“Shut up,” he told the voice in his head, followed by a harsh, reprehensible curse.
What an idiot he’d been, mating Kallie at the height of the full moon. Imbecile! No, not him, his wolf. Wolfrik, the man, never would have done something so stupid.
He wished he could split in two for a minute so he could scold his wolf.
But the beast wasn’t dumb—not like him. The animal did what was natural, free from self-censure and emotional consequence. His wolf wanted to procreate with the female he’d chosen. Wolfrik could only hope that by some miracle, he hadn’t been successful.
He cared for Kallie, but he wasn’t ready to be a father. How could he ever be ready after he’d been forced to produce multiple children in captivity . . . Forced to leave them behind to suffer the same cruelties he’d endured. He didn’t deserve happiness. And he sure as hell didn’t deserve a family.
Oh, this was a fine mess he’d gotten himself into. Maybe if he made up for his wolf’s mating lust and stayed away from Kallie, everything would be all right. As though keeping it in his pants from that hour forward could undo his full moon frenzy.
Idiot!
Why was he even having this conversation with himself? And why was he walking when he could reach the river caves five times faster in wolf form?
Oh, right, because he didn’t trust his wolf to make decisions after his full moon shenanigans. As long as Wolfrik was on foot, he should have stopped at the glade and gotten more food for Sparrow, but he hadn’t. Several miles into his journey, he gave up the fight and shifted, alternating between a run and a steady lope until he was in howling distance of the river caves. When no answer came, he broke out into a sprint, causing the air to stir and rush over his raised fur. He didn’t stop until he reached the campsite, snarling at the shifters standing around outside the caves even though they were familiar.
“Here’s Wolfrik,” Aden said in a calm voice.
Wolfrik’s ears perked at the sound of his name. He shifted and narrowed his eyes at the two lookout teams: Garrick and Justin, and Zackary and Dylan. Sparrow must have been in the cave since the gathering was all male.
“What’s going on?” Wolfrik asked.
“Humans headed this way,” Garrick answered.
“Why didn’t you howl?”
“Didn’t want to alert them.”
“How many?”
“Fourteen,” Garrick said. “Sixteen, if you count the wolves.”
Wolfrik’s heart festered inside his chest as though it had turned to meat left too long in the sun. “They have wolves with them?”
“Two black ones.”
Wolfrik snarled. “They must be Hawk’s watchdogs.”
Garrick frowned deeply. “The humans have shifters working with them?”
“Traitors.” Wolfrik spat.
Garrick cursed. “Just what we need.”
Justin, Zackary, and Dylan hovered nearby, casting furtive looks into the woods as though they expected the trees to attack them.
Aden lifted his chest, towering above them all—as steady as a fucking mountain. “What’s the plan?” he asked.
“Justin and Dylan will go alert the pack and send reinforcements,” Garrick said. “Are all the weapons in place?”
Aden nodded. “They’re hidden nearby.”
“Good,” Garrick said. “Get going, boys.” Justin and Dylan shifted and took off for the glade. They could still hear them crashing through the forest as Garrick continued strategizing. “We’ll wait for them to finish crossing the wasteland and mountain. We’ll let them enter the woods just outside our border to give ourselves cover. A second group will lay in wait with the weapons just north of the Manama in case any humans get past us and cross into our territory.”
“We’ll do everything we can to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Aden said.
“Where’s the human?” Garrick asked.
Aden nodded at the cave.
“She comes with us,” Garrick commanded.
Aden’s body stiffened, but he made no comment.
“Wolfrik? You up for this?” Garrick asked next.
“I’m going to rip out every last one of their throats,” Wolfrik replied, “including the dogs.”
Garrick sucked his tongue against his front teeth. It made a wet slurping sound when he opened his mouth. “You can’t take them all out on your own.”
Wolfrik shrugged. It didn’t mean he wouldn’t rip all their throats out, even if they died by another pack member’s fangs. A month ago, Jordan had managed to kill his old handler, Jay, after he captured and attempted to breed her. Wolfrik had torn the heart out of the carcass. His wolf craved the blood of his enemies. He’d imagined the taste on his tongue every time he’d seen their faces during his captivity.
“Get the girl,” Garrick said.
Aden moved to the cave’s entrance and called in. “It’s time to come out.”
Sparrow emerged slowly. She’d put on the dress from the den and braided her hair back. When the light hit her face, she blinked rapidly and shielded her eyes. “Has my brother come?” she asked.
“Our lookouts spotted fourteen humans and two wolf shifters,” Wolfrik said. “If Hawk’s among them, he’s mine.”
A deep frown tugged at Sparrow’s lips. “He wouldn’t walk in blind. This is only the first group to test the waters.”
“How many more will he send?” Garrick demanded, taking a step toward her.
“I don’t know.”
Eyes locked on Sparrow, Garrick prowled up to her and sneered, inches from her face. Sparrow flinched and leaned back. Wolfrik and Aden kept their places, doing nothing to interfere with the elder’s intimidation tactics.
“Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to come with us and keep your mouth shut until we tell you it’s time to yell for help,” Garrick told her. “If you try to warn your friends sooner, I’ll break your neck. Understand?”
Sparrow stiffened. Wolfrik expected her to correct Garrick about Hawk’s men being her friends, but she merely glared and nodded.
Garrick puffed out his chest, staring her down until she looked away. He lifted his chin and turned to face their small group. “We wait for reinforcements. I want one wolf per human. We’ll take them out fast and smart. They have guns, and I don’t want a single one of their bullets to find any of our pack members.”
“I’m not waiting,” Wolfrik said.
“Yes, you are. There’s time,” Garrick returned.
“We don’t all need to wait,” Wolfrik replied smoothly. “I’ll see if Hawk’s with them.”
“They’ll be closer by then and could spot you,” Garrick said.
“They won’t.”
“What about their wolves? Wind changes, they’ll smell you.”
Wolfrik snarled at Garrick. The elder folded his arms. “You gonna be a team player or run off?”
Wolfrik crossed his arms, mirroring his stance. “Fine. I’ll wait if it brings you comfort, Garrick.”
It would take several hours for the rest of the pack to get there. Garrick spent it retelling the story of his encounter with humans in the suburbs the month before and offering his opinions on how to deal with humans to an audience of one—Zackary.
Wolfrik had more knowledge of human behavior than any shifter present or in the pack, but he remained tight-lipped, pacing back and forth between the caves and river.
Sparrow sat on a rock, hugging her legs and resting her head against her knees, awaiting her fate like a bird with her wings torn off.
The first shifters to race in were Sasha and Tabor. As soon as Sasha shifted, she spoke breathlessly. “More packmates are on their way. I told Justin and Dylan to send patrol teams straight away.”
Shifters began arriving in pairs. As they emerged, Garrick organized them into one group that would lay in wait outside their territory, and another that would hold the line along the river.
Once Garrick had assembled his attack group, he instructed Raider to lead the second group and instruct the latecomers.
Wolfrik didn’t care that father and son were taking over. His focus was on killing, not leading. Let Garrick and Raider use up their breath giving orders. Wolfrik’s mission was simple. Hunt. Kill. Devour.
Sasha had assigned herself to the attack team before Garrick had a chance. Tabor was advancing, too. Wolfrik didn’t care so long as the half-wizard used his magic as a last resort. This would be a fight with fangs and claws. Hawk and his men deserved a grisly death—to be shredded and torn to bits—not knocked out by nonsense words spoken from the lips of a sorcerer. Wolfrik wanted them fully conscious when he tore into them. He wanted to hear their screams.
“Let’s move out. That includes you, girlie.” Garrick fixed a cold gaze on Sparrow.
When she lifted her head, the gathered shifters stared and grew silent. Sparrow got slowly to her feet and avoided eye contact with the wolf pack surrounding her. That didn’t leave many options besides the ground.
Wolfrik felt no sympathy for her. She’d chosen to come here, and whether or not she meant to, she’d led Hawk’s men to the hollow. Let her fidget and wring her fingers. She should have never come.
Wolfrik glanced around. He was relieved about Kallie’s absence, and he hoped she wouldn’t follow the rest of the pack to the Manama River. Her safety fired up his resolve to kill the humans before they had a chance to step one toenail in Wolf Hollow.
Garrick led the first group across the river. Water swished over their ankles as they spread out in a wide net through the forest on the other side, making their way to the base of the hill. They stopped before reaching it. Wolfrik wished there was more distance between the bottom of the hill and the river. They would just have to make sure the humans didn’t get far once they descended.
Garrick held up a hand for everyone to stop. The group closed in around him.
“We’ll spread out and wait,” Garrick said. “Remain hidden and silent. As soon as they’ve descended, I’ll release the girl. While she’s distracting them with her screams, we’ll attack.”
“I can watch the human,” Aden said.
“No, I need you to take down their shifters.”
Aden nodded once.
“Tabor can help,” Sasha spoke up. “He can use his spell to fling their wolves aside if they get too close.”
Garrick scowled. “We want to kill them, not push them away. And this isn’t the time to be messing with magic.”
Sasha put her hands on her hips. “Oh, it absolutely is the time.”
“This isn’t a council meeting. We’re at war,” Garrick said.
Sasha locked eyes with him. “I’m aware.”
Wolfrik chuckled and jutted his chin up at Tabor. “Feel free to fling them my way. I’ll take care of the rest.”
Tabor took a step toward him. “Or maybe I’ll take out the whole lot of them, myself, like I did with the vulhena.”
“Yeah?” Wolfrik challenged, starting toward him. “And end up knocking the rest of us out while you’re at it. Isn’t that what you did to Sasha?”
Tabor narrowed his eyes.
“You lack control.” Wolfrik stopped and sniffed dismissively.
Sasha stomped over and planted herself between them. “Let’s focus on fighting the humans, not each other.”
“As long as your mate stays out of my way, I’m good,” Wolfrik answered.
“Certainly,” Tabor returned, green eyes lighting up. “And if you’re too busy wrestling down a human to see another sneaking up on you, I’ll just mind my own business.”
“Exactly,” Wolfrik growled.
“Excellent.” Tabor grinned. And the bastard looked happy about it, too.
Well, Wolfrik wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of being outmaneuvered. It was just more motivation he was storing up for the fight to come.
Excitement buzzed through Wolfrik’s veins. This was the kind of battle he longed for—to face off against his enemies of his own free will.
This was his fight. His choice. His sweet revenge. It would be better than any dank city pit. Everyone present would participate. It would be one bloody free-for-all.
The grin on Wolfrik’s lips felt wide enough to split his cheeks.
The humans better hurry up before he lost all patience and went after them first.
No. That would be stupid. In the open they could shoot at him.
Patience, Cujo. Keep the leash on a little longer. I promise the reward will be worth the wait.
Tree bark ground against Sparrow’s skin. The older, mean shifter she’d heard Wolfrik call “Garrick” pushed her against a wide trunk at the edge of the forest. He was short, but he had wide shoulders, thick arms, and heavy muscles. He used his body to stonewall her against the tree. Sparrow tried to fuse herself to the vegetation, the way the other wolf shifters were doing. She didn’t want to have to touch or rub any part of the nasty brute. He was the oldest wolf shifter she’d ever seen—maybe mid- or late forties—which wasn’t terribly old, but Hawk had always gone after shifters in their prime.
“Not a peep, girlie. Not until I give you a push.”
Sparrow wrinkled her nose. That was the other thing she despised about this shifter. He kept calling her “girlie.” Other than the fact that he was a wolf shifter, he reminded her of the sadistic brutes back in the city.
She’d been wrong to come here. So very wrong.
The other packmates had shifted into their wolf forms before spreading out to lay hidden in wait.
Sparrow had become accustomed to the slow passage of time, but this was different. She no longer had to wonder when Hawk’s men would catch up to her. They were on their way now, and her heart felt ready to give out. She leaned against the tree for support. Her odds of survival were slim. Both sides wanted her dead. The wolf shifters had only kept her alive for bait. If Hawk’s men managed to recapture her, they would only lead her to a life of misery and torture. Either way, she was seriously screwed.
The sun idled above the treetops, suspended directly overhead. Even the shade couldn’t block the rising heat that coaxed beads of sweat from Sparrow’s clammy skin. She swiped her hand over her hairline and sagged against the tree. The heat and lack of exercise were dragging her down. Being stuck in a cave all the time hadn’t done her any favors.
Oh, she’d gotten out, too, but Aden had only given her a small area to roam from the cave to the river.
Stubborn animal, but at least he was familiar and didn’t act tough even though he looked like he could pull a tree out of the ground with his bare hands and snap it in two.
A shiver slid down Sparrow’s spine. She wished it was Aden brushing against her—guarding, protecting, and giving a damn about what became of her.
No one had ever protected Sparrow. Hawk liked to think he did. Eric had been the prisoner back in the city, and she had seen herself as his protector, the woman giving him purpose and hope. After they fell in love, she’d planned to be his liberator, to save them both.
Now she was the one in need of saving, but for that she needed a champion.
While Sparrow’s thoughts whirled around her head, the shifters made no further attempts at communication. The quiet was almost as excruciating as the man-beast’s foul breath. Then his breath abruptly ceased, and she felt his body stiffen. Her heart leaped into her throat. Something was happening. She felt him lean ever so slightly to the right. Before she could steal a look around the tree, his wide, sweaty hand clamped over her mouth. She sucked air in through her nose, nostrils flaring.
Damn him! It’s not as though she were going to call out to the men.
“Hey, boys. Over here. Sorry for running away. I can’t wait to get back and face my next punishment.”
Maybe Hawk was with them. She hoped so. She would like to see him bite the dust before she did. It would make death slightly easier to accept.
The hand over her mouth tightened, and another circled around her waist. Her first instinct was to fight her way out of his brutal hold, but her mind screamed at her to wait. One way or another, this would all be over soon.
Then she heard it—movement. Once her ears caught the sound, she began to home in on the footsteps as though she’d developed heightened senses.
A low growl rippled over the air, followed by a second.
At first, she thought a couple of the wolf shifters had broken their silence to issue warnings, but human voices soon confirmed that it was shifters from Hawk’s group.
“What is it, boys?”
The voice boomed through the forest after hours of silence.
“Hold up. I don’t like the way Clifford and Rover are looking into the woods.”
Sparrow’s heart pounded up her throat and into her ears. She needed more air. It came at her in a rush—right along with the ground. Her captor had yanked her away from the tree and shoved her forward before diving into the shrubbery. Sparrow landed on her knees and accidently bit her tongue. Blood filled her mouth. A bad omen.
A soft grunt left her lips on impact, but she didn’t cry out or yell. She wouldn’t scream hysterically. Neither side would get that out of her.
She got to her feet and swiped the dirt off her knees.
“Sparrow?” It was Hawk’s man, Jackson, staring wide-eyed at her.
Clifford and Rover immediately snarled, baring their fangs, malignant eyes fastened upon her.
“Boys, hush,” Jackson said, swatting the air by his hip.
The two black wolves kept on growling.
Jackson took a step closer, thirteen of his men following three steps behind, guns in hand. They gripped pistols, revolvers, and rifles. She recognized the men from the compound. They were strong, but Hawk had hundreds more back in the city. Her brother wasn’t among them. Coward. Of course, he would remain behind at the safety of his compound and expect his men to risk their lives to drag her back.
The black wolves prowled ahead, snarling at the trees.
Jackson’s brows furrowed as he took in Sparrow’s thin dress and her bare feet. “What are you doing out here in the wild all by yourself? Hawk’s been out of his mind with worry.”
She leveled an icy gaze on him. “Where is my brother?”
“Praying for your safe return in the city.”
Sparrow snorted.
While Jackson kept his eyes focused on her, his men craned their heads around, scanning the trees that edged the woods at her back. She didn’t know where the black wolves had gone, only that they were somewhere behind her. Perhaps they were trying to herd her back to the city.
She balled her fingers into fists. “He should save his prayers,” she answered bitterly. “We’re all going to die.”
One of the wolves cried out in alarm. Its whimper died off just as abruptly. A brief silence followed before all hell broke loose. Vicious snarls erupted inside the forest, mixed with yelps that were quickly drowned out by louder and more ferocious growls.
“What the—” Jackson’s eyes widened. He took a step back, then seemed to remember the prize he’d been sent after, and came forward, hand grasping at Sparrow’s arm.
Howls arose. The treetops seemed to rustle at her back. Jackson momentarily froze, eyes darting around his sockets. Sparrow took that moment to make a sprint for the forest. She wasn’t worried about bullets. Hawk’s men wouldn’t shoot her. But one of the Wolf Hollow shifters might mistake her for a hostile and rip her apart. Hell, they might do it regardless.
She flung herself at the nearest tree, practically hugging the trunk as wolves shot out of the forest and lunged at the nearest men. As long as she didn’t run or make any sudden movements, maybe she’d make it through this.
Human screams careened through the forest. Jackson was the first to go down, arms and legs flailing. Three men behind him were knocked off their feet in a flash of fur and fury. A gunshot cracked through the sky, and the wolves dove back into the forest as though they’d come crashing in on an ocean tide that drew them back into its belly. Like the ocean, the forest was teeming with life and filled with both peril and tranquility, predators and prey.
A bearded man ran forward and crouched beside Jackson. A low groan sounded from the ground.
“He’s still alive!”
“And the others?” Sparrow recognized the man who spoke as Bailey, a personal friend of Hawk’s. He was in his late twenties and cleanly shaven, brown hair always kept short and tidy.
The man beside Jackson looked at the bodies and shook his head, his bushy beard swiping the air in front of him.
Three down. Four, if Jackson didn’t make it. He wasn’t as bad as a lot of Hawk’s other men, but he was still her enemy—one she guessed had been ordered to hunt her down.
“Hold position. Do not go into the woods,” Bailey shouted.
The remaining men formed a tight line, guns aimed at the forest.
The bearded man looked up. “What about Jackson? He’s bleeding out fast.”
“Leave him,” Bailey commanded. “Grab Sparrow. Quick!”
She startled at her name and froze for a second as the bearded man jumped to his feet and started for her.
Somewhere inside her mind a voice screamed, “Run!” It took her a moment to switch gears from keeping still, and out of harm’s way, to making a dash for the woods behind her.
The bearded man lunged forward. He was fast and wearing boots. Jagged rocks and sharp thorny vines stabbed at her bare feet, but she kept running until her big toe connected with a hidden rock, covered by grass.
Sparrow jumped on one foot, clutching the other. Rough hands grabbed her from behind. She spun around, screaming into his beard, striking his chest and face as she tried to push him off her. He jumped forward again and grabbed at her sleeve. It ripped when he tried to pull her forward.
“Get away from me!” Sparrow yelled.
In her panic, she didn’t notice the gray wolf prowling toward them until the beast stood three feet behind her bearded pursuer. The next shout on her lips turned to a scream of dismay when the wolf snapped his jaws around Beardy’s ankle.
A bone-chilling shriek left the young man’s hairy lips. The panic in his eyes sent a sick wave rolling through Sparrow’s stomach. She scrambled back, tripped over a fallen branch, and felt the ground slip from beneath her feet as gravity pulled her to the earth. The dress billowed around her legs like a tattered flag in the wind.
She landed on her ass with an “oomph.”
Beardy’s screams rattled her rib cage and blasted through her eardrums.
A second wolf joined the other and locked its jaw around a flailing arm. Then a third wolf ran past them, straight for Sparrow. It wasn’t black, which meant it was one of the Wolf Hollow shifters. Why wasn’t it joining its packmates against Hawk’s men? Why was it coming after her?
The beast got bigger as he came closer, and her eyes expanded on his savage form. She scooted backward, dragging her body with her hands and feet. She tried to stand so she wouldn’t be easy prey lying on the ground on her back, but the wolf was faster. He jumped on her with a vicious snarl.
Sparrow screamed.
From several feet away, Beardy continued to scream. The wolves were drawing out the kill, feasting on the human’s terror.
She didn’t want to give this wolf the same satisfaction, but her vocal cords had other ideas.
Claws raked across her abdomen. The fabric offered little protection against the razor-sharp nails branding her skin.
Her screams seemed like they were coming from somewhere outside her body while a clear voice spoke incessantly, cutting through the growls and screams.
“You’re going to die. You’re going to die.” Over and over on repeat.
“I don’t want to die!”
The wolf pinning her down began to wobble on top of her. Saliva dripped from his fangs onto her neck. His muzzle drew in, defying the laws of nature as fur receded, and skin smoothed over human arms and legs. It was Garrick, the older one who’d been sneering at her from the moment he saw her outside the caves. He didn’t just hate her; he seemed to want her dead. After his face finished shifting, he swiped the back of his thick hand over his mouth.
Sparrow’s lips curled in disgust. She wiped the drool off her neck, but only succeeded in smearing it onto her chest. The brute glared down at her then grabbed her by the shoulders and hauled her to her feet.
He sneered into her face, his hot breath catching in her lashes. “Scream to your friends for help.”
When she gaped back at him, he slammed her back against a tree and grabbed her throat. “Scream for help,” he said again in a low, dangerous voice.
If he wasn’t an inch from her face, she might have missed his words. Beardy continued to scream at the top of his lungs. It was a wonder his voice still worked. Like a newborn, he wailed and wailed and wailed.
“Scream loud,” the beast added with a gleam in his malicious eyes. He removed his hands from her throat.
“Help!” Sparrow yelled. “Help me!” She screamed at the top of her lungs. “Helllllp!”
She glared at the man-beast’s grinning lips.
“Good, gir— Owww!” he yowled.
Sparrow stepped back, shocked at what she’d done. Before he could finish calling her “girl” or “girlie,” she’d kneed him in the nut sack without thinking. It had all been hanging out, exposed. Such easy access—a bull’s-eye if she ever saw one.
Sparrow turned on her heels to run, but not before Garrick grabbed the front of her dress. It ripped as she jerked away, freeing herself from his grasp.
Shots exploded around her. More growls and screams joined the fracas. She dove from tree to tree, dodging wolves and bullets. Having no weapons of her own, she used the trees for cover as she ran in the direction of the cave—her new home. It wasn’t especially cozy, but it was safe.
“Stay together!” she heard Bailey holler. He and his men had entered the forest. Another shot ricocheted through the forest. “We just want the girl, then we’ll leave and never come back.”
Sparrow hissed under her breath. She was tired of people calling her a girl.
“Is one girl worth a war?” Bailey continued. “There are hundreds more of us in the city, and we won’t stop coming until you give Sparrow to us.”
Male laughter boomed and echoed all around them.
“Cujo?” Bailey’s voice was heavy with disbelief.
“Keep your men coming. We will kill them all. Starting with you.” Wolfrik’s voice was taunting and cruel. The delight in his tone sent chills down Sparrow’s spine. Hawk and his men had turned him into a cold killer.
“Retreat!” Bailey yelled. It was the last Sparrow would hear of his voice. Everything turned into snarls and explosions afterward.
She sprinted for the next tree and pressed her body against it, sinking low and searching the ground for a large rock or pointed stick, but only ferns tickled her toes.
A nearby growl raised the hair on the back of her neck. She froze in place, scarce daring to breathe. If there was one thing she knew, it was not to make herself a moving target. The growl drifted by and joined the snarling mass circling around Bailey and his men. Frequent shots went off. If the fools kept at it, they’d run out of ammo.
Now that Bailey had seen Wolfrik, Sparrow was sure he wanted to get back to the city and report to Hawk. They’d regroup and send a whole army to recapture Hawk’s prizefighter and runaway sister in one fell swoop.
Sparrow also knew Wolfrik wouldn’t allow that to happen. Bailey and his men would not walk away. He’d purposely shown himself, thrown it in their faces before he and his pack finished them off.
Through the trees, she thought she caught a glimpse of the river—the one Wolfrik and Aden called the Manama.
More shots exploded. One whizzed by her head. It was difficult to tell their distance the way they ripped through the forest. She fell to her hands and knees and crawled toward the river. Bits of dirt and leaf debris pressed into her palms. She moved through a spiderweb and bit back a scream when a fat, fingernail-sized spider dangled in front of her face. Her body jerked, and she turned to the bushy ferns at her side, managing to lose the spider in their bushy fronds. Once rid of the creepy crawler, Sparrow swiped the rest of the web from her face and lifted her head slowly to look around.
Snarls nearby made her duck her head back down. As she crouched over the earth, she recalled what she’d seen. A large brown wolf fighting two black ones.
Sparrow lifted her head again. There was only one wolf she’d seen who looked like that: Aden. He got onto two legs and swiped at the black wolf lunging at him. The second black wolf snapped at his leg. Aden crashed down onto all fours and kicked the wolf off.
Sparrow should crawl away as fast as her arms and legs could take her, but something made her pause then inch her way closer.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” she hissed at herself.
Prickly bushes caught and tore at what was left of her tattered dress. She came up along a thick, fallen tree. Its branches had broken apart like limbs. One fit perfectly in her palm and carried enough weight to knock out a man—or wolf—with enough force in the right place.
She popped her head up again and noticed there weren’t any other wolves from Aden’s pack close by—they were all busy with Bailey, his men, and their guns farther off.
Aden made no sound, no snarls or growls, as the two black wolves lunged, bit, and ripped at his flesh. He threw them off easily, but they kept coming at him. One jumped on his back, and before Aden could throw him off, the second lunged for his neck.
Sparrow jumped up, the branch held firmly at her side. “Nooooo!” she screamed.
Her voice didn’t startle or slow the black wolves who were intent on the kill.
She ran at them, a battle cry on her lips, flying forward like a crazed maniac. They’d taken Eric from her. She wouldn’t let them take Aden. He wasn’t her lover. He wasn’t even her friend. But the neanderthal was all she had, and that made him everything.
She lifted the branch and slammed it down over the black wolf’s back. She pictured his legs giving out and him crashing to the ground on his belly. But what really happened was his legs held strong and his back barely dipped, but at least she’d succeeded in distracting him from Aden’s neck. The black wolf swung around and snarled at her, saliva dripping from his fangs.
Oh shit.
Sparrow nearly dropped the branch when the black wolf turned on her. He prowled toward her, eyes unblinking as the pitch of his snarls rose louder and louder still. She backed up slowly, trying to buy herself more time.
Aden was busy fighting the other black wolf. At least now it was a fair fight for him. In Sparrow’s case, she hadn’t placed herself on an even playing field by any means.
Do I really expect to defeat a wolf with a stick?
She might have laughed. Instead, she swung the branch in front of her, trying to deter the wolf. “Stay back! Back!”
The black wolf growled in answer.
He wouldn’t really attack me. Hawk would have his hide if he—
The wolf lunged, knocking Sparrow off her feet. She screamed. He grabbed her arm with the branch, piercing her sensitive flesh with his fangs.
Of course, he would attack. When it came down to it, he was in animal form, and beasts had minds of their own.
Sparrow grasped at the wolf’s thick fur with her free hand and yanked, but his jaw was a steel trap. She thrashed beneath him, earning scratches across her legs for her trouble. They burned over her skin as though set on fire. Blood spilled from her torn arm.
The black wolf dug in as though he planned to devour her entire arm. Maybe he’d work his way down her chest and torso from there.
Flashbacks of her beating came back to her with those gaping, empty feelings of horror and helplessness. She’d promised herself she’d never go through that again. She’d never allow it. But promises were as worthless as dollar bills from the old world.
Terror like she’d never known set her mind screaming as her body was ripped and torn. This was worse than the beating. Far worse.
A yelp beside them gave the black wolf momentary pause. Before he could finish sawing his teeth through her arm, a massive jaw closed around his neck and snapped shut. The black wolf released Sparrow’s arm on a whimper. He went limp almost immediately. Aden flung him off her as though he weighed no more than a blanket. The body thumped on the ground several feet away. Aden stared at it a moment and, when it didn’t get back up, he took off at a run—a brown blur that soon blended into the forest.
Sparrow stared into the treetops, eyelashes fluttering. Her head spun, and black spots appeared.
He saved me, but he didn’t stay, she thought before she blacked out.