“It’s got to be Luca.”
“He’s doing that?” Craige made a face.
“He’s the only one who can open the Varana. We know our wolves stand on the edge of that bridge right now. Not here, and not there. When Cana bring them across, they sometimes send another wolf to lead them. It’s apparently confusing. The new Fenrir can get lost. When that happens, the Fenrir the Cana sends disconnects to go help retrieve the one who's on its way here.”
“Isn’t that what you need him to do to get your wolves back so you can Phase?” Reese said.
“We need him to bring them closer, not farther away.” Seung sucked in a breath. “Stop…”
“What?” Craige glanced at her.
“Stop, stop, now.”
He did.
Her wolf emerged for a moment, then vanished again.
Seung touched her chest. “It’s back.” She inhaled a watery breath and wiped her eyes. “Isaiah’s Fenrir is up ahead waiting.”
“For what?” Craige said.
“Us.” She got out.
So did Reese.
The two Sarvari stepped from the shadows.
“Something’s wrong. Craige, stay here.” Seung took off.
Craige threw his arms in the air. “For fuck’s sake.”
The Sarvari shot past Seung.
Reese started after her.
“Where the hell are you going?” Craige said.
“She told you to stay with the jeep, not me.” Reese ran to catch up.
Seung stood back from a riverbank. A Sarvari was on the roof of a compact car as it crept toward them.
Reese raised an arm against the headlights.
Water sloshed under the vehicle, and the mud sucked at the tires. It stopped at the top of the bank just as the engine died and sputtered out clouds of steam.
The Sarvari stepped off the roof, onto the hood, and then the ground, leaving holes in the metal and cracks down the windshield.
“Nox!” Luca’s panicked cry was muffled inside the cab of the car.
The passenger door flung open.
“Oh, shit,” Reese ran forward. “Get back.” If Nash Phased, Loomis, Michael, and most likely Seung would be dead before they could react.
But what hit the ground wasn’t the broad-shouldered, heavily muscled man Reese knew but a husk from a tomb.
Nash pulled himself by his elbows, growling. Most of his hair was gone, his eyes sunken, and he barely had lips left to cover his teeth.
Luca clamored out of the driver’s side door. He got in front of Nash and the massive Sarvari. As if Luca even stood a chance.