Alarmed by the new threat, my wolf’s vision faded in and out. Darkness clouded my own vision as she slowly retreated to my subconscious.
By the time my pelt fell away, blood covered the ground and two bodies lay at my feet.
Val dropped to the ground the moment my wolf tried to strike. The dark wolf in front of me, however, wasn’t so lucky.
A soft breeze wove its fingers through her still fur as blood pooled under her neck.
Ash…
My heart dropped as soon as I recognized her scent. She’d shifted to stop my wolf. She’d shifted to save Val, and to save me.
And now…
“Is she—”
“Dead?” Fallen growled, mantling over Ash when a pair of wolves ran over to join us. “No, but that’s no longer your concern. What did I say? What was the first thing our Alpha told you?” She dropped her gaze as soon as the other wolves
took their place between us, gently nosing Ash under her chin.
“Do you have any idea how much damage you’ve done?”
When I went to approach Fallen, the other wolves stopped me. Their dark coats shimmered under the bit of light that happened to make its way behind the building. There was no mistaking why they were here, their fur bristling when I so much as looked in their direction.
“If you want me to leave, at least let me take my sister with me,” I said, averting my gaze before my emotions could get the better of me.
“And let your wolf run wild?” Fallen scoffed, looking past the other wolves until I finally met her gaze. Her eyes were the same gold I remembered, but the tone of her voice didn’t match the sadness I saw there. “You cannot leave. None of us can.”
“Fallen.” Ash’s voice was weak and barely audible over the crackle of fire still coursing through my veins.
Startled, Fallen returned her attention to the Alpha curled up underneath of her.
“Alpha—”
“Please don’t argue. Not tonight,” Ash said, a small whimper escaping her maw. “I need rest, and we could all use some sleep.”
“Ash, I am so sorr—”
“Get away from her,” Fallen growled, pushing past the guards before nudging me back. “And never use that name again. You aren’t hers. You aren’t pack.”
“Then why—”
“Because if I leave you here, your wolf will hunt someone else. As much as I want to drive my fangs into your neck, I can’t have the humans poking around, either. If the Alpha says you come, so be it, but you’re going right back to the shed without her.” She glared in Val’s direction, her fur bristling as she spoke.
“Val,” I said, not moving from where I was. “She’s my sister.”
“Then you’ve sentenced your own family to death.”
“Enough,” Ash breathed, slowly rising to her paws before leaning against one of the guards for support. “Go get the car.
We leave together.”
“But…” Fallen released a long breath. “Of course, Alpha.”
To the guards, she said, “Feel free to nip her legs if she tries to run. I’ll be right back.”
Fallen gave me a final warning glance before turning on her paws to go back the way they came. Once she was gone, I got to my feet and immediately wished I hadn’t. The world swung around us in wide circles, and my head throbbed from the blood pooling behind my temples.
The wolves guarding Ash stepped forward, growling in response.