The alpha’s on me again. This time his jaws are clamped around my neck. He pins me to the ground, and I feel my heart beating faster. Too fast. I don’t know if I’m going to be able to fight off both of them at once.
I’m the strongest fighter here; I have no doubt of that. But we’re outnumbered.
If we’re even going to have a chance, Ihaveto take care of two of them. Because Milo and Em aren’t going to be able to do that. They’re good for one each. Not two.
We should run.
It’s too late for that. I can’t run. I’m pinned to the ground, and I can feel the hot breath of the younger wolf in my face.
I don’t close my eyes. I’m not going to look away from this. If this is my death, I’m going to face it.
Then there’s a flash of gray above me, a shifting of weight, and the pressure on my body is gone.
I spring to my feet.
Emlyn’s joined the fight—and along with her, the third wolf, the one who was circling her.
Now it’s the two of us against three of them. Milo is still holding one of them off to the side. I don’t know how he’s doing that. But I’m starting to feel some hope. Maybe if he can keep that one diverted, Emlyn and I can figure out a way to take these three down.
Chapter 52
EMLYN
Mymagicshieldworks—andthen it doesn’t.
I know what the problem is. It’s obvious. I can’t focus. I could hardly manage to keep my focus when it was just me and Milo in the woods, when we were just practicing and the threat to my life was completely hypothetical. Now that it’s real, now that I’m looking my enemies in the eyes, it’s much harder.
I feel my shield dissipate. It feels like tissue paper blowing away in the wind. Without it, I feel naked, and it feels like everyone can see that, even though I know the shield was never visible.
The wolf who’s stalking me draws closer and closer, leering at me.
I glance over at Milo. He’s holding his own.
But Nate is in trouble. He’s fighting off two of them, and even though he’s doing better than I would have done in that situation, I can see that they’re starting to get the best of him.
Heison our side. I feel sure of that, suddenly. I don’t know what will happen after this fight, but right now, he’s taking on my enemies for me.
And he’s losing.
I can’t let it happen.
We tried, Milo. But I’m not a Moon Caster. Not yet. Maybe I have the potential to be one. Maybe I’ll learn how to do this magic someday. But right now, I can’t use magic in this fight. I have to fight the way I’ve always known how.
I break my standoff with the wolf who’s pacing in front of me and sprint toward Nate.
My wolf is so startled that it takes him a moment to follow, and by that time, I’m leaping, shifting in midair, colliding with the one who has Nate pinned to the ground.
And the moment our bodies touch, I know that this one is Victor.
I know because the compulsion I feel isn’t to fight him suddenly. It’s just to be close. Even now, in the middle of all this, I want to offer him my body. I want to let him have me.
I fucking hate this.
I let the hatred for this alpha bond fill me up and fuel me. The rage overpowers the desire, and I snap at him, driving him away from Nate.
Nate is up on his feet behind me now. We position ourselves back to back. The other three, the enemies, spread out and form a loose circle around us.
I’m so close to Nate that I can feel him breathing. I can feel the rise and fall of his body as we pivot slowly, taking in the threat around us.