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“Thanks, Dom.”
“You’re a lifesaver. Literally,” Bryn added.
He winked and headed off to take my position at the back of the line. Bryn shifted, shook off the clothes that still clung to her, and the two of us took off. Bryn, who was a bit faster than me, held the lead as she took me back to the compound. We headed toward Glenda’s cabin, and then passed it. The cave in question was just behind the tree line at the back of the cabin.
Actually, “cave” was a generous word; the entrance was little more than a hole in the ground surrounded by boulders. It was a tight fit. Even Bryn would have to crawl on her belly to get through it. After me, of course.
I dove into the hole and shimmied as quickly and quietly as I could manage. I was eager to end this, but I didn’t want to lose any element of surprise we might still have. Eventually, the hole widened into a larger cavern. I shook dust and dirt from my fur and made room for Bryn to crawl through and do the same. My hackles raised as the scent of ferals hit me. My sense of smell was much faster than my eyes could adjust to the darkness.
We weren’t the only ones here.
Given the evidence of camp supplies and bedding, it was obvious that here was where the ferals and presumably Harlon and Samson had gathered to plan the attack. My rage spiked knowing that all this had gone on so close to Glenda’s cabin. A force capable of knocking both the Kings and the Wargs onto our back feet had been literally under our noses. At any time, they could have killed Bryn or Glenda—anyone who happened to stumble onto their hideout.
“We tried to warn you, bitch,” Samson’s voice sounded from the very back of the cave. He and Harlon emerged from the darkness, surrounded by ferals. “We tried to tell you that your days as Alpha were numbered.”
32
BRYN
Still reeling from the discovery that this cavern was used as headquarters for the attack, I was immediately hit with the knowledge that it wasn’t just Harlon and Samson waiting for us, but also at least ten more ferals ready to take Night and I out. I stood next to my mate, trembling—not with fear but with adrenaline. We weren’t going to be able to talk our way out of this one.
“Should’ve got rid of us when you had the chance,” Harlon said, his voice echoing against the walls. “Maybe you would’ve been able to prevent some of this.”
The words stung, but I ignored his taunting for now.
“Any strategies, Night?” I asked.
“Stay close—”
He had barely had time to think the words when three of the ferals launched themselves at us. Night growled as two of them came at him. That left me with one. I sidestepped its charge and butted my head against its body. When it stumbled, I rushed forward, slamming its body into the cave wall. It bounced off and lay still, but it was still breathing. Behind me, the two ferals had managed to get Night onto his back.
Before I could move in to help, one of the other ferals noticed my opponent was down. The wolf whirled on me and sprinted my way. My mind raced, but I didn’t have enough room to maneuver. There was no time to react.
Night roared, bucking off the feral that held him on the ground, and launched himself at the feral that was coming after me. He tackled it before it could reach me, and his teeth, just as they had with the other feral, darted down to imbed themselves in its throat. Blood spurted from the wound to stain the cave wall.
I turned from the sight, my stomach turning all over again.
“Are you alright?” Night asked, spitting blood.
“I’m fine. Just pissed that I let myself get trapped like that.”
He moved so he stood slightly in front of me. “Use that anger to your advantage, Bryn,” he said. “Harness it into usable power.”
I narrowed my eyes at his back. Two more wolves split off from the group of gleaming predatory eyes and sprinted our way. I braced myself for the attack, but Night rushed ahead to meet them, leaving me behind.
The first feral lunged at him, and he met it head-on. It tried to tackle him but couldn’t get him off his feet. He bit its shoulder, sending more blood spraying into the air, and tossed him away. The second feral slipped past him and headed my way, but Night didn’t let it get too close. He bit the back of its neck and shook until a sharp crack split through the cave.
More death. It was too much. Too wrong. Too awful. And it was my fault. If I was stronger, maybe I could show Night that there was a better way to—
“Using your frustrations as power isn’t as hard as you think,” he told me. “That’s what’s holding you back. You’re overthinking this.”
I’d almost forgotten that we were having a conversation through all this. Focus, Bryn, I thought.
“So your answer is just to stop thinking?”
“Yes. Let your wolf take control. She’s strong, just like you, and she knows how to fight.”
After telling Night that I trusted my wolf to protect me, here I was, stifling her all over again. My wolf wanted to be let loose. And she wanted to help. We weren’t attuned enough to be able to coexist in a battle without getting in each other’s way, so my only option was to take a deep breath and let her take control.
