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There here somewhere, watching us. My head snaps toward the trees. Selena sees my face. “Arlene?”

I place my arm out to stop her from moving. “Behind me. No matter what, stay behind me.”

She doesn't argue. Thank the Goddess. Selena moves behind me as the first male steps from between the trees. Then another and another. My wolf counts faster than I can. I count.. five… nine… twelve… sixteen… and finally, twenty. Twenty rogues surround us. That made their way inside Silver Moon territory. Far from the eastern border.

"Rylan." Selena's voice is calm through the link. "We have twenty rogues at Cypress Moon Park." Everything explodes at once.

"I'm coming," Darian says.

"No, you're not."

"Arlene."

"You better not come, Darian. You stay at that eastern border."

"There are twenty rogues surrounding you."

I stare at the males closing around us. “And there are more trying to cross that border. Our pups are at the pack house behind you. You stand between those rogues and our babies. I'll handle this."

My wolf bares her teeth inside me. He protects our pups. We protect our Luna.

Darian's silence hurts more than an argument would. Then Rylan's voice cuts through everything. “I’m coming."

"Rylan, the border..." Selena begins.

"Darian and Justin are here with the warriors. They can hold it. I'm ten minutes away."

The rogues move closer. I smile. “Stay behind me.”

Selena's breathing changes. “Arlene.”

“I mean it. Wherever I move, you stay behind me.”

My wolf pushes forward. I let her half shift and take out. Heat tears through my muscles as my body changes without surrendering completely to the shift. Hair spreads over my skin. My muscles swell and tighten. My legs reshape beneath me, stronger and built for speed, while my fingers lengthen into curved claws. Fangs press past my lips.

The world sharpens with every heartbeat, every breath, every foot pressing into grass. I could close my eyes and penpoint everyone around me. Twenty rogues, one pregnant Luna, and me.

My wolf rolls her shoulders beneath my skin. It's been a while. I'm a little rusty.

"Then let's warm up."

The first rogue rushes me. He never reaches Selena. I disappear from where I'm standing and meet him halfway. His eyes widen. Too late. My claws flash. He falls.

The second comes from my right while the third moves left, both trying to split my attention. I let them. The male on the left thinks he sees an opening. I give him another step.

Then another. He commits. I move. One moment I'm in front of Selena. The next I'm in front of him. My claws strike. He drops. Two.

I turn before his body reaches the ground. The third male is already coming. He swings. I slip beneath it. His momentum carries him past me, and my counter ends the fight before he can turn. Three.

Selena gasps behind me. I move back into position. Always between them and her. A fourth rogue circles toward a tree. I follow him with my eyes. He sees me watching. Good, I like my prey attentive. He doesn't see what I'm watching behind him.

The fifth male starts moving toward Selena. I dart behind the tree. The fourth whips around, expecting me to come for him. I'm already somewhere else. The fifth sees me an instant before I reach him. My claws tear across his throat. Four.

I turn. The fourth freezes. I smile around my fangs. His mistake.

Five.

The others stop rushing.