Dayne's POV
The growl outside the cabin slices through the air, low and menacing, pulling my wolf to the surface as I shield Talis from whatever's coming. Her scentwild, fierce, and laced with furyfloods my senses, the mate bond thrumming with her defiance and my need to keep her safe. Savannah's sobs echo behind us, her betrayal a fresh wound, but there's no time to unravel her mess with Glynn's wolves closing in.
"Stay behind me," I growl at Talis, my hand still on her arm, feeling her pulse race under my fingers. Her silverblue eyes flash, her alpha strength barely contained, and my wolf roars with pride and frustration. She's not the broken girl Glynn tried to make her, but she's reckless, and I can't lose her.
"I'm not hiding," she snaps, yanking free, her voice steady despite the danger. "We face this together."
I want to argue, to lock her in the cabin, but the fire in her eyes stops me. She's my mate, my equal, and denying that would break her more than Glynn ever could. "Fine," I say, my voice rough. "But don't do anything stupid."
Savannah stumbles forward, her face streaked with tears. "Dayne, I didn't want this. Glynn has my sonhe'll kill him if I don't"
"Quiet," I cut her off, my eyes on the door. The growls multiply, at least three wolves now, their scents sharp with Glynn's taint. The map on the floor, marked with attack points, burns in my mindSavannah's betrayal gave him our weaknesses, and now he's here.
Talis grabs the notebook Savannah dropped, her hands shaking but steady. "This has their plans," she says, her voice low. "They're hitting the farmhouse next."
My blood runs cold, the pack's facesLuka, Regan, Jennaflashing in my mind. "We need to move," I say, turning to Savannah. "You're coming with us. No more running."
She nods, her eyes haunted, and I grab Talis's hand, pulling her toward the door. "We get to the farmhouse, warn the others. Stay sharp."
Outside, the moonlight casts long shadows, the forest alive with movement. Three wolves emerge, their fur matted, eyes glinting with hunger. My wolf surges, claws tearing through my skin as I shift, my black fur blending with the night. Talis doesn't shift, but her claws extend, her stance ready, and I feel her power through the bond, fierce and unyielding.
"Stay back!" I snarl, my voice a guttural mix of man and beast, lunging at the nearest wolf. My jaws snap around its shoulder, blood spilling as it yelps, but another leaps for Talis.
She ducks, her claws slashing its flank, her movements faster than I expect. "I've got this!" she shouts, her voice carrying her alpha strength, and my wolf howls, torn between fear for her and awe at her fight.
Savannah screams, scrambling behind a tree, useless in her panic. The third wolf charges me, but I'm ready, twisting to slam it into the ground, my teeth finding its throat. It's over in seconds, but Talis's fight drags on, her wolf pushing closer to the surface, her eyes blazing silverblue.
"Talis, shift!" I roar, finishing my kill and turning to her. She's holding her own, but the wolf she's fighting is bigger, stronger, and I see the moment it gains the upper hand, its claws raking her side.
She cries out, blood staining her shirt, and my wolf goes feral. I tackle her attacker, ripping it apart, my vision red with rage. Talis stumbles, clutching her side, but her eyes meet mine, fierce and unbroken. "I'm fine," she gasps, though pain laces her voice.
I shift back, my hands checking her wound, the mate bond screaming with her pain. "You're not fine," I growl, my voice shaking. "You're bleeding."
She pushes my hands away, her jaw tight. "We don't have time. The farmhousethey're going for the pack."
I nod, hating how right she is, and pull her to her feet. Savannah's still cowering, but I grab her arm, dragging her with us. "Move," I snap, my wolf barely contained as we run through the forest, the farmhouse lights flickering in the distance.
The farmhouse is chaotic when we burst through the door, the pack scrambling, Luka's voice barking orders. Regan's at the window, her eyes wide as she spots us. "Wolves!" she shouts, pointing outside. "They're circling!"
I shove Savannah toward Luka, my focus on Talis. Her side is bleeding through her shirt, but she's steady, her eyes scanning the room like a true alpha. "How many?" she asks, her voice calm despite the pain.
"Five, maybe six," Luka says, his knife in hand. "They're Glynn's, no doubt."
I turn to Talis, my hand brushing her cheek, needing her to listen. "Stay here. Help Luka hold the house."
Her eyes flash, defiance flaring. "I'm not sitting this out, Dayne. I'm fighting."
The mate bond pulls tight, her strength fueling mine, but fear claws at me. "You're hurt," I say, my voice low, pleading. "I can't lose you."
Her hand covers mine, her touch soft but firm. "You won't. But I'm not hiding anymore."
Before I can argue, a crash shakes the house, glass shattering as a wolf breaks through a window. The pack springs into action, Luka tackling one wolf, Regan grabbing a poker from the fireplace. I shift, my wolf taking over, and dive into the fray, my jaws snapping at a gray wolf's throat.
Talis moves beside me, her claws out, fighting with a precision that steals my breath. She's not fully shifted, but her alpha power is undeniable, her silverblue eyes cutting through the chaos. We took down two wolves together, our movements synced like we've fought side by side for years, the mate bond binding us tighter.
But then I see herSavannah, slipping toward the back door, a phone in her hand, her fingers typing frantically. My wolf snarls, betrayal cutting deeper than any claw. I shift back, grabbing her before she can escape, my voice deadly. "Who are you texting?"
She freezes, her eyes wide with fear. "No one, I"
Talis is there, snatching the phone, her face paling as she reads the screen. "It's Glynn," she whispers, her voice shaking with rage. "She's telling him we're here, that I'm wounded."
The room goes quiet, the pack's eyes on Savannah, shock and anger rippling through them. Luka steps forward, his knife raised. "You betrayed us," he says, his voice cold.
Savannah sobs, collapsing to her knees. "He has my son! I had no choice!"
Talis's eyes meet mine, her pain mirroring my own, but there's steel in her gaze. "We get her son back," she says, her voice firm, alphastrong. "But she's done here."
I nod, my wolf calming at her resolve, but the howls outside grow louder, closer. Glynn's pack is closing in, and Savannah's message has given them our exact position. Talis's hand finds mine, her touch grounding me, but the truth hits hardSavannah's betrayal has brought Glynn to our door, and Talis, bleeding and fierce, is the target.