by Leia Stone
‘I love you. I’ll see you in the morning with Paladin warriors. I promise.’
Someone pounded the ground behind me, and I looked back to see Sage.
“You sure?” I asked.
She rolled her eyes. “Bitch, you’re not going alone.”
With a smile we slipped into the woods of the alpha’s property and took off for the border. I knew you couldn’t take a car into the Wild Lands; there were no roads.
Sawyer’s parents’ house was close to the border between the campus and the northeast border wall where the Vampire City coven and the Wild Lands met. I could run vampire fast, and the sound of cracking bones behind me told me that Sage was shifting to catch up. It was dark out, with the moon high in the sky, and I felt fatigue pull at my muscles as we ran as fast as we could.
Curt was dead.
We were at war.
Sawyer was alpha… early.
So much raced through my mind as Sage and I pounded the ground to the border. It only took about ten minutes to reach the little row of orange flags that demarcated the Wild Lands beyond. A small four-foot cobblestone wall stood there with gaps every twenty or so feet. I could hear yelling and gunfire off in the distance to the north, and I wondered if I could make it to the Paladin and back in time to help.
Sawyer’s emotions slammed into me like a tornado; my stomach lurched into my throat as I felt his despair overwhelm me.
“Demi, don’t you dare cross that line!” Sawyer’s broken voice came from somewhere behind me.
I whimpered in pain as the emotion of leaving him left a gash on my heart a mile wide. Looking over my shoulder, I saw him burst through the trees. I couldn’t meet his gaze. He was panting wildly, torso covered in blood and red marks from where Eugene and Walsh had held him. The red blinking light on his ankle bracelet flashed a slow steady rhythm as if reminding us it was there. When I finally looked up into his eyes, they were bright yellow.
“I’m sorry,” I whimpered, and backed up into the Wild Lands and behind the markers. Sage followed me over with her tail tucked between her legs.
“Demi!” Sawyer roared. “You don’t understand how dangerous this is!” He ran toward me and I backed up further into the woods, slipping behind the gap in the wall with tears running down my face.
“Sawyer, stop!” I screamed, but he didn’t. He ran full speed into the woods, but instead of crossing over the flag line, his entire body seized up and I heard the crack of electricity from where I stood ten feet away. He fell backward, teeth clacking together as he shook on the ground, convulsing.
A sob ripped from my throat at seeing someone I loved in so much agony.
Eugene and Walsh came into the clearing then, panting and taking huge lungfuls of air as they surveyed the scene.
A siren ripped into the night and Sawyer sat up groaning, holding his stomach. He looked at me through the gap in the fence and I paled when his broken blue eyes hit me with utter betrayal.
Eugene thrust a cell phone at Sawyer. “Witches have taken down all of our aerial assault. The eastern wall has fallen. What do we do?”
Fuck.
I backed up a few more steps, knowing now more than ever that we needed the Paladins’ help.
Sawyer lowered his head, speaking into the phone, “Put the women and children in the underground bunker and arm every man over seventeen.” He hung up and then looked up at me with a haunted expression. “Come home with me now, Demi. Get in the bunker where you will be safe.”
That was just the thing. This didn’t feel like home anymore, nowhere did. And I knew that if I didn’t get help, there would be no home to return to.
“I’ll be right back. Please forgive me,” I managed to say without falling into a blubbering mess. Then I turned my back on the love of my life and ran into the darkness of the Wild Lands.
Sawyer’s earsplitting howl, half human, half man, split my heart in two and I wondered if our relationship would ever be the same after this.
It had to, right? We were true mates…
Hey book three is already on presale over here!
I plan to bring that date in closer to end of April.
Stalk Me
If you loved this book please take the time to review it as that can help authors reach new readers. I did some cool things for this release including making REAL Instagram profiles for Demi and Sawyer, so go on Insta and check them out! (Be sure to read the comments under the photos.)
Demi: @WolfGirl_4
https://www.instagram.com/wolfgirl_4/
Sawyer: @WolfDude_4
https://www.instagram.com/wolfdude_4/
Also I made some really fun merch like t-shirts and sweaters from Demi’s fun collection of shirts. You can check them out here.
https://teespring.com/stores/wolf-girl-2
Please join my Wolf Pack on Facebook as I often reveal covers and secret bookish things in there as well as doing giveaways. https://www.facebook.com/groups/216684032044799
Also sign up for my Newsletter so you don’t miss a New Release. I don’t spam and you can leave anytime. https://leiastone.com/newsletter/
*If you need more wolf shifters and can’t wait, then read these completed series! My Matefinder series, Supernatural Bounty Hunter Series, or Jaymin Eve’s Supernatural Prison Series.