by T. F. Walsh
My arms swept across her waist and drew her closer, the softness of her breasts grazing my chest. I leaned in, my lips grazing hers, an inferno scorching between us. My wolf prodded me to go further, to reaffirm her as our claim.
Her wolf was there too, heating me, embracing me.
Selena’s body softened into me, her hand gliding behind my neck, pulling herself closer, her lips kissing me with a savagery I’d craved from her for too long.
My tongue surged into her mouth, and she sucked it, a mewl vibrating in her chest. My cock nestled between us, and my hands skipped down her back to her butt, hauling her closer.
I broke our kiss, our foreheads and noses touching. The thought of taking her here and now, tasting every inch of her, teased me. Do it already.
The wind carried the scent of wulfkin nearby and, with it, the reality of the venery, saving Enre, and what was at risk if I lost this challenge. It crashed through me like a tsunami, ripping away everything else.
“Hell, Selena. Any other time, I’d be buried so deep in you that the next country would hear you scream my name. Fuck. I want you so bad. But ...”
“A little diversion won’t hurt anyone.” She batted her eyes.
My cock pulsed at the temptress asking me to take her, but the truth was, a little diversion was me gambling with my brother’s life. Despite the overwhelming hunger surging through my body, I untangled myself from Selena, our fiery warmth replaced by an arctic snap.
“I can’t tell you how long I’ve waited for this moment,” I said.
“Then stop talking.”
My mind spun from Selena’s sudden show of physical attraction, to the question of why now and not the previous night when we weren’t in a venery. Besides, she hadn’t once admitted to also wanting me or dreaming of me. Hell, I sounded like the fuckin’ girl here. This had to stop.
“Why did you really enter this challenge?” I rubbed the cold from my arms.
Her loving expression wavered ever so slightly—a small twitch at the corner of her mouth, the straightening of her back. Damn. She had some ulterior motive for her sudden passion all right, and I fell for it like the biggest sucker in the world. Hook, line, and sinker.
“Why did you?” she asked.
Lava burned through my chest. Was this challenge a joke to Selena? If she remembered anything about us, she would’ve forced me back into the race immediately. But it was my fault for staying around, for kissing her, for believing it meant more.
“You’ve wasted enough of my time.” My voice deepened. “This challenge means more to me than you could ever imagine, but thanks.”
“I wasn’t trying—”
I spun and couldn’t shake the guilt of my words, but I’d lost enough time. Calling my wolf, I ran, transforming during the sprint and refusing to look back.
What the fuck had just happened?
If Selena wasn’t interested in the race, why follow me? No matter how much I denied it, the weapons room and the missing blade came to mind. Selena clearly hid something, and here I was the idiot falling into her web.
I’d track down this goddamn stag and win a spot in the battle of innocence, just as I’d promised Enre and Daciana. And nothing else would put me off my game. Not a wulfkin trying to assassinate me ... not the stags who could have already been tracked ... and definitely not one sexy Turkish wulfkin who might have just outed herself as being as dangerous as Father.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Selena
Well, that situation deflated quicker than a busted-up air balloon. The two fuckwits following Marcin had turned on me, their hatred for the Turkish far outweighing their reason to pursue him. And my so-called quick thinking to kiss Marcin in hope that he’d stay close in case the assassin struck idea had gone to hell.
How could I have been so thoughtless? Excellent job of building a bridge between us, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time.
Didn’t matter. I’d live with the embarrassment and my mistakes if it meant keeping Marcin safe. I squared my shoulders and called my wolf. Time to get moving.
I fell on all fours, fur sprouting across my body. The cold eradicated, shadows around me sharpened, and scratchy noises of birds in the trees rang in my ears. I sprinted after Marcin, wind tugging against my pelt. Too many trees in my way, but Marcin’s prints in the fresh snow were breadcrumbs I could follow. His musky scent kept wavering on the breeze, so I hurried, careening around humungous trees, several bunnies bouncing out of my path. Any other time, they would have made a delicious snack. Not today. Too much other shit going down.
Amid the jungle of pines, Marcin’s wolf pounced.
Come on, girl, let’s catch him.
Pulse thudding in my ears. Only one target in mind. Catching Marcin and keeping him safe.
The distance between us closed, each rapid leap quicker, unstoppable. Thirty feet away, Marcin took a sharp left and his pace intensified.
He’d picked up a scent.
I skidded left, cutting through the woods.
Faster.
No time to catch my breath.
He was close now, only fifteen feet away, and he hadn’t once glanced over his shoulder. Marcin was on a mission, gunning forward.
And then the scent smacked into me: the peppery smell of a deer and the wet dog fur of wulfkin.
Marcin swerved right before coming to an abrupt stop.
I hit the brakes, swinging in alongside him, and kicking up snow against his back legs. Mist billowed from our rapid breaths, curling into wisps.
Before us, two wulfkin in wolf forms skulked toward a stag wearing a red collar.
The spectacular buck was melanistic with its dark, almost black skin. It recoiled from its attackers, head low, and its twelve-point antlers aimed at the wolves. The stag was larger than a stallion. Shards of sunlight pierced the canopy and glinted against its pelt.
It made a deep, heavy bawl sound, steam threading out from the sides of its mouth.
My heart trembled at the idea of the buck being torn to pieces. Running was useless for the animal, so it faced its enemies for a final showdown. But it stood no chance. Not against savage wolves.
The white wulfkin inched closer. The fur behind its neck bristled while the brown one swept outward. They’d work together, but once the stag was dead, they’d turn on each other to claim the prize.
A faint whimper fell from my mouth, and I stepped closer.
The stag’s head jarred upward, our gazes locking for a split second. The terrified look behind its eyes shattered my insides. Death was imminent, and like a deer might call its mother, it made the bawling distress sound.
I had no problem with hunting down my meals, but senseless animal killings never sat right with me.
A snarl rolled from Marcin’s chest.
I threw myself against the white wolf, my teeth latching onto his hind leg, biting down hard, blood smearing my tongue.
He bucked, tossing himself about, snarling.
Submit.
He swung his head around, his jaws snapping at my side, ripping fur from my rump and tearing skin.
Ignore the lacerating ache. Save the stag.
Next to me was movement.
Marcin and the brown wolf leapt into a brawl, legs and fur knitted together, their gravelly snarls a war song against the tranquil backdrop.
Another bite to my side, stinging. I whined. My grip eased.
The white wulfkin, Snowy, slipped free, his back leg buckling, and he jarred around to face me.
A snarl reverberated through my chest. My wolf insisted we fight, and I was ready, despite the blood tainting the snow around my paws.
Marcin and his sparring opponent were a few trees away now, both matted with blood and neither giving up. I lowered myself, muscles tense, and faced my foe.
Snowy charged, and I hurled myself head first, teeth exposed. He ducked low and seized my neck with his jaws.
No way. That’s not how I’ll die. My eyes blurred from the frightfu
l piercing.
A large figure dashed to my right and drove into Snowy, pitching him off me.
I shook my head, my neck cramping up from the bite. I’d expected the savior to be Marcin, but instead, in front of me stood the gorgeous stag, the pointy tips of its antlers dipped in blood. Behind him was Snowy in a crumpled mess at the base of the tree, eyes wide and huge. Dead.
Goddess, he wouldn’t have had to die if he’d just backed away.
Another figure encroached from behind Snowy. Marcin staggered closer in wolf form, as blood and snow congealed his fur along one side. He wasn’t limping enough to warrant that much blood loss.
Farther behind him, the brown wolf lurched away. He broke into an otherworldly howl, mournful and despairing, the kind that called to other wulfkin. And with the waft of blood in the air, we’d be swarmed with fighting rivalry in no time. We had to leave.
I pushed myself to my feet but stumbled a few steps.
Marcin glanced at Snowy, then lifted his head toward the stag who stood alongside me like a guardian. The buck’s nostrils flared, and it scraped a front hoof into the ground, telling Marcin to back off.
I didn’t give a shit if Marcin judged me because of my connection with animals. And under no circumstances would I allow Marcin to hurt the stags.
He wasn’t making a move, but stood there, lowering his head to appear as nonthreatening as possible.
A guttural growl spluttered behind me.
I spun around. Several trees back, a dark wolf appeared from within the shadowy folds of the forest, fangs exposed. Howls broke out in the distance. More wulfkin approaching.
Flames zipped through my veins.
Movement to my side.
The second stag padded toward us as if it had watched us this whole time, and now both of them stood on either side of me, facing the encroaching enemy.
Okay. New set of plans. Save Marcin and these animals. At any cost.
Marcin sprinted past us, toward the enemy, but a loud metallic snap sounded. He tripped, tumbling face first into the snow, and his high-pitched whines shattered my heart. A hunter’s bear trap.
I raced to his side. Blood pooled around a hind foot, his whimpers shredding my insides. He pushed himself up by his arms but collapsed back with a whine. I sniffed him, nudging him to stay still.
The dark wolf encroached.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
Marcin’s body quivered and morphed into his human form. His limbs stretching, skin replacing fur. He laid there, body curled, face scrunched. The bone in his leg had snapped judging by the deformed angle of his ankle.
If I left him here, he’d die, but if I didn’t save the stags, they’d be butchered.
The black wolf lunged, sidestepping Marcin and me, going for the stags.
I trembled with rage. In a swift move, I darted for the predator, teeth piercing his neck, pinning him down with the mere force of my attack. I stood on top of him, demanding he submit. Instead, he snapped at my front paws.
A wave of dizziness washed through me. Too much blood loss. I roared more like a lion than a wolf into his face, spittle flinging across his muzzle.
He jerked upward, nudging me off, but I charged after him. Lava burned my chest. Teeth bit hard into his shoulder. Claws raked his body. Snarls rolled from deep within my gut. I drove him backward.
The sucker shook in my grip and slipped free, but not before his mouth latched on to my side. Inside my head, I was screaming, the excruciating ache was a blade through my ribs. My legs wobbled beneath me.
But he flew backward in an instant, and alongside me stood the stag, watching over us.
I sprinted back to Marcin and transformed into my human form in haste, my wounds stinging as if someone poured acid on them. “Stop struggling. I’ll free you.”
My hands shook violently as I reached for the rusted, metal jaws that swallowed his ankle. If I didn’t remove it, he’d lose a foot. And what if the assassin was on his way here with the other wulfkin?
“Listen to me.”
He didn’t respond, and his eyes glazed over.
“Marcin! I need your help.”
A howl, much closer this time. Another in the distance.
The hairs on the back of my neck spiked.
I grabbed Marcin’s arm. “Push past the pain one more time. Please.”
He lifted his head, face paler than snow, his eyes engorged with torment. In all honestly, most people would have passed out by now.
“I’m going to pry the trap open. But you have to get your leg out as best you can. Can you do this?”
At first, he didn’t respond, then nodded. He was miserable.
My world faded away for those seconds because the affection I had for Marcin embraced me so hard it twisted my insides to knots. It had always been there, no matter how much I fooled myself. He was my true mate; I felt it deep in my soul, in my heart. Every part of me shook, and tears pooled in my eyes at the way it blossomed in my chest. Now I was so close to losing him. If I didn’t free him, the assassin might kill him or other wulfkin who hated him would. Just like the jerk, Hooked Nose guy, whom I had bumped into in the woods.
Not the time to fall apart. I gripped the metal jaws and pulled them apart. My arms quivered as the springs fought me.
Distant growls reached my ears. The stags were stomping the ground behind me.
I called to my wolf. Biting my bottom lip, I squeezed the jaws in my hands, slowly folding them down, the sucking sound of flesh making me cringe. The hinges groaned, and Marcin whimpered.
“Now, pull your leg out.” I grasped the trap, my hold convulsing.
Growling closed in around us. Paws hitting snow. Shit.
Marcin reached over, gripped his leg with his hands, and then pried it out from metal teeth biting his flesh. His body shuddered. He never made a sound.
After jerking his leg back, he collapsed onto the ground, his hands into fists, his body twitching.
I released the trap, and the jaws snapped shut. Threading an arm around Marcin’s waist, I dragged him to his knees. “Time to go.”
A stag approached and knelt down next to us.
“Oh, you read my mind,” I said. “You’re an angel.”
Marcin’s flesh was cold and sweaty against me. He used me for balance, and we wobbled toward the animal. I pushed him into a straddle across the stag’s back. He slumped across the animal, hands wrapped around its neck. The stag was on its legs, and Marcin held on.
“Let’s go home.” I caressed the stag’s neck. “I owe you my life. Now, follow me. We have to be fast.”
He grunted and the second stag was alongside him.
We broke into a run while I transformed, and every hair stood on end. If we got out of this alive, it would be a miracle.
The repetitive thump of paws trailed us.
We plodded our way through the woods. I picked the widest path where possible. The low-hanging branches swiped at me; bushes snagged my fur.
A quick look behind and I noted that Marcin hadn’t fallen. Thank the moon.
But farther behind them, weaving through the shadowy woods, were dark silhouettes amid the unfurling mist. At least ten wolves, and they were closing in damn fast.
I ran faster, lungs pumping furiously.
Growls erupted behind us.
I swung around a large pine to a section of woodland where the trees were sparser, but the snow was fresher. With each long pounce through the deep powder, my body strained for air, each muscle quivered, but the stags were keeping up. The terrain sloped downward beneath my feet.
Over my shoulder, Marcin sashayed across the stag’s back, but his grip around the animal’s neck never faltered.
The clearing came into sight, and my chest exploded with joy. My second wind kicked in, and I broke free of the woods. The wind seemed gale force, sending me sideways with its unrelenting surge.
Nothing will stop us. Not the weather, not the wulfkin, at least not until I inhale my last breath.
> One stag was alongside me, the one with Marcin, the three of us running in a mad rush toward the castle ahead. The sight was a beacon of salvation. Tiny dots in the distance revealed wulfkin waiting.
My heart crashed against my rib cage, my body sprinting on pure adrenaline.
Focus.
Faster.
Don’t stop.
A glance behind.
Wolves broke cover. Massive leaps. They funneled in from all sides. One in particular, a huge one, sped up quicker than the rest. He’d be on us in no time.
I fell back on purpose.
The stags continued onward. The large wolf swung right, obviously going for the slower buck, the one carrying Marcin.
I placed myself between the buck and our enemy, all of us running in a line. No time to be scared. Focus. Too many lives at stake.
Several feet away, movement. The black wolf now ran alongside me. He snarled my way with teeth bared, warning me away. Fuck that and fuck him.
I swerved and crashed head first into his side, throwing him off his feet. Catching myself, I leapt onward again, chasing after the stags, noting the other wolves were closer.
Only fifty feet away from the castle.
Wulfkin stood near the finish line, staring our way.
So close.
Then a heavy weight slammed into my back, a crunch to my back leg. I whined as the sting threaded through my thigh. My knees buckled, and I crashed to the ground, my face buried in snow.
No time for this. No fucking time.
I jerked to my feet, ignoring the torturing blaze burning my back leg, the blood, everything, and threw myself forward.
Too many wolves were close now, fanned out around me, their breath practically on my neck. But the problem was in front. The large, black wolf had closed the distance between him and the stag with Marcin.
I lagged behind. I drew on my last strands of strength, thanking Zeki for his relentless training, for forcing me to run nonstop all day, for never letting me give up. I closed in on the wolf’s backside. He slowed and snapped his jaws at my face, snatching my ear. I lost my footing, and we both rolled to the ground from the momentum.
No waiting.