“Stay down,” Rab barked, and then popped up to his knees, pulling an arrow from the quiver at his back so quickly I could barely track his movements. Within seconds, he loosed the arrow into the top of a tree, and then a body fell from it, hitting the ground with a thud.
Holy rattlesnake.
My heart hammered in my chest as I stared at the dead figure on the ground. Shrill yelps rang out in the woods, and then footsteps could be heard as a group of people retreated.
Rab and his men pulled their weapons and formed a semi-circle in front of me as Astra and Eugene fell to the ground at my left and right side. I sat up, brushing the dirt off of the dress Willow had loaned me. Rab inched forward, inspecting the body at the base of the tree.
That was close, I thought, as I stared at the arrow that had been inches from my neck.
Eugene pulled his gun and aimed it at the thick outcrop of trees to the left, while Astra bowed her head in prayer and clasped her hands, mumbling under her breath.
“Ithaki! They’ve retreated!” Rab called from the base of the tree.
“That was too close for my liking,” Eugene said, and hauled me up by the armpit, tucking me into his body.
“You and me both,” I told him as I steadied myself.
Astra ceased praying. Her eyes popped open and she just stared at her clasped hands like they held some horror. “They shot an arrow into our territory…” Her voice held fear.
Rab and his men sauntered over, all of them frowning.
“Maybe it was a mistake,” one of the men said.
Rab reached down and gently pulled Astra to her feet, looking at her like a beloved sister.
Her voice was small: “It wasn’t a mistake.”
Rab met my eyes and I saw fear in his for the first time. “It was an act of war,” he declared.
My heart sank into my stomach like a stone. How many wars could we handle at one time? Was this my fault? The Ithaki and Paladin peoples had a long peace between them, and I’d gone and brought war. Guilt gnawed at me as I pondered this, but it quickly turned to anger.
How dare they? How dare the Ithaki try to pick us off when they probably knew we were weak?
I stood angrily, brushing off my dress, glaring at the woods before turning to the line of twenty men. They held bows as if anticipating another hit. “The next time a twig so much as snaps, you shoot in that direction!” I ordered them.
“Yes, Alpha,” a few of the men said in unison.
Rab’s eyes went wide as he looked from the men to me. “That title is earned.”
The men who’d said it lowered their heads in shame. “Yes, sir.”
Why was he always against me? This situation was hard enough without him pushing my face into the mud. So much for our friendly ways. He was Rabid once more.
“And I intend to earn it!” I snapped at Rab, turning on my heel and stalking off to marry the love of my life before I went on a suicide mission for these people.
Twenty minutes later, the ear-splitting sounds of gunfire and magic crackling boomed through the air. A distinctive smell lingered. Gunpowder and hot wires, copper and blood.
‘I’m here, at the bord—’
“Demi!” Sawyer-whisper screamed nearby. Elation bubbled up in my chest and then spilled over into my limbs at the sound of his voice. I burst into a run and broke out of the woods, cleared the small stone fence and orange flags, and ran to him. He was surrounded by over fifty armed men. Most of them were city wolves with guns and knives, but about a dozen were Paladins. They held vicious looking spears and stared out into the woods with sharp gazes. I noticed Sage among them, her bright red hair tied up into a tight topknot as she held two guns at her sides and whispered to Walsh beside her.
I ran in my dress, somehow not tripping over anything, and Sawyer stood atop the hill and opened his arms. I jumped into them and they tightened around me. The second his earthy scent hit my nostrils, my throat tightened with emotion and I breathed him in.
Mate. Pack. Home.
‘I missed you so much,’ I whimpered through our imprint. His feelings mixed with mine and I sifted through each one. Love, protection, anxiety, trepidation, loyalty.
“We can’t stay out here, sir. We’re too exposed.” I recognized that voice as the dreadlocked army captain dude who I had met briefly before.
Sawyer kept his arms tightly around me, and turned to walk away as I watched over his shoulder while he carried me, refusing to let me go. Rab and his men lined up with the Paladins who had volunteered to protect Wolf City, and I noticed Arrow and his brother give each other curt nods before they whispered under their breath.
Rab was probably telling his little brother about the Ithaki all but declaring war with their attack on us.
“You shouldn’t have come,” Sawyer whispered in my ear as he held me tightly to his chest and walked us both up the hill to a building I didn’t recognize. “It’s too dangerous for you, my love.” When we reached the top, he finally slid me down his body so that I could stand.
“Why are you wearing that dress?” He looked confused as he fully took me in. I’m sure he didn’t know it was a Paladin wedding dress, but it was a fancy dress and not ideal for traipsing through the woods. My knees were stained with dirt too. Not my Pinterest wedding look.
“Sawyer, I—”
“We need to get you inside.” Captain Dreadlocks used his body to shepherd Sawyer and I toward the building. Sage slipped next to me and gave me a quick side hug before moving back into the line of warriors around us.
I looked up at the building, perplexed. It was a single-level brick building that looked like it was used for industrial purposes, like a water treatment plant or something. It was not where I imagined Sawyer hiding out. As we neared a tall chain-link fence that glowed with a magical green hue, I saw two figures standing at either side of the opening.
Witches.
They came. My idea worked!
Sawyer seemed to know what I was thinking. ‘We are now officially taking witch and warlock refugees in exchange for service to the war. It was a brilliant idea, Demi.’
The witches saw Sawyer approaching and snapped their fingers, causing an opening to form in the protective green bubble. We stepped through and I frowned as I noticed the dilapidated state the building was in. “What about your parents’ house? Is this where you’re stationed now?”
The concrete walls were stained with red rust that ran in thin rivulets down the dusty gray slabs. The roof was patched with a blue tarp and looked like it would cave in at any moment. This surely wasn’t where the alpha of Werewolf City commanded a war.
Sawyer met Dreadlocks’ gaze and something passed between them before he sighed to me. “My parents’ house is gone, Demi. The opposition is going after well-known places. This one is safer. We move every twelve hours.”
My legs gave out then and Sawyer caught me. His house was gone, the school was gone … I’d only been away for a day and it seemed the entire city was falling to enemy hands. “Your mother?” I gasped.
“She’s fine. We got her out and into the bunker with everyone else.” Sawyer’s voice was devoid of any emotion.
Shock ripped through me. My parents were in a bunker, the school was gone, Sawyer’s parents’ house was gone.
“Why did you come, Demi? What did you need to tell me? I’m almost scared to ask.” Sawyer’s voice was low as we stood just under the entryway of the broken building.