Zane cleared his throat, breaking the moment between them. “I’ll let Ryder know the plan. He’ll want to coordinate patrols around the perimeter while the wards are being set up. The last thing we need is Theodore catching us off guard.”
Grayson nodded, though his attention remained fixed on Cora. “Do it. And tell him to keep a close watch on the scouts. We don’t want any surprises.”
Zane gave a mock salute before slipping out the door, leaving them alone once again. Cora reached for Grayson’s hand, threading her fingers through his. “You’ll be there?” she asked softly.
“Always,” he promised. “Just don’t make me regret saying yes.”
“I won’t.”
Grayson pulled her closer, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead before resting his chin on the top of her head.
“We’ll get through this,” he said. “Together.”
Cora nodded and wrapped her arms around him as she allowed herself to believe him, if only for a moment. Together. It was the only way they stood a chance.
Chapter 24 - Grayson
Grayson’s ears twitched as a low growl sounded in the distance, not far beyond the city limits. It wasn’t one of their own—it was too guttural, too foreign. His wolf stirred beneath the surface. His muscles coiled as the scent of blood and fury hit his nose. They were here.
“They’re coming in fast,” Ryder called from his position near the bakery. “Too many to count.”
Grayson crouched low, watching the shadows beyond the town’s border. The wards Cora had cast twinkled in his peripheral vision. They acted as a protective barrier that had already slowed Theodore’s men, forcing them into a disorganized approach. But it wouldn’t stop them completely. The wolves on the other side were desperate, and desperation made them dangerous.
A rustle to his left caught his attention, and his claws dug into the dirt as he prepared to leap. Zane appeared beside him with his fur bristling along his spine.We’ve got movement near the north alley. Looks like a scouting party.
Grayson’s own wolf was itching to take over.Hold position. Let them come to us.
The first attacker broke through the trees moments later—a hulking mass of fur and teeth. He was followed by three more, each larger and more feral than the last. Grayson barely had time to count them before they charged.
He shifted mid-lunge, and his human form dissolved into sinew and fur. His wolf hit the ground with a low growl, and the force of his landing shook the earth beneath his paws. The first shifter was on him in an instant, his claws slashing toward his throat. Grayson ducked, and his teeth snapped as he counteredwith a swipe that tore into the wolf’s shoulder. The shifter yelped and stumbled, giving Grayson the opening he needed. He lunged, and his jaws closed around the attacker’s neck. With a violent shake, he brought him down.
Behind you! Zane’s warning came just in time. Grayson spun around, and his claws caught another wolf in mid-air. The two collided, rolling across the dirt in a blur of canine bodies. Grayson bit down on the wolf’s leg, and the sickening crunch of bone vibrated through his jaw. The attacker howled, thrashing as Grayson drove him into the ground with a ferocity that left no room for escape.
Nearby, Ryder’s his wolf barreling into two attackers at once. He tackled the larger of the two, his powerful jaws tearing into the shifter’s flank as he twisted to avoid the second’s snapping teeth. Ryder’s sheer size gave him an advantage, but the enemy wolves were ruthless, and their attacks were coordinated despite the wards disrupting their rhythm.
They’re organized, Zane commented as he darted between two smaller wolves, his agility allowing him to stay just out of reach.Theodore’s training them well.
Grayson’s focus was locked on the wolf in front of him, a wiry shifter with blazing blue eyes and a scar running across his snout. The wolf crouched low, and his hackles raised as he circled Grayson, looking for an opening. Grayson mirrored the motion, dragging his paws into the ground as he waited for the inevitable attack.
The wolf feinted left before darting right, aiming for Grayson’s side. But Grayson anticipated the move. He pivoted, slamming into the wolf with enough force to send them both skidding across the ground. Grayson’s claws raked across his opponent’s chest, and his teeth found purchase on thewolf’s shoulder. The shifter snarled, writhing beneath him, but Grayson held firm, pressing down until the wolf went limp.
Grayson, north side! Ryder’s growl pulled his attention, and he whipped his head toward the alley. Another wave of shifters poured through. They were trying to flank them, to draw them away from the bakery where the wards were strongest.
Grayson bolted toward the alley, tearing through the underbrush with lethal precision. Zane was already there, holding off two of Voss’ wolves as a third circled behind him. Grayson didn’t blink before he lunged at the circling wolf, his claws slicing through fur and flesh as he drove the shifter into the wall of the bakery. The wolf snarled, snapping at Grayson’s throat, but Grayson twisted, avoiding the attack as he slammed the shifter’s head into the brick with enough force to leave him unconscious.
Watch the entrance, Grayson barked to Zane. They’re trying to draw us out.
No kidding, Zane replied, leaping over the body as he intercepted another wolf mid-charge.
Grayson turned back toward the bakery, keeping an eye out for any sign of movement. The wards still held, and their energy caused faint distortions around the building’s perimeter. But the attackers were testing them, looking for weaknesses, and it wouldn’t be long before they found one.
A sudden crash from the east sent a jolt of adrenaline through him. He bolted toward the sound with a speed born of desperation. As he rounded the corner, he saw a group of shifters ramming into the side of a building, tearing at the wards in a frenzied attempt to break through.
Grayson didn’t wait for backup. He launched himself at the closest shifter, sinking his claws into the wolf’s side as theytumbled to the ground. The shifter howled, thrashing as Grayson tore into him with the full weight of his wolf behind the attack. Another wolf charged, and Grayson turned just in time to catch the attack, closing his teeth around the wolf’s shoulder as he drove him back into the others.
Grayson’s wolf stood tall with blood dripping from his fur as he bared his teeth in a warning that needed no translation.You want to fight? Come and get it.
The battlefield was chaos, but Grayson had no time to process it, no room for thought beyond instinct. His wolf was at the forefront, senses heightened, muscles taut, every move calculated to protect and destroy. Blood soaked the ground beneath his paws as he tore through another shifter. The wolf howled and twisted, trying to throw him off, but Grayson clamped down harder, locking his jaws until he heard the crunch of bone.
