Three trained operatives versus one historian who only fights when it’s absolutely necessary. The odds aren’t great.
But they have her. They have my—
I can’t finish that thought. Can’t work through what my wolf is screaming at me, because if I do, I’ll have to acknowledge what it means. What she means.
One of the Thornridge men has the suppressor positioned near Sera’s neck. Without the ability to shift, she’s defenseless. At their mercy.
I need to move. Need to get to her before they disappear with her into the desert. But charging in without a strategy is suicide, and getting myself killed won’t help anyone.
Think. Use your brain. That’s what you’re good at.
The rock formations provide cover. If I can circle around and approach from their blind side, I might be able to take out at least one of them before they realize I’m there. The element of surprise is the only advantage I have.
Sera kicks one of her captors hard enough that he doubles over. She’s still fighting even though she has to know it’s hopeless. Three against one, and they’ve clearly done this before. Everything about their movements screams professional.
My wolf howls inside my chest. Mate. Save mate. Now.
I’ve spent my entire adult life studying conflicts and analyzing patterns. I know how territorial disputes work, how infiltrations develop, and how power struggles play out across generations. I’ve documented countless battles and read every historical account I could find.
None of it prepared me for this moment.
I throw open the truck door and start running toward the rock formations, praying I’m fast enough to reach her before it’s too late. My wolf pushes forward, ready to shift the moment we’re close enough to engage. Every instinct I have screams to protect her, to fight for her, to tear apart anyone who dares harm what’s mine.
The distance between us seems to stretch forever. Fifty yards might as well be fifty miles when every second counts. Ican see the operative with the suppressor adjusting settings on the device, preparing to activate it.
Sera thrashes harder, landing a solid kick to someone’s knee. The man curses and backhands her across the face.
Red floods my vision.
Nobody touches her. Nobody hurts her. She’s mine to protect, mine to defend, and these Thornridge bastards are about to learn what happens when they threaten something that’s mine.
Chapter 3 - Sera
Whatever they have pressed against my skin burns against my neck like a brand.
I can’t feel my wolf anymore. That constant presence that’s been with me since I was a pup—gone. Just an empty space where she should be, like someone reached into my chest and ripped out a vital organ.
Panic claws at my throat, but I force it down. Panicking won’t help. I need to think, need to find a way out of this before these bastards drag me wherever they’re planning to take me.
“Stop fighting.” The one holding my arms twists them behind my back hard enough to make my shoulders scream. “You’re just making this harder on yourself.”
“Good,” I spat at him. “I hope it’s really difficult.”
He laughs and shoves me forward toward the black vehicle. My feet slip on loose gravel, and I barely catch myself before face-planting into the dirt. Without my wolf’s enhanced balance and strength, I’m just a regular woman trying to fight off three men.
The odds are not in my favor.
“Feisty little thing, isn’t she?” Another one circles around to my front. He’s shorter than the others, stocky, with a scar running down his left cheek. “I like the ones who fight.”
“The boss said not to damage her.” The third operative—the tallest of the group—pulls zip ties from his pocket. “Llewelyn omegas are valuable. Especially ones connected to the leadership family.”
My stomach drops. They know who I am. This wasn’t random; they were waiting for me.
But how did they know I’d be traveling alone? How did they know my route?
Nobody in my pack knows where I am. They’ll assume I’m still safely in the archives, cataloging texts and minding my own business. By the time anyone realizes I’m missing, I could be anywhere. These Thornridge wolves could have me halfway across the region before my aunt even thinks to check on me.
I was so stupid. So reckless.
