He sighed and pressed his side against mine in appreciation. “Thanks,honey.”
Suddenly Delta stopped. All of us nearly crashed into eachother.
“What are you doing?” Isnapped.
But I had my answer soon enough. All around us came low growls. We were surrounded by a ring of unseenwolves.
Instantly I pressed closer to Niko, as he crouched low to the ground. Virgil’s hackles raised. Hector bared histeeth.
From out of the shadows, huge alpha wolves encroached upon us. My heart pounded and my muscles stiffened. I was ready for a fight to the death if it meant saving my mate and my baby. To my surprise and relief, Virgil and Hector gathered around Niko as well. I felt good knowing that they hadmyback.
But where wasDelta?
I risked a glance over my shoulder to locate him, but he was gone. My head swivelled back around to the threat of the Scarlet Ridge shifters right in front of me, and then Igasped.
There he was - rightamongthem.
He set this up onpurpose!
My stomach flipped with anger and fear as a familiar voice spoke over the growlingwolves.
“There you are,” Gunner said, stepping out of thetrees.
Niko stiffened next to me. I pressed closer to him, trying to reassure him - but at this point, there was nothing I could do to make him feel any safer. I had failedagain.
Delta shifted back to human form with a contemptuous look onhisface.
“You…” Igrowled.
“You’re all idiots,” Delta said. “Did you really think I was going tohelpyou escape? Are you stupid orsomething?”
My wolf wanted to knock him to the ground and rip out his throat. But we were sorely outnumbered. My bloodrancold.
“Delta, you always were a coward,” Virgil remarkedcoldly.
“And you were always a traitor,” Delta spat back. “I don’t know why Gunner liked you so much. I should have always been a higher ranking alphathanyou!”
But Gunner turned his gaze sharply towards Delta. “Don’t act smug. You’re the reason we lost them in the first place. You should be glad this plan worked, otherwise you would be severelypunished.”
Delta hung his head a bit, embarrassed to be berated in front of everybody, but his smugness was still apparent. I wanted to claw that expression offhisface.
“Now…” Gunner stepped closer. His expression was hateful and cold, and he didn’t even bother trying to put up a front this time. He was clearly fed up. “Are you all going to cooperate, or should my alphas drag you back with bruteforce?”
A few of the alphas shifted to human form and the others remained as wolves, ready for whatever their top alpha askedofthem.
“Sir, who is that other one?” someone muttered, pointing atHector.
“I don’t know,” Delta added. “He was with the others, and that traitor Virgil seemed to like him, so I brought himalong.”
Virgil didn’t flinch at the comment. In fact, he looked as confident as he ever did right now. That was one thing that made me feel like we had a chance at getting out of this alive. Inspired by Virgil’s confidence, I held my headuphigh.
“Wait a second,” a Scarlet Ridge alpha muttered. “That scar onhisface…”
“Is that thedeserter?”
“It can’t be! He’s supposed tobedead!”
“I don’t care!” Gunner roared, silencing everybody around him. “If he’s not dead now, he will be soon. I’ve had enough of this lot! Killthemall!”
