“This is fucking ridiculous. You’re hurt, and I can help.” Peter scooped her up, ignoring the lightning bolt of pure agony that shot down his left arm.
“No, no, no…”She tried to push against him, and though she was too weak to free herself, the movement made Peter freeze as he caught sight of the symbol burned into her side. He’d seen it before. On Colin. And Farren.
“The Thirteen marked you.” If he thought she could stand on her own, he’d set her down. Or, not, because holding her made him even more certain than he’d been the previous night. This woman was his mate, and though the full moon had passed, his wolf refused to let go. He’d protect her until his last breath—if she let him. “Can they control you?”
She nodded and pointed in the opposite direction of Regulus’s mansion.
“They want you to go that way? Right now?” His beast growled and clawed to the surface. If he wasn’t careful, he’d lose control and shift with her still in his arms.
Another nod.
“Is that whatyouwant?”
The small shake of her head sent relief flooding through him, and he touched his forehead to hers. “I can help. Eli—he’s one of the elementals with us—he can work protection spells that can hide you from them.”
His mate gasped, and tears tumbled down her cheeks. “N-no.” The word was barely there, a whisper at best, and seemed to cause her pain, but he clung to it like it was the first meal he’d eaten in years.
“No? Fuck. I wish you could see my face. I’m not lying to you. He’s that powerful. The whole place is warded. You’ll be safe there. Protected. By all of us. Six werewolves, a vampire—shit, maybe it’s five werewolves and two vampires now. I don’t know what’s going to happen with Ewan once he transitions. Plus Caitlin and Eli. They’re both elementals, though Eli has magic in him…”
With every rambling word, she grew more and more agitated until she hissed and doubled over. The brand, pressed to his bicep, started to burn, and Peter awkwardly sank to his knees, groaning as his leg protested.
“Breathe. They won’t take you. I promise. But you have to trust me.” He cupped her cheeks and brushed her tears away. “I’m a werewolf, sweetheart. A shitty one who can’t run like he used to. If I try to carry you back to the mansion, it’ll take too long. I can see how much pain you’re in. Liam, though…he’s a hell of a lot stronger than I am, and if Eli comes with him…we can hide you and you won’t have to hurt anymore.”
She nodded, arching her brows in a silent query while her whole body trembled. Hope.
“I have to shift. They’ll hear me if I shift and call to them. But you have to fight. My wolf can’t exactly wrap his arms around you and hold you in place.”
Banding her arms around her knees tightly, she lowered her head, making herself as small as possible. Fuck. Peter could see every one of her ribs, along with dozens of long-healed scars. Before he reached for his wolf, he skimmed his hand down her back, and she leaned into him.
“I won’t be more than a foot away from you. Not until you can hear my voice again.”
* * *
Sameen
She shouldn’t trust him. At best, she’d get him killed. At worst…she didn’t want to think of what the Thirteen would do to a werewolf who got between them and their precious conduit. God, she hated that word. She was a person. She’dbeena person once. She thought. Until they’d reduced her to nothing but a vessel to store all the fragments of the elements they’d collected over the years.
Next to her, leaves rustled, and then she heard the distinct sound of bones breaking. Peter groaned, a long, low sound that turned into a growl as the seconds passed. When all she could hear was panting, she reached for him, needing something to hold on to as the sigil burned into her skin felt like it was twisting and turning, urging her away from this man who’d promised to protect her.
She found soft, thick fur. His neck. Strong, corded muscles. A wet nose swiped her shoulder, and he pressed his big body against her and let out a series of barks and howls. Two minutes later, another wolf answered him from somewhere far away. After another few sounds she couldn’t interpret, Peter lay down and started to tremble. Bones broke, and under her hands, his fur disappeared until all she could feel was his skin.
“Still with me?” Peter said, his voice hoarse. “They’re coming.”
Sameen fumbled for his hand. Though she could barely focus her thoughts with the Thirteen’s magic threatening to take over, she traced six letters on his palm.
“Is that your name?” he asked, wrapping his arm around her and holding her close. “Sameen?”
Her whole body went rigid right as she started to nod, the urge to fight her way free almost overwhelming. She didn’t want to go. Didn’t want to leave this man who seemed to want to help her. He hadn’t hurt her. Not once. He hadn’t even hesitated when she’d had the seizure. Just held her and protected her for hours.
A gust of wind ruffled her hair, and Peter’s free hand cupped the back of her head. “It’s going to get loud and probably a little confusing in a minute, Sameen. Trust me, and I’ll protect you.”
More than anything, she wished she could put her arms around him, but her wrists were still shackled, and if he let go of her, she was terrified she’d never find him again.
“Who the bloody hell is that?” The deep voice held a faint accent, and Sameen tried to burrow even closer to Peter.
“Someone who needs our help, Eli,” Peter growled, and another wolf barked, decidedly angry. “If you think I’d put the pack in danger—either pack—you’re a fucking idiot, Liam. The Thirteenbrandedher and whatever spell they used on Fergus and Colin, the one they tried to use on Farren…they’re trying to take her. Right now.”
“Who is she?” the man—Eli, she thought—asked.
