At that, I turn, lunging for the closest Wraith Peak wolf, tearing into it before it even has the chance to fight back.
It’s immediate violence as my pack follows that order, and the guys do the same, not wasting any time backing me up.
But no matter how many of them come flooding in from the tree line, I don’t stop.
Not while they have my girls.
Chapter 25 - Lila
The breath leaves me in shallow waves as I slowly resurface before drawing in enough air to make my raw throat more apparent.
Cold stone pressing against my cheek registers first, and for a long moment, only a blur of grey and black fills my vision before more awareness slowly comes to me.
Then comes the ache. The deep, throbbing pain in the side of my head threatens to send me right back under. As I shakily force myself to my elbows, more bright lights flare behind my eyes. Still, the shapes gradually sharpen until the room settles into something real.
Then I see her. I feel her faint body heat next to mine.
“Astrid,” I breathe, overwhelmed by the relief as I look down at her. But just as quickly, my heart aches at the sight of her.
She sits with her back against the wall beside me, small hands bound with her knees tucked under her chin for warmth. Her eyes are wide, frightened, and shimmering in the low light. But something close to hope moves through them as she looks at me.
“Mama?” Astrid whispers, voice small and hushed.
Even seeing her makes me feel like I could collapse again, but I shuffle closer, ignoring the rope biting into my wrists, along with the two figures standing just outside the open doorway. Gathering her close as best as I can despite our restraints, I press my forehead to hers for comfort.
“I’m here, sweetheart,” I say, voice shaking and still hoarse from earlier. “You’re okay.”
We may be alive, but we’re far from okay, and I know it. She doesn’t need to know that.
The space around us is dark and cold, despite the usual summer heat, and the air is so damp it feels like a basement or cellar.
With my weakened senses, I try to reach out and get a feel for our surroundings, but nothing about it feels familiar. The wolves just outside the room certainly aren’t either.
Flashes of memories hit me while I sit there, syphoning comfort and reassurance from Astrid. The wolves closing in, the panic, and the blow to my head…
Without question, I know we’re in Wraith Peak territory.
Even now, I can hear Astrid’s scream in my head.
She shudders from the cold, pressed in as tightly as she can be against me. “I was scared.”
“I know, honey,” I murmur, lightly kissing her forehead. “But you aren’t alone. We’re together, and that’s what matters, right?”
At that, she nods, but her fingers still curl against my shirt, like she’s afraid I might vanish.
The thought of her being terrified and defenseless while I was unconscious sends rage and remorse through my system. Even knowing there was a moment where she was in their clutches, while I couldn’t do anything about it, has me seeing red.
“Did they hurt you?” I ask her quietly, holding her gaze.
“No,” she whispers, glancing away for a moment. Then, something close to worry moves through her eyes. “But I think I hurt one of them?”
My brows knit at that in confusion. “How?”
“With my magic,” she murmurs, ducking as if she’s afraid of getting in trouble. “I got scared when they came into the room.”
I blink back at her, struggling to accept the idea of Astrid hurting anyone, but after a moment, it settles in. It makes perfect sense.
Through her heightened emotions, and while I was too busy trying to protect her to bother maintaining my shield over her powers, they came out.
