Motioning for me to remain silent, Isis went to the window, peeking outside. Every inch of her body tensed with what she witnessed, and when she glanced back at me, an onslaught of contradicting emotions captured her eyes. “The Hunters won. The shifters are safe.”
Relief as I had never felt in my life crashed against my being, and I fell on my ass on the bed… until I saw Isis marching toward the door. “Wait, where are you going?”
“I’m going to check things outside and find out what truly stopped the fight.”
“What do you mean,what truly stopped the fight? You just said the Hunters won.”
“If those Vampires had come to kill us, we would all be dead.” She threw me a conflicting gaze and swung the door open, leaving me there. “Stay here!”
I was so fucking confused, but I walked out after her anyway, stopping in my tracks when I noticed the sacred crystals spilled out of the now destroyed carved walkway, scattering all over the dirt… their ancient magical fire was no longer visible.
“No,” I whispered, but the sound of my voice was swiftly overshadowed by the struggling grunts and growls disappearing into the forest as Ivara, Zain, Levon, and Bergen seemed to drag something out of the village and deep into the mountain.
The most concerning part was that it took four of them to contain it.
Isis’ voice rose, snapping my attention to the other side, where she adamantly argued with our Alpha. Ryker stood next to him, horrid slashes crossing his chest and the right side of his body, pulling the skin open in a ghastly manner while crimson trails drenched his naked body. Even his neck was torn—a couple of inches more and he probably wouldn’t be standing at all. And yet, even as he stood there, his wolf’s self-healing had already kicked in, reducing the injuries he’d suffered.
The Vampire that attacked him had truly come for his blood… but why hadn’t it attacked me too?
“Get back in the house,” Isis ordered behind gritted teeth as she marched away from them, fuming like I’d never seen her. Her wolfish eyes glowed in an eerie way that said she was holding back from doing something she would later regret.
Going back in was the last thing I wanted, I needed to find out what was going on, yet something had riled up Isis like never before, and I respected her too much to argue with her about it. She would talk to me when she was ready, in the meantime, she deserved time to process whatever was bothering her this deeply.
When I turned to walk back in, my gaze briefly connected with Ryker’s, making my heart squeeze with both hurt and disbelief as the memory of the way he’d spoken to me right before the attack echoed in my mind.
Sadness and regret seemed to capture his eyes, but he walked away, following our Alpha to his cabin. The remaining hunters trailed them as I turned and went back home.
“They have a prisoner…”
Isis’ words thundered in the tiny cabin, slicing the silence she’d kept for what seemed like forever after our return.
“They, what?” I jolted to my feet. “Is one of those monsters here, in the village? Are the hunters out of their freaking minds?!”
“Not in the village,” she replied without looking at me, thoughtful. “They took him into the mountain.”
My heart hadn’t stopped racing since the attack began, but the news made its already frantic beat double its pace. “Why would they keep one of those creatures? They risk more Vampires coming here to save that thing or something, putting our innocent shifters in even more danger!”
Trembling from shock, fury, and confusion, my hands fiercely fisted at my sides, and I immediately realized my mistake. A winded whimper burst from my lips as my still elongated claws effortlessly sliced through my palms, pain shooting up my arms instantly.
“Baby girl…” Isis sighed, coming to my side, and taking my hands in hers to gently pull out my claws. “I’m so sorry, I’m doing a crappy job at protecting you right now, aren’t I?” Taking her face towel from the chair, she placed it above my palms and pressed it firmly to soak up all the blood. “That’s enough of that topic for tonight. We need to get you to relax so your wolf will retreat, and we can help you heal.”
“But—”
“But nothing. You need to relax and rest; it’s almost midnight and you’ve had more than enough stress for one day.” Gently closing my hands over the towel, she guided me to the table and proceeded to prepare some tea in the kitchenette.
Sadly, she was right, I needed to find a way to relax so my wolf would feel calm enough to let go. Otherwise, I would continue hurting myself every five minutes with her canines andclaws—I had already sliced my tongue and lips more than once. Breathing slowly, I closed my eyes and tried to let my body unwind even though I knew it would be impossible…
This was going to be the longest night ever.
Not even the crickets chirped that night.
In a mountain normally filled with whistling winds, rustling leaves, and rushing rivers there were no sounds to be found. Not even a single one. It was like nature itself knew the gravity of what ensued here and was observing the danger.
It was well into the night, yet my wide-eyed gaze roamed the ceiling tirelessly. Not an ounce of sleep had graced me with its restful presence. Isis’ snores, however, bounced off the walls in rhythmic waves, clear proof she wasn’t exactly sleeping well, since the only time she snored was after my monthly tortures. It was a sign of stress for her.
She was troubled by this too, as she tossed and turned every now and then, but right now, she was out cold. It seemed exhaustion had finally claimed her, which gave my terrible, terrible plan a chance to work.
“This is a bad idea…” I murmured under my breath as I slowly slipped out of bed. I hadn’t exactly changed before going to “sleep”, so I tiptoed barefoot toward the door.
