Larger thanAlex.
Lucas.
Snarling like a wild animal, my packmate sank his fangs into Alex’s spine. I watched in morbid fascination as Lucas’s muzzle and teeth came away drenched inblood.
Ness.
The thin sound of my Alpha calling my name jerked my attention off thesidelines.
I pitched around so fast my vision swam, but then it honed in on the heap of fur at the far side of the ring. Cassandra was standing over Liam, front paws on hisshoulders.
He wrung his body to shake her off, but her paws stayed put as though welded to his fur. When he heaved a cry that detonated against my eardrums and echoed in my chest, I understood it wasn’t her weight keeping her anchored to him but her purpleclaws.
As her mouth lowered to his neck, I shot forward, adrenaline zipping through my bones and electrifying mymuscles.
He twisted sideways, and her mouth missed its mark, but she remained fastened to him. When another violent holler hit my ears, I sensed her claws had cleaved open more of hisback.
I was almostthere.
Almost besidethem.
Cassandra snarled, and her moonlit fangs approached the mound of thrashing black fur beneathher.
I’d sworn to protect him, but I’d gone off and left him on hisown.
I’d let my mate distractme.
I’d failedLiam.
He bucked, interrupting Cassandra’s momentum but failing to dislodgeher.
Another blood-curdling yowl erupted from my Alpha just as I slammed into Morgan’s side. It was like hitting a brick wall, but the wall toppled. Her claws popping out plucked another guttural moan fromLiam.
Runnels of split flesh wept blood onto his black fur, but his heart stillbeat.
It stillbeat. . .
Praying she hadn’t bled into him, I hopped over him, creating a shield with my scrawnybody.
Before Cassandra was fully upright, I jumped on top of her and forced her back down. She landed on her spine, teeth flashing. I batted her face with my paws, but all that served was to anger herfurther.
Like the punching bag Liam had obliged me to train on until my knuckles bled, I hit her, over and over and over, dragging my claws across her cheek, across her forehead, across any pliant surface I could make contact with. Howling and snarling, she smacked my cheek, trailing fire over my temple, my left eye, mymuzzle.
I blinked wildly, but I couldn’t clear my vision. And then I was yanked offher.
NO!I cried as August pulled on the tether, reeling mein.
I dug my claws into the ground, my muscles screaming, my bones spasming. I fought against the invisible bit hauling me away from Cassandra andLiam.
Liam who still hadn’t gotten up but whose chest continued to rise andfall.
As Cassandra bounded onto all fours, I crawled toward her, stretching the tether so tight it almost snapped. And then, praying that for once I’d be stronger than August, I vaulted onto the Creek Alpha’s back and did the only thing I could think of to save Liam’slife.
I sank my teeth into her neck. As the taste of metal and salt filled my mouth, I worked on not swallowing a drop ofit.
“No!” I heard someone scream. I couldn’t tell if the voice was inside my head oroutside.
I whipped my face from side to side to tear through her sinews and veins, and didn’t stop until her body slackened . . . until her giant body collapsed beneathmine.
