The wolf whined, and even though the growls and howls had grown in volume in the forest, I heard the wolf tending to the fallen one whimper,Poppy.
Poppy didn’tstir.
The other wolf—I imagined one of her sisters . . . her twin perhaps?—yelped, and Zack snapped his attention off his ravenouspack.
The River Alpha bounded toward his daughter, and then he headbutted the thin brown wolf aside to have access to the immobile one. I strained to catch the beat of her pulse over the thundering hearts surroundingme.
She had to be alive. Werewolves didn’t die so easily. When she still hadn’t moved, I peered into Liam’s alarmedface.
That could’ve been you,he said through the mind-link.
My stomach contracted with a mix of dread and hunger brought on by the bear’s fattyflesh.
After releasing a raspy bark, Zack whipped his face toward his pack. He must’ve spoken into their minds, because his wolves halted their attack, reluctantly turning away from the corneredbear.
The animal huffed warily as it scrambledhigher.
It wasn’t my place to go to Poppy, so I stayed shoulder to shoulder—or rather shoulder to belly—withLiam.
Zack nudged the lump of brown fur at hispaws.
Can we die of an animal attack?Ienquired.
If the bear sectioned her artery, yes,heanswered.
After a minute of terrible stillness, the brown lump emitted a whimper as faint as the patter of rain, so faint I wondered if I’d made it up, but then, through the trellis of furred legs, I saw Poppy lift her head. It glistened with dark blood which Zack and another wolf began to lickanimatedly.
The River Alpha let out a keening howl, which every wolf in his pack reciprocated. A branch snapped overhead. I craned my neck and locked eyes on the creature that had almost stolen another daughter from the Rivers. My wolf longed to lunge up at it and devour its flesh for the pain it had caused my kind, but the human in me rooted for it to climb higher, because we’d lashed outfirst.
I’d never considered myself a predator before tonight, but the combination of wolf and human made us the most lethalkind.
Poppy rose to her feet like a newborn foal, struggling to stayupright.
I’ll take her back,the wolf who’d cleaned her said. I recognized her mother’svoice.
My heart pinched at the sight of the two females. Not only did Poppy still have her mother, but her mother was a shifter. I envied what they shared. How I wished my mother had been a wolf too. Cancer wouldn’t have taken her from me if she hadbeen.
As I stared at them, I imagined myself standing protectively next to my own pup someday, and a maternal instinct I didn’t even know I possessed rose withinme.
Looming larger than the other wolves in his pack, Zack waded toward Liam and me.Alpha, you desire an alliance? Kill the bear that attacked my daughter, and for as long as you lead your pack, the Rivers will be yourallies.
You want Liam to bring down the bear?I yelped, wanting to add that the bear hadn’t even attacked his daughter, thatshe’dattackedit, but I bit back myobservation.
You may help him. You are his Second afterall.
No. I’ll do it alone,Liamsaid.
Liam—
He fixed me with his glowing yellow eyes, and through the mind-link, he added,Not risking your life over a bear.To Zack, he said,Order your shiftersback.
While Zack bellowed for his pack to retreat, I turned on Liam and hissed,You’re not a squirrel, Liam. You can’t climbtrees.
He snorted in amusement, or maybe it was annoyance, then flicked his ears.Get back,too.
Like I was going to let him face off with a bear on hisown.
When I still hadn’t moved, he growled at me and shoved his head into mybelly.
