The second I’m no longer touching him, the pain increases.
And every last bit of hope I had for surviving the rejection evaporates into thin air. I don’t want to be reminded of what could have been, what I could have, what I couldfeel.
9
CALEB
I’ve felt protective before, especially over my pack. I know what it feels like to shield those who have stood by you for years and shown loyalty to the highest degree. But I did not expect to feel intense protectiveness the second I saw Evan naked on the ground, covered in blood, and wrapped up in silver.
You’re only feeling this way because you’re mates,I remind myself.Nothing more.
When Zara came screaming with severe injuries, claiming that there were trespassers between our pack territories, I felt my blood boil, but when she told me they had Evan as he had put himself in danger to get her to safety, all I saw was red.
A sensation I didn’t know I could experience so deeply.
The back of my neck started to sweat at the desperation to get to him. An instinct I couldn’t control. It took over my body, and there wasn’t a single logical thought inside my head. Before I knew it, I was ripping the pathetic humans apart. Limb from fucking limb until they were nothing but bones and organs.
As soon as my eyes locked on Evan, curled up on the floor, beaten black and blue, and his skin sizzled from the silver, Iknew he needed immediate help. My wolf cried out for him with fear, and our bond tightened inside my chest to the point I could hardly breathe.
Despite putting himself in danger, his bravery didn’t go unnoticed. Except the pup can’t fight to save his life, so it was practically a death sentence. That had my veins nearly bursting with fury.
Once I had his arms wrapped around my neck, I pushed away the tingling sensations that made my head spin. I clenched my jaw and took off towards Jaxon’s pack house without hesitation.
His arms became looser and looser by the second, and if I wasn’t careful, he’d fall off and wound himself further. But I needed to get him the hell out of there in case there were more.
Once we make it into the clearing beside their pack house, I slow down, and Evan falls onto the grass beside me as Ava and Lucy rush to meet us.
“Oh, Goddess,” Ava hisses. “Evan, are you okay?”
Lucy’s arm wraps around his waist to pull him up—a small grunt followed by a nod. I watch him carefully as they drag him inside. My wolf cries at no longer being by his side, but he’s in safe hands now.
I manage to take a slow, deep breath, but it doesn’t calm my racing heart.
Are there more?I demand to Felix.
We’ve been looking. Jaxon’s pack is, too. But nothing so far.
My snout wrinkles.Tell them not to stop looking until it’s been cleared at least three times.
You got it.
After shifting back into my human form and shoving on some clothes, I’m greeted by Jaxon, Felix, and Zara as they head towards the house. Felix has his arm wrapped around Zara protectively as she clutches her hoodie closer to her body.
“Are you okay?” I ask her as I stare down at her healing leg.
Zara nods with glassy eyes. “I’m okay.”
“We should go back to the house, babe,” Felix says as he studies her face. “Get you to the infirmary.”
“I’m fine,” she croaks. “I need to thank Evan, see if he’s okay. It’s the least I can do.”
And he has me to thank for saving his ass before he got himself killed.
“Zar, your leg?—”
“I’mfine,” she states. “I’ll heal. I already am.”
Felix releases a long huff but chooses not to press.
