“Promise me, Skylar. They’re going to need you, and it’s the safest place you can be right now.”
She nods, and I kiss her once before sprinting out of the cabin.
The forest is a war zone by the time I reach the eastern boundary. Wolves rip into one another in the darkness, and snarls and yelps tear through the night like a symphony. The coppery scent of blood saturates everything, and it’s mingled with the unmistakable stench of Cheslem corruption.
I spot James in his wolf form first, a massive tawny beast taking down a Cheslem attacker. He rips out the enemy’s throat and moves on to the next target before the body even hits the ground. Connor fights nearby with his silver-gray coat streaked with blood, but I can’t tell if it’s his or if it’s from the wolf he’s currently pinning to the forest floor.
I call on my wolf and throw myself into the fray.
My paws hit the ground, and instinct takes over. A Cheslem wolf lunges at me from the left, and I twist to meet him mid-air with my jaws closing around his shoulder. We crash to the ground, and he snaps at my face and misses by inches. I use the opening to go for his throat. Hot blood floods my mouth as I tear through muscle and sinew. He goes limp beneath me, and I’m already seeking the next threat.
Two more wolves circle me with their eyes gleaming with the sickly yellow tint that marks deep corruption. They’re coordinated, trying to flank me, but I’ve fought their kind before.I know how they think, how they move, and how they die. I feint toward the one on my right, then spin and catch the other off guard as he lunges for my exposed side. I rake my claws across his face, and he yelps and stumbles back. Before he can recover, I’m on him with my teeth, finding the soft flesh of his underbelly.
The second wolf slams into my side, knocking me off balance. We roll across the forest floor, snapping and clawing at each other. His teeth graze my shoulder and draw blood, but the pain only narrows my focus. I get my hind legs under him and kick hard, sending him flying into a nearby tree. He hits the trunk with a crack and doesn’t get back up.
Around me, the battle is turning in Silvercreek’s favor. The Cheslem wolves are skilled, but they’re outnumbered and outmatched. James has taken down three more since I arrived, and Connor is helping Dylan corner the last of the attackers near the stream. One by one, the enemy begins to fall back, melting into the trees like it’s a practiced retreat.
They’re not running in panic. They’re withdrawing on command.
Then I see him.
Rafe is looming at the edge of the tree line in human form, watching the battle with a bemused smile. He’s younger than I expected, mid-twenties at most, with his father’s angular features and his brother’s cruel smirk. Even from this distance, I can see the corruption lurking beneath his skin in mottled patches that pulse faintly in the moonlight.
When he spots me, he smiles even wider.
I call for the change, needing to face him as a man. The transformation rips through me, and then I’m standing on two legs, naked and covered in blood, with my chest heaving with exertion.
“Bryan Dinac,” Rafe calls my name across the battlefield like we’re old friends meeting at a dinner party. “I’ve been looking forward to this moment for a very long time.”
“Can’t say the feeling is mutual. You want to finish this? Let’s finish it. Right here, right now.”
He laughs, and the sound reminds me of his brother. “Tempting. But no. Tonight was just a taste. A demonstration of what’s to come.”
“Your wolves are dead or running. Doesn’t seem like much of a demonstration to me.”
“I know about the woman. The healer. Your mate.” He lets the word linger between us before he adds, “She’s quite beautiful, isn’t she? I can see why you came running back to Silvercreek after all these years.”
Every muscle in my body goes rigid. “If you touch her—”
“You’ll what? Kill me like you killed my brother?” Rafe shakes his head and clucks his tongue. “You don’t understand yet, do you? This isn’t about a quick death, Bryan. This is about suffering. This is about making you watch as I take apart everything you love, piece by piece, until there’s nothing left but ashes and regret.”
“I’ll rip your throat out before you get anywhere near her.”
“Maybe. Maybe not.” He takes a step backward, melting into the shadows beneath the trees. “But you can’t protect her forever. You can’t be everywhere at once. Sooner or later, you’ll slip. And when you do, I’ll be waiting.”
James appears at my side in human form with blood dripping from a cut above his eyebrow. “Bryan. Let him go. We need to regroup.”
Everything in me wants to chase Rafe into those trees, to end this threat before it can grow any larger. But James is right. Chasing a Cheslem wolf into unfamiliar darkness is exactly how operatives get killed. Rafe knows these woods now. He’s been watching, learning, and preparing.
Tonight was a test. And I have a sickening feeling we passed exactly the way he wanted us to.
Rafe’s voice drifts back through the darkness, faint but clear. “This is only the beginning, Bryan. Give my regards to your mate.”
Then he’s gone, swallowed by the night, leaving nothing but destruction and the promise of more to come.
Chapter 16 - Skylar
Blood soaks through the gauze faster than I can replace it.
