Bryan’s hand squeezes my shoulder. “I’d much rather you—”
“I’m a healer. This is what I do. I’m not asking to fight, but you can’t ask me to sit on the sidelines while our people are in danger. You wouldn’t do it, and neither will I.”
He stares at me for a long moment, and I can see the war playing out behind his eyes. The desire to keep me safe battles with his understanding of who I am and what I need.
Finally, he exhales. “Fine. But you stay behind the front lines, and you don’t take any unnecessary risks. The moment things get dangerous, you fall back. Promise me.”
“I promise.”
He pulls me close and rests his forehead against mine. We stay like that for a moment, breathing together, drawing strength from each other, and then I whisper, “Let’s go save our home.”
Chapter 23 - Bryan
The first Cheslem wolf breaks through the tree line just as the sun crests the eastern ridge.
I’m standing at the edge of the pack house grounds with Nic on my left and Thomas on my right. Behind us, the evacuation teams are still moving people toward the safe zones Luna identified. James has his earpiece in, coordinating the last of the bomb disposal efforts. His voice comes through so low I can barely hear over the pounding of my own heart. We’ve found five of the six explosives so far. The sixth is buried somewhere in the school’s foundation, where Luna’s magic can’t quite reach.
We’re running out of time.
“Here they come,” Nic announces. “Hold the line until the civilians are clear. Then we push them back.”
More wolves pour from the forest. Twenty, thirty, more than I can count. They fan out across the open ground between the trees and the pack house. Rafe has been planning this attack for years, maybe. Every move we’ve made has played into his hands.
Until now.
I spot him at the center of his forces. He’s still in human form, and his wolves flank him on either side. He’s wearing all black, and his dark hair is slicked back. Even from this distance, I can see the smile stretching across his face. He thinks he’s already won. He thinks Silvercreek is about to burn, and everyone I love will burn with it.
He’s wrong.
Rafe’s voice carries across the field, amplified by some magic I don’t recognize. “I was hoping you’d be here, Bryan. Itwouldn’t be the same without you watching everything you care about turn to ash.”
I step ahead of Nic and Thomas. This is my fight. Rafe came here because of me, and he’ll die because of me, too.
“Your explosives are being dismantled as we speak,” I tell him. “Whatever you planned, it’s over. Surrender now, and maybe Nic will let you live long enough to regret your choices.”
Rafe laughs. Several of his wolves laugh with him.
“You think I didn’t plan for that? You think I put all my eggs in one basket?” He spreads his arms wide. “The explosives were a distraction. A way to keep your pack busy while my real forces moved into position.”
“Then why are you still talking?” I take another step forward. “If you’ve already won, why not just attack?”
“Because I want you to understand.” Something ugly moves behind his eyes. “I want you to know exactly why this is happening before I tear your throat out. You killed my brother. You destroyed my family’s legacy. Everything that’s about to happen is because of you.”
“Your brother was a murderer. Your father was a monster. Whatever legacy the Cheslem pack had, it was built on corruption and death. I don’t regret what I did. I’d do it again.”
“I know you would. That’s what makes this so satisfying.” The smile returns, but it’s darker now, edged with something that looks almost like madness. “You’re not a hero, Bryan. You’re just a killer who found a cause that let him pretend the blood on his hands was justified.”
He raises his hand, and the Cheslem wolves rush forward.
I call on my wolf and let the change rip through me. Bones snap and reform. Fur ripples across my skin. Then I’m on fourlegs and launching myself at the nearest enemy. My teeth find flesh. Hot blood floods my mouth.
The battle becomes chaos.
I lose track of time. I lose track of everything except the next threat, the next target, and the next wolf trying to kill me or the packmates fighting at my side. Dylan appears on my left. His massive body tears through a Cheslem wolf twice his size. Connor guards our flank with speed that belies his bulk. Thomas and Nic fight back-to-back, their wolves moving in perfect synchronization.
We’re holding. Barely, but we’re holding.
Then I see Rafe.
