This may be nothing, perhaps only guilt troubling Aura. Still, I worry about what will happen when she sees her child again. Will she want to reclaim her from the family that has cared for and bonded with her? Will we find ourselves in conflict with the wolves?
There would be no contest, but we don’t make enemies lightly. No predator can easily harm us, but even the strongest can fall to a surprise attack. I don’t welcome the need for constant vigilance, especially now that I must ensure our mate’s safety.
With Aura’s help, we land in the clearing behind the wolves’ cottage before dawn, shifting quickly and securing the cloth around our waists.
What we find around the corner turns Aura’s silence into a cry of terror.
The front door of the wolves’ cabin hangs open on broken hinges. The wet ground is trampled and marked withboth animal and human tracks. The metallic scent of blood reaches me before we cross the threshold. The furniture is overturned. The hearth is cold. Blood stains the floor. A child’s blanket lies crumpled beneath the shattered window.
Aura rushes forward, calling her daughter’s name. I catch her before she collapses.
“They took her,” she whispers. “They took her. Anatol. Bruno. I know it.” She shakes so violently I fear she might break. “They couldn’t reach me, so they took her. Nixon promised they would protect her. How could this happen?”
Before I can respond, a shape bursts from the hallway.
I pivot, flame already rising.
But it’s only a young wolf shifter with frantic, wide eyes.
“Who are you?” he shouts, hands raised.
“We came to find the child,” I say.
“Ahya. My child,” Aura gasps.
The male stares at her, confusion on his face. “They came quickly,” he says, voice shaking. “Bruno and Anatol, and at least half a dozen more. I can smell them everywhere. I was patrolling the forest. Nixon, Reed, and Finn must have been overwhelmed. Scarlet—” His voice breaks. “By the time I returned, the twins were screaming.”
“Twins?”
“Scarlet’s babies. There was a blanket over their crib. She must have hidden them before they could be discovered. They’re safe.”
Aura’s fingers dig into my arms. “Ahya?”
He lowers his gaze.
“They took her with the rest.”
The words fall like a death sentence.
Aura’s breath catches. For a moment, I fear she will break, so I hold her tighter.
Before we can respond, the sound of crunching leaves draws our attention.
Three large men step into view from the woods, tall and heavily built, with the quiet presence of predators. My dragon senses identify their scent almost immediately.
Bear shifters.
Their leader steps forward, dark-bearded, eyes weary but sharp. His hand rests near his thigh, ready.
“I’m Hunter,” he says. “This is Robert. And Evan. We’re friends of the pack that lives here. We got an SOS, but we were out of town. Came as fast as we could. Caleb, are you unharmed?”
The young wolf shifter twists his hands restlessly. “I wasn’t here. I should have been here.”
“Then you would have been taken too,” Hunter says kindly.
His gaze shifts to Aura, lingering on the runes across her skin. His nostrils flare as he notes Kelan’s silver stare and Ronyn’s restrained scowl. Suspicion fills the air.
I step forward and raise my hands in peace. Someone must prevent this from becoming another battlefield.
