Leo tackled her to the ground, his claws ripping through her shoulder. Joanna screamed, the pain in her voice deafening as she struggled against him.
Fury surged through me. With a roar, I charged toward them, my heels digging into the stone floor as I propelled myself forward. I slammed into Leo, tearing him off Joanna, my hand finding his throat.
I squeezed hard, my own claws piercing his flesh, clamping down with all my wolf’s strength. Leo yelped, his body going limp as I tore at his throat. I released him, his body slumping to the ground, life fading from his eyes.
I turned to Joanna, my pulse thundering in my ears. She lay on the ground, her breaths strained, her gaze losing its strength. Blood stained her dress, the crimson silk darkening from her wounds. I shifted back to my human form, my body trembling.
“Joanna,” I whispered, dropping to my knees beside her. I scooped her into my arms, cradling her against my chest. “No, no, no. Open your eyes.”
She stirred. “I’m… not dead yet,” she murmured, a wan smile playing at her lips. “That would be a waste… of a bitchin’ new battle scar.”
Around us, the fight was dying down, my pack having gained the upper hand. The rogues lay defeated, their bodies scattered across the sacred ground, defiled by their treachery. The fire, however, continued to rage, threatening to consume everything in its path.
Maya approached, her naked body smudged with soot, her eyes reflecting the inferno. “Marcus, we have to go.”
My grip tightened around Joanna once I realized Thomas’s body was nowhere to be found. “Gather the pack. It’s no longer safe here. Head to Cedar Grove.”
Maya nodded and hurried off, delivering my orders to the others. They moved swiftly, helping the injured and ushering the young wolves to safety.
As we made our way out of the Den, the flames licked at our heels, the heat intense and unforgiving.
I looked down at Joanna, her eyes fluttering as she lost consciousness from the blood loss. “Stay with me, Joey,” I whispered. “We need you… I need you.”
And with those words, I carried her into the night, the flames of the Den casting a blood-red glow on the sky above us.
Chapter Twelve
Joanna
Consciousness returned slowly. The first thing I registered was the softness beneath me—a bed, not the cold, hard ground of the Den. Next came the scent of smoke clinging to my hair. But beneath that, a faint whisper of pine and earth…
Marcus.
My eyes fluttered open to a dimly lit room. The walls were log-cabin rustic, decorated with old, framed paintings and flickering lanterns. I was in Cedar Grove, then. Safe.
I tried to sit up, but intense pain in my shoulder made me hiss and sinkback down. Right.
The memories of the attack flooded back. The fire. Lucas, frozen in fear. Marcus, tearing a wolf off me, his eyes wild with rage.
A soft knock sounded at the door, and Maya entered. She looked exhausted, and to my surprise, her eyes were warm with concern.
“You’re awake,” she said, crossing to the bed, the hems of her pants dragging on the floor. “How do you feel?”
“Like I went ten rounds with a werewolf,” I rasped, my throat dry.
Maya poured a glass of water from the pitcher on the nightstand and handed it to me. “Here, drink.”
I took the glass, my hand shaking slightly. Maya noticed but said nothing.
“The others?” I asked, handing the glass back.
“The ones who made it out are safe. Some are pretty banged up, but Sarah’s tended to them, so we’re optimistic. Lucas is still… shaken, but he was never harmed, thanks to you.”
“Sarah?”
She nodded. “Our healer. The one you can thank for those.”
I followed her gaze to the bandages peeking from my tank top, crossing diagonally across my chest. I nodded, thankful indeed. “And Marcus?”
