Malik sneered. “They’re monsters, Joey. They always have been, and they always will be. So, please know that if you ever show up with yellow eyes and fur down your back—”
James held up a hand, silencing him before he could finish his threat. “I don’t even know who you are right now, Joanna. You’re different… And your sister would be so disappointed in you.”
I staggered back as if James had physically struck me. His words cut deep, the mention of Latoya sending a wave of pain that crashed over me. I could almost see her face, her eyes filled with betrayal. The thought made my stomach churn, my breath hitching in my throat.
“James,” I pleaded. I brushed away a tear with the back of my hand. “That’s the second time you’ve bastardized my sister’s memory. There won’t be a third.”
James looked at me, his nostrils flaring. “And that’s the second time you’ve threatened me, Joanna. Your friend.” He shook his head. “And there will not be a third.”
He looked around at the hunters before his piercing gaze landed back on me. “I can’t fight alongside creatures I don’t trust. Werewolves… or humans.” He faced the hunters once again. “You all are welcome to stay and fight if you are compelled to… But God be with you if you do.”
With that, James walked past me without so much as a nod of goodbye. Hunters in the clearing followed behind him, their hands on their weapons. But the werewolves stood still and let them pass, Robert’s command still ringing in their ears.
When the shuffling finally stopped, I looked up to see what damage had been done. Glancing around, I realized only a third of the hunters had stayed. I nodded at them, grateful for their support, but when my eyes landed on Malik, I gasped.
He stepped forward. “Yes, I’m staying. Someone’s got to make sure you don’t fuck this up even more.”
A few more hunters approached, their expressions resolute. Rebecca was among them, her eyes meeting mine with a nod of support. Jeffery had left with James.
Just as I was about to express my gratitude, Robert rushed to my side, cradling his arm. “Thomas isn’t alone.”
Grace stood beside us. “So, it’s not a capture mission. It’s a mission to end this shit once and for all.”
Adrenaline surged through me, making my heart pound. “That’s it, then. We move now.”
Grace and Robert sprang into action, rallying the werewolves with quick, efficient orders. The remaining hunters readied their weapons, their faces set with courage.
Malik stepped up beside me, a wicked sword in each hand. “Let’s do this, Little Red.”
Chapter Fifteen
Marcus
The wind shifted, carrying with it the scent of approaching rain and the faint trace of enemies hidden deep within the dense foliage. I crouched low, signaling Maya and Jerome to follow suit. We’d tracked Thomas and his traitors to an abandoned warehouse.
Maya growled low in her throat, her eyes scanning ahead. “If what you say is true, there are more than we expected, Marcus,” she whispered.
I nodded grimly, counting the heartbeats coming from within the crumbling structure. At least eighty rogue wolves.
This was no mere gathering.
It was an army.
“I’ve already warned the others,” I said, turning to Maya. “They know to approach with caution. You’ve taught Grace and Robert well; remember that.”
Maya looked at me, her face calm but laced with the weight of rational doubt. “We can’t take on this many alone.”
I clenched my jaw. “We aren’t alone. We just need to pray that enough humans grew some balls.” As Jerome reached to rest a reassuring hand on Maya’s shoulder, my right ear started to twitch. “And it looks like we won’t have to wait to see if the Goddess has answered those prayers. Time to double back and meet the others.”
We moved through the forest, retracing our steps to rendezvous with our pack. The first drops of rain fell as we approached the checkpoint, the cool dampness doing little to quell the burning anxiety in my chest.
As we broke through the tree line, I caught sight of Joanna. Her posture was rigid, her face blanketed in courage. But her eyes… her eyes held a storm of emotion that mirrored the dreary weather approaching.
My wolves waited patiently—anxiously—as the hunters wrapped bandages around the hilts of a few silver knives.
Joanna’s gaze snapped to mine as we approached, and I could see the questions and worries that plagued her. I wanted to go to her, to pull her into my arms and promise her that everything would be alright, but I knew better.
“How many?” Joanna asked with a steady voice.
