My body contorted and twisted as my wolf took over, ripping my clothes to shreds. The world sharpened, the scents and sounds of the forest amplifying. I could smell the rogue more clearly now, his scent a rancid stench of decaying human flesh that infuriated me.
Joanna moved toward the cabin door, knife at the ready. I prowled beside her, my hackles raised. The door creaked open, revealing a dim interior. The place was a wreck. Furniture was overturned and blood was spattered across the floor. But the rogue was nowhereto be seen.
I barely fit through the doorframe as I followed Joanna inside, my claws clicking against the hardwood floor. The scent led us to a closed door at the back of the cabin.
Joanna positioned herself to the side, her back pressed against the wall. She looked at me, her eyes narrowing as she nodded. I understood her silent order and reared back, ready to break down the door.
But it swung open.
Ethan King, my beta, stood in the doorway, his eyes wild. He was shirtless, his chest smeared with blood. His torn, dirty jeans hung low, and his feet were bare. He clutched a dagger in his fist.
Ethan?I growled through our wolf bond, the shock of his betrayal a bitter taste in my mouth. He was my second-in-command. My best friend.
Ethan’s eyes flicked from me to Joanna, a confused look on his face. “Alpha,” he rasped, his voice barely recognizable as his gaze returned to me. “You shouldn’t be here.”
Joanna stepped forward, her knife pointed at him. “Drop the dagger. It’s over.”
Ethan glared at her. “It’s far from over, Joey.”
Joey?I snarled.
Ethan growled as he took a few steps back into the room. “She deserves it, Marcus,” he hissed.“They all deserve it. The humans. They’re all the same.”
Joanna’s grip on her knife tightened, her knuckles paling. “You’re sick, Ethan,”she said, voice low. “You need help.”
Ethan laughed, the eerie sound sending a chill down my spine. “Help?” he sneered. “Fuck you, Joanna.” He was trembling.
I inched forward, a low growl rumbling in my chest.Whatever this is, it ends now, my friend.
Ethan’s eyes narrowed. Without warning, he lunged, dagger slashing through the air.
I leaped to meet him, teeth bared, yet my claws drawn back. But Joanna was faster.
She stepped in front of me, her knife flashing as she deflected Ethan’s blow. The two of them clashed, a blur of steel and flesh.
I watched, heart hammering, as Joanna fought with skill and ferocity. But Ethan was strong, and his madness amplified his power. He fought wildly, his dagger stabbing with reckless abandon.
I pounced, biting into Ethan’s arm. He howled in pain, his dagger clattering to the floor.
Joanna took the opening, her blade slicing through his chest. He staggered back, eyes wide with pain.“You bitch.”
The silver blade had seared through his flesh, mirroring the fury burning in his eyes. He dove toward her again, hands reaching for Joanna’s throat.
I leaped, slamming into him, my teeth sinking into human skin as we tumbled to the floor. His strength waned, his body weakening. Nevertheless, he fought, his madness driving him on.
When Ethan’s body finally went limp beneath me, I let my guard down. And in a final surge of desperation, he managed to shove me off. I flew, crashing into a nearby table. Wood splintered, and I hit the ground hard, momentarily stunned by my lapse in judgment.
Joanna saw her chance. She lunged at Ethan, knife poised to strike.
But this time, I was faster.
I shot to my feet, intercepting her in mid-air. Our bodies collided, crashing to the floor, the impactknocking the breath from her. Her knife clattered across the floor, lost in the chaos.
“What the hell, Blackwood?” Joanna yelled, pushing against me. Her heart pounded, her breath hot against my face.
I looked up, scanning the cabin. Ethan was gone. The door hung open, rain pouring in. His scent was already fading, swallowed by the storm.
Chapter Four
