A sense of pride rushes in at his words. It makes me feel a little better, albeit only minor, knowing that someone sees the good in Nyx like I do. Beau found her as amusing as I did, enjoying the arguing and headbanging. And now that he’s mated to her best friend, the two have gotten quite close.
It’s touching to watch your family dote on your mate, knowing they love them and will protect them too.
I share his thoughts, excited for when this is all over and Mom can meet Nyx. I know she’ll love her like I do. Like Beau, Mom will probably get a kick out of our vastly different personalities.Nyx brings color into a black and white world, making it interesting and exciting.
“I’m so happy for you both,” Mom answers, beaming. “Lena and Nyx will be wonderful additions to the family.”
The two of them continue chatting as I fall into deep thoughts. I play my speech over and over in my mind, perfecting the words and tone. I only get one shot at briefing the pack. I need them to be prepared, to understand the seriousness. But it’s also my job to ensure they aren’t terrified, that I have it under control and it will be okay.
Hopefully it’s just a precaution. It’s a lot to ask people to blindly follow me into the unknown, away from their families and fated mates. But once this is all resolved, we can go back to normal. Well, as normal as my situation will allow.
Nyx will be their Luna. And I’m done allowing people like Orson delay that for me any longer.
Chapter Eight
Nyx
A part of me is taken aback by the sudden flashbacks that burst into my mind.
Images of wolves attacking me, finding dead bodies in the woods…
Tyler’s dead body.
I don’t linger on the frustration I feel toward Alpha Daxton, because right now, that’s not important. I cannot question my Alpha’s decisions. Everything is done and decided for a reason.
Clearly, Sarah was chosen for her abilities—whatever they might be. As much as I wished for her to be taken off boundary duty for the sake of Reese, she’s a strong pack member. Replacing her could be dangerous, which is likely why she was still assigned duty.
It doesn’t quite fix the situation though…
Sarah’s wolf whimpers behind me, the smell of blood threatening to send me into a panic. I have no idea how injured she is. All I did was run.
Now that I’m able to fully assess the situation, I can only hope that Reese has been successful in reaching someone.
“Are you okay?” I quickly ask Sarah through mind link, but she doesn’t answer.
Panicked, I turn my head, a small moment of relief as I see her chest inflate with ragged, pained breaths.
She’s alive. Barely, but alive. That’s all that matters.
That was my mistake though, one I’m sure none of the alphas would ever make.
Never turn your back on your enemy…
I hear the swift sound of bodies moving, spotting them in my peripheral vision. Quickly, I turn back to brace myself but I’m too slow.
One of them charges at me hard, colliding Mira into the thick trunk of a nearby tree. It cracks and creaks under the weight, both of us wincing at the sudden burst of pain.
I try to ignore it though, quickly pushing to my feet, using the base of the tree to launch forward.
The other wolf and I slam into each other with equal strength, landing on the ground as we both try to grab whatever flesh we can.
Teeth sink into my front leg but I already have a hold on his neck, clamping down with as much pressure as I can manage. Mira’s head shakes violently, dragging the wolf in different directions as the taste of blood fills our mouth.
Someone barrels into me from the side, but I refuse to let go, jaw locked tight. As I’m sent careening into the dark, I feel the tension break. Flesh rips violently, a loud howl suddenly cut short as the wolf hits the ground with a thud.
His friend sprints through the growing pool of blood unfazed, crashing into me. I land on my injured front leg, the limb buckling slightly as I try to regain balance. Before I can, a second body hits me from the other side, two sets of teeth plunging through my fur and into my hard skin.
It hurts. A lot.
