‘I missed you so much,’I whimpered through our imprint. His feelings mixed with mine and I sifted through each one. Love, protection, anxiety, trepidation, loyalty.
“We can’t stay out here, sir. We’re too exposed.” I recognized that voice as the dreadlocked army captain dude who I had met briefly before.
Sawyer kept his arms tightly around me, and turned to walk away as I watched over his shoulder while he carried me, refusing to let me go. Rab and his men lined up with the Paladins who had volunteered to protect Wolf City, and I noticed Arrow and his brother give each other curt nods before they whispered under their breath.
Rab was probably telling his little brother about the Ithaki all but declaring war with their attack on us.
“You shouldn’t have come,” Sawyer whispered in my ear as he held me tightly to his chest and walked us both up the hill to a building I didn’t recognize. “It’s too dangerous for you, my love.” When we reached the top, he finally slid me down his body so that I could stand.
“Why are you wearing that dress?” He looked confused as he fully took me in. I’m sure he didn’t know it was a Paladin wedding dress, but it was a fancy dress and not ideal for traipsing through the woods. My knees were stained with dirt too. Not my Pinterest wedding look.
“Sawyer, I—”
“We need to get you inside.” Captain Dreadlocks used his body to shepherd Sawyer and I toward the building. Sage slipped next to me and gave me a quick side hug before moving back into the line of warriors around us.
I looked up at the building, perplexed. It was a single-level brick building that looked like it was used for industrial purposes, like a water treatment plant or something. It was not where I imagined Sawyer hiding out. As we neared a tall chain-link fence that glowed with a magical green hue, I saw two figures standing at either side of the opening.
Witches.
They came. My idea worked!
Sawyer seemed to know what I was thinking.‘We are now officially taking witch and warlock refugees in exchange for service to the war. It was a brilliant idea, Demi.’
The witches saw Sawyer approaching and snapped their fingers, causing an opening to form in the protective green bubble. We stepped through and I frowned as I noticed the dilapidated state the building was in. “What about your parents’ house? Is this where you’re stationed now?”
The concrete walls were stained with red rust that ran in thin rivulets down the dusty gray slabs. The roof was patched with a blue tarp and looked like it would cave in at any moment. This surely wasn’t where the alpha of Werewolf City commanded a war.
Sawyer met Dreadlocks’ gaze and something passed between them before he sighed to me. “My parents’ house is gone, Demi. The opposition is going after well-known places. This one is safer. We move every twelve hours.”
My legs gave out then and Sawyer caught me. His house was gone, the school was gone … I’d only been away for a day and it seemed the entire city was falling to enemy hands. “Your mother?” I gasped.
“She’s fine. We got her out and into the bunker with everyone else.” Sawyer’s voice was devoid of any emotion.
Shock ripped through me. My parents were in a bunker, the school was gone, Sawyer’s parents’ house was gone.
“Why did you come, Demi? What did you need to tell me? I’m almost scared to ask.” Sawyer’s voice was low as we stood just under the entryway of the broken building.
My throat seized up, unable to say the words, unable to find my strength. Everyone else was inside of the fenced area but giving us privacy. Still … a few would hear.
‘Demi, you’re scaring me, love, and I’m not sure how much more I can take.’
A tear slid down my cheek. “Sawyer, the Paladins are … they’re in rough shape. Their crops have a black fungus and the land is dying. On top of that, their children being born arehuman.All because they don’t have an acting alpha.”
Sawyer’s eyes widened. “Human? What do you mean?”
“They aren’t like city wolves. Their wolf is more tied to alpha magic and the land than it is to genetics I guess. I don’t understand it all. I just know that I can’t turn my back on them. They are a beautiful people.”
Sawyer rubbed his temples and nodded. “Okay. Alright, we will figure it out. You can be their alpha and I’ll be the Werewolf City alpha, and I’ll build a fucking mansion right on the center line of our two lands if I have to, Demi. Whatever you need. Whatever it takes to keep us together.”
The sob I had been keeping inside ripped from my throat then and Sawyer frowned, reaching for me.
“I thought that was a good thing to say? Why are you crying?” The poor guy looked so confused, I knew I just needed to come out with it. He was so fucking perfect and he didn’t even know.
“Sawyer, I can’t just declare myself their alpha like you can. I have to earn it,” I told him.
He went very still then, eyes thinning to slits. “How?” His voice was thick with his wolf and I knew what he was thinking: a barbaric dominance fight, but it was so much worse than that.
I swallowed hard. “I need to go away for a few days … maybe longer. I need to go into the Dark Woods and—”
