Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 108368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
The red wolf suddenly bucked, snapping her teeth. There would be no submission, the white wolf then knew. Despite knowing that part of her human side would be sad to take a life, the white wolf didn’t hesitate to act. Using her back paw, she sliced open her opponent’s midsection as she twisted her neck, tearing out the red wolf’s throat.
It was over.
The wolf backed away from the dead body, turning at her mate’s voice. He knelt beside her, wrapping one arm around her neck and stroking her head with his free hand as he spoke words the wolf didn’t understand. As Ally pushed for supremacy, the wolf rubbed her body once against his before pulling back to give her human side full control.
Breathing hard, Ally sank into Derren’s arms. A hiss of pain escaped her as her injuries rubbed against his jacket. “I’m getting blood on you.”
“I don’t care.” He kissed her forehead, disappointed that he couldn’t kiss her mouth but not wanting to taste Rachelle’s blood. Watching his mate battle, even though she’d been the dominant fighter throughout, had been agonizing. He’d winced at every cut, every strike, every kick, and every bite. Feeling her pain and fatigue had only made it worse.
Jaime handed Ally a bottle of water. “Here, sweetie.”
Hand shaking slightly, Ally gratefully took it and practically inhaled a long swig. She allowed Derren to help her stand, surprised when her knees didn’t buckle. Removing his coat, he wrapped it around her; it fell to midthigh on Ally. The pressure of the material made her scratches sting, but she gritted her teeth against the pain.
Hearing a gut-wrenching sob followed by a soul-deep cry, she looked at Zeke. He had his arm wrapped around his stomach, clearly in agony as he crouched beside the red wolf. Ally didn’t know what it was like to feel a mating bond break, only knew that the more developed the bond was, the more painful it would be to break.
“I’m sorry that you’ve lost your mate,” she told him. “I gave her the chance to submit. My wolf gave her the chance.”
Standing behind him, Matt gave her a nod. “Zeke knows the rules of our culture. When Rachelle didn’t submit, you had no choice but to end it the way you did.” He rubbed at his nape, sighing heavily. “Ally, I’m sorry I doubted you, that I let you down so badly.”
Zeke’s gaze snapped to him as he exploded, “She just killed my mate and you’re apologizing to her?”
Not liking that tone whatsoever, Derren interjected, “Don’t blame Ally for this. You’re hurt that you lost your mate—I get that.” Derren wouldn’t be able to function without Ally. “But part of the blame lies with you.”
To Ally’s total surprise, all the tension left Zeke’s body as he mumbled, “I know. It took me a while to see the truth. It wasn’t until we visited your territory that I finally realized that I didn’t know my mate as well as I thought. That day, I felt how angry she was with Ally. I felt how badly she wanted to hurt her. I should have kept a closer eye on Rachelle, made sure she didn’t go after Ally again. This is on me.”
“It’s on Rachelle,” Matt adamantly stated, taking the words from Ally’s mouth. Zeke shook his head in denial, the image of absolute devastation as he stroked his mate’s flank.
Feeling like she was trespassing on what should be an extremely private moment, Ally turned to Derren. “Let’s go home.” She was exhausted, disheartened, and quickly heading for an adrenaline crash.
He kissed her forehead again. “Gladly,” he replied, echoing her earlier sentiment.
As he went to guide her to the SUV, Taryn appeared in front of her, looking impressed. “I don’t know how the fuck you switch forms like that, but you gotta teach me.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
The moment they exited the SUV, the door to the main lodge flew open and several Mercury wolves and her uncles came rushing out. Ally undoubtedly would have winced at every tight hug if Taryn hadn’t ridden with them during the journey so she could heal her.
Strangely, Shaya had a pair of shears in her hand. Frowning, Ally asked, “What are they for?”
An innocent smile took over the Alpha female’s face as she hid them behind her back. “Nothing.” Then she exchanged a knowing look with Taryn and Jaime, both of whom now radiated an amusement that tickled Ally. With an inner shrug, Ally made her way into the lodge. The Mercury and Phoenix wolves all followed.
Inside the living area, Bracken coaxed Ally to sit on the sofa while Kathy handed her a mug of some kind of mint-smelling tea. Caleb tucked a blanket around her, and Kent offered her a cookie. Taking one, she leaned into Derren and quietly asked, “Why are they fussing?”