Page 68 of Hunted

Luke cocked his head to the side when there was a moment’s pause in the fight as the two groups of wolves slowly circled each other before the next assault.

Bodies were strewn all around them on the ground, and the two sides were now more evenly matched.

Luke realized that outside of the battle, there was complete silence in the forest.

The howling, and the sounds of ripping and tearing and biting and shrieking had sent all the small animals into hiding. Even the breeze had stilled.

The total silence lasted another beat.

Then Christian’s wolves leaped forward, their assault beginning anew, more ferocious than ever.

Luke and Dominic were behind a line of Moonstone soldiers.

Luke whipped around when he heard rustling behind him.

His eyes widened, and then narrowed, as he saw Abigail and Bert fending off a small group of wolves. They were successful, but the thought of her fighting made his heart jump into his throat. Then his attention was drawn back to the fight.

Keep your head on straight, Abigail,Luke sent the thought in her direction as if she’d actually hear him, but he needed her to be smart.

She couldn’t get hurt.

He couldn’tlether get hurt.

But Luke couldn’t focus on Abigail because right then he got a claw to his muzzle.

The battle raged on.

It was after midnight when the wolves of the Crimson Claw pack were finally defeated, their survivors completely incapacitated.

The moon hung half full, yet heavy, in the sky. And even though the moon was waning, its light was still bright enough to illuminate every one of the dead or injured Crimson Claw wolves.

Luke and Dominic left the betas to take care of their prisoners while they went to find Abigail.

“She’ll be with Esme and Bert,” Luke said as he finished the shift to his human form.

They each grabbed a pair of pants that was waiting for them for this very moment, and then together they jogged to the back of the compound.

Esme was waiting on her porch with her shotgun over her knee.

A large, gray wolf lay on the ground next to her, and Luke did not miss the way Esme’s wizened foot stroked the wolf’s ear.

“Where is Abigail?” Luke and Dominic spoke in unison.

Esme’s eyes shot open with alarm and she sat up straight.

“What do you mean? I thought she was with you?”

“No, she isn’t. She hasn’t been. I saw her with Bert earlier.” A lump had risen into Luke’s throat as panic overtook him.

Bert, the wolf, gave a growl and shook his head.

“She left?” Esme asked her husband. The wolf growled again.

Bert shifted back to human so he could speak. “She left to find anyone who had been left behind in the fight.”

Luke looked at Dominic, and the worry he felt was reflected on the other alpha’s face.

“Let’s look around the compound first,” Luke suggested quietly. Somehow, he had swallowed his panic enough to speak.

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