Page 78 of Tangled Fates

Keep your eyes peeled, Hudson said. I don’t have a good feeling about this.

His scent is strong, Levi said as he stopped quickly to sniff the ground. We’re getting close.

Alpha, permission to rush up ahead and check for dangers? Dean asked.

I nodded and toned down my running a bit. Stay safe for me, all right?

He rushed ahead of us. Always.

As Dean made his way out in front of us, the sound of the rolling, rushing waters grew louder. Even I smelled Brody around the corner, and for once I felt hope cascade through my veins. Maybe this time, we’d actually be able to bring him home. Maybe this time, we’d actually find him.

Over there! Levi exclaimed as he lunged to the left. There’s a cave over here! Come on!

What is it with you and these caves? Hudson asked.

It was actually a really good question. One I wanted answers to, for starters. But I pushed everything out of my head so as to not muddle our groupthink.

Any sign of him, guys?

Levi put his nose to the ground. Follow me. I’ve got his scent.

What’s that in the cave? Hudson asked.

The soft whimpering sound is what caught my ear first, but when I saw the shadow moving in the mouth of the cave, I took off in a dead sprint. I leapt over everyone’s heads, dropping down to my feet and shaking the ground beneath me. Water splashed up from the river, coating my backside and causing me to growl as I charged toward the mouth of the cave.

And when I found Brody’s chocolate brown wolf staring up at me with those tired, steel gray eyes of his, I quickly shifted into my human form.

Fully-clothed.

“Oh, thank fuck,” I said breathlessly. “You guys! He’s over here! Hurry!”

It—it hurts.

“Show me where it hurts,” I said as I stroked Brody’s snout. “Show me.”

The second he tilted onto his side, I saw the gaping wound on his back. It was about three inches off from his spine, and the bloody sinew of his muscles made me heave. Bugs crawled around in his wound, and some of them had already laid a host ground of larvae eggs that poked out from between the puncture holes in his skin.

“Jesus Christ,” Hudson said as he shifted and sprinted toward us.

“Here we go,” Dean said as he morphed as well, “let’s get him onto his stomach.”

I’ll keep a lookout, Levi said as he stayed in wolf form, placing himself between us and the rest of the world.

I’m—I’m not healing. Why—why am I not healing, Raven?

I shook my head. “Those sons of bitches laced their claws and teeth with a poisonous venom. It’s preventing you from healing. I have to get it out of your veins, otherwise it’s going to kill you. Okay?”

Brody nodded helplessly. What do I do?

I peeked over at Hudson. “I need you to help me hold him still. This isn’t going to feel good.”

With a nod of his head, that all-black wolf of his showed back up and promptly splayed himself against Brody’s body. As he squished Brody’s back down, I watched the larvae eggs and live bugs spew from the wound. How long it had been open like that, I had no idea, and the creepy-crawly sensation that cascaded over my entire body rushed goosebumps over all of my limbs.

Bile crept up the back of my throat, threatening to give away just how sickening the wound had become. But for Brody’s sake, I managed to swallow it back down.

Even though the sour taste stuck around.

“All right, on the count of three,” I said as I placed my hands on either side of his wound. “One, two?—”

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