Page 11 of Wolves in Love

It would be his chance to turn against the Shadowed Stars. Why would he bother to continue to fight the Wild Shades when he could go after and maybe even eliminate his most hated enemy?

Your father will kill you.

He nuzzled her neck. I’ll be able to protect you finally.

Her wolf eyes pierced through him, cutting away at his pain, searing a hole into him. She had to be able to see his soul, to see his heart, to know the love he bore for her. There was no need to say the words.

After a long moment, she looked away and pawed at the dirt and grass. There’s no guarantee he’ll stop.

But there’s a chance, and I’m willing to try.

You can barely walk. You’ll never make it through all of the wolves to find your father. Stop being ridiculous—

Your life isn’t ridiculous. Your husband might not have cared about his people, but we dragged the Wild Shades into this carnage. They deserve to have a real chance to return home. I might be able to provide that for them. I’m willing to try. He moved to step away from their safe haven.

Misti limped faster than him and blocked him. Don’t do this.

Why not? he howled simply. Give me one reason why I shouldn’t.

I…

You don’t have one. And that’s fine. He tried to tell himself that even if she had declared her undying love for him that he wouldn’t have caved, but he knew he would have. When it came to her, he was weak.

But she did not love him. How could she when she thought he had killed her husband out of jealousy? He opened his mouth to howl out the truth about Talon but refrained. Why sully the man? He was dead. He couldn’t hurt his people, or Misti, any longer, and that was all that mattered. He had tried to tell Misti the truth already, and she hadn’t been willing to listen. Now, there wasn’t time for him to waste on rehashing the details.

You will survive this. Just promise me that when you are claimed that you find a werewolf who is worthy of you, and you claim him back too. Promise me you’ll have cubs and you’ll run wild, not just at night but during the day too. The sun on your back… He broke off his howl. He’d never see another moonrise. He’d never run with her as a wolf again. Hell, he wouldn’t even be able to run up to his father. No more kisses, no more love, just death, its harsh embrace, chilling him for all time.

Anders—

Promise me.

Anders, don’t—

Promise me. Anders snapped his fangs near her nose. But he couldn’t be angry with her, not for long, and he licked her nose. Please promise me.

The sight before him was a beautiful, bent but not broken wolf. The spectacle of a tear trickling down her blood-streaked fur was almost more than he could take.

Don’t make me beg.

I promise.

That was all he needed to hear. Anders forced himself around her and out of their small sanctuary. He would avoid the fighting as best he could. Find some high ground and locate his father.

And then he would die for Misti. He would die so that she and the others might live.

If it turned out to be for naught, at least he had tried. He had made a lot of mistakes in his life, but this would not be one of them.

With a low howl, he started to track down his father. It was time to end this.

9

Misti couldn’t believe he would be so reckless with his life. Who does he think he is that his life would mean so much to end this carnage?

It cut through her emotionally more than her physical ailments hurt her. The last thing she wanted was for a single wolf to die, not even Anders.

Anders, who had wanted to claim her.

Anders, who had been the only werewolf she had laid with and multiple times at that.

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