Page 73 of Cursed Wolf

My men stare at me, dread clearly painted on their faces.

“I know this isn’t how we wanted to do this, but when have we ever turned away from an impossible situation?”

“We never walk away!” Nikos snarls, striking his chest with a fist, his shoulders raised, eyes narrowing with his wolf glinting through.

The others follow suit.

“Good. We have a plan. Get your weapons and let’s go to war.”

They scramble to do just that while Lortell shows me he’s armed to the teeth beneath his clothes.

My gaze skitters over to the front door, my wolf in my chest, growling, ready for battle.

We will stand against the greater enemy, even if outnumbered, to protect those we love.

Today is not the day we die.

Moving to the bed, I take one last look at Narah. I push the hair off her brow, and she groans her sleep and rolls onto her back. Studying her for the briefest moment, I imprint this image on my mind to remind me why I’ll risk everything for her.

Leaning forward, I whisper, “I’ll always love you, my little fox, and I will always be with you.” I kiss her lightly on the brow and walk out as Crius and Nikos move in to see her. My heart squeezes so hard, I feel tears pricking my eyes. This isn’t the last time I intend to see her or my little Harmony. For them, I have to make this work.

Once my men return, we have no hesitation, no fear. They stand tall, fire blazes in their eyes, and we’re ready. Stone stands by Narah’s door, and with one final glance his way, I say, “Take good care of our girls.”

Marching to the front door, we slip into the yard. The afternoon sun beats down on us as we walk down a pebbled path past houses and the stone fence that surrounds the compound.

One of the guards yells at our approach, then there’s a blur of movement as Martell’s men emerge from all around us, closing in.

I tense with anger buried deep within me with the instinct to rip their fucking heads off. That will come soon enough.

Martell comes into view, staring directly at me. Our gazes clash, and fury bursts through me.

Tall with short dark hair, parted at the side, his head is held high, and he’s built like a barrel. A wild beard coats his jawline, and his thin lips are peeled back over a line of white teeth. He watches us with pure hatred.

His men rush us, snatching us by hair and arms, blades at our throats, forced to head toward Martell. It goes against everything, but I don’t put up a fight.

“We come to you as free Alphas,” I state. “Not with aggression but to talk.”

“Fuck you,” Martell barks like the dog he is, a death glare in his dark eyes. “You stole my fated mate and tried to steal the Savage Sector from me. Maybe in Denmark, you allow such deceit and look away like cowards, but in the Savage Sector, we’re wolves who’ll rip your fucking heads off.”

Nikos groans under his breath beside me.

“I don’t give a shit what you have to say,” Martell continues. “Tell me where you’ve hidden my Narah, and maybe I’ll consider taking pity on you.”

Crius barks a robust laugh behind me. “I’m calling bullshit.”

Growling, Martell snatches a blade from his side and storms toward us.

I tense when the guard presses the sharp bite of a blade to my throat.

“I summon the Lup Challenge, Martell.”

Martell stops feet from me, then howls with laughter.

“I think not.”

“Once it’s invoked, it must be accepted,” I growl. “You and three of your best fighters against us to the death.”

Martell picks his teeth with the tip of his blade, then lowers his gaze to me.

---