Page 52 of Midlife Wolf Captured My Heart

“How did you find out so soon?” one of the hunters asked.

Robert glared at her and she shrank back.

Zac growled. “We look out for each other.”

“We won’t give them back until we talk to their alphas.” Robert crossed his arms over his chest and looked defiant.

Matthias grinned at him. “You got us. We want the women.”

“I don’t think so. My boys might want to have a little fun with them. They’re injured because the little bitches thought they could fight off five of us, so they won’t last long, anyway.”

One of the hunters held up his arm, which had been viciously bitten by a wolf. Another had four claw marks across his chest. They were deep and would have been painful.

A red haze clouded Dakota’s vision. He growled, ready to launch himself at the hunters. Matthias’ and Zac’s forms blurred as they shifted back into their animal form. The forest came alive as dragons, bears, and wolves exploded from the trees, rushing toward the seven hunters.

Dakota charged forward, all of his fear, anger, and worry fueling his movements. He had one goal – get to that cave and save Sadie. As teeth snapped and claws slashed around him, Dakota barreled through the mass of fighting bodies.

One of the hunters raised his gun, but Zac’s powerful jaws snapped down the hunter’s arm. The weapon thudded to the ground as the hunter yelled in pain. Zac knocked the man down and ripped out his throat.

Matthias stood up on his hind legs. With one powerful swipe of his paw, he sent one of the hunters flying through the air. The man crashed into a tree. Matthias went after him.

Dakota and Sebastian rushed toward the cave. Two hunters jumped in front of them. One of them was pointing a gun at Sebastian, who was the bigger of the two wolves. The other waved a knife in Dakota’s face.

Without thinking or stopping, Dakota put his head down and hit the man squarely in the chest. The hunter hit the ground hard, his knife skittering across the ground. The man with the pistol got a shot off at Sebastian. He ducked and launched at the hunter, going straight for the man’s throat.

The battle continued as Sebastian and Dakota rushed into the cave. Dakota was furious when he saw the two women huddled together against the cave wall. Both of them barely moved when Sebastian and Dakota got to them. The two wolves shifted immediately.

“The hunter said you were hurt,” Sebastian said. “How. Where?”

They moved and Dakota could clearly see that both women had bled profusely. “I was shot in the hip. I’ll be okay. Sadie was stabbed in the side. She hasn’t moved in a while.”

“I’m alive.” Sadie’s voice was very weak.

“I’ll fucking kill them all,” Dakota roared.

“I feel you, Brother, but they’re being taken care of. We have to get them off this mountain and to the doctor.”

Dakota nodded. They picked up the women and walked back to where they hid their clothes. After quickly dressing, they picked up their women and carried them back down the mountain. Dakota knew that Sadie and Talia must have been in excruciating pain, but neither of them said anything. He was certain that Sadie passed out shortly after they started back to their trucks.

Fear and fury consumed him as he and Sebastian moved as quickly as they could in the dark. A guilty thought nagged him as he carried the woman he loved. “How could he leave the woman he loved now? But how could he not, when there was a chance of a lifetime waiting for him?”

23

Sadie

The sounds of fighting outside brought Sadie back to consciousness. Sadie’s vision swam as she fought to hold on.

“I told you they would come for us and we didn’t have to wait until morning. Sadie, are you awake?”

Talia’s voice penetrated Sadie’s mind, but she couldn’t find the strength to answer.

“Sadie. Talia.” Sebastian’s voice seemed to bounce off the cave walls.

Sebastian asked where the women were hurt and Talia explained their injuries. Sadie knew Dakota was furious that someone had hurt her. She would have smiled at the knowledge that he cared so much if she wasn’t in so much pain.

Dakota gently lifted her, sending a sharp pain shooting through her body. She bit her lip to keep from crying out. Sadie didn’t want to show weakness and didn’t want to enrage him further.

“Don’t look around.” Dakota’s voice was low and husky.

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