Page 91 of Wolf Alliance

The boys opened their eyes and looked at Accalia, seemingly not understanding her, but then they heard the fighting. They hurried to remove their clothes and shifted while she finished undressing and turned into her wolf. Whoever had sliced his sword through the tent had stopped, the sword withdrawn. She suspected Erik had taken the enemy down.

“Wolves, aye,” Niamh said, quickly removing her clothing and shifting.

The boys stayed with her until the tent collapsed. Accalia, Niamh, and the boys struggled to get out from under it. Accalia shifted and found the opening. Jerking it open, she helped the boys and Niamh out of the tent, shifted again, and left the tent. She was scared to death for the boys and Niamh.

Now she, Niamh, and the boys were out in the pouring rain. Lightning still flashed across the sky and in streaks striking the ground off in the distance. Thunder sounded moments afterward. The boys jumped a little. A wolf’s chewed-up body lay next to the tent.

Accalia glanced around at the men in combat—heads, arms, and legs bloodied, their swords slicing at each other, sweat pouring down their faces. Every man fought as viciously as he could to be the victor. As a wolf, Erik grabbed a warrior’s leg with his hefty bite and pulled the man off his horse. He tore into him before he could cut him with his sword, Eric’s fur coat already wearing blood. She prayed it wasn’t his blood, but one of the rogues he’d been fighting.

Then she saw Freigard battling Erik’s brother Finlay, trying to cut him in two. Finlay was bleeding from a head wound. She had to reach him and help him against the devil himself. Erik still fought the man he had pulled from his horse and tore into his throat with his wicked wolf’s teeth.

Once the man fell to the ground dead, Erik tried to reach Freigard, but other men kept rushing in to fight him. The only way to stop these men from coming after Accalia, threatening the boys, Erik, and his kin, was to eliminate Freigard.

She knew that he wasn’t going to give up in his pursuit to have her or kill her. And she had to do everything she could to help Erik and his men in the fight to stop the villains.

She meant to stay with the boys. She meant to protect them with all the strength she had. And to protect her good friend Niamh.

Freigard attacked Finlay and he fell back, unable to fight Freigard off. She feared the monster would kill Erik’s brother.

Erik couldn’t reach him with all the men fighting in front of him. As a determined, growly wolf, Accalia leaped past several fighting men, dodging swords, and targeted Freigard.

She realized she had left the boys alone with Niamh. But her action was wolf instinctive. Everyone else was so busy, they didn’t see her dashing around the attacking men. Freigard was concentrating on Finlay and likewise didn’t see her approach.

Then Finlay stumbled. She soon reached Freigard and leaped at him, slamming her large wolf paws against his chest, and knocking him off his feet. The boys suddenly were there, growling and trying to bite Freigard. She feared for the boys’ safety. Niamh was there with them, snapping her vicious teeth at another of Freigard’s men as he tried to cut Accalia.

Freigard tried to regain his footing, and the boys bit his legs. They grabbed hold and yanked his legs, growling viciously as if they were playing tug-of-war. Accalia went for Freigard’s left arm, his right still yielding his sword. She couldn’t reach his sword arm because Finlay had been targeting him on that side and had fallen, so he was in her way.

Niamh was still growling and biting a soldier behind Accalia, and she wanted to help her but had to concentrate on Freigard.

Suddenly, Erik was there. Accalia didn’t know how he could have navigated through all the battling men except that he had the greatest incentive in the world—save his sons, his brother, and his mate from the devil wolf.

She had never seen Erik so viciously tear into anything or anyone. But his resolve was welcome as he went first for Freigard’s sword arm, crushing the bones. Freigard cried out in agony. And then Erik grabbed Freigard’s throat, bit down, and ended his life. Freigard wouldn’t ever go after Accalia or his sons again. He wouldn’t threaten Erik or any of his kin any further.

Immediately, Accalia turned to help Niamh, and they tore at the prone man’s neck, ending him.

She saw Finlay on his feet again and he struck down one of Dunbar’s men. She witnessed another of Dunbar’s men dead nearby. Then the last men under Freigard’s command began breaking off from the fight and scattering, trying to get away as fast as they could. They realized their leader had fallen and this was no longer their fight.

Erik’s men began to pursue them, but Erik howled to tell them they were done. They needed to regroup, to ensure their people were taken care of if anyone had suffered injuries, and she suspected Erik would want a shelter set back up for her and the boys to stay in until morning.

In the aftermath of the violence, she surveyed the carnage and injuries suffered by her fellow pack members and those of Freigard’s men. The boys huddled up to her and she licked their faces. Niamh joined them and they all licked and nuzzled her. Erik was standing next to them in protective mode.

As Accalia scanned the faces of her pack, she could see the fear and pain etched on their features. She knew she needed to be strong for them, providing comfort and reassurance amid chaos and loss. She wanted to help Erik and bandage the injured but comfort the boys too. With more gentle nudges and comforting licks, she reassured the boys that they were safe now, that Freigard was dead and wouldn't hurt anyone anymore.

She couldn't help but feel a surge of pride in her pack, in their resilience and strength. They had faced and overcome so much, and she knew they would continue to do so in the face of any obstacles that came their way.

And she was so glad her friend Niamh had come out of the whole fight without being injured. She knew Niamh could playfight as a wolf, she’d played with her often over the years, but she proved she had what it took to be a warrior wolf in a real fight.

She didn’t think they would have any more trouble with Freigard’s people now that he was dead. Someone else would take over and she was certain they would think twice about causing Erik and her pack more difficulty.

Logan and a couple of other men patched up the tent she, Niamh, and the lads had been using while Erik saw the injured men, including his brother Finlay.

“I know you want to help us with the wounded men,” Logan told Accalia, “but Erik wants you at Niamh to stay with the boys.”

Inside the tent, Accalia and Niamh shifted and dressed, hugging the boys still wearing their wolf coats. They were all wet. “You can wear your wolf coats to stay warm,” Accalia said to the boys. “Are you all right?”

They nodded and once she lay down, they hurried to snuggle against her, helping to warm her, though they were a little damp. So was the tent and her clothes now. Niamh joined them.

Erik entered the tent, shifted, and Accalia hurried to stand to hug her returning hero. They kissed and hugged, and then he hugged his boys in their wolf coats. “Thanks for saving my brother. And to you, Niamh, for protecting Accalia and the boys’ backs.”

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