Page 164 of Roaring Flames

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More of the children are staring at me now, all of them crying.

I never thought I could hate Kain more than I previously did. How could he do this to these innocent children? They’re going to be scarred for life—not only because they were held hostage but because people they knew died right in front of them.

I take a deep, calming breath—the last thing these kids need is to see me angry—and force a reassuring smile onto my lips.

Finally, one of the kids gathers the courage to crawl towards me. He’s quickly followed by another, then another, then another. I keep one eye trained on the gunmen, making sure no one has noticed that all of the tiny hostages have made an escape.

A twig snaps from beside me, and I immediately spin towards the newcomer, my hands curled into fists. I only relax when I see that it’s Ashton, his cheeks flushed from exertion and sweat on his forehead. His eyes sweep over me, almost as if he’s ensuring I’m okay, before he focuses on the kids.

The blonde-haired girl throws herself at him with a cry. “Ashton!”

“It’s okay, Rina. It’s okay,” he soothes.

He meets my gaze over the little girl’s head, and I mouth, “Kain?”

“Taken care of,” he responds.

I nod once and focus my attention on the sea of little faces. I count sixteen. Sixteen children who have endured unspeakable horrors. Sixteen children who will face this trauma for the rest of their lives.

Sixteen innocent children.

“Follow Ashton,” I whisper to the kids, corralling them towards him.

Ashton gives me an odd look. “What are you doing?”

“I’ll be right behind you,” I promise.

Ashton looks as if he wants to protest, but he nods and gestures for the children to follow him. They sound like a herd of elephants traipsing through the forest, but it’s okay. At least they’re safe. Ashton will protect them.

Only when they’re out of sight do I step out of the tree line once more.

A few of the shifters have noticed the missing children, and I can see panic, fear, and disbelief splayed across their faces. I meet Hale’s eyes and nod once, silently assuring him that they’re safe.

And then everything happens at once.

Hale jumps to his feet, and his clothes explode in all directions. In his place is a huge, furry wolf. He launches himself at the nearest gunman.

At first, the rest of the shifters stare on in shock, but then two more wolves join the fray. It isn’t long until the street is a battlefield—though a massacre would be a better descriptor. The gunmen have no chance against a bunch of angry, ferocious wolves.