Page 86 of Sparks Flying

Chapter 22

I couldn’t believe I’d agreed to this. It was hot and uncomfortable, but I wasn’t sure Dean was going to let me leave that house otherwise.

In my wolf form, I ran with Dean flying above and leading the Pack. Or I supposed I needed to start thinking of it as my Flock now.

Helena had fitted one of the gas masks from the basement over my head. It limited some of my visibility and my wolf was not happy about it, but it was a safer way to travel. These people had taken down Patrick and his team, so I had no illusions about their capability to take me, too.

The first loop we made around town was to call out every raven we could. When I looked up, the sky above me was black with at least a hundred ravens in flight. It was quite the sight.

We’d encountered six spots of attack with fires burning brightly. People were passed out on the ground around each of them, but the airborne range didn’t appear to be as broad as I had feared.

At the last location, we’d crossed paths with Gracie and a team of firefighters in full gear. Once given the okay, Dean shifted back to his skin and organized them to start securing bodies.

No one was taking our people if we had any say in it.

They had two ambulances and a firetruck. Working together, they started gathering the bodies and stacking them in the back of the ambulance after ensuring everyone was alive, just unconscious.

Dean made sure to give them Patrick’s team’s last known location before returning to his feathers and flying high.

Gracie had been right. Despite the cloud of black birds above me, I knew exactly which one was mine at all times.

I ran harder and faster than I ever had before.

An hour later, we finally cornered another pair terrorizing our community.

I let out a low growl in warning as I stalked towards them.

The surrounding air was thick with smoke, and several houses around us were filling up quickly. My wolf ears picked up the thud of people falling and hitting the floor.

I growled again and started to corral them away from the smoke. Fortunately, it was dark enough that they couldn’t see I was wearing a mask. I wasn’t even sure they could see me at all. And when a gun shot hit the ground several feet away from me, I knew they couldn’t.

One step at a time, I continued to push them away from the fire.

“How the hell is this even possible?”

“Where is it?”

“I thought this was raven territory. What is a wolf doing here?”

I had no way to know who was saying what, but I could distinctly pick up two different voices.

The second they got close to the edge of the smoke, a lightning bolt shot through the cloud and instantly killed one. I knew that for a fact because I heard his heart stop beating.

I had no remorse.

The next strike came with a battle cry that sent chills through my body.

Mate!my wolf cheered.

Sparks hit him this time, and he dropped to his knees, unconscious but still alive.

I ran out of the smoke.

Dean led a victory cry when he saw me, and it was echoing throughout all of Ravenden.

One lone bird flew in and doused the flame with water even as it fell to the ground, paralyzed.

I ran back into the smoke and judged her projection, praying I got it right.

---