Page 63 of Pack Captive

I looked out at the howling wolves, all of them ready for blood. Ryden towered over even the Claws, his eyes fixed on me like he was waiting for me.

This was the opportunity I'd been waiting for—a powerful pack to take on Fenris, to rip my pound of flesh out of him in retribution for my dead Warriors.

I shifted, feeling the freedom of four legs, my nose picking up the individual scents of the wolves as easily as if I'd looked at them.

I knew Ryden's scent perfectly by now, the clean spiciness of it filling my nose as I weaved through the pack to his side.

Calian's ears pointed upwards, the tips of his teeth shining.Are you ready?

For a moment I was shocked I could hear him, but then I remembered that the ritual had linked us.

I was truly no longer Pack Vesper's alone. They weren't justthepack, butmypack now.

I'm ready.

Let's run. Ryden's muscles bunched, and he shot forward, Calian at his side.

Within several paces I caught up, falling into an easy lope as the pack followed. We raced across the sky bridge, yips and howls echoing down into the city.

Through the Dawn Palace, past the wolves of Lykos, and through the gates...and from there, freedom.

19

Ayla

I wantedto take off running as fast as I could just for the hell of it, to stretch my legs and feel like I wasn't a prisoner anymore.

But it felt natural running next to Ryden and Calian. I sensed the undertone to their thoughts, the single-minded purpose in hunting for shadow wolves.

Still, I couldn't help but veer to the side a little, letting my paws splash through the edge of a stream, inhaling deeply and relishing the thick scent of night flowers and clean water.

It almost reminded me of home.

I felt the current of amusement winding through Ryden's thoughts, but he quickly turned back to business.

We leave the forest, he said to both of us.We need to use this power while we have it.

I drew closer to his side, our paws beating a drumming tattoo on the packed trails. Behind me, the rest of the pack's thoughts were becoming clear, and they had the same focus as Ryden.

This sense of freedom was nothing new to them; all they cared about was the fact that for once, they had the upper hand during a dark moon, and they craved violence.

As long as I was with them, channeling the power, I could give them that.

We tore over the trails, heading into deeper forest. Droplets of dew splashed off leaves and onto my coat, quickly soaking my dark fur.

It felt fucking incredible to become a wolf again. We weren't made to live in cities long-term, not without this kind of respite.

Calian raised his nose, his gallop slowing.

Ash from the west, he said, his thoughts quick and pointed.Shadow wolves. Several of them.

Good,Ryden growled, and as one, we turned towards the west, barreling through the undergrowth.

He sent commands to the rest of the pack as we ran.

The Claws split towards the north, to cut off the shadow wolves if they tried to enter Lykos that way; some of the Warriors moved south.

I realized we were running around Lykos, towards the broken section of the wall. Maybe that was where the shadow wolves usually tried to enter.

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