Page 21 of Valkyrie Song

We don't have that kind of time. We never had that kind of time. But we don't have choice, either. Leaving even a single Forsaken spy alive in Valhalla is deadly dangerous. Leaving fourteen of them is suicide.

"We need to warn Damrion," I say grimly. "The warriors need to begin searching."

"What about Ing?" Kara protests. "We can't just leave him alone, Stephan. What if they come back?" Her bottom lip quivers, distress flowing through her eyes. "I don't want him to die."

I can't even communicate with the wolf, and I don't want him to die. He's important to her. That means he's important.

I sigh softly, pulling her back into my arms to brush my lips across her temple. "Ing stays here for now, princess. We can't have him strolling into the middle of the barracks with five hundred warriors who know nothing about him."

She opens her mouth to protest, but Ing whirls toward his fallen packmate suddenly, his fur standing on end. I turn in that direction, a curse whistling from between my lips.

The wolf isn't on the floor anymore, rapidly dying. I'm pretty sure he's past that point. And he's on his feet, snarling at us. Fucking hell. Did the varulvturnhim?

That isn't possible. Except…the evidence is pacing toward us, nothing but malevolence in his yellow eyes.

"Kara, you and Ing need to get out of here," I growl, stepping forward to cut the wolf, Rider, off from the two of them. "Now, princess."

"I'm not leaving you!" she cries. And Christ, if this weren't an emergency, I'd kiss that vow from her lips. But right now, I need her safely outside, away from a newly formed varulv with a fresh load of poison pumping through his veins.

"Go, Valkyrie. Now."

She huffs, and I think she's going to obey. But when has a Valkyrie ever done what she's told? In all the combined history of Valhalla, I'm guessing never.

"I'm so sorry, Ing!" she cries, flinging a blast of Light toward Rider.

The confused varulv ignites with a whoosh, a pained howl ripping through the ruins as the area immediately around us lights up like midday.

The sound dies quickly. So does her Light. And when it goes, Rider goes with it. Not even the blood he spilled marks the place where he fell.

Kara drops her hands, her head hanging heavy between her shoulders.

Ing throws his head back, a bloodcurdling howl of grief ripping from his muzzle as he says goodbye to the family that was stolen from him.

I always wondered if animals mourned as deeply as we do.

I guess now I know.

Chapter Six

Kara

Kara

Ipace the livingarea, waiting for Stephan to finish filling in my sisters and their mates on…everything. I'm glad he'sdoing the talking instead of me because I don't even know where to start. My mind isn't even on the conversation. It's with Ing.

He's curled up on the rug in front of the fireplace, his ears twitching as he eyes my sisters and their mates warily. Grief flows from him in a steady flood, prickling at my heart.

After Rider…changed? Turned? I don't even know what to call it, but after Rider tried to attack us, Stephan quickly decided the best place for Ing was at my side, after all. I think he's afraid of the varulv tracking him down and turning him, too.

"Faen," Malachi snarls, spinning to face Damrion, his face a thundercloud. "They're turning thevargúlfr'soffspring."

"Ja." Damrion looks faintly ill at the thought. "Possibly."

"What do you mean possibly? They saw it with their own eyes." Malachi flings a hand to indicate me and Stephan, making me flinch. "Thevargúlfr'soffspring are turning."

"What are the…vargúlfr?" Abigail asks, tucking a foot up underneath her in her chair. "I've never heard that word."

"Me either," Rissa says through a yawn.

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