Page 9 of Eclipsed Heart

Get yourself a blanket from the trunk,Bodey snarled to Samuel, his displeasure weaving through me.And get my mate one, and her sister as well. You all need to be coverednow.

At least I wasn’t the only one who was uncomfortable, but it surprised me that Bodey was.

Samuel stepped to the side, trapping Stevie between his body and the car door. She had to either fight him or get into the vehicle.

Her face reddened as she huffed but then got into the car.

Bodey’s pain and annoyance blended together, making my chest tighten.

I started the car, looking toward the woods as Samuel went to the trunk for the blankets.

I didn’t know what I expected, but there were no more wolves chasing us, and I was both relieved and scared. If they weren’t here for us, that meant they were attacking other pack members.

I linked with all the pack nearby, tugging at the bonds that were the strongest.Do you need more fighters?Before we pulled out of here, I needed to make sure no one was in imminent danger. Worst case, Samuel could drive Stevie and Bodey home.

As I tugged, I sensed the overwhelming emotions churning from everyone. It was a mixture of so many things that the impact was damn near incapacitating. The most common feelings were fear, concern, hope, and suspicion.

Michael replied,They’re retreating. We’re running after them, trying to catch some. Most of us have minor injuries, so we’re slow. You all should head out in case a few swing around and try to attack you again.

We’re leaving now.Since they weren’t being attacked, any reservations I had about leaving were gone.

Samuel slid into the back, and an olive-green blanket was dumped over the seat and into my lap while a black one landed on Stevie. I quickly wrapped mine around my body and stuffed it under my armpits so it wouldn’t fall down then shifted the car into drive.

Bodey huffed.It’s about damn time.

I mashed my lips together but didn’t say anything. Instead, I pressed on the gas, leaving this place behind. For all that Hells Canyon was so beautiful, I now had a lot of horrible memories associated with it.

Are you taking your sister with you?Jack asked, trepidation pulsing through his link.

I am. I can’t trust her right now.Saying it gutted me. Stevie had been my lifeline growing up. The one person I always trusted, even more than Theo. Wrapping my head around her helping Queen Kel and telling her gods knew what had my stomach in knots.

We won’t be far behind you,Dan replied.Just get the three of you home and secure your sister.

Secure my sister? I dreaded how that would look.I need someone to drive my sister’s car to Bodey’s house. Can anyone do that? She always leaves the keys in the ignition. It’s a point of contention between her and my parents.

Stella and I can,Miles offered.

Thank you.

As I pulled onto the main road, another thought pushed to the forefront. Though I couldn’t see my mark, I touched my neck, feeling both the scratches and the area where my new tattoo had appeared. How had I even gotten it? If I were the young princess who’d supposedly died in the fire, no witch couldevermake me forget it.

Babe, what’s wrong?Bodey asked, his pain melding into my body. My arms, shoulders, and back ached, mirroring what he was experiencing.

I’m worried about you—and how this mark got onto me.I didn’t want to brush him off.But we can figure it out later. I need you to focus on healing.

I glanced over my shoulder into the back seat and saw that Bodey was looking out the window while Samuel was watching me.

Swallowing, I forced myself to focus on the road. “Are you okay, Samuel?” I hadn’t even considered how he might be feeling right now. For his entire life, he’d thought he would be the one with this tattoo.

“Well, given the circumstances, yes.” He leaned toward me.

Bodey growled.

“Man, she’s got a blanket over her.” Samuel lifted both hands as if in surrender. “I’m not trying to look at anything but her tattoo.”

Huffing, Bodey lowered his head, causing an ache to shoot through him and me.You could still wait until she’s dressed.

The scent of iron hung heavy in the vehicle, reminding me that my mate was still bleeding. In less than twenty-four hours, both of Bodey’s cars had been coated in blood.

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