Page 7 of Eclipsed Heart

Another wolf reached the smoky wolf as he got back to his feet, and I sprang. I landed between them, legs outstretched, clawing their sides and jamming us all together. For a moment, they moved without resistance, and I backed away and pulled them close, then bit into the smoky wolf’s neck. When he bucked, I released him and bit into the other wolf’s neck.

With both flailing, I flipped over and landed on my back with a hugethwap.

Ten wolves just peeled off and headed toward Samuel,Miles linked.They’ve split up.

Though that wasn’t good news, at least not all twenty-one were focused on Bodey.We need to get Samuel and Bodey out of here. They don’t seem interested in hurting anyone else.

I agree with that,the man from earlier linked.They aren’t trying to hurt us either. We’re heading your way.

Samuel, Jack, and I will distract your ten while you run to the front,Lucas linked.Miles, Zeke, and Theo, run ahead and distract them from Bodey so Callie can get him and Stella and her sister into the car and they can get out of here.

We’ll be there in seconds,Michael linked.We hear the fight now.

The two wolves I’d attacked were moving slower, so I focused on the next biggest threat. Weakening them might be a better strategy than killing them. Killing took too long.

I tried to bolt again and grimaced. My right leg wanted to lag, but dammit, that wasn’t happening. Not when my mate’s life was on the line. Miles’s dark wolf, Theo’s chestnut brown, and Zeke’s brown wolf blurred past me as I picked up speed.

The three of them attacked three of the wolves, leaving five still racing after Bodey. Two were on my mate’s heels, and Bodey was flagging.

My chest squeezed. Pain and blood loss were catching up to him; I sensed it through the bond. I bounded around the wolves and cut between Bodey and his closest attackers.

I hunkered down, blocking them from getting to him. They startled, giving me time to strike. I stood on my back legs and slashed their faces with my front paws. My nails cut from their eyes to their snouts, making them whine like pups.

Snarling, I prepared to continue the fight, but the advisors and Stella attacked our opponents’ flanks as several of our wolves galloped toward us.

Tears burned my eyes as more people came to fight alongside us.

Samuel’s warm-brown wolf passed by me, and he linked,I’m here.

At least he’d managed to catch up. Now, we had to focus on getting Bodey and Samuel out of there. I linked with Stella, Janet, and Stevie, knowing that the three of them couldn’t link between themselves.Head to the car. Samuel and Bodey are nearly there.

Thank gods,Stevie whimpered.

When Samuel reached Bodey, he slowed down to run at the same speed as my mate. Bodey was limping and obviously in distress.

Janet and Stevie sped up to fall in behind them, and I noticed Stella hanging back with Miles.

I wouldn’t interfere. She didn’t want to leave her fated mate.

Taking up the spot behind Janet and Stevie, I kept an ear out. We weren’t out of danger, and more foreign wolves could come at any second.

Bodey glanced over his shoulder, his eyes connecting with mine, making sure I was there. His eyes were dark from the misery I sensed him enduring.

A sickening cry echoed around us, and I spun around to find Theo crumpled in a heap. The smoky wolf had sunk his teeth into Theo’s flank.

I slowed to help my friend, but Zeke snarled and ran up beside his son, then bit into Smoky’s neck.

Michael and the other advisors’ parents joined him, and the tightness in my chest loosened.

Theo was already back on his feet, lurching after another wolf that tried to race by. Unfortunately, all of us had some sort of injury.

I concentrated on getting Samuel and Bodey to safety.

Though it was probably only minutes, it felt like hours until we finally reached the vehicles. I hurried to the row where Bodey had parked his Mercedes SUV.

Lucas’s mom, Taylor, popped out of a black BMW parked next to Bodey’s SUV, where all the other mates of the royal advisors waited, and unlocked our car.

I can’t shift back yet,Bodey linked with just me.My injuries need to heal some first.

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