Page 113 of Wolf Touched

Don’t—I started.

He stood even though I could feel how much his body ached.

We need to get to your parents.He nodded.Which we might have a chance to do now that you killed every enemy in the clearing.

What?I looked around and noticed all the dead bodies. Mostly it was the secret society, but I also noticed several of Keagan’s pack, two vampires that had come with us, and a handful of coven members from Caroline’s and Ednah’s covens. Luckily, both priestesses were still alive, along with their immediate families.

Worse, every one of them was looking at me in a way I didn’t understand, with a combination of terror and awe. The same way the kids used to look at me in school. My heart squeezed.

I’d have to tend to it later.

“We need to go,” Keagan said, waving his hand. “While we can.”

Can you keep going?I linked to Raffe, not wanting the others to hear this question.

He answered,Let’s get this the fuck over with.

Amen to that.

I stood, my back screaming, and forced myself to put one foot in front of the other. Soon, our entire group was moving.

Dru rushed to me, his face twisted into a frown. “Where are you hurt?”

“It’s nothing.” The doctor in him was coming out, but we didn’t have time to deal with injuries. We needed to keep going. “I’m fine.”

“But—” He reachedout.

Octavia took his hand and said, “Come on. We need to keep an eye out.”

As we moved toward the house, I took stock. Fane and Lucy were side by side. Fane looked fine though Lucy had blood trickling from claw marks. Josie and Dave were in the lead, also seemingly fine. Keith and Adam were with Stephanie and Sedona, and none of them looked too bad off, though blood coated both wolves’ fur. It didn’t seem to be theirs.

All in all, our pack was okay, except for Raffe and me.

My power fizzed inside me, having taken a huge hit from the large amount of energy I’d expelled, and I could again hear the rustle of animals scampering toward us.

We pushed forward. The animals would know where to find me.

But my power ebbed with every step I took, lessening to a faint buzz.Shit.

After what felt like way too long, we reached the edge of the woods by the backyard. Keagan and Ednah stopped in their tracks, rushing to take a few steps back.

Something was wrong.

I darted forward, the adrenaline numbing the pain.

I couldn’t believe what I saw.

Fifty people were gathered in the backyard, wearing armor and with guns pointed at us. Olwyn, Slade, Aldric, and Warin stood on the wooden porch above them.

I swallowed. This was bad, and it was just the people outside.If you can still hear me, only attack the people connected to this house. Read my body for cues. I may not be able to talk.

“Please tell me you have animals coming,” Priestess Ednah rasped. “We’re low on our magic from the last fight.”

That had been Olwyn’s plan—to drain us and, if wemade it through, force us into another battle against fresh fighters.

“I do—” My power vanished, and my body sagged with fatigue. I hadn’t heard an answer.

My connection to the animals was gone, and Supreme Priestess Olwyn screamed, “Attack them!”

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