Page 85 of Wolf Touched

I had to fix this before another fight started. I ran out of the trees with Raffe at my side. Then I lifted both arms. “She’s hurt and needs help.”

“Skylar!” Octavia exclaimed, her mouth dropping open. “Watch out!”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Ispun around more slowly than I’d have liked, but my wolf inched forward, listening. I couldn’t shift again; I was too tired. Hell, I probably couldn’t even fight. When I focused on the perceived threat, my tension vanished.

The bobcat and coyote were snarling from the tension they felt from Sedona and the others. Animals could sense emotions and when something was off, they didn’t understand that this wasn’t a threat to me.

I attempted to lift both hands, but they were like lead. I raised them an inch, but hopefully, between that and having my back to the coven, the animals would realize I didn’t view the people as a threat.

“Everybody needs to calm down,” I said over my shoulder, hoping that, with the coven’s slightly elevated supernatural hearing, I’d spoken loud enough.

When Priestess Caroline nodded, my eyes burned with tears of relief. Raffe moved closer to me, his tension tightening my chest again. All I wanted to do was take a quick shower and crawl into bed before someone had to carry mebecause I wasn’t sure how much longer I could stand on my own two feet.

Babe, what’s going on?Raffe linked.

If everyone calms down, it will be okay.I hated that I couldn’t communicate with the animals, especially with tensions so high, and there were bodies we needed to bury.

More animals came forward, their bodies tense as they spread out from one another, forming a circle around us.

Linking with our entire pack, Raffe said,Josie, tell the witches what happened with Sedona and take her somewhere she won’t cause more tension. I suggest the most uncomfortable room for her—maybe a wet, moldy basement?

Man, her wound will get infected,Keith replied.

And that would bother me why?Raffe snapped.She tried to kill my mate, or did your dick make you forget that? Because that’s the only thing that can explain your sudden aversion to protecting your alpha’s mate.

I flinched, not needing more hostility brewing than we already had.Babe, we don’t need these animals to mistake some of the people on our side as aggressors and attack.That was the thing with anger and fear—it turned people against one another. Look at what the East was doing to the West. It was a civil war within the supernatural community.

Listen, I can’t help it,Keith retorted.You should understand that better than anyone.

You two, shut up,Lucy connected.We have enough enemies without turning on ourselves.

Focusing on the bobcat that had been trying to attack Sedona again, I spoke low and calmly, wanting him to hear I wasn’t worried. “Everything is okay. The coven didn’t know we were bringing someone from that side back with us.” Even though I doubted he understood my exact words, heshould be able to pick up on my cadence and that I wasn’t upset.

Just damn tired.

I heard Dave mumbling to the coven, informing them of everything. The bobcat lifted his head, edging back into a neutral pose. I’d count on him to inform the other animals since I couldn’t connect with them with my essentially nonexistent power.

Between the animals relaxing and Dave explaining what was going on, I hoped we could get a plan together before I couldn’t keep my eyes open. The pain from being buried alive, shifting before I should’ve, and my now drained power settled exhaustion back into my bones.

Let’s get you somewhere covered,Raffe nudged against my side. The comforting buzz of our connection made my eyelids heavy. Sleep was too damn close.

I headed back to the coven. Sedona stood at the edge of the circle with Keith at her side. Keith scanned the group repeatedly, his breathing ragged. He was waiting for someone to make a move against Sedona.

I couldn’t blame him. Her group had killed twenty coven members, and I still wasn’t sure how I’d survived. The pain had been so horrible that, for a moment, I’d wanted to end my suffering.

I noticed Octavia, Dru, and Fane as they walked toward us from Priestess Caroline’s house. Fane’s forehead showed deep lines of worry as he scanned the group, searching for Lucy.

Lucy must have felt his gaze like I could Raffe’s because her head turned his way and she trotted toward him. When he noticed her, his shoulders sagged with relief.

I made my way to Sedona, wanting to stand next to her like Keith was. I wasn’t sure how the coven would react toour decision to bring her here, especially since I’d made it without consulting them. I hadn’t considered that, but we couldn’t let her go or kill her. We couldn’t do anything rash.

“Oh my god.” Octavia raised a hand to her mouth, covering it. “Sky, what happened to you?”

Unlike her, Dru raced toward me, hurrying so fast that he stumbled over a rock.

Despite my fatigue, I smiled. In this moment, I saw how much they cared about me. All my life, I’d thought they hadn’t wanted me, and being here with them and seeing this proved that hadn’t been the truth, though I hated that Fane had sometimes felt second best.

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