Page 74 of Wolf Touched

Wake Dru and Octavia, and get them and Fane down to the coven.I needed to make sure none of them got hurt, especially since they hadn’t been at risk until Octavia had decided to show up on EEU’s campus.

And you should help her,Raffe added, placing a hand on the center of my back and pushing me toward the front door.You need to go down there with them.

And what are the rest of you planning to do?I arched a brow, refusing to be bossed around.

The rest of us will sneak ahead and let you and Lucy know what we see.Raffe turned toward the threat that would be here soon.That way, we can get an idea of numbers. If there aren’t many, we can take them out before they get close to the house.

Then I’m going to help. Dave should help Lucy since he can’t link with the pack like I can.Raffe clenched his jaw, so I added,I swear I’ll stay next to you the entire time. And I can sense their magic if they use it nearby.

I could see his resolve bending.

Not to state the obvious, but they could be here anytime. We need to shift and scout before it’s too late.Adam removed his shirt and tossed it to the ground.So, make up your mind and stop arguing, or we’ll have a fight on our hands before we even get to the coven.

You stayrightnext to me.His blue eyes glowed again.

I nodded, removing my shirt, readying to shift.

He moved, blocking me the best he could from Adam’s, Keith’s, and Dave’s view as I stripped down and let my wolf free.

She sprang forward, not waiting for an invitation. She and I had gotten to know each other better, and she’d been eager to be released.

My skin tingled as fur sprouted, and Raffe linked as hecalled his own wolf forward,Josie, tell Dave to head down to the coven since he can’t link with us.

Uh … he can link with me now,Josie replied over the sounds of bones cracking.We completed the mate bond and …

If my bones hadn’t been breaking to adjust to my animal body, I might have gasped. No wonder it had taken them a little longer to get out here with the rest of us.

Raffe’s shock filtered into me, but after a second, he replied,Fine. Keep us updated on anything he sees.

Once we were all in our animal forms, we took off toward the line of thick firs.

Everyone, stay in groups of two,Raffe linked, leading me to the right, away from the road.

Dave and I will stay together,Josie replied, not shocking anyone.

I heard them all split off, with Adam and Keith opting to cover the middle.

A quarter of a mile in, we heard the doors to the house open and close, informing us that Lucy was getting the others down to the coven house.

Good. They would be safest there.

Raffe and I kept pace with each other, and after another quarter mile, the sounds of other animals reached my ears. The smaller animals were scampering off, sensing the threat of an incoming predator.

We were getting close.

The wind rustled branches, and the rain pelted the ground, so I had to strain harder than normal to hear the sounds.

When they came, my heart galloped, and I stopped in my tracks.

I didn’t sense magic, but I sure as hell heard at least fifty setsof paw prints just from our angle. Mixed in were the sounds of about five sets of footsteps, which could be coven, vampires, shifters in human form, or a combination of all three.

The fur on Raffe’s nape rose, and he spun around, nodding for us to head back in the direction we’d come from.We need to get to the coven.

Not wasting time arguing, we took off running as quickly as we dared while trying to remain silent. Adrenaline pumped through my body, burning off whatever fatigue was left.

We found a group on our side—at least fifty supernaturals are heading our way,Raffe linked with everyone.

With the ground muddy from the rain, I had to focus more on my steps to make sure I didn’t fall or make a noise. I didn’t want to send our location out like a damn beacon; they’d stumble upon our scents soon enough.

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