Page 49 of Brutal Alpha

The wolves before me looked hungry. They weren’t here to abduct me this time; they wanted my blood, and unless I could think of something fast, they were going to get it.

Against all my instincts, I shifted. I might be faster and stronger in my wolf form, but I still had no chance against three Arbor hunters, and I had yet to master magic as a wolf. At least in my human form, I had a shadow on my side.

It looked as though I had the element of surprise, too, because the hunters stopped in their tracks as I shifted. It was certainly insane, on the face of things, but Arbor didn’t know about the new tricks I’d learned on Ensign. Before they knew what had hit them, a shadow had twined around the back leg of the hunter on the left, and with a yank, he was dragged backward, disappearing off the edge of the land with a distant splash.

The other two looked at each other, uncertain how to proceed. I could only pray they were neither smart nor dumb enough to simply rush me—I wouldn’t be able to take out both of them before they reached me—but luckily, they were erring on the side of caution, turning quickly in an attempt to catch any approaching shadow. I could do this. I could get myself and my child over that bridge and back to safety.

I braced myself, ready for a second attack—and my heart sank as three more hunters emerged from beneath the bridge. How long would it take before they realized that I couldn’t take more than one at a time? Not long, I imagined.

Panicking, I decided to try the sheer power of intimidation. Arbor hated magic, but they also feared it. They’d seen a little of what I could do with the shadows now, and they were wary of my power. Did I have enough to convince them this was a fight they couldn’t win?

There was only one way to find out. Taking a breath that I could only pray wouldn’t be my last, I called on every shadow I could. They crept toward me from the trees, stretching from the bridge to shroud every Arbor wolf in darkness before they advanced across the grass to hover just ahead of me, as though waiting for my orders.

The effort of it was enormous, but I reminded myself that I’d held them for longer when we’d crossed the Ensign Bridge. I could do this. The hunters were still far enough away that they might not be able to see the sweat beading at my temples and the slight shaking of my limbs. They were certainly looking intently at me, but none made any move to attack.

Nor, however, did they back off. I needed to raise the stakes. It was a risk, such a risk, to close my eyes and turn the world entirely to shadow, but it was the only way to do what needed to be done. I sensed a change in the Arbor wolves’ demeanor immediately: they stiffened, ready to spring forward, but I was faster. I ripped a tendril of shadow away from the rest, commanding it to be tangible, to be sharp, to be deadly. As the first hunter snarled and darted forward, I plunged the tendril of shadow into his chest, letting it rip through his underbelly before his legs gave out beneath him and his body hit the ground.

It had worked—fuck me, it had worked—but the shock of it, the violence, the sheer effort it had taken was too much for me, and I lost my grip. The shroud of shadow snapped back into its natural position, and this time, the Arbor hunters didn’t hesitate. They were coming straight for me.

Chapter 22 - Ethan

I’d heard plenty of stories, plenty of frivolous romances I’d paid no mind to, in which shifters were woken by their wolves because their mate was hurt or in danger. I’d considered them just that—stories—until I jolted awake with my wolf already snarling and demanding our skin. I leaped out of bed, sprinting down the short hallway and bursting into Julia’s room, my stomach dropping as I saw her bed empty.

I hesitated when I spotted my shirt, folded and left so carefully on the bed. Would she have left it like that if she were fleeing, if she was taken? Surely not. On the other hand, she had little else to wear. Her shorts and vest from yesterday were still draped less carefully over the chair in the corner, and for a moment, my mind conjured an entirely different reason for my wolf’s insistence on wakefulness: I would go downstairs to find her naked, waiting for me. I would kiss her in the early morning light and carry her back up to bed, or maybe just lift her onto one of the counters and let her wind her impossibly long legs around my hips.

As I descended the stairs, I knew that happy version of reality was not my own. The kitchen was empty, as was the living space, and there was a note tacked to the back of the front door. It was in my hand before I knew I’d moved, but I had to read it three times before my panicked brain would register the words contained in it.

Dear Ethan,

I’m sorry to disappear on you, but I think it’s better for both of us this way. Don’t follow me—I’m going back to Lapine, and I’ll make sure Caleb radios you when I get there.

Thank you for everything. I’ll try not to insult you the next time we see each other (no promises, though).

Yours,

Julia

My heart plummeted into my stomach. It didn’t make sense. Was she so desperate to get home, to escape from me, that she would leave in the early morning, before I was even awake? I must have done something wrong, though I wasn’t sure what. Whatever it was, my wolf and I were in agreement: I needed to find her and fix it. Now.

Once I was out of the front door, my wolf needed no coaxing to take my skin. He tore into being and was after her scent in a matter of moments. As she’d promised, her trail was heading toward the Lapine Bridge, and my claws dug up the earth as I sped off in pursuit.

My mind was clearer than it had been in months—maybe years. All that mattered was finding Julia, ensuring she was safe, and telling her I loved her. Nothing had ever been more embarrassingly obvious: I loved her. I had loved her since long before the Solstice, but unraveling that web of denial would require far more attention than I had right now. At this moment, I was following my mate’s trail, and I would not stop until she was in my arms again.

Even as I ran, a worry itched in the back of my mind: what if she didn’t want me anymore? What if I’d done such a terrible job of showing her how I felt that she’d given up on me entirely? Had the years of dismissal and cruelty I’d shown her been too much, even for the mating bond? If she truly didn’t want me, could I let her go?

No. I could never let her go forever, but if she wanted space, if she wished to go home without me, then I could acceptthat. If it took weeks, months, or even years to convince her to give me a real chance, then I would have to learn patience. I would do it, however. For her, I would do just about anything.

I smelled blood in the air before I saw them: Julia and the hunters. Julia with four Arbor hunters standing between her and the bridge. Julia, naked and human, against four ravening wolves. I’d known that our crossing onto Ferris was too quiet, known that Arbor must have been lying in wait for a better opportunity. Damn Julia and her stubborn streak—could she not have stood my company for another few hours for the sake of her own safety?

The blood, at least, wasn’t hers. The body of a hunter lay slumped on the grass before her, and I felt a surge of pride: she was strong. I could see her gathering her strength again, the shadows lengthening and darkening under her command, but the hunters were advancing, and she wasn’t going to be fast enough. I had to be fast enough.

Putting on a burst of speed, I hurtled toward the bridge, flinging my body between Julia and the oncoming hunters just in time. They’d seen me coming, but my size was enough to make them hesitate. The two in the middle came for me, while the two on the outside kept gunning for Julia, and I could only pray that I’d bought her enough time to call her power again.

For now, I had to make sure these hunters regretted ever trying to hurt my mate. One had come for my back leg, while the other was gnashing at my throat. I let the bite land on my leg so I could whip my head around and catch my other attacker in the face, my teeth leaving puncture marks in his muzzle as he backed off, whimpering and bleeding.

The other still had my back leg clamped between his jaws, and it made his body an easy target. I twisted around, slashingmy claws through his chest and belly before he had the chance to run. The jaws around my leg went slack, but then the first hunter was back on the offensive, snarling and blood-soaked as he went for my neck again. I met him with another strike to his face, this time with my claws, and he fell back, fresh blood dripping onto the grass.

I whirled around, desperate to catch sight of Julia. When I did, my heart stopped: she was holding the two hunters at bay, tendrils of shadow wrapped around their legs. She was straining from the effort, her skin shining with sweat, and the hunters were pulling against their bonds, teeth bared and claws digging into the dirt.

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