Page 2 of Claiming Xan
I nudged his face, but his eyes were half-lidded and unfocused. Fuck. What did I do now? Everything had happenedso fast, we didn’t get a chance to plan our escape. We just went for it. Our one chance—and we made it, but if Sky died out here, what was the fucking point?
Panic climbed up my throat as I nudged him again and again, whining softly.Focus, River. This isn’t over.
I pulled back and looked around, keening my senses. I didn’t know where we were, but I smelled other wolves, and as much as that made my own inner-beast bristle with fury?
They could help Sky…
I threw back my head and howled. I knew it might attract Dr. Thompson and his men, but if this was pack territory, there was a good chance we were safe. I howled long and hard, and it wasn’t long before other wolves began to approach me.
But it was like flipping a switch in my stupid, broken brain. I froze, my hackles rising. I lowered my head and snarled at them, pacing in front of Sky’s limp form, torn between protecting my twin and begging for their help.
It felt like I was being ripped in half.
A tall, sturdy-looking Alpha with dark hair approached me. Despite his hazel eyes being gentle and caring, my wolf didn’t seem to care. I snapped at him in warning, growling viciously as I began to pace again.
“Easy. We’re here to help,” the man murmured, but I stared him down. When he tried to come closer, something inside of me snapped. I snarled and lunged at him. He shouted out and raised his arm, and my fangs sank into his flesh, catching his limb between my jaws.
The man was quicker than I gave him credit for, though. With his free hand, he scruffed me and yanked me up off the ground. I snarled and twisted in midair, kicking and thrashing, panic taking root as a woman rushed in to kneel besides Sky.
Sky!
“Stop fighting,” the man said between gritted teeth, no doubt in pain from where I was grinding my jaws into his arm. “We aren’t going to hurt you.”
The dark-haired woman examined my brother quickly, her voice sharp when she turned to a few of the other wolves. Right away, I could feel her dominant energies. Was she the pack Alpha?
“He needs immediate medical attention. Someone, go get the ATV. Hurry!” she barked, and three wolves took off running. She rose and came over to me, prying my jaws apart so that the Alpha male could remove his wounded arm. “Are you alright, Kace?”
“I’ll be fine,” he assured her, still holding onto me.
She looked dead into my eyes, catching my muzzle in one hand and squeezing so tightly, my teeth ground together.
“Shift.Now.”This was no request. It was a command, her Alpha energies flowing freely over me. I growled and twisted, but she bellowed the words again, and I buckled.
I dropped to the forest floor on my hands and knees, panting and shivering from the stress of it all. “Fuck…” I choked out, but the Alpha wasn’t done.
She knelt down beside me. “Talk to me. Is he your mate?”
I glanced up, frowning. “My brother,” I said, soft. “My twin.”
She looked stricken. “But you’re…”
“It doesn’t matter!” I hissed at her. “He’s hurt!”
“He’s hemorrhaging,” she amended, and my stomach sank. “Has he given birth recently?”
I felt sick as I thought of the infant torn away from Sky what felt like just minutes ago. “Yeah.”
“Where’s the baby?”
“It’s gone!” I bristled, gooseflesh pebbling my arms. Nausea roiled and I really thought I might puke. I raked both handsthrough my short blond hair. “I can’t talk about this right now! Please!”
“Okay,” she said, gentler. “Let’s take a deep breath, alright. Can you tell me his name?”
I tried to do as she said and breathe, but my lungs felt clogged. I felt like I was choking on the air that was trying to save me.
“Sky,” I whispered.
“And yours?”
