Page 24 of Savage Wolves

“I will not let anything happen to either of you. We’re going to lead them somewhere that’ll make them regret ever stepping foot in our territory. They have broken our peace treaty. This is a declaration of war. And honestly, I want to rip Rocco’s throat out. I can’t pass up this opportunity.” Slater nudges me, getting me to walk forward. He shoves his big body into mine until I graze against a tree trunk.

It looks like I don’t have a choice. He’s leading me into battle, whether I like it or not. For someone who claims to want to protect me, putting me at risk like this is showing exactly what he truly wants for me.

“What I wanted is for you to stay at the cabin,” Slater says, responding to my thought. “And don’t assume anything else. You need to trust me. I will take care of this. You will not have to worry about the Twilight Cove pack again. Now move. Don’t make me bite that cute ass of yours.”

Tristan remains silent beside me, and I can’t help peeking at him. He releases a small whine, trying to encourage me to listen to his alpha. What a way to stick together. I want to be angry, but I get it. We did something stupid, and now we have to fix it. I need to fix it.

So once again, I submit to Slater’s command. But there’s no way I’m going to fucking go to the bathroom out here. My body scent will have to do.

Slater growls in approval, remaining close to my side. Tristan stays behind us, keeping alert and on guard. Several other wolves stalk through the trees and join our side. I realize Slater was never alone. I doubt this pack ever gets far from each other.

“Make sure you get those three trees. Make it a nice, clean path for the trackers.” Slater lets me go ahead of him, keeping his distance from anywhere I’d rub my body against.

“What if they don’t fall for it? What if they smell the rest of your pack?” I can’t help my questions. I need to know what kind of trap this is. I need to know what he’s getting me into.

“I hope they do. I want them to know that you’re under my protection.” Slater once again falls by my side, keeping his body close as if he’s also attempting to keep me warm as the air grows colder and colder.

And then I see it. The steep, snow-covered hill. If Slater didn’t grab the scruff of my neck and stop me, I would’ve slid right down it. Falling would make it impossible to come back up. The wolves would have no choice but to find another way to return to the territory. It leads right into a strange haze, not unlike what I saw at Sea Glimmer.

“Beyond the border lies a river. It will sweep them all away. It’ll be days before they could ever get back here. By then, we’ll have a better plan.” Slater nudges me away from the edge, getting me to return to Tristan’s side.

Tristan circles me in silence, nudging his snout into my side and then my neck, inhaling a deep breath as if he needs to smell my scent to keep him calm. Quiet falls around us, and I listen to the world. A soft howl calls through the air, stealing the warmth from me. I recognize the wolf. It’s Kellan.

My ears twitch and perk up, and my wolf releases a whimper. He’s come for me. He swore he'd never leave my side, and here he is. He came back. He must’ve been tracking me from where we last met.

I take a step in his direction, but Slater gets in my way. Tristan steps up to my other side and sandwiches me between him. The both of them release deep growls, and the other few wolves behind us join in, sounding threatening as hell. If I didn’t know them, my panic would leave me in fight or flight mode.

“Stop. Kellan is not a threat.” I project the words, hoping that with them, the pack will settle down.

“Stay on guard. He is from Twilight Cove.” Slater steps forward, thumping his big paws into the snow.

“He might have been, but he’s not anymore. He was helping me. He was supposed to go to Sunset Pointe to get help. Maybe they’re with him too.” My thoughts race along with my thudding heartbeat.

“We can’t be certain of that. He could use you to make amends with his alpha. No wolf can just survive alone on the island.” The hackles on Slater’s back rise, sticking his fur up on end. He releases another guttural growl in warning, breaking away from the formation the rest of the pack creates to take the lead.

“He’s not alone. He’s on my pack. He would never go back to that bastard alpha again.” Anger rushes through me with my words. I hate that none of these packs seem to get along. I hate that Slater is fully prepared to attack Kellan.

I follow behind him, not letting him put as much space between us as he wants. He spins and snaps at me, trying to get me to back down, but I refuse to do so. I have bowed enough in my life and I’m not doing it now. Kellan is my soulmate. He helped me and risked his own life to do so. He’s helped the rest of our group. I will not allow another alpha to force him to bow.

“Eliana, damn it. Stay back.” Slater growls again, nudging me back.

A wolf snarls and runs past us, breaking into a full sprint toward the trees. I spot Kellan lurking near the tree trunk, baring his teeth, preparing to fight.

“No!” I shout, my voice projecting through the world.

Dodging past Slater, I rush toward the fighting wolves.

Neither of them sees me until I’m a foot away.

Kellan lunges at me. He grabs me by the scruff of my neck and drags me away.

Chapter ten

Davian

Hunt

Roccocirclesaroundme,biting and growling as he impatiently waits for me to sniff the ground. Eliana has been through here. Her scent clings to the ground, the trees, everything around me. I wish I could pretend I don’t smell anything, but my whole body continues to buzz. I can’t control myself. She smells incredible, and I miss her. The last few weeks have been hell.

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