Page 15 of True North

She’s just reaching the edge of the clearing around our building when I catch up to her. Her wide eyes make me instantly match her panic, ratcheting mine up tenfold.

I shift quickly into human form, and she follows suit with considerably more difficulty. She’s sobbing as she launches herself at me, mumbling incoherently into the top of my head.

“What’s going on?” I ask her, clutching her tightly against me. I’ve seen my sister upset, but I’ve never seen this.

“I can’t hear him. I can’t hear Jimmy anymore,” she wails.

For the first time since coming here, I resent not letting Callum make me an official part of the pack. I can’t mind link with them because I’m not technically one of them. It would be so much easier if I could ask Callum what the hell is going on, instead of pulling it out of my sister who seems to barely be holding on.

“Where’s Jimmy, Tasha? What’s going on?”

She takes a deep, shuddering breath like she knows she needs to pull it together enough to get it out. “There are rogues breaching pack territory. They saw them coming and stayed out to deal with it, but the rogues won’t be turned. Why us?” Another sob escapes her. “Jimmy was keeping me updated, but now I can’t hear him at all.”

She buries her face against me, muffling the sobs that follow.

I feel sick, but the feeling is overridden by my duty to my sister. Three years ago, she put me back together when I was broken. I had no home, and she helped me make one here with the East Terrace Green Pack. I might not formally be one of them, but I owe them everything for taking me in.

I extract myself carefully from my sister.

“Go inside Callum’s office and stay there.”

She reaches out, grabbing for me, but I back out of reach. “Tess, no. You have to stay.” She swings her head wildly from side to side. “Callum would never forgive me if anything happened to you.Iwould never forgive myself. You have to come in with me.”

I can’t, I answer, already beginning to shift.

“Tess!”

I hate the sound of her wavering voice calling out for me, but my wolf’s mind is already miles away. I let instinct guide me, heading toward the edge of pack territory closest to my sister’s house. If Jimmy sent her toward the office, it had to mean home was too close to the danger for his comfort.

I hear it—the sounds of clashing teeth—as I approach. I pull up short, ducking behind the tree line to try to get a good look at what they’re up against. I know every wolf in this pack in detail, so with only a quick glance, I know we’re heavily outmatched. There are too many rogues, and they’re too strong.

My eyes desperately scan the mass of wolves for Jimmy and Callum. I nearly pass them over before my gaze jerks back again. Jimmy is in front of Callum, desperately trying to ward away two large wolves snapping in the direction of the Alpha.

My heart leaps into my throat at the scene. It’s Jimmy’s duty as Beta to protect his Alpha at all costs, but I can see from here that he’s hurt. He’s not putting his full weight on his front paw.

Common sense tells me to lie low. The pack can’t mind link with me, I would only be a liability. But when one of the wolves swipes at Jimmy’s face, I leap forward without thinking.Protect the family.My wolf zeroes in on that one singular focus.

I can feel myself drawing attention as I dodge trees to cross the distance to get to my brother-in-law. Jimmy doesn’t notice me right away, but Callum does.

His head swings wildly from side to side, and if I could link with him, I have no doubt he would be shouting orders at me. He wants me to leave, I don’t need to be able to link to know that, but it’s too late now.

My presence draws the attention of the rogues, several noses jolting straight up in the air as the wind whips around us, carrying my scent around.

The rogues hesitate just long enough for me to take stock of the situation. We’re outnumbered. Outsized. And half of Callum’s pack seems to already have gone down. I can’t tell who’s dead versus who’s just knocked out, and I don’t dare look too closely to find out. Jimmy tries to take advantage of the distraction to swipe at the two wolves in front of them, but they pivot their attention and ram him from either side.

My wolf is torn in two. She desperately wants to protect family, but also recognizes the importance of keeping an Alpha safe.

As the rogues converge on Jimmy, taking him to the ground, I force myself into motion. The human side of me protests my every move as I go to Callum’s side, butting my head against his side to urge him to move. He can’t stay here watching over his pack, he needs to call for backup and get to safety.

He balks against me, trying to stay with his Beta as pained yelps fill the air. The sound burns deep in my gut. This is why he’s stopped answering Tasha. He knows it’s bad.

It’s concern for my sister that keeps me moving, using every bit of strength I have to push Callum toward the path leading to the office. I know he would lay himself down with his pack and die, but letting rogues take over the pack would start a chain reaction that would put so many more wolves in danger. Including those of the pack who aren’t here fighting.

Make me part of your pack, Callum.I say the words desperately in my mind, surprised when his gaze shoots in my direction.

For a moment, the fates seem to step in on our behalf, because he hears me.

All it takes is a short nod from him, and I finally officially become one of them. The East Terrace Green Pack. The voices of Callum’s pack—now mine—burst across the mind link, overwhelming me as everyone talks at once.

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