Page 35 of Winning the Wolf

Waving a hand in dismissal, I turned to the right and followed a small path that had been trodden through the grass. His footsteps were silent, and yet, I could feel him, right behind me.

A thin line of perspiration covered my top lip, tickling the fine hair. I wiped at it and sniffed the air, following my twin’s essence until we reached a small wooden shed hidden in the trees.

My heart almost exploded in my chest. I could smell the sweet scent of rosewood that always surrounded my sister. My instinct to reach her pushed me forward until Killick’s arm came around my waist, dragging me back behind a tree. Opening my mouth to protest, I squeaked when his strong fingers covered my lips.

He held me against the tree and shook his head, silencing me with his sharp gaze. Heat blasted between us, the bond that called us ignoring the important mission we were currently on.

“We need to check for guards,” he mouthed, releasing me when I nodded.

Ah, yeah, I hadn’t even thought about the fact that my sister was a wanted felon in our pack. The Dusk Moon Pack would know that Killick was desperate to find our betrayer. They wouldn’t be stupid enough to leave her unguarded.

Sniffing the air as Killick glanced around the tree, I detected a faint scent that I’d recognise anywhere. Jeremy.

Fierce hot heat blasted over my skin and I almost ran out from behind the tree. The urge to shift and kill the bastard by ripping out his throat was almost too strong to overcome. Killick’s grip on my arm was the only thing that grounded me.

Taking a deep breath through my nose and slowly releasing it from my mouth, I calmed the rage that itched to be freed. I wanted to strangle the man who had dragged my sister into his sick vendetta. However, it wasn’t the time.

Distracting me with a wave, Killick moved out from behind the tree, creeping towards a small gap in the bush ahead. I went with him, copying his every movement as we came through the hedge and paused.

A dilapidated hut stood before us, the moss covering rotten wood barely holding on to its frame. The scent of Nyla and her blood, intensified, slipping straight up my nostrils. My insides quaked as I pressed forward, desperate to get to my twin sister.

Killick’s nostrils flared as we drew closer, but he didn’t slow down. There were no signs of life outside the hut and it was silent within. Was Nyla even alive?

Blood rushing in my ear, I tried to overtake the alpha. He stopped me, gently guiding me behind him as we approached the door of the hut. I shook my head, trying to quieten the sound of my own heartbeat so I could hear properly.

There was a thick rusted metal lock trapping my sister inside. A werewolf was a strong creature, one that couldn’t be easily contained. Unless they were hurt. If my sister hadn’t managed to escape, she was in serious trouble.

Without hesitating, Killick reached out, ripped the lock off and yanked open the wooden door. We were both inside, our arms raised and ready for a fight within a nano-second.

A whimper left my lips as I shot across the dusty floor and fell to my knees. Nyla was chained, her arms behind her back as she leant against the hard wooden wall behind her. Her clothes, a once pretty dress and leggings, were filthy, stained with blood and mud. Her head was slumped to the side and her eyes were closed.

“Nyla?” I whispered, placing my hand over her heart.

The slight rise and fall of her chest was so weak, I could barely feel it. My own breath panted as I brushed her brown hair out of her face. Her skin was white, except around her eyes, which were bruised purple.

“We need to get her out of here,” Killick said, nudging me out of the way. “Let me take her.”

My muscles went solid, freezing me in a protective stance over my sister. He had promised not to kill her straight away, but he was still a threat to her wellbeing. I wouldn’t let him harm her, regardless of our new connection.

His thick fingers ran down my arm and took my hand, slowly removing it from where it clung to my sister’s dress. “If I was going to kill her,” he whispered, “I would’ve done it by now. We need to leave.”

Letting him guide me away, I sucked the stale air into my lungs. My whole body shook from the shock of seeing my sister at death’s door. We had always been taught not to fear the wolf spirit’s call and I knew that if Nyla was going to meet him, she would find peace. However, I wasn’t ready to lose her.

Killick lifted my sister gently, cradling her in his arms and nodding at the door. I opened it and stepped out, checking that no one was around. I was prepared to kill the bastards who had harmed Nyla. In fact, I would rip Jeremy’s throat out if he dared to come near us.

Indicating that it was clear, I watched as Killick brought my sister out. Her slim arm hung limp as Killick ushered me back through the woods.

A sound in the distance behind us made me go still. Someone was singing drunkenly as they approached the hut from behind.

“Go!” Killick’s harsh whisper propelled me into action.

My legs moved me towards the danger, fury lighting my insides and pushing me to find my prey.

A hand caught me around the elbow, yanking me back violently. I flew to the floor, huffing and shoving my hair out of my eyes so I could see what had happened.

Killick was balancing Nyla over his shoulder at the same time as pointing away from the hut. Ah, when he’d ordered me to go, he hadn’t meant to my enemy. Oops.

A loud angry roar echoed behind us, self explanatory in its frustration. Fuck, Jeremy had gone into the hut. Shit was about to go down.

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