Page 32 of Protected By Her Wolves

She’s alive?Rone whimpered, his voice echoing in Drasko’s head.

“She is,” Drasko answered as he returned to Rone and knelt beside him, stroking his head. At least, he prayed she was. He looked up at Hakon. “We need to get him help.” His eyes misted as he turned back toward Rone. His loveable gamma brother had busted through a window to save him and ended up getting shot in the process. Emotion threatened to clog his throat. “Thank you, brother.” Drasko didn’t know how he could ever repay Rone for his bravery.

A familiar wolf’s howl echoed in the distance, followed by several more, along with the distinct sound of a snowmobile engine. The wolves didn’t sound agitated, just excited. Was the snowmobile with them?

Drasko jumped to his feet. “Luc!” He’d never been more relieved to hear the calls of other wolves. Luc would know what to do for Rone, and they usually had Army medics in their squad.

He ran outside just as a man on a snowmobile came roaring into camp, followed by a pack of wolves racing behind him. It took Drasko a moment to realize the man on the snowmobile was Luc, but he recognized his brother’s glowing eyes through his goggles.

Luc jumped from the snowmobile and trudged through the snow toward him while ripping off his cap and goggles, all clothes borrowed from the Russians judging by the unfamiliar smell.

“Amara?” he asked his brother, hoping he’d seen her.

Luc looked around Drasko’s shoulder at the church’s demolished front door.Safe,he answered through thought.

Drasko’s knees weakened, and he fell into the snow, the breath expelling from his lungs.Thank the Ancients.

Luc swiped the icicles off his face.The Russians?

Dead,Hakon answered as he joined them. Hakon thumbed toward the church.Rone was shot. He needs a medic now.

Luc’s eyes flashed gold and he let out a cross between a human and wolf howl before racing past them. His squadron followed, their tails spinning as they crowded into the church.

Drasko didn’t have the strength to move as he stayed in the snow, his gaze transfixed somewhere on the steaming pool in the distance. Safe. She was safe. No thanks to him. He’d been a fool for leaving her. He should’ve stayed and fought the Russians instead of trying to draw them away. He was worse than a fool. He was a useless protector.

Hakon held a hand down to him. “Come on, brother. It’s over.”

Drasko took his hand and then wiped moisture from his eyes. Was it over? For him, it would never be over, for he would carry this shame with him forever. And the ordeal wasn’t over for Rone, who was gravely injured. He wouldn’t have been injured had Drasko finished off the Russians back at the cabin.

He followed Hakon into the church, feeling ten shades of useless as his brother and the other betas, in their naked human forms, somehow found bandages among the Russian supplies and applied a tourniquet to the wound.

“He’s losing too much blood,” Luc said between gritted teeth while applying pressure to Rone’s wound. “We need to get him to Amara—now.”

“Hang on, brother,” Drasko begged, alarmed by the blood that pooled around Luc’s hands. “Please.” He was about to ask Luc how they were supposed to get him to Amara when he heard a helicopter in the distance. Fuck. He wasn’t looking forward to another helicopter ride, but he was desperate to save his brother. He prayed this flight would land safely.

Chapter Eleven

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