Chapter 560

I turned and sprinted for the trees. I didn’t see where they went in, and I panicked as I ran.

"Calm yourself." Nix pushed forward. "I’m tired, not crippled. I can still smell them."

I nodded silently as I ran. I made it to the trees, and I smelled blood. To the left.

“No, no, no, no, no, no.” I wove through the trees looking for signs of my friends. The blood scent was getting stronger. I shook my head, trying to cycle through the smells, but I couldn’t. “Nix!” I called; I needed her to tell me what I was smelling. But before she even opened her mouth, I pushed through a bush and found a body.

"Who is that?" Megan pressed closer to the barrier, trying to scent the body, but I knew who it was.

“It’s Steve.” My mind flashed to my first year of school. His cockiness, and then his apology, obviously meant nothing now. I stared down at his face, once someone I might have considered handsome if he hadn’t opened his mouth, now a mess of flesh and claw marks.

"That is someone I haven’t thought about for years." Nix chuffed. "But you can’t stand here and mourn a man who did this to himself. You have people to look for."

My wolf was right. No reason to cry over someone who condemned himself to death when he chose to move against my family, my mate. “Some people never learn.” I shook my head, and then I started running again. “I don’t know where I’m going.”

"Keep running straight. I think I hear something up ahead." Nix nodded forward, and I ran. I heard whimpers long before I was close enough to do anything. I pressed myself to run fast, but Nix pulled me back. "Go slow. Don’t get yourself killed."

I slowed down, and the scent of blood grew thick again. The whimpering I heard grew louder as I pushed past a bush. "Oh, goddess, no." Nix’s voice had me slowing.

"What is it?" I whispered in my mind. I crept closer to the whimpers, and I heard a deep chuckle.

“Come on, be good.” A dark voice called out, and the whimpering turned to sobs.

"It’s, it’s…" Nix threw her head back and let out a mourning call.

It was Megan’s scream that had me freezing. "STOP!"

"What?"

"If you push through that bush, you are as good as dead. I can feel it." Megan shook her head. "Circle the clearing to the right. But move silently. Any sound will draw his attention."

"I can’t keep going slow, you two. I need to save Ternen and Alannah."

"I know, but just do as I said and we can." Megan looked to Nix, who was still calling to the moon. But I was on the move. I slowed further, picking my foot placement perfectly to make zero noise.

“Now.” I heard jingling, like metal hitting metal.

"Can you cast magic in your mind?" Nix finally turned back to me. Her voice was full of sorrow but urgent.

"I don’t know. Why?"

"Just try, Amy. We need to move quickly. Deaden the sound. Hurry!"

I focused on my magic, and the words. I whispered them in my mind, and I felt the spell snap into place. "There."

"Run. Now, Amy. Straight into the clearing."

I listened to my wolf and ran through the bushes. I stumbled through and had one second to see the scene in front of me before I screamed and dove with my claws fully extended.

The male rogue had his pants undone, kneeling on top of Alannah, fighting her clothes. He had one second to register what was happening, and another to run. He pushed up and screamed like his life was over as my claws ripped through his ribs. The snap of bone ricocheted around the bubble I had created as blood flew.

His mouth coughed up blood, and he looked at me with surprise. “You. You found us.” He coughed more blood as the light faded from his eyes. I tossed his body to the side before I looked down at him. I noticed two wounds, the one I did on his chest and one lower…on his groin.

I heard a choking sound, and I turned to see Alannah sobbing, clutching at a rather sad-looking appendage. I dropped into a crouch at her side and grabbed it from her hand. “Hey.” I tossed it behind us. “Hey, I got you.” The wracking sobs overtook her body. “I found you.” I grabbed her hands. Then, I leaned against her stomach. I heard the sweet song of a strong, healthy heartbeat. “Your pup is safe.”

I pulled back as she continued to sob. She wouldn’t look at me. I tried to turn her head, but she kept turning away. Finally, I turned and looked, and my heart shattered.

She refused to look away from Ternen, and his lifeless eyes stared back at her.