Chapter 32
Koe couldn’t shake the dread that was plaguing him as he ran toward the manor.
He knew Koe and his pack could handle the Biters in the north field, but where was Bragga?
He was open and awaiting transmission through pack ties, but none came through.
Afraid to get too far from Daemon and the others in case they needed him, he wasn’t running at full speed, just a trot.
When he knew he was within contact distance of the manor, he reached out to Thrall through their pack ties.
“Thrall, is everything alright? Are Jury and Narae okay?”
He waited a beat, and when no response came, he tried again, heart rate slowly hiking.
He knew he was close enough to reach Thrall if Thrall was at the manor, which he should have been.
When Thrall didn’t answer a second time, Koe reached out to Daemon and the others in the south field.
“Finish that shit, something’s off at the house.
” And then he broke into a dead run, Daemon’s one-word response echoing in his head like a gunshot blast, “Fuck!” Koe felt that sentiment to his marrow.
Fear, rage, regret all searing him at once.
The manor came into sight and looked deceptively quiet. The storm shutters were still closed, the front door sealed. He was just about to reach out to Thrall again when he felt the mental nudge indicating someone was trying to contact him. He permitted it.
Colson’s tone was urgent, “Alpha! Thrall is chasing Narae to Daemon’s cabin. It’s burning. Thrall thinks it’s an ambush. Blake is with him. She’s got a head start. Send reinforcements.”
Koe changed direction on a dime and sent a rapid amendment to Daemon. “Get to your cabin!”
The skies had cracked wide open just a few minutes earlier, dampening all his senses. He couldn’t scent anything burning, but he could just make out smoke billowing up from the southern border. “Where’s Jury?”
“I don’t know. Thrall didn’t mention her.”
“Go!” Koe ordered, “Get to Daemon’s cabin.
I’m coming.” He pushed himself harder, praying that Jury was safe in the panic room as they’d planned.
She had to be. Thrall would have mentioned her otherwise.
As he ran, he kept reassuring himself, Thrall would have mentioned her otherwise. He would have mentioned her.
Running at a breakneck pace, the scenery was a blur.
The rain came down harder and it didn’t deter Koe in the least. Paws digging into the wet Earth, clumps of mud were propelled behind him.
Wind was lashing him from the west, cold and crisp.
Without his sense of smell and unable to hear anything but the pounding of rain and his own heart, Koe felt as if he were underwater.
The urgency to get to Daemon’s cabin was all-consuming.
He knew Bragga would be there, and he prayed Thrall had arrived shortly after Narae.
Narae had told Daemon that there were twenty wolves total in Bragga’s pack.
There’d been sixteen on the south perimeter, which meant Bragga and three Enforcers were absent, most likely at Dameon’s.
If Narae showed up alone, it’d be four on one until Thrall and Blake got to her, even then, they’d still be outnumbered, four Biters to two Allegiant Enforcers and Narae.
Fffffuck!
Pushing harder, Koe crested the rise that overlooked Daemon’s cabin and roared at what he saw.
Thrall was battling Bragga and another wolf.
Beside him, Blake was facing off against another Biter wolf, and Narae was beneath another, fighting for all her worth.
Blood stained the rain that was pooling beneath the battle.
Without breaking stride, Koe tore down the hill, the rain dampening the sound of his approach.
He went for the wolf on Narae first. One second, the wolf was tearing into her, and then he was gone.
Koe barreled bodily into him, jaws clamping hard and ripping the fucker off Narae.
The two wolves collided with the impact of two Mack trucks colliding.
As they rolled and then slid through the flooding field, Koe didn’t stop fighting.
Enraged, he bit harder than he’d ever bitten in his life, claws shredding, head whipping back and forth with rabid ferocity.
He was feral. Seeing Daemon’s mate being attacked triggered something in him.
As pack, Narae was Koe’s just as much as she was Daemon’s.
Fully claimed or not, Daemon had marked her, which made her an Allegiant.
That meant Koe owed it to Daemon, Jury, and his pack to defend Narae accordingly. And he did.
Whipping his massive head, his jaws clamped like an iron fist, he felt something rend and then give until his body grew warm with the wash of Biter blood that sprayed him.
But he wasn’t done. He was already spinning before he even dropped the limp wolf in his jaws.
Furious gaze locked on the two wolves tag-teaming Thrall, Koe lunged for the brawl.
Racing across the field, he zeroed in on Bragga, but before he could reach Thrall to offer aid, a streak of black flashed through the melee, and Bragga disappeared.
Koe slid to a halt. One-on-one, Thrall turned the tide on the Biter Enforcer who’d been jumping him, and he took the wolf down easily.
Koe’s eyes scanned the field, eyes narrowing through the sheets of rain.
His ears picked up the distinct sound of a man’s scream, and his head jerked in that direction.
Standing, watching, listening, the air left Koe on a relieved sigh when he saw Demon’s black form ripping Bragga to shreds.
The dumb bastard had shifted to his human form, no doubt trying to talk his way out of what he’d caused, what he’d earned. Fool!
Satisfied that Demon would finish Bragga, Koe turned to Blake. He was standing over another dead Biter wolf.
Narae!
Koe’s gaze sliced to where Narae had been, and she was gone.
Eyes scanning the field, Koe didn’t see her.
Dashing to the spot she’d been battling, he shoved his snout into the ground, picking up the saturation of her blood.
Looking up, he saw a trail of blood going away from the field.
He followed it slowly at first. When he didn’t immediately find Narae, panic kicked in, and he started running.
“Demon!” Koe roared through the pack ties. “Narae’s…” Honestly, he didn’t know what to call it. She wasn’t dead, she was injured and…feral? She was not Narae.