I could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on me, thick and suffocating, like a storm cloud hanging just above our heads. Tasha, Mascot, Clara, and the others were still there, trying to breathe, trying to make sense of the commotion.
But there was no time for understanding right now. The ground was trembling beneath us, and the night was still vibrating with the echoes of Eden's roar.
He was coming, and I couldn't stop him-not from where I stood. Frustration roared in my chest, a fiery blaze that had nothing to do with my wolf. I was Alpha, and as an Alpha, my job was to protect. To keep them safe. But all I could do now was watch as they tried to figure out the mess we were in.
Clara had shielded us with her spell, but even that wouldn't hold for long. Eden wasn't a fool, and his cronies would find us. They always did. "Jacob, we need to move," Tasha said, her voice tight with urgency.
She had her eyes locked on the sky, scanning for danger. It made my chest tighten, seeing her like that. She was strong-stronger than most would give her credit for-but even she couldn't deny the fear that danced in her eyes.
"I know," I growled, my hands clenching into fists. The frustration was eating me alive. I wasn't used to being helpless. And right now, that's all I was. Helpless. Clara's magic might hide us for a little while longer, but it wouldn't last forever.
Eden would find us. He always found us. His army was too big, too relentless. And what would we do then? Fight them all? Even I knew that wasn't an option. I wasn't sure what Clara's spell had done, but it wouldn't be enough to hold off an army of Eden's cronies forever.
"We need to go," I said, voice gruff. "Now." The others turned to me. Mascot, Ethan, Tasha-they were all looking at me, waiting for some kind of miracle, for some plan to get us out of this alive. But there was no miracle. No plan that would guarantee our safety.
The only thing I could give them right now was time. "I'm going to hold them off," I said, my voice steady despite the storm of emotions brewing inside me. "I'll buy you time to get out of here." There was a long silence before anyone spoke.
Ethan, of all people, looked like he wanted to argue, his jaw tightening, fists clenched. He was the type to act first and think later. That's why I liked him. But even he knew when to keep quiet. "Jacob, no-" Tasha started, her eyes wide, her voice a mix of panic and disbelief.
"You can't-"
"I can," I interrupted, locking eyes with her. "I'm the Alpha. And right now, I'm the only one who can make sure you survive."
The words were harder to say than I wanted them to be. But I couldn't let them get caught. Not now. Not after everything we'd been through.
Not after everything Tasha and I had fought for. "I'm not leaving without you," Tasha said, her voice soft but firm, like she always was when it came to me.
I clenched my jaw. "You don't have a choice." There was a fire in her eyes-a mixture of defiance and fear. And I hated it. I hated that I was forcing her to go. But she didn't get to decide this. Neither did anyone else.
This was my choice to make. I grabbed her hand, pulling her closer. She gasped, her chest rising and falling with a sharp breath, but I didn't give her a chance to speak. Instead, I pulled her into me, kissing her hard. It was urgent, raw, and it sent a shock through my system.
The moment I pulled away, I could see the surprise in her eyes, but she didn't say anything. She just stared at me, her chest still heaving, lips parted, as if she was trying to make sense of everything I was saying, everything I was doing.
"You'll be fine," I whispered, though even I wasn't sure if I believed it. "Mascot will keep you safe." Tasha's eyes were bright with emotion, but she didn't fight me. She knew. She knew what had to be done, even if she didn't like it.
Mascot gave a sharp nod, and that was all it took for me to feel the first shred of certainty in my bones. I turned to him. "Protect her," I ordered, voice low and steady. "Don't let anyone get near her." Mascot didn't hesitate. He was a warrior at heart, and he understood the weight of the situation.
He didn't say anything. He just gave me a nod and moved to Tasha's side, his presence a quiet reassurance for me. Ethan stood a little farther away, his hands in his pockets, his face unreadable. I knew him well enough to see the conflict in his eyes.
He wanted to argue, to find another way. But there was no other way. Not now. I looked back at Tasha, feeling a deep pang in my chest, something I hadn't felt before. It wasn't just the fear for her safety-it was more than that. It was the knowledge that if I didn't do this, we wouldn't have a chance.
"I'll be back," I said, my voice tight. "Don't wait for me." She opened her mouth to argue, but I didn't give her the chance. I couldn't afford the distraction. Without another word, I shifted. The change was instant. My body rippled with the power of the wolf, fur sprouting, muscles expanding.
My senses flooded with the familiar sharpness of the wolf, the world becoming more vivid, more immediate. The night air was thick with the scent of danger, and I could hear the faintest whispers of movement on the breeze. I didn't waste any time.
With a final glance at Tasha, I charged. The shift had been quick, but I could already feel the shift in my thoughts. My instincts took over, my wolf surging forward. I could feel the pack closing in, their scent heavy on the wind. Eden's cronies were out there, lurking.
They could smell us, feel us, even if Clara's spell kept us hidden. But they wouldn't be fooled for long. I ran through the underbrush, my paws pounding the earth, the sound of my breathing lost in the rush of blood pumping through my veins.
The world blurred past me, but I focused on one thing-distracting them. I didn't care about anything else. I pushed harder, faster, charging through the trees with only one thought in my head: buy them time. I could hear the growls of the other wolves behind me, feel them closing in. They were too fast, too many.
But I couldn't let them catch us. Not yet. A howl split the air, close. Too close. I didn't have much time left. My heart pounded, adrenaline surging.
My wolf wanted to rip them apart, to tear them to pieces, but I couldn't afford to fight them all. Not yet. I needed to keep moving. Keep their focus on me. And then, as I broke through the trees and onto an open plain, I saw them.
The first wave of Eden's pack. They were fast, shadows moving through the darkness, their eyes glowing with hunger. I could feel their power, feel the weight of their presence.
But there was one thing they didn't know. I was Alpha. I let out a roar of my own, loud enough to shake the air. The ground beneath me trembled as I faced them, the pack of wolves slowing, confused by my presence.
I grinned, my fangs bared. It was time. But as I lunged toward them, ready to take on whatever came next, a sharp pain pierced my side.
I didn't have much time.