Chapter 24

ANNA

Alex was waiting for them, his expression tense when the vehicles pulled into the garages back at the den. Zach gave Anna a brief smile, his hand reaching out to touch her cheek before leaving the car.

She watched as he and Dominic disappeared with Alex without another word.

Anna stood next to the car for a long minute, staring at the door that the males had disappeared through.

She was torn between following and offering her help with whatever was happening and keeping to herself.

Nobody, not even Zach, had told her what was going on during the long drive back although the tension had been palpable.

Anna felt like she was in a game of tug-of-war with her feelings. Just as she began to get used to the idea of being mated to Zach, something would throw her into another tailspin of doubt.

Right now, something was happening with the pack. It felt like this was something an alpha would lean on his mate for or at least inform her about.

Instead, Anna felt like Zach doubted whether she could handle what came with being mated to an alpha, which was something she doubted enough herself and really—~really~—didn’t need help with.

After a deep breath, Anna decided she needed some air, some space, to process everything that had been thrown at her throughout the day.

She made her way out into the clearing outside the tunnel entrances, relief filling her as the cool air touched her skin.

It was late afternoon, but the sun was still high enough that it provided some heat, warming her face.

Anna stared at the large boulder in the middle of the clearing, remembering the first time she’d been out here with Zach, the first time she’d seen him shift into his wolf.

A soft smile curled her lips as she remembered how flustered she’d been watching him strip and how he’d teased her for calling him beautiful in her head.

It felt like a lifetime ago; so much had happened since then. Anna didn’t feel like the person who had blushed as she watched Zach slowly unbutton his shirt.

Although she’d probably still blush if he stripped in front of her, even though now she just wanted to jump him instead of running away.

A loud noise drew her out of her thoughts, and she swung around just in time to see Rachel hasten clumsily from the den entrance.

Her face was bright red; she was breathing rapidly from exertion as she ran up to Anna.

“Rachel, what on earth—?”

“Jamie!” Rachel burst out, cutting Anna off as she slashed a hand down between them.

“Have you seen him? We were playing hide-and-seek, but now, I can’t find him. I’ve checked the nursery, the dining hall, the kitchens, even the infirmary. I’ve mind-linked his parents, and he’s not in their quarters. So, have you seen him?”

Her eyes were hopeful as she stared intently at Anna, waiting.

“No, I haven’t seen him,” Anna started, raising her voice louder to catch Rachel’s attention as she immediately turned away to resume her search, “but I’m pretty sure I know where he would hide.”

Rachel swung back around, her eyes wide as she gasped out, “Where?!”

“We were talking about good hiding spots the other day, and apparently, right by the lake, there’s a fallen tree. Jamie dug a hole right under it, and he told me the other pups never find him when he hides there.”

“Oh, thank heavens! I’ll go—”

“You’ll go back inside and grab a cup of tea,” Anna interrupted firmly. “I’ll go find him and mind-link as soon as I have him wrangled.”

After a moment, Rachel nodded obediently, giving way to Anna.

Anna waited until Rachel had started making her way back into the den before turning on her heel and walking quickly in the direction of the lake.

It wasn’t a long walk to the lake, only around five minutes at a brisk pace on two legs, but after only a couple of minutes in the shadow of the trees, Anna felt a chill skate over her skin.

Looking down, she saw goosebumps on her arms. Something felt wrong, like there was something in the woods that shouldn’t be.

Anna quickly spun around, looking in every direction, but nothing looked out of place.

However, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something sinister was waiting.

Anna reached the clearing at the edge of the lake, quickly spying the log that Jamie had told her about.

Before she could even call his name, she saw the swish of a furry little tail poking out above the bark. Relief swept over her.

~He’s here. I’ll bring him back and meet you in the dining hall.~

Rachel’s reply was immediate and short. ~Thank God.~

Knowing Jamie was too young to mind-link, Anna crouched down and was about to call the pup to her when a breeze blew through the clearing.

It felt as if shards of ice were in the air itself, the wind sliding the sharp edges along Anna’s skin, enough for her to feel the sting but just shy of cutting her.

Anna swallowed hard. She and Jamie were no longer alone, and she’d bet everything she had that whatever was out there wasn’t a shifter or a human.

~Anna, what’s wrong?~ Zach’s voice was comforting, his presence in her mind sending an immediate warmth throughout her body that seemed to shield her from the worst of the ice.

~I can feel something’s wrong.~

She debated about how much to tell him, a small part of her wanting to keep it to herself out of spite because he didn’t share his information with her.

That was childish, however, and Jamie was relying on her to get him out of there, so she was going to need all the help she could get.

~I’m at the lake. Jamie was hiding here, so I was going to bring him back—~

Before she could add anything else, Zach began cursing up a storm in her head.

~No one should be out there! Someone is in our territory!~

~I feel like that information would have been useful earlier, Zach, but I’m already aware that we aren’t alone.~

Anna tried to keep her mental voice wry and unconcerned, but she knew that Zach would be able to pick up on the stress she was feeling. She could certainly feel his.

~They have not attacked yet, but we are not safe. I can feel that they intend to do us harm.~

Another icy breeze swirled around Anna, seemingly targeting her. There was a sharp burning sting, and when Anna looked down, she saw a shallow cut on her forearm, beading blood.

It was as if she was being tested to see how she would react.

~Dominic believes we are being attacked by an immortal.~ Zach’s voice was a raspy growl, almost incomprehensible, and his rage was a hot ball of burning fury in the middle of her chest.

Anna couldn’t think about Zach right then, couldn’t let his volatile emotions distract her from the situation at hand, so without a second thought, she slammed the mental barrier down between them and temporarily severed their connection.

A long, angry howl sounded from the direction of the den.

Ignoring Zach, Anna watched as the shadows moved in the treeline on the other side of the clearing. They shifted and moved before a man stepped into the clearing as if stepping out of the very shadows themselves.

He was tall and elegant. Wearing a black three-piece suit, he looked extremely out of place in the woods.

His long, dark hair hung loosely around his shoulders, and his angular face reminded Anna of an aristocrat from centuries ago.

The gentlemanly look was ruined by the sadistic smirk curling his lips and the blood-red eyes that glinted at Anna as their gazes met across the clearing.

“So, I finally meet the half-breed,” he sneered. “You aren’t half as exciting as they all thought you’d be. I’ve watched, and you’re just as weak and pitiful as humans, yet with the smell of a wet dog.”

He glanced at the log, and Anna quickly stepped forward, trying to draw his attention away from Jamie and to herself.

“Who are you? What do you want with Silver River?” Her voice was loud and clear, her fear trapped like a frail bird in the dark recesses of her mind.

It would stay there until this was done. There was no place for fear here.

“I just want what all the members of the Circle want…your pack dead, of course.” His smirk transformed into a charming smile as if he had just said the most mundane thing.

The confirmation that he was a member of the Circle made Anna’s heart pound even as she tried to ease it back to a regular rhythm.

“What has Silver River ever done to you?” Anna desperately tried to keep him talking, hoping that help would come if she stalled him for long enough.

Dominic was with Zach. They could fight this immortal; they stood a chance.

“That’s above your pay grade and explaining it would be a waste of my time, seeing as you’ll be dead soon.” He stared intently at her as if he were examining some kind of specimen.

“I’ll have to report back to the Circle that the hybrid plan was a complete fail. It is a wonder that you are so weak, but that’s probably Caius’s fault. He never truly believed in our cause, and he was so easily swayed by a pretty face.”

“Wasn’t he one of you?” Anna tried to subtly take a step closer to Jamie without drawing attention to what she was doing.

The immortal scoffed at her words, throwing her a disgusted look.

“One of us! No. He told us he believed in our ideals, our principles, and then he tried to run off with the shifter we had captured.”

Anna stopped, all movements seemingly frozen, as his words sank in. “What do you mean? The Circle told him to impregnate Katherine; that was the plan, right?”

“No,” he rolled his eyes as if he were talking to a stupid child. “We never wanted to beget a half-breed, but once it happened, we all wanted to know how you’d turn out.”

“What a disappointment,” he said, clucking his tongue disapprovingly. “I can make matters right now, however.”

His red eyes glinted maliciously, and Anna knew that she and Jamie had just run out of time. There would be no waiting for help. She needed to get the pup out of there ~now~.

She made a lunge for the log that Jamie was hidden under, gathering him into her arms. He was heavy, but she hoped she’d at least make it far enough for help to reach them.

Anna turned in the direction of the den, starting to run for the tree line. Just as they were about to make it out of the clearing, a line of fire sprung up in front of them, and Anna jumped backward.

She spun around, trying to find another escape route, but they were encircled by a ring of flames. The immortal hadn’t moved. He just watched them, smiling mockingly.

“As defenseless as a human; this will be like squishing an annoying insect under my boot. Really, I’m doing you a favor. Your weakness is most embarrassing.”

Anger surged through Anna at his callousness. Placing Jamie gently on the ground, she ensured he stayed behind her legs as she faced the immortal, staring him down.

“I would say weakness is killing those who cannot fight back,” she countered furiously. “That would make you the weakest one here.”

He continued to smile, not bothered by her taunt. “Shall we put that to the test?”

Without a pause, he flicked his wrist, and there was a loud howl of pain from the pup behind her legs.

Anna spun around and saw that Jamie’s hind leg was angled wrong as if it had been snapped in half. The pup dropped to the ground, whimpering.

Anna saw red. Whirling back around, she growled furiously at the immortal, who paused to watch her curiously.

She didn’t have time to wonder how the sound had come from her body because, the next thing she knew, her bones began to break and shift.

Her fingernails lengthened into claws, her teeth elongated into sharp points, and black fur began to sprout. While the pain was unimaginable, Anna closed her eyes, relishing it.

It was an exhilarating feeling, one that she hadn’t felt in over a year, but she remembered it well. She embraced the return of her wolf as well as the fury that accompanied it.

When Anna opened her eyes, she was much closer to the ground with a snarl escaping her throat.

She stood over the pup’s body, her head down threateningly and ears laid back as she eyed the threat across the clearing.

“Well, well. Guess you aren’t quite as predictable as a human. I’ll thank you for making this at least a little bit entertaining.”

He stepped forward and Anna copied, lunging forward and snapping her jaws at him before jumping back and covering the pup.

Even as a wolf, she knew that she was no match for this immortal, but she could buy Jamie some time.

Suddenly, faster than even her animal eyes could see, the immortal darted forward and to the side. He punched his fist hard into her side, and Anna heard something crack under the impact.

Her body went flying several feet before she was able to regain her footing. She panted hard, her tongue lolling out of her mouth as she watched the immortal warily, waiting for his next move.

The pain in her side was intense, but Anna knew she needed to get back to the pup.

Just as the thought crossed her mind, the immortal slid smoothly in between Anna and Jamie, his charm back in place.

He cupped a hand over his mouth as if about to blow a kiss. But when he opened his mouth and spread his fingers wide, a piercing hot flame came shooting out, aimed directly at Anna.

She yelped and attempted to leap away, but she felt the fire lick up the side of her hindquarters.

Rolling on the grass before facing him again, Anna ducked her head down and growled furiously, pain a bright beacon for her anger.

He opened his mouth, probably to begin taunting her, but before he could, she darted forward and clamped her sharp teeth into the muscular part of his thigh.

The immortal didn’t make a single sound. Instead, he clenched his fist and used it as a battering ram against the side of Anna’s head.

She refused to let him go, shaking her head to tear deeper into the flesh under her teeth. Suddenly, he reached down and grabbed her, forcibly yanking her off his leg and throwing her.

Anna hit the ground hard on the other side of the clearing and spit out a chunk of flesh and muscle from her mouth, neither side of her wanting pieces of him in her mouth.

He gave her an evil look before turning to glance at Jamie. The pup whimpered in fear, his leg still lying mangled behind him.

Anna tried to stand, but the pain in her burned leg made it give out from under her. She knew she wouldn’t make it in time, and she snarled fiercely as the immortal approached the pup.

Just as he bent down to pick Jamie up, Anna felt a surge of power curling through her body. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before. Acting completely on instinct, she threw her head back and howled.

Dark gray clouds began forming over the clearing, almost touching the tops of the trees. The wind picked up, now buffeting them, causing the trees to bend under the force.

The immortal paused just as a funnel began to form from the clouds, swirling down to the ground to create a small tornado. As soon as it touched the ground, it began moving directly to the immortal.

A part of Anna feared for Jamie, but another part, the half that had felt the power and had used it, knew that it would only harm those she had targeted.

The roaring winds uprooted the immortal, sending him spiraling through the tornado.

It held him suspended in the air for a moment before he was thrown across the clearing, over his own barrier of fire and into the trunk of a tree.

He sat still, almost stunned, and Anna used the moment to yip at Jamie, who limped to her. She used her mouth to pick him up by the scruff of his neck and stood, her ribs and hind leg screaming out in pain.

Turning once more toward the direction of the den, Anna started running toward the line of fire.

That power built within her once again, and she instinctively thrust it out of her body, using the winds to boost her body up and over the flames.

She could feel the heat on the underside of her body, but they were too high to be burned. As they came down on the other side, the wind created a cushion of air to soften Anna’s landing.

Even so, the pain in her body protested fiercely.

Anna heard an infuriated snarl behind them but didn’t pause to look at the immortal. Instead, she started running as fast as she could toward the mountain where she knew safety was.

Lifting the mental barrier between her and Zach, she called out for him, but before he could respond, somebody dropped directly into her path, forcing her to skid to a stop.

“Going somewhere? We were just starting to play.”