Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Ember

L ava rips through my chest. It’s so painful, I barely have the energy to stagger to my feet and help roll Lorcan onto his side. I can’t put him on his back, because removing the spear would mean death…

Right?

If someone is stabbed, you leave the weapon in to seal the wound. If you pull it out, that’s when they tend to bleed to death.

My wolf fights for control as three men spill from the forest.

My hands shake as I look between Lorcan, choking and coughing and probably fucking dying, and back to the men. It’s not often I freeze, but I need to be in two places at once, and I don’t know how to make that happen.

The burning pain that spills into me from Lorcan takes my breath away.

“Run,” he chokes again.

There’s less than no chance of that happening. I have to subdue these assholes, so I can offer Lorcan support and call for help.

My wolf finally shoves herself into the driver’s seat as another spear hurdles toward my chest.

She uses her will to dive to the side, rolling us. Fur breaks from my skin as the change takes hold, ripping the T-shirt and shorts apart.

She kicks out of my shoes as the tattered bits of my clothing hit the ground. Her gaze darts around, checking for any additional foes who might be hiding. It’s unreal how she can pick up heat signatures, but it’s a blessing.

There are only three.

The man in the middle is the asshole from the cells the first night; she’s sure of it. He’s also the only one with a spear, as the other two have tossed theirs. But they could have daggers or other small weapons laced in the same poison.

My wolf lowers her head, snarling a warning that they won’t get any closer to her mate.

The man on the far left glances over his shoulder, taking off away from the other two guys he came with.

My wolf shoves off with her back legs, but she doesn’t aim for that idiot. We can find him later. She goes for the one on the other end, but only after acting like she’s chasing the original runner. Once she’s past where the two remaining men are, she circles behind them.

She aims for the one on the far end, tackling him. He rolls around, tossing an elbow back and clipping her in the face.

Movement comes from her right, and she backs off the man under her just in time for the third spear to go flying past. She pivots, throwing every bit of her body weight at the larger man. She hits him, sending him to the ground under her impressive weight.

His scent is familiar. She’s sure he’ll fight just as dirty as last time, and she can’t allow this to go on much longer. She snaps at his face, but he slams his fist into her eye over and over again. She bounds off his prone form at the sound of the other wolf approaching from behind.

Nothing like a little two-on-one action to get the blood pumping. She focuses on the memory of the spear sticking out of Lorcan’s chest and the pain still radiating in her heart.

My vision through her eyes gets hazy, and she blocks me out completely.