Chapter 29

Kimble

“What the fuck!” Talon hissed. “How did he know we were here?”

My heart thundered in my chest. All I could think was that Jackie must be the connection. Before I could speak a word, Talon snarled. “It’s Jackie. She must have told him. Catch her!”

“Talon—” I breathed. “I didn’t—”

“Save your breath, Kimble!” he growled at me. He was so angry his anger was palpable. I actually winced as my eyes went wide.

“Do you suspect me?” I asked, disbelief blasting through me.

“No!” he said in a jarring voice. “Come with me!”

But why was it that I couldn’t believe him? His words, his tone were cutting through me like a knife through ice. He caught my hand and pulled me out of the tent. As soon as I stepped out, I saw the enemy wolves, their coats brown as earth, eyes burning with a fiery orange hue. They moved behind their massive Alpha, Alpha Liam, who was standing at the forefront. His growl reverberated through the ground, sending ripples through the air.

My body trembled when his eyes fell on me. Talon clutched me to his side, his teeth bared, a low snarl escaping his throat, promising savage violence. He leaned over and whispered, “Go back to the tent. I’ll send warriors to protect you.” He shoved me behind him.

“No,” I said. “I want to be with you!” I noticed all our pack wolves were bristling with barely restrained fury. They seemed to be waiting for Talon’s signal to strike.

“This is no time to argue!” he growled at me. “Go, or else I will focus on protecting you instead of killing this bastard!”

From the corner of my eye, I saw Vandil coming out of his tent along with his warriors. He looked accusingly at Talon as if this was his plan. Before I had time to say anything, Kenzie dragged me away.

In the cold, eerie glow of the full moon, the forest fell deathly silent for a moment, even the wind ceasing its whispers. Then, with a guttural roar that shook the trees, both Alphas surged forward, and the packs clashed. Fangs gleamed and claws flashed in the moonlight as fur flew. The battle turned ferocious—growls, howls, and the sound of bodies crashing into one another filled the night.

The moon watched impassively from above, casting its pale, indifferent light over the chaos below, where instinct and rage ruled.

And I—I was shoved inside my tent with warriors surrounding me. How did we get here? Nothing made sense. Where was Jackie? Had she run away after leading Liam here? Was it her plan all along? Was Kirk involved in this? There were a thousand questions in my mind.

Suddenly, the fabric at the back of my tent screeched as someone sliced through it. Shocked, I picked up a knife on the table to attack, but when I saw Jackie, my shock was mingled with surprise. “Jackie?”

She placed her finger on her lips. “Come with me,” she said in a low voice.

“What? Fuck off!” I shouted. “You brought Kirk here!”

Her face looked pained. “No, I didn’t even tell him where I was going, and I’ve no idea how he found out about it. But this battle’s going to turn fierce. If you don’t come with me now, you’ll get killed. Liam’s not alone. There’s another Alpha with him, and Talon’s warriors are outnumbered.” She looked with panic toward the tear in the tent. “Vandil is waiting for us outside. He’ll take both of us because he wants us safe!”

“No, I won’t come with you!” I hissed. “You’re conning me!” Tears ran down my eyes thinking Talon would be killed. “I’d rather die with Talon.” Realization slammed into my chest. Talon was my mate. My. Mate. Mine. I would never leave him. Ever. Again.

“Please, Kimble,” Jackie pleaded. “I’m not deceiving you. You’ve saved me, and I want to save you. Because if Liam manages to get to you, he’ll capture you and torture you to torture Talon. Or the other way round.”

“Shut up!” I hissed. “I won’t—” Before I could speak further, someone grabbed me from behind.

A black bag was forced over my head, its pungent smell choking me. “Shh… Ylva…” Vandil’s cold voice reached my ears. “It’s time to go home.”

Home? I tried my best to struggle against darkness, against him, but my eyes fluttered closed. I lost all sense of time. I think I was hauled over a shoulder and carried out, but after that I don’t remember anything.