Page 76 of Half Wolf Mate

My eyes widened when the man fired. However, Cole moved with lightning speed, shifting his body in front of mine. “No!” I screamed, expecting him to drop. When he didn’t, we both turned to the hunter in confusion.

There were many perplexed expressions in the crowd. The hunter howled and held his bloody hand. His crossbow sat on the ground. Yanking an arrow out of his hand, he examined it with a snarl. It was a replica of the one he had pointed at us.

“It’s him,” he bellowed. “He’s here!”

The other hunters murmured their apparent fear, and I frowned. The shifters seemed just as floored as I was. Who could have them so afraid? Or what? With the hunters distracted, Cole glanced around and nodded. He didn’t say a word, but his pack seemed to understand the command. They pounced on the hunters with vicious ferocity.

Cole lifted me off my feet and moved from the middle of the fight. I heard the hunter’s roar and knew he was angry I’d gotten away again. This was all wrong. I was supposed to give myself up, and the rest of the pack was supposed to be safe. Instead, they were immersed in round two of a bloody battle.

When my feet touched the ground, I swatted Cole’s hand away. “Are you crazy?” I screeched. “Why would you risk your entire family’s lives to protect me?” The hunters were skilled and bloodthirsty. They’d kill many shifters even if they lost, and I’d wallow in guilt for the rest of my days. “I almost ended this. Why would you—”

He grasped my arms and gave me a slight shake. Maybe he was afraid I had descended into hysteria. “I have it covered.”

“You have what covered?”

“Our victory.”

My eyebrows drew together, but before I could ask another question, a group of men and women appeared from the woods. They raced toward the fight between the hunters and the Moon Guardians. When I spotted Adam at the front, I blew out a relieved sigh.

He was a strong shifter, and if the Blood Claw Pack’s vicious reputation was anything to go by—the hunters were toast.

“See? You didn’t have to come back to sacrifice yourself to save us. I always have a backup plan. I asked Adam to stand by outside the compound in case the elders screwed me over and we had to fight our way out. But I didn’t expect we’d be battling hunters instead.”

I gave him a sheepish look. “Oops.”

He scowled, and I knew I was in for a lecture later. “Was the mysterious archer a part of your plan?”

He paused. “No.” Glancing around, he said, “I really hope whoever is out there isn’t a threat to us. Those hunters looked terrified. That could only mean—”

“Whoever is out there is a bad son of a bitch,” I finished.

After an amused grunt, he gave another wary look around. “Is Violet okay? Why did you come back alone?” Worry laced his words.

Violet was like a sister to him, so I quickly reassured him. “She’s fine. She would be with me still if I didn’t convince her to help a couple of kids instead.”

“How bad is it in there?” He asked.

Sadly, I replied, “I saw quite a few bodies.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw, and he inhaled deeply. “Right. I need you to get out of here. For the sake of my sanity, please do as I say this time.”

Not wanting to stress him any further, I nodded. “Okay.” I glanced over his shoulder at the raging battle where claws, teeth, and weapons clashed. “How do you suggest I get past that? Where do I even go?”

“You’ll have help. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I actually trust the asshole now.”

I was about to ask who the trusted asshole was when Adam jogged over. He looked way too calm as he shrugged back into his shirt after shifting. “Hey there, Sis,” he drawled. Holding out a hand, he asked, “Shall we?”

Glancing at his blood-covered hand, I lifted an eyebrow. “Been ripping out more hearts, have you?”

His smirk made me roll my eyes. “You know me so well already.”

With a sigh, I accept his bloody hand. We took off, and I glanced back at Cole. He watched us with a frown, and I knew he wanted to take me to safety himself. But the Alpha had to stand with his pack. I sent him a wave of assurance through the mental connection we’d forged.

Adam led me through the mass of bodies, expertly picking off hunters as we went. He didn’t seem to break a sweat. When we neared the gate, things seemed calmer inside. It appeared the male shifters had moved to the frontline to secure the compound, stopping more hunters from infiltrating. I gathered that the hunters who made it past the gate were killed by the shifters inside. The women were just as fierce and skilled at protecting their territory as the men.

“So, how’s your first battle so far? This happens from time to time in our world.”

Scoffing, I said, “I hate it, especially since this is my fault.”