That was why I’d felt so safe. She’d healed both Griffin and me at the same time. I’d heard that angels were powerful beings, but that was downplaying their abilities.
Griffin slowly sat up on his hind legs, and the relief that burst through my heart was jarring. I jumped on him, forcing him to his back. I was so damn happy that he was okay. He licked my face as he rolled over on top of me, his tongue hanging out of his mouth.
“As much as I hate to interrupt your play, your guards are still under attack, and a boat pulled up to wait for these idiots to get away.” Rosemary stood and brushed the dirt off her jeans.
She was right. We needed to help the others. There wasn’t as much gunfire, but no one had made it to us. Our new priority was protecting Killian’s and Griffin’s packs.
I jerked my head in the direction where the others should be and took off running. There was absolutely no pain in my leg, which surprised me. Rosemary had been able to heal my leg completely, even removing the bullet.
The only question was: Why had she helped us? In general, people didn’t go into battle willingly for anyone who wasn’t a friend or an ally. Even though we weren’t enemies, our interactions hadn’t been the best. She must have a reason for helping. Yet another issue to deal with later.
Rosemary flapped her wings, ascending into the sky. “I’ll meet you there.” She flew in the opposite direction faster than my four legs could take me.
As we followed our trail back toward the guards, the sound of fighting grew louder. I wasn’t sure if I should be relieved or not, but at least, some of their guards had to still be standing.
The crow fluttered into the sky again, cawing over and over, letting the enemy guards know that we were approaching.
Forcing myself not to waste any more negative energy on that stupid thing, I scanned the area, taking in the damage. There were bodies littered everywhere.
This whole attack was eerily similar to the one back home. Maybe I should’ve gone with Goatee and kept all these people safe.
Killian took the lead, racing toward a wolf who was surrounded by three others. He growled loudly, drawing the attention of the enemies from their target.
I followed Killian’s lead with Griffin running beside me. The attackers didn’t outnumber the lone surviving guard any longer. In fact, they were now the ones who were outmatched.
Running to the side, I targeted the large milky brown wolf who’d been with Goatee earlier. The cruel glint in his eye matched the abyss deep inside him, revealing a sickness even worse than Goatee’s. Maybe Goatee wasn’t the one I should’ve been most focused on. Discovering two souls so full of hatred made me even more worried about whomever they were working under.
At least, I could get rid of one more jerkwad.
He faced me in a clear challenge. He knew who I was and sneered at me with determination, examining me, waiting to predict my next move. He was probably the most skilled fighter of his group.
Not wanting to give away my plan, I slowed as if I had nothing to prove. Technically, I didn’t, but I did want to survive.
Killian and Griffin attacked two of the wolves as I sat in front of the larger one, pretending I wasn’t fazed in the least. We were in a standoff. He wanted to see what he was up against while I wanted to see what strategy he’d use.
The best way to piss off a man who was trying to prove himself was to belittle him. I forced my shoulders to shake and made the choking bark sound of a wolf laughing.
He snorted and shook his head, giving me a sign that I was getting under his skin. His quickened panting let me know that his anger was beginning to get the best of him.
I glanced at Griffin and Killian, making sure they were doing okay but also to indicate that I wasn’t fazed by the increasingly angry wolf watching me. Even though I could see him in my peripheral vision, not paying attention to him was the final straw.
Inching toward me, he kept his eyes locked on my face. I pretended to not notice his approach, despite my entire focus now being on him since Griffin and Killian were holding their own.
With each stride toward me, he grew bolder and angrier when I didn’t bat an eyelash. His body grew rigid, and I knew he would attack at any moment. How he charged me would tell me the most about him.
Now only ten feet away, he growled, wanting me to acknowledge he was there. When I turned my head his way, he lunged.
Brute force. That was his plan, which was what I’d suspected.
I rolled out of the way as he landed on all four legs where I’d been. He snarled and pivoted, teeth bared, drool dripping down his chin. He reminded me of a rabid dog.
Hell, he might have been truly rabid.
Not bothering to change strategy, he lunged at me once more, aiming for my shoulder. Like Goatee, he didn’t want to kill me, just injure me severely. But he wasn’t thinking it through because Killian and Griffin were here as well. Even if he took me down, how was he going to get himself and my injured body to the boat when they were both here?
The one surviving guard on our side barreled toward me. He was coming to help me fight this wolf.
Where I differed from this crazed wolf and Goatee was that I didn’t have to prove myself. They enjoyed dominating others to get ahead, but real protectors fought to win, not to come out on top. Protecting was about doing what was best for everyone, pushing vanity and self-worth aside. There was no room for ego. I’d welcome the help as long as it stopped more innocents from dying.
The enemy wolf didn’t even bother turning in the guard’s direction. He was focused solely on me, which was both stupid and scary. How could someone have such a one-track mind when their death could be imminent?
But that was the thing; he didn’t see anything outside of me.
The guard jumped on the milk chocolate wolf’s back and stuck his claws into its side as his teeth sank into the spot between his neck and shoulder.
As if realizing the magnitude of his injuries, the enemy wolf stood on both hind legs, trying to fall back onto the guard so he would release his hold.
I refused to allow him the opportunity, I jumped forward and sank my teeth into the front of his neck, ready for this whole damn fight to be over. The guy’s eyes widened, and I jerked my head hard, assuring he would die instantaneously.
At this point, I didn’t care about them paying for their sins. I wanted the fight done.
With the weight of the guard on his back, the wolf landed on his face but was already dead before impact.
The world seemed to pause as I surveyed the area and realized that all of the enemy fighters were dead. But the heartbreaking fact was that Killian, Griffin, this one guard, and myself were the only survivors on our side. I had no clue how many of their pack had come to aid us and died.
A caw and the flutter of wings caught my attention as the crow flew high, away from the mess on
the ground.
We had to catch him before he alerted whoever was behind this ambush.