Pain. Metal on bone. The copper smell of blood.
I hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the air from my lungs. A wolf twice my size had me pinned, claws digging into my shoulder. His snarl was wet, furious. He didn’t care who I was. He’d been ordered to take me down, and he’d do it.
Nightfang reflexes kicked in before I thought. Claws out, teeth bared. I rolled, felt his claws tear a fresh line across my shoulder, and drove my knee into his ribs with everything I had. He yelped and rolled off me.
Kael’s wolves didn’t fight like ours. They didn’t fight for territory or pride. They fought to kill.
“Get behind me!” my Alpha roared. He was in wolf form, golden fur matted with blood, holding off two at once to keep them off me.
I couldn’t. If I hid, the pack would never trust
