Corin
The cracking of the beams sounded like the scream of a dying beast. As the roof gave way, burning wood and heavy tiles crashed down without mercy. There was nowhere to leap. No time to escape. Only one choice remained.
I positioned myself above the children, braced my hind legs, and took the impact across my back.
The weight was crushing. It felt as if a mountain had fallen on me. A deep pained howl tore from my throat, but my legs did not buckle. The children crouched beneath me, their wide terrified eyes fixed on me. Their faces were smeared with soot, tears cutting clean paths through the dirt.
“Go,” I pushed into their minds through the bond. Even in wolf form, my voice rang clearly in their heads. “Quickly, little ones. Out the window. Do not look back.”
I saw Sarah’s son f
