“The danger came faster than thought, and closer than feared.”
The moment the hand clamped down on my shoulder, instinct overrode thought. My wolf surged forward, taking control before I could question who it was. I twisted, grabbed the wrist, and slammed my elbow into the attacker’s ribs.
A grunt. A male voice. Not Gideon—too light, too startled.
Another figure moved from the shadows, this one faster, heavier. That scent—burnt cedar and cold steel—hit me. Gideon.
My wolf bared her teeth inside me.
“Miss me?” he taunted, stepping out from behind the first attacker, who was still recovering from my strike. His grin was sharp, mocking.
“Not even a little.”
He lunged.
The world narrowed to instinct—gravel crunching, heart pounding, the metallic scent of tension in the air. Gideon’s cl
