Chapter 224

Fiona

Something changes. The air grows heavy and the new presence inside me stirs.

“What’s happening?”

As soon as the words leave my mouth, Ethan comes sprinting into the crowd, his eyes quickly glance over the group before they land on me.

“There’s something wrong,” my father says, looking to Ethan. In fact, everyone is looking toward Ethan.

“They’re coming from the North, Alpha King Ethan,” one of the guards says. “We need to evacuate—”

“It’s too late,” Ethan growls, and every hair on my body stands up. My father moves closer to my side at the same time Aaron does.

“Protect the guests!” Ethan orders. Protect us? From what?

Ethan’s eyes find me, and before I can call out to him, he’s at my side, brushing past my brother and father, and wrapping an arm around me. My nerves kick up even more at his guarded expression, a shudder runs through me with his tightening grip, and my wolf inside perks up.

It’s the first time I fully feel her. Before she was just a presence, but now, she feels like, well, almost like another me. But she’s different.

She takes note of not only our mate’s tense stature and the worry filtering into us from our bond.

“There is a large group of rogue wolves coming our direction. If you can’t fight, retreat to the palace, but if you can fight, aid the King’s Guards in ridding us of these rogues,” Ethan announces, and not even five seconds later, a howl rises in the air.

The entire party crowd gasps, but I’m not sure why.

“They’re here,” Ethan whispers where only I can hear him. “No time to get to the palace.”

My eyes connect with Ethan’s, or actually, Zev’s. Glowing golden eyes are no longer looking at me; instead, his gaze is on the trees at the edge of the party where I notice a bunch of wolves slinking out of the tree line.

There’s so many of them, at least twenty or more, and they’re all stalking forward in a threatening manner. Teeth bared, eyes glowing, snarls filling in the air. It all sends shivers of fear down my spine as I wrap my arms around my torso.

One thought rings through my mind.

Protect the baby.

“Stay behind me,” Ethan orders, his eyes never leaving the wolves in front of us.

Soldiers that are usually posted around the palace filter in, taking protective stances in front of the guests, some shifting and some staying in their human form. I’m not sure what exactly is about to happen, but I find myself gripping the back of Ethan’s shirt.

“Don’t worry, son,” my father says, moving to our sides.

“We’ve got your back,” Aaron says from our other side.

Silently, Laxus’s blonde wolf creeps forward, taking a defensive and protective stance in front of Ethan and I. Another fight where he has to protect me because I’m useless. I really need to learn to protect myself or at least find a way to stay safe while they fight. The baby can’t get hurt because of me.

“We will not let our pup get hurt,” my wolf’s voice whispers in my mind.

“What can I do, though? I’m not a fighter, and I don’t know how to shift to protect the baby,” I tell her.

“Our mate will take care of us.”

Ethan’s body tenses even more, as if he hears her voice and her trust in him. I want to feel more into the bond, but Laxus’s wolf darts forward, joining the front guard as the rogues run at us.

Guards and rogues clash, teeth and claws tearing at each other. A handful of rogues slip past the guards, and I gasp when a red wolf slams into the rogue closest to us. The two wolves roll, but another black rogue jumps onto the red one, tearing into the wolf’s back with its claws.

“NOVA!”

Her name is out of my mouth before I can stop myself. I’m not sure how I know this red wolf is Nova, but I know it’s her. My friend is protecting me.

One minute I’m watching her fight off three wolves, and the next minute, Aaron is shifting and his dark brown wolf is tearing them off of her. My father shifts into a larger version of Aaron’s wolf and also joins the fight, tackling a rogue that comes at us from the side.

Then there’s Ethan. I didn’t even see him move, but he has a hand around a white wolf’s neck and his foot on another black wolf’s chest.

My wolf simmers under the surface, watching everyone I care about fighting the rogues who charge at me. I want to help, but I can’t. I don’t know how or if I should.

Nova’s red wolf slides across the ground, swiping wicked sharp claws across the side of the white wolf that Ethan tosses away. Laxus’s blonde wolf bites down on the neck of a black fur rogue, shaking it until it goes limp while my father and Aaron circle three rogues, batting at them with their claws.

And Ethan, he’s fighting off two wolves, in his own wolf form. I gasp when the wolf on the right rakes its claws across Ethan’s muzzle and as the other bites down on Ethan’s leg, but he’s fine because he whips his head around and clamps his teeth down on the wolf’s ear, ripping it off his leg.

“Ethan!”

Two more wolves, bigger than the others, pounce on Ethan’s back. They all tumble to the ground and at the sight of them taking my mate to the ground, my wolf surges.

“Protect mate!” She howls, forcing her way through my thin boundaries and taking over. My body contorts, pain burning through every limb and bone as they change and rearrange. A silent cry falls from my lips as I slump to the ground onto four paws, and when I lift my head, it’s almost like I’m watching from behind a piece of glass.

My movements aren’t my own. They’re hers.

My wolf.

She charges forward, our body attacking the wolves on Ethan’s back with lethal force. Our claws slice into the darker wolf, gutting it and kicking it aside. Before its body even hits the ground, she’s on the lighter colored wolf.

It’s scent is sticky and sweaty, but she doesn’t hesitate to clamp her teeth around the back of the wolf’s neck and yank it back, off of our mate. It gives Ethan the freedom he needs to finish off the wolves in front of him.

“Fiona,” Ethan’s voice speaks in my mind.

My head whips toward my mate, but again, it wasn’t me. She, my wolf, is in total control, and without hesitation, she trots over to our mate and rubs up against him, a small whine falling from our snout.

“I-I’m okay. She’s in full control,” I tell him when I feel his worry in our bond. “We didn’t want you hurt, and she just came out.”

“Good girl, little mate,” Zev’s slightly deeper voice rumbles. He rubs his nose along our neck, nipping gently and sending shivers down our wolfy body. My wolf purrs in satisfaction, reacting to our mate’s praise and touch, and she whines for more. Zev gives her what she wants, biting with a little more pressure at the spot where our mark is.

Heat flashes, and my legs wobble.

A snarl from somewhere behind us pulls both of our attention, and when we turn, two rogues are coming straight for us.

On instinct, my wolf pushes us to run forward, taking the one on the left down while Ethan takes down the one on the right. We dodge, keeping our belly out of reach of the rogue as he attacks, and as soon as there’s an opening, my wolf pounces.

With lethal precision, she swipes her claws across the rogue’s throat as he jumps at us. Blood spurts as his throat is ripped open, and he falls to the ground.

Everyone around us fights, keeping us safe from the bulk of the attack while Ethan and I protect each other.

Our enemy doesn’t stand a chance.