They hit the clearing hard and fast, Axel and Atticus bursting through the tree line with a wave of warriors at their backs, and even through the red haze of my wolf’s anger I feel the bond flare bright and fierce with relief and fury tangled so tightly I can barely tell them apart. Leaves explode under boots and paws, weapons come up in practiced unison, and the vampires finally turn their attention away from me, smiles sharpening as if this was always part of the plan.
Axel doesn’t slow when he reaches me, he positions himself just off my flank, close enough that I can feel his presence like a physical barrier, and Atticus mirrors him on the other side, their stances protective and lethal without crowding me. The warriors spread out instinctively, forming a loose arc that cuts off retre
