Chapter Twenty-Three
The agonized soundtears through my gut like a blade, forcing a gasp out of me. It came from the North, I know immediately, and I turn the binoculars in that direction, but I already know it’s hopeless. The sound was too far away, and there are too many obstacles—trees, rises and falls in the land—in the forest. There’s no way I’m going to be able to see anything from here. This was a fool’s errand.
I try to identify the voice. Was it Jack’s husky baritone or Luka’s pleasant tenor? But it was neither of those. It was higher than both of their normal voices, twisted by agony, and more powerful, echoing through the vocal cords of a bear rather than a human.
There hasn’t been a second cry. Is it possible...I don’t want to think it, but is it possible that whoever made that awful sound is dead?
No. They can’t be. Not my bears. They’re too strong, too powerful, and I simply can’t imagine them broken and lifeless on the snow. Besides, if one of them had died, surely the other would have the sense to run from the fight, to come back here and tell us what was going on. Unless....
No. I can’t think like this.
I realize I’m breathing too fast, on the verge of hyperventilating, and I force myself to slow down. I need to keep a cool head. I need to be logical. There’s got to be something I can do, some way I can help my clanmates. Thoughts race through my head. If I go back and tell Ryan what I heard, I feel sure he’ll run off to join the fight, despite his injury, and that’s the last thing I want. Jack was right to leave him behind. He’s in no shape to confront the wolves. So, telling Ryan is out.
But then, what can I do? There isn’t anybody else.
Yes, there is. The thought comes to me suddenly, like a breath of fresh air, a welcome relief that opens up the tightness in my chest and clears my head, driving away the anxiety I’ve been feeling. There is someone else who can help, someone who isn’t in the fight yet. Someone whose presence might make all the difference in the world.
Me.
And I wasn’t ordered to stay behind.
It was assumed that I would stay. Ryan was ordered to watch over me. But no one actually ordered me to stay in the cave, and I’m suddenly overwhelmed by the freedom of that fact. I can shift. I can go where the fight is, and I can help.
Ryan will be angry. Ryan will feel deeply betrayed. But I can’t think about that right now. All I can think about is the cry of pain I heard and the wolves, bared teeth and sharp claws, probably cornering my bears somewhere, maybe moving in for the kill. I don’t have time to think things over. I have to act now.
Before the thought can crystalize in my mind, before I’m even really sure of what I’m doing, I’ve balled my feet up under me and propelled myself the last several inches out of the cave tunnel. I’m upright as soon as I emerge, upright and running, bracing myself for the claws of any wolves who might have remained behind to pierce my skin, drag me back...but nothing comes. Gasping, relieved and overwhelmed, I race onward, toward the sound I heard, and as I run, I let the emotion of the moment fill my heart and spread outward, shaking me, shifting me—
Everything is always easier in bear form. I don’t have to think about Ryan, who will, at any moment, realize that I’ve broken my word. I don’t have to wonder which of my packmates is hurt. All I have to do is focus on the single imperative that drives my actions now: find them. Find them. It’s the only thing that matters. The trees seem to get out of my way as I race through the woods, my powerful hind legs driving me forward, my well-attuned nose latching on to the familiar, unpleasant dog scent that means wolves are nearby. It’s easy to follow. I know I’m getting closer.
Then I break into a clearing and see them.
The first thing I notice is that both bears are still on their feet, still fighting, and relief crashes over me so hard my knees almost buckle. But then, a split second later, I register the fact that there are six wolves here, not five. Jack’s initial count must have been wrong. And all six of the wolves are still in the fight too.
The scent of blood is in the air, tangy and unpleasant. I can’t tell who it’s coming from.
I need the wolves to see me. I need them to know I’m here. I can turn the tide of this fight, but it’s only going to work if I can manage to distract them. And it’s not enough for them to know a third bear has arrived. They need to know it’s me.
Shifting mid-fight is almost impossible without practice, and I’ve never done it before. I close my eyes and focus on the three men I love, trying to slow my heartrate. I picture them safely huddled around a fire tonight, all of them together. All of them alive. No one threatening them. No one to put them in danger ever again.
When I open my eyes, I’m looking at human hands instead of paws. And everyone else in the clearing is looking at me.
An anguished voice lets out a cry. “Cami, no!”
I can’t tell who it is. I don’t care. I only have attention to spare for the wolves, all of whom have turned their malevolent eyes to me. Fear shoots up my spine, and I suddenly remember the litter I’m carrying. I shouldn’t have brought them into this...but could I really have done anything else? Could I have left my clan to die? I lived through that once. I don’t think I can do it again. I can’t let another family be slaughtered by these wolves, just to protect me. I’m not worth that.
I give myself over to the fear, letting it change me, return me to my bear form, and then I turn and run as fast as I can. I know the wolves are faster than I am, and I barely have any head start at all. I have to hope Luka and Jack understand the opportunity I’m trying to give them. I have to hope that the wolves are distracted enough by my scent, my presence, that they aren’t being sensible about watching their back. But I can’t look over my shoulder to see what’s happening. I can’t sacrifice even an ounce of speed. I have to keep running.
All too soon, I hear the snarls and snaps of a set of sharp teeth behind me. I know he’s close. Is it my imagination, or can I feel his hot breath behind me? I push myself, trying to run faster, harder, but I don’t know if I can do it. My lungs are burning, and my muscles are starting to give out. I’m not going to be able to keep up this pace much longer.
A sharp pain rakes at my right hip. I lose my footing and fall to the ground, and the distraction jolts me back into human form. As I roll over, scrambling backward in the dirt to get away, the wolf at my heels raises his paw to slash me, to end our chase....
Out of nowhere, a huge bear catches the wolf in the torso and sends him rolling away. I try to get to my feet, but my leg gives out under me. I crawl behind the trunk of a nearby tree and watch the battle recommence. I see only two wolves now, and only a single bear. Where are the others? I close my eyes and try to focus on the sounds, but I can only hear what’s happening right in front of me. Is this Luka or Jack? He’s moving too fast for me to be certain. Where is the other one? And where are the rest of the wolves?
The bear bites one wolf by the neck and gives a sharp jerk. There’s a sickening crack, and the wolf falls. I know he must be dead. My stomach lurches. As evil as they are, as horrible as their plans for me were, it’s still hard to watch. The second wolf snarls and jumps onto the bear’s back, but the bear throws him off. The wolf flies into a tree headfirst and crumples to the ground too.
Before I can truly process what’s happened—two of the wolves lie dead on the ground in front of me—the bear is running toward me. He shifts midstride, and suddenly, it’s Luka falling to his knees in front of me, his hands on my face, my arms, my injured leg. “Cami,” he gasps. “Are you all right? What on Earth were you thinking? You were supposed to stay in the cave!”
“Is Jack all right?” I ask. “Where is he?”
