PROLOGUE
HANNAHLYTTLE PRESSED HERSELFagainst the rough surface of a small rock outcropping atop Sunburst Mesa.
The acrid smell of dust and blood filled her nostrils, mingling with the sharp tang of fear permeating the air around her.She tasted it on her tongue, metallic and bitter, as she tried to swallow past the lump in her throat.
The sounds of battle raged around her, a discordant clashing of snarls, growls, and the sickening thuds of bodies colliding.
She flinched as a particularly loud howl pierced the air, followed by a yelp of pain.The ground beneath her trembled with the force of the fight, and she dug her fingers into the sandy soil, seeking any stability in the chaos.
Her blonde hair hung in sweaty tangles around her face.She brushed it back with a shaking hand, her eyes wide with terror as she peered around the edge of her hiding place.
Her breath caught in her throat.
Nick Reagan, the prodigal son returned, stood tall, his muscular form taut, his long sandy hair wild and matted with blood and dirt.
This was not the same man who had left Sunburst all those years ago.This Nick was a warrior, a force of nature unleashed.
And he was facing off against Vincent Foley, the Sunburst Pack’s alpha.
Despite her fear, Hannah assessed the positions of the other pack members, her instincts as Vincent’s self-appointed spy kicking in even now.
To her left, she spotted Malcolm Crawford, his enormous, powerful form a blur of motion as he engaged two of Vincent’s loyal enforcers.
“Damn him,” Hannah muttered under her breath, remembering the times she’d reported Malcolm’s actions to Vincent.Now, seeing him fighting with such ferocity, she wondered if she had underestimated him all along.
Malcolm ducked under a swipe from one of the enforcers, using the momentum to drive his shoulder into the other’s midsection.The sickening crunch of bones breaking reached Hannah, and she winced.
A flash of movement to her right caught Hannah’s attention, and she turned to find Larissa Ortega engaged in her own battle.
Unlike Malcolm’s brute-force approach, Larissa moved with a calculated precision that was almost beautiful to watch.Her dark hair whipped around her face as she dodged and wove, always one step ahead of her opponents.
“Damn,” Hannah breathed out, unwillingly impressed.She’d always instinctively viewed the other woman as a threat, not just to Vincent’s rule but to Hannah’s own position within the pack.Now, watching Larissa take down a wolf nearly twice her size with a well-placed strike, Hannah understood why.
As she gazed around the mesa, desperately searching for a route out, a way to escape the meeting place that had become a battlefield, Hannah realized Victor’s enemies had been strategically placed to take out the alpha’s protective forces.
Anders Hamilton, his usually calm demeanor replaced by a cold efficiency, moved through the battlefield.He wasn’t flashy like Malcolm or precise like Larissa, but there was a steadiness to his actions as he bolstered those around him, calling out warnings to his allies, his voice audible even over the din of battle.
Not far from Anders, the twins Conall and Quinton Stewart fought back-to-back, their movements so synchronized it was as if they shared one mind.Hannah had always found their closeness unnerving, but now she realized it gave them an advantage in battle.They covered each other’s blind spots seamlessly, creating a whirlwind of claws and fangs that their opponents struggled to penetrate.
At the edge of the clearing, Ryker, one of Nick’s allies from the Moonstone Pack, stood locked in combat with Gregory.
Hannah’s throat constricted as Gregory struggled against the larger wolf.Gregory had always seemed invincible, Vincent’s unshakable right hand.But now, facing Ryker’s raw power, he looked…vulnerable.
“Come on, Gregory,” Hannah whispered, her nails digging into the rock as she watched the fight unfold.As if hearing her near-silent plea, Gregory managed to slip out of Ryker’s grasp, using his smaller size to his advantage as he darted away.
Hannah let out a breath, relief washing over her.At least one piece of her world was still intact.
Her relief was short-lived, however.Hannah’s stomach churned as she realized that, despite the efforts of his supporters, Vincent was losing ground.The tide of the battle was turning, and not in their favor.
The rebels were winning.Malcolm’s strength, Larissa’s skill, Anders’s strategy, the twins’ teamwork—all of it was coming together to overwhelm Vincent’s forces.And at the center of it all was Nick, inexorably pushing Vincent back, step by step.
It’s over, Hannah realized.We’ve lost.
Her gaze flicked to Vincent, the alpha she had pledged her loyalty to, the one she had believed would lead them to greatness.Now, as he squared off against Nick, doubt flickered through her.
Vincent’s lupine face contorted in rage.The two wolves circled each other, their movements fluid and predatory.
In a blur of motion too fast for Hannah’s human eyes to follow, Nick and Vincent clashed.The sound of their collision echoed across the battlefield.
