"She's the reason I'm alive," Savannah said softly. "The only reason. The wolf was big — very big. And that's all I remember."
"But it may not be all Neva remembers."
"No." Savannah paused. "You intending to ask her yourself?"
"Yes."
"Don't try taking the law into your own hands, Sinclair. Not in my town. And if you find anything, you bring it to me to deal with."
"Right." After he'd found that bastard or bitch behind this and given him — or her — a beating or two.
"I mean it. Or the threat I made earlier will apply."
He didn't reply. Didn't get the chance to. Neva's fear slammed into his mind and, hot on its heels, her pain. The force of both, one on top of the other, hurled him back against the wall and left him gasping.
"Neva!" Savannah's cry sang through the air, through his mind, and was filled with fear for her sister.
He shook his head, trying to free himself from the haze of Neva's pain and terror to reach for her mentally. Nothing. She was too consumed by whatever was happening to her to hear him.
He pushed away from the wall and staggered to the door. He had to find her — fast. The young officer had rushed in at Savannah's cry and was near her bed. There were quick footsteps coming toward the room, and then nurses came through the doorway. He pushed past them and thundered down the hall.
You heard? Savannah's surprised thought cut through his shields and arrowed into his mind.
Yes.
Oh Moons ... does she know?
No. Nor will she, until she is ready to acknowledge it for herself.
Can you find her? I can't get any sense from her — I have no idea where she is.
I can find her. He didn't need to feel her thoughts for that. All he had to do was follow his heart.
Do you need help?
No. Because if anyone had hurt her, he'd kill them. And he didn't need rangers as witnesses.
Run swiftly.
He didn't answer. Just ran.
* * * *
It was Savannah's attack all over again and, for one second, Neva froze. All she could smell was the other wolf's putrid breath, all she could hear was the rumble of its growl. All she could feel was the drip of saliva against her face as the gleaming white teeth slashed through the air, headed toward her throat. She twisted desperately, and the teeth tore into her foreleg instead. Pain ripped through her, burning away the fear. Savannah had beaten this bitch — but only because she'd siphoned Neva's abilities at the last moment. There would be no last moment here. As she'd told Duncan, she was far from defenseless.
She reached for the fear singing through her veins and flung it back at the other wolf, smashing through her foe's shields and forcing it deep into her mind. A mind that was crazy with the moon's heat. Crazy with hate. For her.
The mad, yellow eyes went wide, then the silver wolf cowered away, whimpering and shivering. Neva scrambled upright and ran. With every step blood flew through the air, glistening with black fire as it splattered across the pristine snow.
Air stirred, arrowing towards her. Another wolf, coming from the right. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the blur of gold rising high as the wolf sprang. She slammed past this second wolf's shields, filling her mind with the terror and hatred she was still feeling from the first wolf. The golden bitch dropped, trembling and whimpering with fright. Neva kept on running, though her lungs burned and the warmth of blood pulsing down her leg became a tide.
Lights beckoned brightly through the darkness ahead. She ran onto Main Street but didn't stop, too fearful that if she did, those wolves would catch her. She couldn't hear them behind her, but that didn't mean they weren't. Warmth and music pulsed through the night, but she didn't head for the Blue Moon, even though she would be safe enough there. There was only one place she wanted to be right now — and he was close. She could feel him. In her mind. With her heart.
Neva? Savannah's thought was as sharp as glass. Are you okay?
Fine, she lied, not wanting to panic her sister any more than she already had. I'll come and talk to you soon.
She saw Duncan a second later — a sleek silver shadow exploding out of the snow-filled night. She shifted shape as he shifted shape, and all but fell into the warmth of his arms.