and Olivia followed, but they were barely onto the parking lot before Gabby barked loudly, calling them off.
I twisted, trying to see where the wolf went, but my own car was in the way. So, trying to be as smart as possible, I just sat there, straining to see her reappear somewhere. Eventually, a flash of movement down the street proved that she was long gone, so I dared to open the door, rushing straight for my car and the blanket I had in the back seat.
"Are you ok?" I asked, hurrying over to the pack of wolves panting for breath.
Kim was licking Roman. Olivia was sniffing over Gabby, who was trying to do the same back, yet when my daughter saw me, she immediately shifted. I closed my eyes, but not before my stomach twisted.
"Roman got bit," Gabby said, making it clear I could open my eyes again.
I passed her the blanket to wrap her naked body in, then went to the boy. "Thank you," I said as I knelt beside him. "I think you saved my life."
"Tell Ian that," Gabby said just as my mate's SUV came racing up the road. "Otherwise, this is going to get ugly."
"Go turn off Kim's car," I told her.
Then I stood, moving between my boyfriend and the boy who'd risked everything to protect me. Kim didn't shift, but she did place herself in front of her child. Roman tried to nudge around her, but a snarl warned him to stay back. Like Kim, Ian didn't bother to turn his truck off before he was out of it and reaching for his shirt.
"She's gone," I yelled over at him. "Roman saved me, Ian. Kim helped, and the girls, but they chased her off." I pointed to show the direction.
Ian just relaxed, rushing over to wrap his arms around me. "Oh, thank god," he breathed. "Is anyone hurt?"
"I think they all are." And I turned to look behind me.
Kim had her head down, her tail lying low, but her eyes were on Ian. He just moved closer, dropping to his knees to wrap his arms around her neck, hugging her the same way he'd hugged me. That made her tail wag, but it was still weak, almost timid.
"Thank you for protecting my mate," he told her, leaning back to look in her eyes. "I'm not going to hurt your son."
Kim just shoved her head into Ian's chest, and then she shifted. "He jumped through the window," she said. "He saw Karen trying to get to Elena, and he was stripping a block away. He didn't even wait for me to stop."
Gabby - who'd managed to get mostly dressed during all of that - hurried back with the blanket and Kim's clothes. "Here," she said.
"I'm calling the doctor," Olivia called from my car.
Kim took her clothes, Gabby draped the blanket over Roman, and only then did the boy shift. I couldn't watch, but when my daughter grabbed my arm, I opened my eyes again to see the kid tugging the edges around his body. His very battered body. The lack of fur made it impossible to miss the deep cut that ran from the base of his neck, across his shoulder, and over toward his chest.
"I tried, Alpha," he told Ian. "I figured that if she was biting me, she couldn't bite Elena."
Ian just palmed the back of the boy's neck. "It also means I'm in your debt."
"Does that cancel out me turning Gabby?" Roman asked, his voice more timid than I'd ever heard before.
"It does," Ian assured him. "Welcome back to the pack, Roman. Whether you're allowed to be with Gabby is still up to both of your parents, but your probation is over. You've proven yourself."
Roman just ducked his head and smiled. "Thank you, Alpha. Now go deal with her."
"You need to see Bridget," Ian said. "That, pup, is an order."
Roman nodded. "Was kinda planning on it. Liv? My pants are in Mom's car."
Kim grabbed my arm. "Go home, Elena. Take the girls, make sure they're all in one piece, and lock your doors. I'll send the betas that way."
"I need the betas," Ian said. "So just Lane. Tell Lane to guard her, because I'm going to need the rest. That bitch just crossed a line, and I'm done."
CHAPTER 27
I'd left the guys behind when Elena called. They were moving as fast as they could, but I hadn't waited. Now, just as everything was sorted out, they pulled up. Lane's head was swiveling,