forgiveness joined the sorrow that thrummed through our bond. I loosed a long low rumble which was joined by theirs, our bond flaring in my chest before my wolf took over and howled mournfully for our lost brother. My heart cracked for what Stone had been forced to do. And as broken as he already was, I wasn’t sure how to help him come back from this.
The guards watched on impassively, their weapons directed at us. Ember’s eyes glistened as I howled a lament to D. I hoped his soul and his wolf spirit could hear us from the beyond; that the Mother would find and welcome D’s wolf and bless it to be reborn to a worthy soul. But that hope was an empty one, and I knew it. Staying in Were form wasn’t something any of my kind did by choice, it was too painful. But Ember had reminded me that according to Were legends, our soul and animal spirit were trapped, twisted together within the shell of our body if we died in Were form. That had to have something to do with what the warden was doing. Why else have us in half-Were form when we fought?
I reined in my grief. Just as Ember was a warrior and would not shed tears for the fallen in front of our enemies, neither would I. Tears were a luxury I couldn’t afford right now. I will find a way to set you free—to set all of them free. I promise, brother.
Stone limped up the stairs independently. No matter the state of him, he wouldn’t accept help of any kind. I tasked Shane to take care of the other wolf who had survived, a woman from Shane’s own pack. Ember eyed her surreptitiously as Shane covered her with his own tee and then helped her up the stairs.
I didn’t blame Ember. There would be one more day where Drake and Shannon both would fight in this barbaric arena, and then it was Judgement Day. All the winners would fight each other and I would be expected to watch. I refused to consider what that would do to us all. We had time—I had time to change the outcome…I had to believe that.
“Come on, Em.” I kissed the top of her head, inhaling her scent as I urged her up the steps and through the door to the hall. Maybe it was my heightened emotions, but whereas normally her scent calmed me, oddly, now it only served to make me more tense. My body responded and a wave of protectiveness hit me, driving the breath from my lungs. I bit my bottom lip hard, my nostrils flaring as I squeezed my fists shut to keep from grabbing her.
“Are you okay?” she asked, a small furrow between her brows.
My voice was gravelly, but I managed a tight smile. “I’m sorry, I’ve not looked after you properly today. You need food and rest.”
I glanced at the others who were half way across the hall, Stone and the woman leaving bloody footprints. Drake waited by the entrance, his arms folded over his chest, and he looked directly at me. His face was tight, his gaze too intent for me to ignore.
Ember saw the line of my gaze and took my hand. “Lead the way. If you need time alone with Drake, I’ll go and eat while you catch up with him. But tonight perhaps you’ll let me care for you, instead of you caring for me.” She squeezed my hand hard then raised on her tip toes and kissed my cheek.
I snarled, irritation and irrational anger tightening my gut. I didn’t want to let her leave my side, but she hadn’t eaten all day and she deserved better than my dark mood and selfishness.
We got near Drake and I didn’t bother to hide my frustration. “Come with us. My Firecracker needs feeding.”
Drake raised his brows and peered down at Ember. She gave a mischievous smile and shrugged. “I’m important, alpha, you should know that.”
“Don’t call him alpha, he’s not your fucking alpha. I am.” My temper was as volatile as my emotions right now. I spun towards Drake ready to slam him up against the wall by his throat. My heart raced and my wolf saw red; no one was taking Ember from us. And she wouldn’t belong to anyone else. She was mine to take care of. Mine!
“Hey, whoa!” Ember jumped between us, facing me, and placed her hands on my chest.