Page 88 of Savage Games

It seems Wyatt has made some good friends.

Brad's advance falters, his cold, calculating eyes assessing the new arrivals.The odds have shifted dramatically.What was supposed to be a simple execution of an already wounded rogue has become a standoff against multiple opponents.His head swivels between Dash and Wyatt, then across the creek to where Eli and I stand, ready to join the fight.

The air crackles with tension as Dash shifts back to human form.His transformation is remarkably fluid and controlled.Standing naked and unashamed before an alpha, he plants his feet wide, arms crossed over his chest.

"You're not challenging him for his mate, not like this," he says, his voice steady despite standing before an angry alpha."Not with him injured."

Wyatt’s nose points toward the trees behind us.He wants me to go while Brad is distracted.The wolf at my side heeds Wyatt’s instructions and bumps into me, nudging me toward the treeline.

Brad snarls, then completes his shift back to human form."This doesn't concern you."

"Maybe not."Dash agrees."But I'm making it my concern.And there’s nothing in Dean’s rules to say that competitors can’t support their opponents as well as hunt them."

"You'll lose your place in the competition for this interference," Brad warns, his tone deceptively casual."This is a fair hunt during a sanctioned event.I'm simply following the rules."

Dash's laugh is hollow and bitter."I saw you run straight past three other competitors to get here," he retorts, his disgust clear."And I heard what you said about forcing a claim.Even if the old rules allow it, that's barbaric.No decent wolf would stand by and let it happen.Especially when you’re trying to weaken her first by killing her mate."

My heart swells, knowing that Wyatt has other people supporting him.

Wyatt begins his own transformation, and my heart aches watching him struggle through it.The shift that should be fluid and natural becomes a grueling ordeal, bones cracking audibly, muscles spasming as they fight against the poison still coursing through his system.When he finally stands on two legs, he sways dangerously, and I have to resist the urge to leap across the creek to steady him.

"Give it up, Brad," he says, his voice hoarse but steady."This has gone far enough."

Brad’s eyes swing between the two males in front of him, and to the wolf at my side.He’s not giving up just yet.

"Naomi," Wyatt says, his voice barely carrying over the rushing water."You need to go.Now."His eyes meet mine across the creek, their depths containing a universe of things unsaid."We've got this."

I hesitate, every fiber of my being rebelling against the idea of leaving him.Abandoning my mate while he's injured feels wrong on the most primal level.

"I'll be fine," he continues, as if reading my thoughts."But my race is over."His gaze holds mine, unwavering, despite the obvious pain etched in every line of his face."Dash is here.I'll be okay.But you need to finish this.You can win, Naomi."

My eyes search his and find nothing but determination, unshakable confidence in me, and the knowledge that he won't change his mind.

"Go."He gives me a gentle push from his powerful aura through the bond, but I see him faltering.

I search his face for any sign of deception, but find only stubborn determination and absolute faith in me.He's uncertain he'll survive this.The realization strikes me like a physical blow, but I force the fear down, refusing to let it paralyze me.

"Go," he repeats, his voice stronger now.The mate bond pulses between us, carrying his determination, his pride, his love, all wrapped in an urgent command to run.

My wolf doesn't want to leave our mate, and neither do I, but the determination flowing from him through our bond leaves no room for argument.

With one last look at him, my stubborn, self-sacrificing mate, I turn and bolt.My powerful legs carry me swiftly through the forest, each stride putting distance between us.Eli follows, a shadow at my flank, ensuring Brad doesn't pursue.

The forest blurs around me as I push myself to my limits.Each bound takes me further from Wyatt, and it feels like physically tearing myself in two.The mate bond stretches between us, still there but strained by pain and distance.I focus on that connection, that invisible tether that binds us together, reminding myself why I'm doing this.

Brad's voice carries on the wind, the words reaching me despite the distance."I told you she was just using you," he taunts, voice dripping with satisfaction."If she really cared, she'd never leave her dying mate behind.She got what she wanted, a path to the finals.Now she's discarding you."

Pure hatred surges through me, so intense, I nearly stumble.The urge to turn back, to tear Brad's throat out with my own teeth, is almost overwhelming.But Eli nudges me forward, his presence a silent reminder of what's at stake.

"She won't make it to the finish line," Brad's voice fades as we put more distance between us."Not with every eliminated competitor hunting her.And certainly not when you die and the bond breaks."

I can't hear Wyatt's response, if there is one.Fighting against every instinct screaming at me to go back, I push forward, trusting Dash to keep my mate alive until I can return.

Then, without warning, a hot lance of agony tears through my back.I stumble, a cry escaping my throat as I nearly crash to the ground.It's not my pain, it's Wyatt's, transmitted through our bond with such intensity that for a moment, I can't breathe.

The wound is getting worse.The poison is spreading.Through our connection, I can feel him weakening with each passing second.

Suddenly, this isn’t just a race to the finish line, it’s getting help for my mate.There will be healers waiting at the finish line.Wolves like Jax with the skills and medicine to counteract wolfsbane poisoning.The sooner I reach them, the sooner they can help him.

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