Page 87 of Wolf's Providence

I shifted, chest heaving, my body vibrating from the barely controlled rage. I could feel her through our bond, gripping onto me, bringing me back.

Grounding me.

I turned to her, catching her worried gaze, her brows drawn tight. She didn’t flinch from the rawness in my eyes, didn’t pull away from the predator still stirring beneath my skin.

Instead, she stepped closer, reaching for me.

Only one remained. I met his terrified and broken stare.

Stay.

“Finish him.”

Eamon reached up, and in one deft movement, he twisted the rogue’s head, snapping his neck.

I met Eamon’s gaze as the shifter dropped to the ground. “What the fuck were you thinking bringing her here?”

TWENTY-SIX

Willow

The second therogues were dead, Caleb turned on us. His eyes glinted in the dim light, fierce, almost wild as he focused first on Eamon, then me. I’d rarely seen him so close to losing his control. The tension in the air felt thick enough to choke on.

“I askedwhatwere you thinking?” His voice was a low, dangerous growl as he stalked toward Eamon, fists clenched.

Eamon held up his hands, but there was a gleam of defiance in his eyes. “She insisted, Caleb. I found her in the woods,hikingto come and find me so I could take her to you. I didn’t see another option.”

Caleb was in his face in seconds. “You didn’t see another option?” His voice trembled with anger. “I gave you one job—keep her safe. Does bringing her here, up the mountain in winter, look like ‘safe’?” His words were sharp, lethal, and the muscles in his neck stood out as he fought for control. I could almost see his wolf straining to take over.

The silence hung between us like a live wire, ready to snap. Caleb’s gaze was pure heat, simmering with an anger so intense I could feel it radiating through the cold air.

His fists were tight, his breathing heavy. He was angry with Eamon, yes, but that wasn’t the worst of it. He was furious with me.

“Caleb—” I started, but he rounded on me, his expression so intense I took a step back.

Caleb took a step closer, and I forced myself to hold my ground. His voice was low, ragged. “What the hell are you doing here, Willow?” Each word felt like a crack in the ice between us, splintering under the weight of his fury. His eyes were bright with anger, his voice low and rough. “Itoldyou to stay back. Why did you think following me was a good idea?” He pointed to the five dead shifters in the snow, the ground bloody. “Is this what you wanted to see?” His eyes burned black with the intensity of his rage.

I opened my mouth, ready with a calm answer, but it was like he wasn’t even seeing me as he continued, “You think this is a game?” His look was intense, holding me pinned. “This wasexactlywhat I told you to stay out of. Exactly.”

I swallowed, clasping my hands to keep them from trembling. “I thought you might need me.”

“Needyou?” He closed his eyes, taking in a sharp breath, then opened them, his gaze fixed on me, blazing with the heat of his barely-contained fury. “You don’t understand, do you? This isn’t some thrill-seeking adventure. These shifters would have killed you, Willow.” He carried on, his temper rising, which I hadn’t thought possible. “Do you think I needed the distraction of you turning up with a fucking branch?” He scooped it out of the snow, breaking it in half like he was snapping a twig. “This?Thisis what you thought would fight offshifters?”

Eamon moved to stand beside me, and I felt his gaze, but I didn’t turn. The dude was naked; even with Caleb incensed in front of me, I somehow knew turning to Eamon would be the final straw of Caleb’s control. I didn’t mind seeing Caleb in allhis glory, though he was covered in blood and dirt, so it didn’t matter.

Somuchright now didn’t matter.

“Maybeyoudon’t understand!” I snapped at him. “What would you have done if I wasn’t here? Who else would have put their hands in your fur andpulled you back? I told you and told you again, we’re stronger together.Iam in thiswithyou. That brink you are on the edge of when you’re here,Iam the one holding you back Caleb! Just like I did right here!” He glanced at Eamon and I wasn’t having it. “No! Don’t look at him like you want to murder him.Ichose to be here.Me.Eamon just got me here quicker than I would get here myself, but you know there was no way in hell I was leaving you on this mountain without me hereto pull you backfrom that darkness inside of you.”

His gaze softened briefly, almost hurt flashing in his eyes, but he hardened again. “This isn’t about that, it’s about being able to fight, Willow. You don’t know what kind of threat they were. You can’t just follow me into danger like an untrained pup.” He raked a hand through his hair, then turned to Eamon. “You don’t get it. If something happened to her…” His voice broke slightly, but he covered it with another glare as if he could hide the fear with anger.

The silence that followed was thick with tension, the air almost humming with it. Caleb looked away, his fists still tight at his sides, chest heaving as he fought to keep himself under control.

Finally, Eamon’s voice broke the silence, calm but firm. “Maybe she does understand, Caleb. You’ve protected her before. Maybe it was Willow’s turn to return the favor this time.” I saw him crouch and pull out a pair of sweatpants from the backpack he had carried up the mountain. Pulling them on, he threw a pair at his alpha. “Maybe…maybe she wants to do thiswithyou, not watch from the sidelines while you carry it alone.”

Caleb’s gaze flickered toward him, filled with something dark and raw. “You stay out of this,” he said through gritted teeth, his voice cold. He turned back to me, his gaze softer for a second, but his voice was still a low, pained murmur. “You think you’re ready for this world, Willow? It isn’t like yours. It’s brutal, and people don’t walk away unscarred.”

“I’m already scarred.” I met his stare, my pulse racing, a mixture of defiance and fear tightening in my chest, hating the look of pain and guilt in his eyes at the reminder ofwhoscarred me. “I’m still here.Stillbeside you. Maybe I’m not ready, Caleb, but it’s notyourchoice to make. It’smine.”

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