Page 35 of Pack: Posy 3

Best we can hope for, I linked them.

I was angry at myself for not practicing the safe room with my baby brother before now. It was going at the top of my priority list after today.

"Shift while I talk," Angelo told Leo. "We'll jog a line twenty feet apart. Don't lose sight of each other and link the alphas directly as soon as you see something. Alpha Ash said they're still heading our way, but he'll let us know if they change course."

Got it, Leo and I linked at the same time.

"Move out."

I should have been with my luna, guarding her with my life, but I understood the alphas' orders. The enemy was in my backyard, so to speak. Still, I couldn't stop myself from linking Tyler as we trotted along.

Is my little luna bunny in the safe room?

Of course.

That made me breathe easier. The alphas had spared no expense when they built their safe room. It was impregnable and had independent water and air systems. It could only be locked and unlocked from the inside, and there was an emergency exit tunnel that led to a location only the alphas knew. They had dug it themselves to keep it secret.

At the time, I'd thought Alpha Mason had invented the job to keep alphas Ash and Wyatt out of trouble for the summer, but now I could definitely see the value of it. I needed to do something like that for our safe room.

Peri's with her,Tyler continued,and the rest of us are on guard outside. What's happening there?

Nothing yet—Wait.

Cove's ears pricked up right as Leo linked me that Ruby heard something. Knowing Angelo's senses were sharper than a human's but nowhere near our level, I alerted him. He immediately froze and linked us to hold our positions and listen.

Something was moving through the forest about fifty feet in front of us, last autumn's leaf and needle fall crunching softly under irregular, quick footsteps. Whatever it was, it was lighter than a wolf. I let my mate know, and Angelo drew the two handguns from his hip holsters.

Shifter, Cove told us all,but I not smell this before.

"I smell a witch," Angelo said, drawing in a deep breath through his nose.

I smell mate!Ruby yelped, and Angelo and I both felt Leo's shock.

Before we could blink, a red fox staggered out of the undergrowth, her tongue hanging out and her sides heaving. She had her front left paw tucked up beneath her and limped along. Her beautiful amber eyes suddenly fixed on Ruby, and she ran as fast as she could on three legs, dove under Ruby, and laid there panting. Ruby sniffed all over her, pausing on her injured paw, then began licking it.

"Can she tell you anything?" Angelo asked as he scanned the forest.

Dire wolves, Ruby linked us and the alphas.

Do what you can,Alpha Jayden responded right away,but retreat rather than die.

Em's a beta, Leo's a former alpha, and I'm me.Angelo shot me a cocky wink. We'll hold the line, alpha,andgive them hell.

Meeting his eyes, I smirked and nodded.

Leo,I said,send her to our house. I'll tell Reau to meet her on the porch and take her back to the safe room with him.

As Leo sent his little mate off, I linked Thoreau and caught him up to speed. The fact that she was Leo's mate didn't faze him, but meeting a real, live fox shifter had him jumping with excitement.

I rolled my eyes.

Get back to the safe room with her as soon as you can, I told him.And she's hurt, so be careful.

I will, Bubba. Promise!

Here they come, Cove rumbled to us and the alphas.

I closed the link with Thoreau to focus and heard twigs snap and the rhythmic thud of running paws.

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