Page 28 of Rituals & Runes

CHAPTER11

Chaos broke out in the clearing with people running in every direction, and wolves scattered in the crowd.

Who the fuck let them in?

A massive male brown and white wolf bounded up the stairs towards Aila. In less than a breath, I shifted, dropping to all fours, ready to tear out his throat.

I snarled then powered after the wolf but another from their pack collided and slammed me onto my back.

He went for my throat but I scrambled out from under him and then circled. On turning, I caught a glance at the wall of enemy men surrounding Aila. My enforcers and pack mates fought against them, tearing some away, but others still managed to remain by my darling's side.

A scream ripped through the other shouting voices as I charged the wolf attacking me. I pounced and we rolled a few feet. As we careened to a stop, I sank my jaws into the scruff of his neck. He yelped but twisted away.

The shrill screaming continued behind us. I couldn’t get a good view of what was happening but it sounded like Aila’s voice.

Through our growing bond, I sensed her terror and fierce determination to fight. It enraged me they'd sent this wolf to battle me. To stop me from getting to her. If it hadn’t been for the genuine threat, I would have simply avoided him.

A growl roared from my throat. I followed the other wolf's move, ducking my head to snap his paw with my jaws. His bone crunched in my teeth but he still lunged for me. I dodged to the side and then gashed his side with my claws. Another sharp yelp rang out, he dashed off, probably knowing my next move was to kill him.

Above me, a man carried a kicking and screaming Aila down the stairs with that massive brown wolf following after them. I suspected that had to be their pack Beta since Id killed their Alpha.

Not wanting to waste time and because I could run faster on all fours, I dashed after them as my wolf.

My stomach punched into my throat at the sight around me. Wolves from my pack and theirs lay dead on the ground. I wove between fighting humans and wolves. I’d never thought my protection of Aila would come to this but I would never regret it. Never regret fighting for my one true mate.

As I closed in on the man carrying Aila, she did something that made both my man and wolf proud. Made me fall even more for this intelligent female.

She shifted to her petite, white wolf with her one black paw, leaving behind the dress drooping in the man’s arms. But her glasses tumbled to the ground getting crunched under a boot.

“Shit!” The man flung the dress behind him and bolted after my mate. “Get her ass back here."

My wolf mind memorized his face for my Kill List as I dashed after them. Firebrand Pack members scrambled after her as did men from our pack. I had it in my mind to shift to my man legs, but it would waste time.

Ethan raced ahead to catch up but Aila wove too fast between people, bushes, and trees. I caught up to her, nudging her to follow me. We raced back toward the compound, pumping our legs as fast as we could go. From out behind a pine tree shadow, a man stepped out, scooping up my mate in his burly arms.

She snapped her teeth in his face then bit his nose. “Damn bitch! I can’t wait to get you back to our compound.”

“Run!” I shouted to her in my mind, hoping she could hear me through our beginning connection. “Run as fast as you can, Wolfling.”

Aila raced off into the woods disappearing from my sight. I slowed my step and narrowed my wolf eyes at something I didn’t expect along the path. Ethan arguing with that blonde woman from Firebrand Pack, except their dynamic threw me off. From him, I noted his angry expression and the way he growled at her. And from her, I scented arousal, but her eyes reflected worry. She held her hands out before her body, fingers curled in tension as if she begged Ethan for something.

I shook my head. As much as it caught my attention, I didn’t have time for them. I sped up and took off after Aila. Another Firebrand wolf barreled into me, sending us rolling over the forest floor.

He pinned me on my back and then lunged for my throat. I twisted, throwing him off me, but he charged again, barely giving me time to dodge to the side. He followed my move and then aimed for my paw, threatening to bite me. As long as he kept me on the defensive, he would tire me out, then kill me.

I growled and snapped at him, circling face to face. In a flash, I pounced on him, flinging him onto his back. We kept rolling, snapping, and growling. I bit any available scruff I could get ahold of, and he nipped at me. We slammed into a tree, him taking the impact as he hit his back. He yelped and limped along, his back injured, when he tried to lunge at me.

I pinned him on his back and then ripped his throat out.

With sore limbs and a few bleeding wounds, I dashed off, following Aila’s scent. I wove through the trees, wolves snapping at my heels. My heart stuttered. Her scent didn’t lead toward the compound but in the direction of the main road to leave.

Maybe she’d gotten confused or since she didn’t know the layout, ended up lost. I sniffed along while dodging attackers until the scent stopped.

My heart slammed into my throat as I glanced up scanning the area. Aila struggled in the arms of another man. Behind him, a black SUV loomed, the car door open. He took a step toward it, trying to contain a wiggling, growling Aila. The bastard was trying to get her inside.

I snarled, charging him. Aila clamped her jaws down on his forearm and then leaped away. She darted toward me, limping as she went. Fucking pricks were going to pay for this. I was going to slay every last one of them.

I raced toward her.

“Damn it. She’s getting away again,” shouted the man who had held her. “Where’s Roy?”

Next to him, a man as huge as a line backer stepped out of the shadows, then lifted a gun, aiming for Aila. She still had a few paces until she reached me. I darted forward, nudging her out of his line of sight.

He jerked the gun mirroring her movement. A popping sound with a white flash filled the night. Aila squealed then went down, inert. A second man shot forward, scooping Aila up and racing to the car.

I shot forward, pushing my four legs as fast as I could go, but he slammed the door shut, sealing Aila within. The SUV lurched forward, as they took off into the dark night.

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