I make it to the house in record speed.

I'm worn out and panting, my wolf already exhausted after being cooped up for so long. I perk up at the hint of my favorite scent in the grass. When I look up, Killian is barreling towards me in wolf form. He tackles me playfully to the ground, licking and nipping at me.

There was no anger or resentment from him for leaving. All I could feel was love and relief that I was safe.

Are you hurt?

Just sore and a little tired. I'll be okay.

As much as I'm loving this reunion, we've got a problem over here.

Patrick.

Our reconciliation quickly forgotten, we sprint over to where Patrick is circling a familiar salt and pepper colored wolf. An involuntary snarl escapes my throat at the scene before us.

Sage, with a firm hold on Jacob's weak, human form. Jacob's scared eyes paired with his dirty face and tattered clothes was enough to push me over the edge. I could only see red and I want Sage to finally pay for his crimes.

I lunge at him without hesitation. Killian must have heard my thoughts, or at the very least, anticipated my move, because he was following behind me before I had even taken a full step.

Sage's jaw clamps down on Jacob's leg, causing the young boy to let out a pained cry. Blood trickles down his bare leg. Killian and I freeze in our places a few feet from them. Any closer and there's no telling what this monster will do to keep himself safe.

I had thought that I was the bargaining chip to get to Killian and that Jacob was just a failsafe. Turns out that he's the bargaining chip to get to me.

We begin to circle him, Killian and I moving in opposite directions, still maintaining a wide enough berth so Sage wouldn't make any sudden moves. Patrick kept to the back, assessing the situation. He stayed alert in case we needed backup. A small whimper escapes Jacob's throat.

He shoots me another desperate, pleading look.

Killian's voice in my head pulls my attention from the gaze.

I'm going to distract him. You need to grab Jacob and run as fast and as far as you can.

Jacob's eyes widen. He heard Killian, too.

Fuck that, we should-

Killian lunges at Sage's side with a growl, tackling him to the ground. The motion jerks Jacob's leg out of Sage's mouth, causing him to stumble forward. He lets out a cry, but catches himself on his hands before he falls to the ground.

Fast and far

Killian repeats the sentiment as he focuses on the man beneath him.

I rush to Jacob's aid- placing a paw on the now gushing wound on his leg to apply pressure- but I notice a bigger problem out of the corner of my eye.

A herd of Warriors is rushing towards us. They must have broken through our pack's barrier. With no time to think about the implications of what that means for our pack and our allies, I push Jacob's hip with my nose, urging him towards Patrick.

Take him and get out of here. I'll handle this.

Patrick nods, his eyes set with grim determination.

"Thank you," Jacob says softly, giving me a small pat on the head before limping towards Patrick.

I turn my attention back towards the hoard. There's six of them. Not the best odds, but I've faces worse. Then again, I never faced them after being locked up and out of practice for weeks. The outcome certainly didn't seem to be in my favor.

I dash off to meet them, leaving Killian to fight Sage on his own. They seem to be pretty evenly matched. Even though Sage was much older, he trained rigorously, for hours every day, and was in peak physical form.

He manages to land a few blows on Killian, but Killian was holding his own. Sage was bleeding from his temple. I notice he's not placing any pressure on his back right leg- he's obviously hurting more than he's letting on.

One of the Warriors tries to sneak up on my side, but I felt him coming. I whip around to face him as he's about to pounce. He's standing up on his hind legs, the upper half of his body towering over me. Fortunately, this gives me clear access to his neck.

I tilt my head up as he descends on me and dig my teeth into his fur. He lets out a whine that turns into a wet gurgling noise as I rip his throat out.

Blood spatters down onto my face, coating my white fur in the red sticky substance. His body falls awkwardly beside me as I turn to brace myself for the next attack. Two Warriors pounce at me this time, ignoring the body of their brother beside me.

The copper brown one is obviously female given her smaller, more willowy frame, so I focus my attention on her. She's more likely quicker and more agile, therefore posing more of a threat than the brute strength of her partner. She throws her weight into me, knocking me over.

As I hit the ground, I swing my paw out to knock her own out from under her.

I manage to set myself upright as she topples over and I place myself on top of her. She growls menacingly at me- I just smirk down at her.

Her partner tries to distract me by biting into my hip. I yelp at the pain and kick him in the face in retaliation. He stumbles backwards, but it doesn't deter him for long. I have to eliminate the threat beneath me before I can focus on him, so I snap her neck.

Quick and painless, probably much better than she deserves, but I'm running out of time. Her partner lets out a heartbroken howl. He looks at her lifeless form in despair, nipping at her hopelessly.

They were mates.

I feel a brief pang of sorrow for the man. I can't imagine the pain of losing a mate, but I'll be damned if any of these wolves make that a reality for me today. The wolf turns back to me with murderous intent. I bare my teeth at him, showing him that he can't, and won't, intimidate me.

We clash head to head, snapping and clawing at each other. He digs into my shoulder on the same side that he injured my hip. I let out a loud roar. This cut is much deeper than the other.

Killian's head snaps to my direction at the sound of my distress. The other three Warriors have him surrounded. He was doing a good job holding them off until I distracted him. His guard was down.

I want to scream, to tell him not to worry about me. The sound catches in my throat as I watch, horrified at the scene unfolding before me.

Sage had taken this window of opportunity to plunge his claws into Killian's chest.