Wolf Bargain (Wolfish 3)

And I never should have ignored the aching dread building in be earlier.

The boys and Romulus have gone hunting for Remus and they’re going to get themselves killed. There’s no way that the four of them can stand up to Remus and his entire pack and they know it.

All noble causes aside; it’s a suicide mission.

I have to go and stop them, even though I know the Free Territory is a dangerous place for me to go alone. I won’t let them get killed over me. I cannot lose them. I’ve already lost too much as it is … my mother, my turning ceremony, my chance to have their pups. For all I know, I’ve already lost myself.

It’s too much.

Too much.

I refuse to lose anything else.

I summon all the strength that I have and push down any feelings of sickness as I push my arms into my coat sleeves and race out the door, my face step toward the Free Territory.

I don’t so much as make it past the front door before I run straight into Lydia.

I take a half step back, one hand held out in front of me as my eyes flicker back over to the door.

She takes one look at me, my disheveled, sick self … and the coat tugged on over my shoulders.

“Where are you going?”

“Don’t try to stop me or talk me out of this, Lydia. I won’t listen,” I say, trying to decide if she’ll be able to stop me before I get through the door. I know in my current state, it’d be futile to go up against her if she tries to stop me. “I know where Romulus and the boys are. I tracked the deer and Remus and his pack are hiding out on the Free Territory. The boys have been gone all day. We both know they’re not chopping firewood. They’ve gone to attack Remus and his pack. They’re going to get themselves killed and I need to get to them before they do.”

“You’re likely going to get your own self killed in the process,” she says in a voice that is much calmer than I expected.

I find myself letting my arm fall back down to my side.

“Doesn’t matter anymore,” I say, quietly. “I don’t have anything left to live for without them. If even one of them dies, I die too.”

Lydia nods but doesn’t move out of my way.

Then she says something truly surprising.

“I’m coming with you.”

I stammer for words.

“You … you don’t need to do that,” I say.

The way she eyes me make me feel immediately stupid.

She suddenly doesn’t look like the soft, gentle woman anymore. For a moment, all I see in her is her wolf.

“I know, but you can’t keep me from coming either. Romulus is my husband and those are my sons. All three of them. It’s time to stop letting the men play soldier and handle this ourselves now too.”

“Are you sure?” I ask, feeling once again in awe of Lydia’s strength and determination. She may be a gentle soul, but she is every bit as fierce as the guys are.

Maybe even more so.

“Yes, I’m sure. If we don’t go help, they’re going to get themselves killed. And then it won’t be long after that before Remus and the other packs come for us.”

She stands a little taller. “You and I are different, Sabrina, and they don’t want anything different in the packs. Without Romulus and the boys here to protect us, Remus will not hold back in sending every last one of his pack members to hunt us down and kills us.”

Of course.

Poisoning me was just an act of cruelty meant to drive Romulus to attack first.