Page 163 of Ensnared by the Pack: The Complete Series (Destined Realms #3)

CYRUS

Folmar pinned another grimalkin, and I sank my teeth in the beast’s neck and jerked my head before it could break free. The reek of rotten flesh, mixed with the coppery tang of blood, rushed across my senses, making my stomach heave, but I didn’t pause to react, just swung my head to the side, searching for the next grimalkin.

The beasts had been ferocious in their attack, toying and torturing, this pack more aggressive than the pack that had attacked before — not to mention five times the size.

I hadn’t seen so many grimalkins in one pack in my life, not even when I’d joined the hunting party to clear out the pack that had threatened Stonehaven five years ago and was responsible for killing my mother and fathers. And these grimalkins smelled and tasted worse than any of the others I’d fought.

The thought tightened my chest for what that meant, for the safety of my pack, and for the safety of one member in particular, and I struggled to stay focused on the job at hand.

But the grimalkins were everywhere. Finn and Deacon were fielding reports from all over the eastern half of the city, and Nova had put out a call for more help, asking anyone with even basic first aid training to go to the hospital so she could pull nurses to her field hospital. We didn’t have enough people trained in medicine to deal with this kind of attack. Shifters didn’t get sick often, and we healed relatively quickly unless the wounds were too severe or the illness something our natural healing couldn’t handle.

And Audrey was in the middle of this disaster.

My wolf threatened to take over and go after her, but I managed to hold him back. She was fine. Lucius wouldn’t let anything happen to her.

Except in chaos like this, anything could happen.

Lucius, I mentally called to him, not bothering to be polite and touch his mind first. Are the delegates safe?

Was Audrey safe?

We’re almost at the hospital, he replied. Minor scrapes and bruises.

Good. I clenched my jaw before I could ask about Audrey. She wasn’t my mate, not yet, and I had a priority to the pack and our guests.

Audrey got separated from the group, he continued as if he knew that I desperately needed to know something about her. Except his words sent panic rushing through me. Cohnal made sure she got away, so I’m sure she’s fine.

But you don’t have eyes on her?

Except I already knew he didn’t and didn’t know of anyone else who did or he would have said so.

Fuck.

My thoughts lurched to mentally connecting with Audrey, but I couldn’t. She didn’t have telepathy like the rest of my pack. Even if I could speak into her mind, she wouldn’t be able to answer me back.

Cyrus, Folmar barked in my head.

I wrenched my attention to her as she tried to leap into the air. But a grimalkin launched itself at her, forcing her to twist out of the way toward another grimalkin.

I tensed, my muscles bunching to rush in and help when one of the merchants shot his lightning weapon.

A blast of terrifying electric power roared from the device, skimming the side of the grimalkin and exploding into a wooden market stall with blankets and towels. Fabric and wood flew everywhere, and small fires littered the area where the stall had been.

The shot at least distracted the grimalkins enough for Folmar to take flight, and I dove for the injured one, snapping my teeth into the softest — but still not that soft — part of the grimalkin’s hide, its throat.

The beast roared and dug its claws into my shoulder, but I locked my jaw and hung on, twisting as best I could to avoid its flailing strikes.

I had thirty seconds before the idiot merchant could shoot that nightmare weapon again, and I wanted these two grimalkins dead before he could blow up more of my city.

And fuck me, there were two more of those merchants wreaking havoc out there, fighting alongside the other alliance members.

The grimalkin got a claw into my stomach, raking through my flesh with burning agony, and I wrenched hard with my head. With a pain- and fury-filled roar, the beast shoved me with his shoulder, trying to force me onto my back.

I sank into a low crouch, ignoring the pain screaming through me from the myriad wounds I’d gotten since the fight had begun. I was the alpha.

I. Would. Not. Surrender.

Not even if the monster outweighed me, which this one did.

Folmar screeched, my only warning before she dug her claws into the grimalkin’s back, giving me a chance to wrench to the side and kill it.

Folmar, check in with your son, I commanded. Is he with Audrey?

Folmar tilted her eagle head to the side, her lion’s tail flicking fast and hard against the ground.

I can’t reach him.

Bishop. Knox. Where’s Audrey? I asked, panic making me pant.

I shouldn’t have let her out of my sight. I should have insisted Bishop stay with her instead of helping the fight. From Finn and Deacon’s reports, the grimalkins were all over the east side and she was probably sacrificing herself right now to protect the pack’s children.

You can’t find her? Bishop asked, his mental voice tight. She’s… It’s hard to tell. She’s blocking me. All I’m getting are flashes of… fear… and determination.

Of course, she was determined. That was our mate to a T.

Except she wasn’t our mate.

Not yet.

Knox, I mentally snapped, desperate to stay focused.

No response.

Knox! I shifted into my human form. I needed to find her. Now! And I couldn’t do that as injured as I was.

Exhaustion swept over me, making me stagger because I should have stayed in my wolf form and given my body more time to heal before trying to finish the job with a shift.

Fuck, Knox. Where the hell are you?

He’s almost feral, Bishop replied.

Is she alive? Bishop, please. Tell me she’s alive. I didn’t care if I was showing Bishop how much I needed his mate. To hell with my pride and anything else. She was all that mattered.

Mine, my wolf growled and he surged forward, shoving my consciousness to the back of our body.

Hospital, Knox finally snarled, his mental voice filled with anger and frustration. I can’t go inside, there are too many people. She says she’s fine but ? —

A shuddered of alpha power swept over the market.

My wolf jerked me forward, but somehow, I managed to stop us from abandoning our comrades. Folmar!

It’s clear, she said as if already knowing what I wanted. Find your mate.

She’s not ? —

She leveled an unblinking golden eye at me. I’m old. I’m not dumb.

With a snarl, my wolf regained control of our body, shifted us into our wolf form, and we bolted down the street. It didn’t matter to my wolf that we, the alpha, was racing to the hospital for a woman we hadn’t publicly claimed as our mate and wouldn’t be able to until we’d squashed the horrible rumors about her.

In that moment, Audrey was all that mattered.

She was mine, the alpha I’d never known I was looking for to help lead our pack. I had to know she was safe.

Sisters! Nova had taken her to the hospital and Knox was all riled up. Audrey was even blocking her emotions from Bishop. That couldn’t be good. She had to be hiding something to protect her mates, something she feared would distract them from the fight with the grimalkins.

It didn’t matter that I’d done exactly what I suspected she was trying to avoid. I’d abandoned my position, trusting Folmar when she said the area was clear of grimalkins, and was running at full speed.

What the fuck was wrong with me? My mother and fathers had taught me better. Even Audrey knew better. I was the alpha. I had to lead the pack. But my instincts were screaming at me. I had to ensure my mate was safe.