Page 62 of Wulf’s Pack

Her face is filled with pain, but she gives me the sweetest smile. “You did it.”

I’ll enjoy my win after Skylar is taken care of.

Careful of her dislocated shoulder, I untie her wrists.

“We need to get this collar off you so you can shift. Then we need to find you a doctor. Or a healer. I need to call Enzo. And Oliver. Shit. It’ll take them forever to get here.

I should have already contacted them. I knew we would need them.

I’m so sorry, sweetheart, but we’ll get you fixed up as fast as we can.

Maybe there’s a sorcerer in town. Maybe we can?—”

“Wulf.” Skylar lifts her good arm to cup my cheek, interrupting my rambling. Her delicate touch is a balm to my battered soul. I lean into her hand and let out a long sigh. “I’m okay.”

I shake my head frantically. “You’re hurt. You?—”

“I’ll heal. I’m safe now. You killed Victor. He’ll never hurt me again.”

Her words bring relief, but they don’t ease my worry that this could happen again with some other alpha desperate for an omega.

And they don’t assuage the guilt. She was my responsibility, and she was taken.

I couldn’t keep her safe. I look away in shame.

I promised her protection, and I failed her.

Whether from the look on my face or the trace of my emotions getting through our bond, Skylar correctly guesses the direction of my thoughts. “Wulf.” She gently comes her fingers through my hair. “My mate. My love.”

I lift my eyes to hers. “It wasn’t your fault, and you didn’t fail me.”

I swallow past a lump in my throat, unsure how to accept what she’s saying.

She stares at me as if she’s trying to imprint her love directly into my heart with just a look. Maybe she is, because I feel her gaze penetrating my very soul. “You came for me,” she says. “You found me, and you rescued me.”

Even though her face is battered and swollen, I can still see the compassion in her expression. The love. The pride.

It’s the pride that’s wrecking me emotionally.

After everything that’s happened, she’s proud of me.

To her, this is a victory. I haven’t let her down.

Haven’t failed her. Her faith, her utter belief in me, her loyalty and devotion feel so misplaced, but I selfishly accept it.

I take it, and I wrap it around me like a security blanket. I use it to ward off the guilt.

I don’t know what I ever did to deserve such an incredible woman, but I won’t insult her by wallowing in misery when she’s choosing to overlook it.

She’s the one who was abducted. She’s the one who was tortured and abused.

If anyone deserves to be angry, bitter, or depressed, it’s her.

But she’s better than that. Stronger. For her, I will be better too. That , she deserves.

A noise downstairs has me jumping up. My mate stiffens. Her fear sours the air. I place myself protectively in front of her, but I recognize my pack members before they reach the bedroom.

Three shifters fill the door—a wolf and a pair of hawks.

The second they take in the scene, they shift.

Easton comes to our side, while Ben rushes to the man tied to the chair.

I’d been so semi-feral, that I hadn’t even recognized the man.

And with fighting Victor, and the state of Skylar, I’ve not had time think about the battle we just had or the fate of the rest of my pack.

Seeing Luke’s lifeless form brings it all to the front of my mind, along with overwhelming pain and sorrow.

I only met Luke for the first time today, but he was pack, and he gave his life for his luna.

Isabella crouches down beside me, and takes Skylar’s hand. While she and Skylar share a tearful greeting, I stand and turn to Easton. “Do you know if it’s finished?”

Easton nods gravely. “It’s over. Bree and Caleb are searching the compound for any wolves we may have missed and trying to get a body count to make sure we got them all.

We weren’t sure of their exact numbers, but Dennis and Ashlyn have been watching the cameras, and they believe none have escaped the property. ”

As glad as I am to hear that we’ve taken out every last one of those assholes, I don’t get the satisfaction you’d expect from such a victory.

Clearly, Easton feels the same. He follows my gaze to Ben, who has managed to free Luke’s body from the chair and laid him on the floor.

“How many?” I ask roughly. “Do you know? I felt the bonds breaking, but with all the chaos…”

Easton gulps and has to clear his throat before he can answer. “Seven. Six of ours, and one of the coyote women.”

My heart clenches. Six of my wolves. Gone. I know it could have been a lot worse. It probably should have been worse. But I feel those six losses in every corner of my soul. I will carry them with me for the rest of my life. “Who?”

“Luke, Preston, Sophia, Pam, Jack…” Easton lets out a shuddering breath. “And Micah.”

My eyes fall shut as I think about the sweet, funny, caring woman who wrote werewolf romance, and her brave, intelligent mate. So young. So much potential. They’d just been reunited and had their whole lives ahead of them. And Micah…

I meet Easton’s pain-filled eyes and feel every ounce of his devastation over the loss of his brother.

I hardly know the stoic alpha male, but I don’t hesitate to pull him into a tight embrace.

He accepts the hug and returns it as if he needs it to hold him together.

I push some of my alpha power through our bond to comfort him and lend him strength, though I know it isn’t nearly enough.

After a moment, he releases a long breath, and his trembling body starts to calm down.

When we pull back from our hug, I clasp his shoulder. “I’m so sorry.”

His eyes glisten with unshed tears, but there is no anger in them.

He shakes his head once. “He died himself, fighting for the alpha and luna who freed him instead of as an enslaved feral beast in an illegal cage fight for cheap entertainment. It was honorable, and I know he was happy to give his life for the woman who saved his.”

Pride and gratitude swell in me. My mate is not the only wolf I’m lucky to have in my life.

Skylar’s soft voice floats over to us. “I promise I will always live my life worthy of his sacrifice. He will never be forgotten.”

Easton gulps again and bows his head. “Thank you, Luna.”

Silence settles over our little group, and Ben joins us, carrying Luke’s body in his arms. “We should join the others. I’m sure they’re all anxious to see their alpha and luna.”

I’m sure they are. And I’m just as anxious to see them and make sure they’re all okay. We’ve been through a lot, and now that Victor and his pack are taken care of, it’s time we all start to heal.