Someone—Nik?—jerked Verika out of the way as Elijah roared and Shifted. The spell instantly snapped, the connection lost as the great black wolf snarled at them. Nik and Gage were in front of the girls instantly, fully Shifted and snarling back, hackles raised. The tension in the room shot through the roof as they waited.

The black wolf at last turned and leapt through the balcony doors. Glass and wood exploded as he burst through, jumping over the balcony and landing deftly on the lawn before racing toward the woods.

Alara growled in frustration, rubbing her temples. “I’m so sick of replacing balcony doors. How many werewolves have jumped through them now?”

I’m going after him, came Gage’s voice inside their heads.

The brown wolf gave a bark. I’m going with you.

“No,” Alara said, taking on her queen voice. She started forward. “I am.”

Absolutely not, snarled Nik. He’s in full-on wolf mode. He could not recognize you and hurt you.

“As if he could? I’m damn fast.” Alara raised a brow. She rubbed her mate’s head. “I have the best nose—you said so yourself not too long ago, if I recall. I can track him faster than either of you can.”

He groaned, the wolf equivalent to grumbling. He whined as she went to stand beside Gage.

“I’ll be fine.” She bent down to kiss him on the head. “You stay here and guard the house in case he comes back.”

With that, she Shifted into an elegant umber-colored wolf, and together, she and Gage went the route Elijah had taken. Gage’s pure-white wolf looked like a phantom streaking through the night.

Nik watched them disappear into the woods before he turned his big wolfy head to glance at Danica and Verika. Um, would someone mind getting me a change of pants or something?

Danica blinked, tearing her eyes off the woods and on to Nik. “Uh, sure! Hold on!” She went to the wardrobe and pulled out a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.

Verika was grateful Danica had responded first, because she felt as though she couldn’t think right now. Not when her body trembled and her mind kept repeating What have I done? What have I done? What have I done?

Nik padded into the bathroom. Danica set the clothes down on the countertop before she shut the door. There was a pop and some grunts, and then a minute later Nik opened the door, fully dressed. “Dammit.” He glanced again at the direction his mate had gone, concern written on his face. “What happened?”

Danica gave Nik a warning look and made a motion with her hands, as if to say, “The topic is off-limits! Can’t you see how shaken she is?”

Nik, in typical Nik fashion, apparently didn’t give a damn. “He was fine one minute, and the next, he flipped out. What did you do?”

“Nik!” Danica hissed.

What did you do?

The words struck her like individual blows. “I don’t know,” she whispered. She stared at her trembling hands. “All I can think of is that I unearthed something he’d forgotten, something so traumatic maybe his brain had made him forget it in order to protect his psyche.”

“Oh, Elijah.” Danica’s face saddened.

Nik chewed at his lip, a scowl on his face. He crossed his arms, shifted his weight, and at last settled with his hands on his hips, though he didn’t stay still. He glanced again at the woods. The moon was rising.

Verika stared at it, unable to look away. It was as if it were calling to her, urging her to Shift and come run under its silvery light.

To hunt, to feed, to mate…

Her gut twisted. Oh, please. Let Gage and Alara find him before he hurts himself.

The black wolf ran, faster and harder than he’d ever pushed himself before. The forest was unfamiliar, but it didn’t stop him. He leapt over brambles, crashed through bushes, felt the sting of barbs and bark as they cut his flesh and snagged his fur. It dawned on him that he was leaving behind too much evidence, making it easy to be tracked, but the thought was as far away as his human self. The fear, the terror of being tortured by that bitch, had surged the wolf to the surface. Like any loyal animal, the wolf could tell its master was ill at ease. It yearned to protect him, which it had done in the form of taking over completely.

And Elijah had gladly let it. The wolf was stronger. It didn’t have the same nightmares or fears he did. Let it lead.

The memory of the knife plunging into his flesh, carving him up like a goddamned pumpkin, flashed through his mind.

The wolf sensed his fear and ran faster.

Must get away. Get far away, so she can’t hurt us.

He heard the echo of her laughter inside his head, felt her nails trace their way over his bloodied, razed flesh. Relishing the carnage, craving more blood. A retribution for his insults.

The wind shifted, blowing two new scents his way. He tensed.

He wasn’t alone.

Though the air was tainted with the alluring smells of prey, this was something—no, two somethings—much larger.

Wolves.

He was being hunted.

With a snarl, he darted away from his course as two shadows appeared in his peripheral vision, one on either side of him. He heard the hot swish of rapid breathing, smelled the rustic earth being kicked up by oversized paws. They were swift, especially the umber-colored wolf.

Elijah was faster.

His wolf snapped his teeth as a snow-white wolf bumped into him while they ran, trying to make him stumble. He quickly righted himself and kept running, this time darting alongside a river. The metallic smell of the water filled his nose. He hadn’t realized how dry and raw his throat was until now. Dry from the terror of reliving the earlier memory, and raw now from running like crazy.

The wolf firmly shoved his human spirit down, insisting they were in danger and needed to focus.

He fought for control with his inner wolf, but it snarled at him. He snarled right back, baring his teeth, but it didn’t care. It was too focused on getting them away from—

It felt as if a truck slammed into him. He yelped as his body was thrown into a tree, smashing into it and breaking at least one rib, he was sure, if the pain in his side was any indication.

Gage! snapped Alara’s voice inside his head. Was that really necessary?

It is when he’s gone wolf.

Him? Gone wolf? Nah. That phrase was only reserved for the weak-minded individuals who couldn’t control their inner wolves.

His hackles raised. Was Gage implying he was weak?

I am not weak, his wolf growled.

Elijah’s anger surged with his wolf’s, multiplying as he bared his teeth and growled low in warning.

The umber-colored wolf glanced at the white one with her big, dark eyes. You sure about this?

Elijah swayed as a sudden wave of dizziness overtook him. God, he was tired. The earlier feeling of being scared out of his mind assaulted him.

His wolf sensed his fear—and attacked.

The white wolf barely had time to dart away. Elijah’s jaws snapped the air where the white wolf had been standing. He immediately whirled, gathering his haunches and preparing to lunge again.

Threat. Threat. The wolf had taken over completely now, and he was too tired to stop it.

Brother, this isn’t you! a male voice yelled inside his head.

His snarl answered. He leapt, missing the white wolf’s throat by mere inches, but grasping a mouthful of fur.

The white and black wolves danced around, each trying to outmaneuver the other, while the umber-colored one barked and bayed. The black wolf barely paid her any attention; his focus was on killing the white wolf who posed such a threat to his master.

Must keep his master safe, at all times, at any cost.

The umber-colored wolf yipped frantically, right before the white wolf stumbled and fell into the river.

The black wolf plunged after it. An adept swimmer, he quickly caught up to his opponent, driving him under. They bit and clawed. Teeth and claws sank into flesh, shredding, tearing, mauling.

Something heavy splashed into the water behind them. A fresh set of teeth pulled at his ear, yanking backward. A harder bite, this time on his paw. The black wolf yowled, letting go of the white wolf’s throat he’d been about to crush in his jaws.

Furious at his opponent getting away, he whirled and attacked the new threat. Water splayed in the air, shimmering in the moonlight like crystal. The umber wolf thrashed, trying to swim away.

No you don’t. Not this time. My prey will not escape me this time.

The black wolf latched onto the female wolf’s back leg and twisted.

There was the snap of bone, the sound of tendons ripping. The umber wolf screamed in pain.

NIK!

The female plea inside his head startled him out of the red haze that had eclipsed his vision. The taste of her blood, hot and wet on his tongue, made him gag once he realized whose it was.

Elijah instantly Shifted back, nearly inhaling the river in the process. “God!”

Gage had already Changed. He crashed into the river, rushing to meet the umber wolf, who awkwardly paddled with three paws to the shoreline. Elijah swam until his feet touched the embankment. Able to stand, he got his balance and went to help Gage pull a now human Alara from the river.

She wailed as they dragged her ashore, writhing and gasping for breath.

Elijah looked at her leg and paled.

It was mangled, damn near twisted off. Deep teeth marks oozed blood. The fair skin was torn and shredded, as if it had been through a meat grinder. Moonlight glistened on blood and bone, turning Elijah’s stomach.

He fell to his knees in the dirt, grabbed fistfuls of his hair, and stared at her leg. “What have I done?”

The frustration, anger, and guilt built past their boiling points, bubbling over into an agonized scream that ripped the night in half and made all manner of feathered creature startle and take flight.