Neah My eyes flicker between both of them. They had been waiting for this. Waiting for me. Was Alpha Dane in on this? “This…this was your plan all along?”

“Back up plan. Dane made it clear that you didn’t want to do this, so it was made the backup option.” Jenson muses. “And before you go getting ahead of yourself. we are not physically using you as bait.”

“It’s the idea of you having control.” Raven mutters. “We know you don’t want it. We know you want nothing to do with them. But they don’t know that. As far as they will be aware, you accepting your position will mean you want it.”

“Right!” It was bugging me that Jenson and Raven had already discussed this as an option

Raven grabs my wrists, locking her dark eyes on me. “They are not just coming for you, they will pick us off to get to you. Our pack, as relentless as we can be, are not ready to die.

“Raven!” Jenson snaps Her hands let go of me as she turns to look at her brother. “I’m just saying we have done loads for her, she could at least do this for us.”

“That’s not your call!” Jenson warns his sister with his harsh tone. “Dane will do whatever needs to be done to protect her. We can only give her her options.”

Raven frowns and it takes me a moment to realise that she isn’t saying this because she is angry. It’s panic, a fear that the Lycans will do something to the pack she loves.

There’s a rustle in the trees and the three of us snap our heads in that direction. Alarge Lycan dives through the bushes, charging at us. It’s the biggest one we’ve seen, easily towering eight feet tall. It holds it’s massive muscled arms out as it charges towards us.

Its eyes are locked on me, drool hangs from its razor sharp teeth. Claws are in the air, ready to attack. It doesn’t even seem phased that there were others with me. Its feet hit the ground so heavily that the earth vibrates beneath me.

Boiling white hot rage floods my system as Jenson shoves me back and shifts into a black wolf. He charges at the Lycan and the Lycan sweeps him away, sending Jenson crashing into a tree like he was little more than a leaf.

“Shift!” I yell at Nyx. I couldn’t protect myself this way. I knew the only way to protect me and Raven was for me to shift.

Nyx doesn’t hesitate, she forces herself forwasd. The pain is unbearable and thankfully it passesx quickly aS my bones stretch and.aiy body ckianges. My clothes fall tathe ground in tatters and the Lycan skids to a stop in front of me, just as ify claws plunge into its.chest.

It looks dawn at the claws

embedded in its chest. And unlike

when I Kitled Devon, I could feel the

heart pulsating against me. I could

feelny claws sliding into the heart

soeasily and steadily. Contént

bélongs to ~

The heart races until it’s almost fighting to beat and still, I don’t retract my claws. Instead, I watch life fade from the beast’s eyes, like a dimmer switch slowly turning down

My own heart flutters with joy as one by one, I pluck my claws out of the chest of the Lycan and watch him fall back, hitting the ground with a heavy thud

There were no pieces of heart on my claws this time, I was almost disappointed. “Neah? Neah, are you alright?” Raven stands looking up at me. I wanted to laugh, usually she is taller than me.

I nod my head, feeling that surge of pain again. My claws disappear and my limbs shorten until it’s just me, standing naked in the forest.

“Crap.” Raven pulls off her jacket and wraps it around me. It barely covers anything, but at least I didn’t have to walk around completely naked. She rushes over to Jenson who hadn’t moved since he hit the tree.

“Is he….is he dead?” I whisper.

“No, but it looks like he may have broken his back, it’s why he is still out. It takes a couple hours to heal. I have to link Dane.”

I nod, and refocus my gaze on the dead Lycan. Apart from the five small red dots on his chest. it looked as if he was sleeping.

‘He won’t Wake.’ Nyx mutters. ‘The heart is pterced, blood is slowly =~ leaking,Out into the cavity.’ she lets out asmall laugh and I have to-do everything in my power not to laugh with her. “