He could almost taste both as he hauled his agonizingly painful leg behind him as he went to the only place where he stood a very slim chance of survival. You can do this, Fox. Don’t think, just DO!
He set himself up, taking great gulps of air into his lungs and roaring so loud that leaves from the trees fell in a cascade around him as birds took to the air, squawking and wings fluttering in their haste to flee, just as the next two Wolves arrived.
Game on, cocksuckers. Let’s see what you’ve got against a pissed off Lion who’s ready to do anything to survive. They stalked toward him, lips curled back, fangs dripping with saliva and Fox’s only thought was how fast could he kill them before their friends arrived, and if he did, would he have enough strength left to take them all out?
Sheba tore through the forest with an urgency she’d never felt her entire life. Her heart ached with the need to reach her mate with the certainty that he was in imminent danger. After finding the cave where he’d obviously been living, she’d relaxed, briefly, thinking he was close, but then she’d taken off again trying to find him.
Soon after, a pain stabbed her in the chest, so severe she fell to the ground, with Ray calling to her in shock. “Sheba! What’s wrong?”
“I feel something! Something terrible, Ray! He needs us. Now! Oh my Goddess, we have to get to him.”
She’d hauled herself up and raced after his scent, like a torpedo zeroing in on its target, Ray at her side. “I can feel him, Ray. He’s not too far away.”
“That’s good, little one, that’s good.”
And as her Beta finished, they both heard the roar of pain thundering through the forest. Sheba’s heart felt as if it was being ripped from her chest. The sound reverberating through her like a physical pain assaulting her entire being with a ferocity that she’d never encountered. She wasn’t sure she could take it, it was so all-encompassing that she almost collapsed from the sheer power of it. It was her beast that carried her on, her Wolf’s power that kept her upright and on the move to help the Lion that pulled her forward.
“Oh my fucking Goddess! What’s happening to him?” She screamed, desperate to find . . . and protect the one that was calling to her.
“We’ll find him. Come on!” Ray tore away, his size eating up the ground as he galloped ahead.
He no longer needed her to locate her mate. Ray had heard his roar as clear as day and could pinpoint his position easily by that alone. It took Sheba several moments to recover enough to fully engage again, but as soon as she could, she was firing on all cylinders and her pace picked up as she zoomed through the forest once again. Now using her Alpha powers, she could hear far more. Up ahead there was a fight going on . . . no . . . a battle. A full on fight to the death was happening and she was sure it was her mate that was on the receiving end.
“Fucking rogues! Ray, there’s rogues up ahead, I can sense them, but I’m not sure how many just yet but I can sure as fuck smell a whole hell of a lot of blood and a lot of that is my fucking mate’s!”
“I know, Sheba, I can scent it too. I’m almost there, I’ll help him, Alpha, I’ll help him!”
“I’m right behind you!”
“I know you are, little one. Just be careful!”
“You too, big guy!”
Her heart pounded as she ran on her paws barely touching the ground as she sped so fast through the land she knew so well, but which was now tainted with the scent of renegades, but over it all she could still taste her mate. His aroma was like a heady mix of citrus and musk that was ingrained deep inside her. It drew her like a beacon, but it was the scent of his blood that tore at her soul. He was injured and if the amount of the metallic odor in the air was anything to go by, it was severe, possibly even mortal.
That thought spurred her on to speed up, her heart almost bursting with the effort, until she ran into a small clearing to witness a scene of carnage before her. One that almost caused her legs to buckle beneath her and her heart to stop beating in her chest. Fear stampeded through her as her eyes took in the horrific tableau…a second before fury and rage filled her.
There were several dead Wolves lying on the ground before a wounded Lion . . . her Lion, who was backed up against a line of trees. Ray was fighting two Wolves while another two were closing in on the Lion, who looked to be on his last legs. His head was down as he panted heavily, his body covered in blood, both his and of those Wolves whom he’d fought, and as he moved, Sheba caught a glimpse of a damn bear trap on one of his hind legs.
Fuck! He’d been fighting off these rogues while he had a trap on his leg? Damn! She didn’t think twice, she darted forward, roaring wildly and leaped high into the air to land on the back of the Wolf nearest her mate. She opened her jaws and sank her teeth around the back of its neck, biting down with all her might. The Wolf bucked beneath her, trying to dislodge her, but she wrapped her paws around the fuck, digging her claws into
