“You aren’t serious?”
“I am.” She could tell by my serious expression that I was kidding around. “He’s sleep-deprived, crying, and he hasn’t eaten. Your father will be here any day now, and he’s our Head Warrior. We need him on the top of his game, to protect this pack. I don’t care what you tell him, but you need to tell him something.”
“I can’t talk to him!”
“You’ll have to eventually,” I pointed out, sitting next to her on the gray bedspread.
“I don’t know what to say,” Emily sighed.
“Tell him your father will be here in a day, and he needs to focus.”
“All he ever says when I open the door is sorry.” She looked down, flicking her finger against the comforter.
“Okay.” I nodded. “What have you said?”
She gulped. “I only tell him to leave me alone.”
“Maybe if you just talk-”
“I don’t want to talk,” she spat. “I want him to talk this stupid bite back.”
“You know he can’t do that,” I said sympathetically. “You’ll shift any day now, and you’ll need him by your side. Shifting for changed wolves isn’t easy the first few times. You will be in a lot of pain, and your mate can help with that.”
“I’m just scared,” she whimpered.
At the sound, Casey shifted outside of her door and whined.
“I know.” I reached for her hand, squeezing it in mine. “But it’s only going to get more difficult from here on out, and having Casey by your side is a good thing. I’m not saying to forgive him right now, but he genuinely did seem sorry. He hasn’t moved in three days, Em.”
“Yeah,” she muttered.
“I’ll leave,” I told her, standing up. “But, please just say something to him.”
She nodded as I left through the small passage in her closet. I exited in the hallway, glancing back to her door. Emily had opened it, and Casey was standing in the silhouette. Emily stepped aside, and Casey hesitantly entered her bedroom. As she closed the door, she caught my eyes and nodded her head, telling me she was okay.
“Did you fix it?” Rush asked, approaching me.
“I think so,” I said distractedly, still watching her door.
“That’s good, because Harrison will be here tomorrow, and we don’t have any time to be fooling around.” He placed his hand on my shoulder and rubbed the skin a little. I shivered.
“Is everything ready?”
“Almost.” He stepped away from me, turning to head downstairs. I followed behind him, holding the back of his shoulder for support as we climbed down the stairs. I had been off-balance for weeks because of the baby. “We’ve told the elderly pack members and parents where to go and drop off their children tomorrow before the battle.”
“That’s good.” I smiled. Rush stopped on the bottom step, turning to place his hands on my hips and kiss my forehead.
“Everything will be fine,” he declared, leaning to touch his forehead against mine.
I opened my mouth to answer him but was interrupted by the sound of a low horn, vibrating around my bones and the wall.
Rush tipped his head back, gulping as we listened to the three other loud blows of the horn.
“They came early,” he whispered.
“We aren’t ready.” I began to shake. Rush grabbed my shoulders and smirked.
“Yes, we are. Harrison won’t know what hit him.”
Bunker
Casey and Emily were immediately bounding down the stairs towards us, the same fragmented looks on their face. The other officials that live in the packhouse sprinted out of their rooms, shifting as they barreled out of the front door.
Rush held my right hand tightly, dragging me behind him.
“I’m going to get you to the bunker, you and Emily before we leave,” he panted.
“Rush, there’s no time,” I pleaded.
“Yes, there is,” he promised, glancing back at me. “The humans are only at the border, we’ve got time.”
Outside the packhouse was chaotic; wolves, half of them shifted, running in different directions. We were almost run down on our way to the bunker, which was about a five-minute walk from the packhouse and underground.
Women and men with young children were bringing them into the bunker, handing them down to the guards stationed there. They kissed their heads, handed them over, shifted, and ran to the front lines.
Rush stopped abruptly and grabbed my face between his hands. “You will be safe here,” He kissed my forehead firmly. “I will come and get you later, just please stay here and stay safe.”
“Rush, please,” I said brokenly, not ready to let him go. It was too soon.
“I know.” He smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “Take Emily and go into the bunker, you’ll be okay.”
I glanced at Emily, who was in Casey’s embrace, whimpering, and shaking. I paused and stepped away from Rush. Emily continued to shake and cry despite Casey’s best efforts to comfort her.
“Wait,” I raised my hand and pressed it to Emily’s forehead. It was hot to the touch, and her muscles quivered under the skin. “She’s trying to shift.”
Her eyes flashed open wide. “No, I’m not.”
“Your body wants you to shift,” I told her, looking up to Casey. “She can’t go in the bunker; she’ll shift down there, and she could hurt someone or herself.”
“You have to get in the bunker,” Rush shouted, looking back to the rows and rows of wolf shifters ready for battle.
“Rush, she can’t.” I shook my head sadly. “I can’t either.”
“What do you mean?”
“I can’t leave her up here to shift alone.” Rush growled at my words and began pacing. “We will stay behind the guards and Warriors, the humans won’t reach us, but there’s nothing else we can do, Rush.”
“Yes, there is,” he grunted. “You can go into the bunker.”
“I can’t leave her.” I stepped away from Emily and touched Rush’s arm. “She didn’t leave me. I won’t leave her.”
His chest quacked, and he fought the urge to shift. Rush took four deep breaths and grabbed my hand again. Casey picked Emily up
