Collapsing to his knees, Bass took in the injured dog. There was no coming back from the extent of his wounds. But still, he struggled to get up, as if some innate instinct told him he had to find her. He had to save Katalina.
Their gazes met, and a silent message passed between them. “I know,” Bass whispered. “I will find her. I will bring her home.”
A teardrop landed on Arne’s matted, blood-soaked fur. The dog whined, the sound full of pain. It was like a knife to his heart, shattering the alpha wolf at his core. Arne wasn’t his dog, but the German shepherd was as much a part of Dark Shadow as any wolf under his care. They were connected, and that connection allowed Bass to draw pain from Arne’s body into his own.
The dog sighed as Bass gritted his teeth against the agony.
“You’re okay,” Bass murmured. “Good boy, it’s okay.”
Arne huffed softly in return.
“Shush.” Bass stroked his head, gazing into the dog’s eyes. “It’s okay, Arne, you did good. I’ve got her now. I’ll keep her safe. You can stop fighting.”
Arne stilled, his chest barely rising, yet the look in the dog’s eyes was as strong and determined as ever.
“I know,” Bass said. “Kat’s strong. Stronger than we give her credit for. She’ll hold on until I find her, and I will. I promise you that.” Bass drew more pain, gave back his own lifeforce, but it wasn’t enough. “I’ll bring her home. I promise.”
As the vow left Bass’s lips, Arne released his breath for the final time. Bowing his head, Bass allowed himself a second to feel both his own and Katalina’s pain through their bond. Before he shut it down and buried it deep at his core, fueling the pit of fiery rage building within him.
It was a fire he’d been stoking for days, coaxing from a flicker into an inferno, and there it would stay until Bass faced his enemies. Only then would he release it. All the pain, the sorrow, the anger. It would be the storm that brought the Indiana pack to their knees. It would be the blade that ended their lives.
Lifting the dog into his arms, Bass turned to face Nico, Tyler, and Evan.
“Noah’s dead, Bass. Bullet through the head. He’d have died instantly.”
Bass had already known Noah was gone; he’d felt the instant his enforcer was severed from him. A part of him hadn’t wanted to believe it, though. A part of him had clung onto the impossible hope that this was all a bad dream.
His knees threatened to give out as he took in the drawn, grief-stricken faces of his men. “They’ll pay for the blood they’ve spilled,” Bass growled, his voice trembling. “I’m going to make Castor scream.”
The three men nodded their agreement, vengeance aglow in their eyes, covering the sorrow that would live in their hearts for a long time to come.
“We need to regroup and devise a plan,” Tyler said.
“I need to go after Katalina,” Bass answered, even as he knew it was impossible to do so. He was at war with himself; his need to lay his fallen to rest, colliding with the savage instinct to find Katalina.
“That’s what he wants, Bass. Castor wants you to run off unprepared and alone. We’ll need both packs to get her back,” Nico urged.
“I know,” Bass murmured. He knew, yet he didn’t care. But an alpha didn’t have the luxury of following his own needs. Instead, Bass shut down the screaming desire to run and headed for the car.
Tyler, Nico and Evan followed, a silent procession at his back, and Bass laid Arne down on the back seat of the car, besides Noah.
“Rest easy, my friend,” Bass whispered, resting a hand over Noah’s silent heart. “I’m sorry.”
He’d return them to their home. They’d given their lives to try and save Katalina, and for that, they’d both be honored and always remembered.
Arriving home, Bass instructed for Noah’s body to be sent to the infirmary and then took Arne to the lake. A shovel was placed into his hand, and he began to dig blindly, his mind a jumbled mess. Beside him, Jackson dug as well, having been phoned on the drive home and updated on the situation. Within minutes, the hole was ready, and Bass placed Arne inside, and as the last mound of dirt was patted down over the dog’s body, Bass repeated his vow.
I’ll bring her home.
Turning, he studied the small crowd, then focused on Jackson. “Regroup and meet at the pavilion to leave in thirty, ready to fight.”
“We’ll be there,” Jackson replied, his expression grim.
“It could be a trap,” Tyler suggested.
“It undoubtedly is. We’ll be walking right into their hands,” Bass confirmed. He’d go anyway. There was no way he wasn’t going after his mate.
“I’ll not go quietly,” Jackson growled, fisting his hands, the potency of his rage setting the wolf at Bass’s core into a frenzy. “They have my daughter.”
“Who’s staying behind? Who will defend our home?” John asked as Bass struggled to control the animal, who was his other half.
Our home? Katalina is our home, and she’s gone. But Bass couldn’t voice his words, wouldn’t tell his pack he couldn’t live without Katalina even for them. Instead, he contained the fire inside of him and clenched his jaw against the murderous rage threatening to consume him.
“We’re walking into battle. We’ll need our strongest with us,” Bass replied.
“I have a suggestion,” Regan said, looking a little unsure. Tyler ran a hand down her spine, backing his mate up.
“Go on,” Jackson answered.
“Bring those left behind together. Combining Dark Shadow and River Run will give us
