Chapter 11: Night Raid

Headlights swung across the pond, and Ash's truck came up the lane too fast.

Behind it, three more sets of lights.

"Inside," I said to Felicity.

She didn't argue.

She ran for the back bedroom and shut the door.

Ash was out of the truck before it stopped rolling.

"Get in the house," he said.

"No."

"Sigrid."

"They came for you," I said. "I'm not hiding in a bedroom while they do it."

Six wolves came out of the dark at a run.

They went down on all fours as they came, clothes tearing, and then they weren't men at all, only lean grey shapes with open mouths.

Rowan was last.

He stayed in his own skin, standing at the edge of the light with his arms folded.

Ash shifted in one breath.

He was black-furred and huge, shoulders as high as my ribs, and he met the first two wolves in the middle of the yard.

I stood on the porch with my heart slamming.

I hadn't shifted in two years.

Dad had said it was dangerous for me, after the Stone, and I had believed him.

My wolf came up under my skin.

I let her.

It didn't hurt.

It felt like unclenching a fist.

When my paws hit the porch boards I was tall, long-legged and pale silver, bigger than any wolf in the yard, bigger than Ash.

The wolf nearest the steps stopped dead and tried to back up.

I hit him with my full weight and drove him into the dirt.

Another came at my flank, and I turned and caught him by the scruff and threw him into the woodpile.

The wolves were not used to something that fought back.

They were used to Garrick girls who stood politely and waited to be told.

A grey shape broke from the trees and ran for me.

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