< Chapter 99


    <b>Chapter </b>99


    ** Callen’s POV **


    <b>$</b>25 Points


    Dinner is going well, although my attempts to do some digging into Poppy have failed miserably. Paige had known instantly that I wasn’t just making polite conversation; she had sensed my intentions had ulterior motives. I can’t wait to see the falloutter. Hopefully, it will end in some angry s*x, and she will forgive me.


    “Movement,” Leo’s urgent voice cuts through the mind–link.


    Leo is one of our most skilled enforcers. He’s not one to overreact or jump the gun, so if he thinks this is enough to alert us, we take it seriously. My eyes meet Ryder’s as all four of <i>go </i>


    still.


    “What is it?” Ryder asks him.


    “Two cars just pulled up at the end of the street. Four males have exited so far, but there’s at least four more inside. They have rifles, real ones. I’m going to shift and track them.”


    “Be careful,” Rye says before alerting the rest of the pack to be ready.


    “I want four more enforcers sent to us, and every other fighter on the border now. Keep our lines strong.” I tell Remy, who is already nodding as he gives the orders.


    They could be poachers hunting deer in the woods, but either way it’s not good. The house feels too still while we wait for an update. Paige picks up on our change in mood. Her eyes go wide as she searches ours. Every nerve in my body is alive, every sense screaming that this is a serious threat. My wolf rises, pacing under my skin, teeth bared. I want to tear the walls down, hunt, protect, keep everyone safe, but I can’t, not here. Not with Poppy here.


    “Hunters.” The word rings clear through my mind, hitting me like a p. “They’re headed your


    way.”


    My stomach drops, heat rising in my chest, and my ws itch to sink into something. “Move,” Ryder snaps through the link. “Positions. Get inside and hold the perimeter.”


    We move as one, following our usual protocol for emergencies. We always keep an Alpha and a Beta in each group. That way, if the worst happens and one team <i>is </i>eliminated, the pack still has leadership. I spin around, scooping up Jaxon mid–giggle, and pull Poppy up from her chair. She protests, but I ignore her, forcing a grin at Jaxon. “Game time, soldier,” I say. “Best hide–and–seek ever.”


    Parker falls in beside me, his hand tight around Paige’s wrist as he flicks off every light as we


    <Chapter 99


    move.


    Jaxon giggles. “I’ll win!”


    “Damn right you will,” I say, setting him on the bed. He dives under the covers, muffling hisughter. Good. Keep him safe in his mind. He’s too innocent, and it’s too soon to let him feel the real dangers of this world.


    Poppy isn’t fooled. She crosses her arms over her chest and res at me; her gaze sharp.” You’re lying,” she whispers. “Something’s going on.”


    “Not now,” I growl, the words too harsh, but necessary. Fear is contagious. Paige looks up at me, eyes wide, reading the warning, nodding just slightly to keep Poppy calm.


    I go to the window, cracking it. I can smell them before I hear them, the breeze carrying their scent. Iron, sweat, the acrid tang of wolfsbane in the air and my mind goes to the burn I know it causes. I shudder at the memory. Boots scrape over gravel, metal clinks against leather, and my wolf howls to meet it.


    I can sense Ryder, Remy and the two enforcers we brought with us close by. They’re hiding,


    waiting to pounce.


    Outside, I hear footsteps moving closer. My wolf snarls, straining. I don’t shift, I can’t. Not in


    here.


    “Are they okay?” Paige whispers. Her voice trembles.


    I nod my head. She’s scared, but she’s more worried about her two mates out there.


    I hear the altercation as the hunters get too close and walk straight into my pack mates‘ trap. Angry growls and furious snarls erupt, followed by a rifle crack, which makes the whole room jump, and which is immediately followed by a yelp.


    Paige gasps, and Parker pulls her into his arms, whispering soft words to her. Poppy demands answers, and Jaxon starts to question what the noise was. I block them out; I need to focus.


    The mind–link buzzes, and I push my panic aside. “Status?”


    Remy’s voice slides through, tense. “Two down, but Leo’s hit. Gunshot to the nk. He’s alive but bleeding fast. We are chasing the others.”


    Leo. My chest tightens. One of our strongest, our mentor, my friend. My wolf ws at my skin to tear out, but I force it down. I can’t leave him outside to bleed out alone.


    He’s a couple of years younger than I am, but so damn smart. I sh back to him teaching


    ? Chapter 99


    +20 Points.


    me to track, to scent danger, to shift mid–run when I thought I couldn’t. He’s saved me more times than I can count. And now he’s lying on the street, bleeding out because of some assholes who think we don’t deserve to live because we are different from them.


    “We have a group approaching the south border.” A voice shouts through the mind–link.


    S**t.


    “Hold the line, wait for backup.”


    It goes quiet outside, too quiet. My stomach flips, my teeth grit, and I fight to keep it together.


    “Callen, what’s happening?” Paige whispers. Her voice is small and fragile, tugging at something deep inside me.


    “Someone’s hurt,” I admit softly, turning to look at her. “One of ours.”


    She’s huddled down on the floor now, clutching Jaxon, and trembling. Poppy is beside her, whispering prayers under her breath, tension radiating off her in waves.


    I pace, mind whirling.


    “Focus, Cal. Keep them safe,” Ryder’s Alphamand cuts through my panic. He was always stronger than me, more alpha than me. This just proves he’s always held back around me, because I feel hismand in a way I shouldn’t. I need it though; I need his strength right now, because my instincts are pulling me in so many directions that it’s making me <fn2bb8> ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? F?nd-Novel</fn2bb8>


    dizzy.


    “You should be clear to get Leo. Pull him inside if you can,” Remy says after a tense few moments of silence. “Try to stabilise him until we can get him some proper help.”


    I look back at Paige, Poppy and Jaxon and shake my head. “Inside? With Jax and Poppy?”


    “It’s better than leaving him out there,” Ryder replies.


    “Go, I’ve got this,” Parker says.


    I nce at Paige. She presses her lips together, tears threatening to spill. Jaxon is curled in herp. He’s quiet now, his eyes wide and full of fear, which makes me furious. They’ll pay for doing this to him. I crouch and ruffle his hair. “You’re the best hider in the world, right?”


    His big eyes meet mine, and he nods slowly, still too young to fully understand the danger, the stakes. My wolf snarls, ws itching, but I keep control.


    I press my back to the wall, heart hammering in my chest, and creep toward the stairs. Every step is silent and careful, my senses screaming at me. The house <i>is </i>quiet except for Paige’s


    < Chapter 99


    shaky breathing, Poppy whispering prayers, and Jaxon’s quiet questions.


    +25 Points


    I pause at the bottom of the stairs, hand on the railing, my nose twitching. The scent hits me immediately, blood, coppery and sharp, mixed with the earthy tang of wolf fur. My stomach drops. My jaw tightens. It’s Leo; he’s close.


    The back door is just ahead. I edge toward it, keeping low, listening. An owl hoots somewhere in the distance, but nothing else stirs nearby. My wolf snarls under my skin, a low, guttural rumble, but I keep my form human. Not here. Not in the house.


    I slip the door open a crack. There, under the pale moonlight filtering through the trees, Leo’s wolf form is copsed in the grass, one paw bent, chest barely moving. My stomach clenches. He’s alive… but only just.


    I take a shallow breath, steadying my panic. One wrong move, and if there’s anyone still out here, they could notice me. But I can’t leave him. Not like this. I push off the frame and sprint.


    When I reach him, my hands hover for a split second, feeling the warmth of his body. “Leo,” I whisper, my voice low but urgent. He groans, flicking an ear, but doesn’t move properly. My wolf snarls again, but I ignore it, focusing. Carefully, I flip him into my arms, cradling him close. His blood is warm against my shirt. His weight is heavier than I expect.


    I make a break for the house, running with rapid steps, ears straining for any sounds of movement. The wind carries the scent of wolves, of hunters, of danger. Every sense screams that we’re not alone, but I keep going. One foot in front of the other. The door is just ahead, and I leap, barely slowing, moving as fast as I can without dropping him.


    I set him down gently on the floor before turning back to lock the door. I pull down the blinds and flick the light on. I kneel beside Leo, watching hisboured breathing and scanning his body for the worst of the injuries. The blood is bright and sticky. A gunshot to his nk. I grab a towel from the kitchen counter, pressing it to the wound. My teeth grit with frustration and fear as the small towel turns red rapidly.


    “I need more towels,” I say to Parker in the mind–link, trying to keep control as panic creeps back. My wolf ws at the edges of my mind, demanding release, but I force it down. I can’t help Leo if I don’t have hands.


    I tighten my grip on the towel, pressing harder. “You’re going to be fine. You’re a fighter. You’re one of the best,” I mutter, more to myself than him. His breathing is shallow, erratic, but his paw twitches in response. That’s something; it’s enough for now.


    I hear movement upstairs and, momentster, Parker drops beside me, his arms full of towels. I take one from him and bite back a groan, pressing the towel harder, scanning for anything else that might help. “Just hold on. Just hold on for me, you stubborn bastard,” I


    < Chapter 99


    plead.


    The scent of blood is thick, metallic in the air. But I can’t let it paralyse me.


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