"Do you think you''ll be able to handle it if this turns into a fight?" she asked, her voiceced with doubt.


    "What?!" I whipped around, disbelief shing across my face. She had to be kidding. There was no way she was seriously questioning where my loyaltiesy at this moment.


    "I mean, you lived and fought alongside these people. Can you really bring yourself to fight against them now?" she pressed.


    "You''ve never had to survive as a rogue, so I don''t expect you to understand," I replied firmly. “But the truth is, yes I can fight against them. Those," I gestured toward the opening in the trees, "were never truly part of our group. They were the parasites tagging along for the ride. And I say that as someone who''s had more than a few run-ins with vampires."


    "Okay, okay! I get it—you don''t like them. Save your hostility for the fight," she said, waving a hand dismissively.


    "I''m not being hostile," I snapped back, frustration creeping into my voice. "I''m just tired of being questioned by you and everyone else."


    "Wait-"


    Before she could finish, a low, menacing growl ripped through the sparse trees surrounding us. Chaos erupted instantly. Branches snapped like twigs, leaves and dirt whirled in the air, and the world seemed to tilt. For a moment, I was disoriented, unsure of what was happening—until Greta screamed. I spun around, but she was gone.


    Blinking through the swirling debris, I spotted her suspended in a rope, swaying above the ground. Traps-traps they had set. Traps that I had taught them to build. Damn them.


    Instinct took over. I barely had a second to dodge a shadowy figure lunging at me before scanning the trees to find Greta still caught in the. I had to stay close to her until I could figure out how to get her down. They were clearly trying to separate


    us.


    The sky was darkening faster than I''d realized; I should have been more aware of the time. Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around my shoulders. I bent forward, letting the attacker use their momentum to flip over me. What they forgot was that Sammy and I had trained many of these kids inbat. Inded several sharp punches to Billy''s gut. He''d always been a bit reckless-acting before thinking and refusing to ept advice. That stubbornness was his undoing now. I grabbed his head and twisted sharply to the side. There would be no second chance for him.


    "Finn! Four o''clock!" Greta yelled urgently.


    I swung my right arm out in a clothesline motion, catching a girl who was approaching too slowly. She hit the ground hard and rolled, but I didn''t hesitate. Two quick punches to her head knocked her out cold. I didn''t recognize her, but taking her out seemed like the safest choice. Hopefully, next time she''d think twice about who she decided to follow.


    Turning quickly, I tried to get my bearings and locate where Greta''s was tied. "I''ll search for the release mechanism," I called out. "There are two enemies behind you and at least one more lurking in the trees near the tunnel entrance."


    "I won''t go far," she replied, growling softly with frustration. "Figure out how to get me down."


    Typical Greta—always the warrior, never losing her cool. If I could free her, this fight might actually turn into something worth watching.


    I nced up just in time to see a male and female wolf trotting toward us at a measured pace. I knew Janelle wasn''t with them—she wasn''t a fighter, more of a delicate princess like her cousin.


    I shifted, prowling forward with my wolf''s energy simmering beneath the surface, eager for the fight but conserving strength. They woulde to us. They weren''t in any rush.


    Being upwind, I couldn''t catch their scent, but maybe they recognized me—maybe they realized I was far from dead. Perhaps they were reconsidering their choice to face me.


    The female lunged suddenly-guess not.


    She swiped with her ws, but I was bigger and used my size to my advantage. She snapped and wed relentlessly, aiming for my wolf''s forelegs. I understood why the male let her strike first. The moment one of her ws pierced my skin, a searing pain exploded through me. Poison. He was counting on her to wear me down so he could finish the job easily.


    The sting was unbearable—my skin burned and tingled where she''d broken through. My muscles twitched involuntarily, but I forced myself to push through the agony.


    “Finn! To your left, fifty yards—a birch tree, about ten feet up!" Greta shouted.


    I focused, gritting my teeth against the pain, ready for whatever came next.