Page 109 of The Reluctant Alpha

Together, we pulled in opposite directions. The revenant's neck stretched impossibly, ancient flesh tearing like rotted fabric. With a final, wet ripping sound, the head separated from the body.

Both pieces hit the ground simultaneously. The body convulsed once, then stilled. The head rolled several feet before coming to a stop.

"Burn them," Rhys ordered immediately.

I shifted back to human form, gasping and clutching my healing side. Phoenix did the same, his left arm hanging at an odd angle. Around us, the other shifters slowly returned to human form, their faces grim with the knowledge of what we'd just witnessed.

"Matilda," Phoenix said hoarsely, stumbling toward where the elder had fallen.

Simeon was already there, kneeling beside the unconscious wolf. I knew she was too old to shift to heal. His hands moved over her body, checking for injuries. "She's alive," he called out. "Unconscious but breathing." Esther hurried forward.

Relief flooded through me, followed immediately by a more pressing concern. "Danny," I gasped, trying to stand and failing as pain lanced through my ribs. "If it knew about the cubs—"

"Go," Phoenix ordered, wincing as Draven examined his arm. "Ben is with him, but go."

I stumbled to my feet, ignoring the pain down my side that should have healed with my shift. Several bears moved to support me, including Torrel, whose face was pale with shock.

"Alpha," he said quietly, "let me help."

I wanted to refuse, to handle this alone, but Danny needed me alive and functional. I nodded curtly, allowing him to take some of my weight as we headed toward the packhouse. Every light was on, and I could smell anxiety thick in the air. Ben met us at the door, his face tight with worry.

"Is it over?" he asked.

"For now," I replied, pushing past him toward the living room.

"Danny," I rasped, my voice rough from the shift and the fighting.

He whirled toward me, his face draining of color when he took in my bloodied appearance. "Bayer!—"

He rushed toward me, then froze as his eyes cataloged my injuries. The claw marks down my side were still bleeding, my eye was swollen nearly shut, and I was leaning heavily on Torrel.

"What happened?" Danny demanded, his voice shaking. "Is everyone okay?"

"The revenant attacked, but it's dead," I confirmed, easing myself onto the nearest chair with Torrel's help. "And everyone's alive, though some are injured."

"Phoenix?" Danny asked sharply.

"Broken arm. Already healing," I assured him. "Matilda was unconscious but breathing when I left."

Danny's hands fluttered over me, not quite touching the wounds. "Why aren't you healed? You should be healed."

"I will," I said, though more slowly than I'd like. "The revenant's claws...there's something different about them."

Danny's eyes narrowed at Torrel's presence, but he concentrated on me. "We need to clean these. Ben, can you get the first-aid kit? The big one from the hall closet."

Ben darted off while Danny carefully helped me remove what remained of my shredded clothes. The wounds looked worse exposed to the light—four parallel gashes running from my shoulder down to my hip, still seeping blood.

Ben returned with the first-aid kit, and Danny busied himself cleaning my wounds with trembling hands. I caught his wrist gently.

"I'm okay," I assured him. "It looks worse than it is."

"Bullshit," he whispered, but his hands steadied as he continued working. "These should be closing already."

Kaylan burst through the door, taking everything in. "Torrel, I think Phoenix could use your help with the aftermath. The other bears will be looking for direction." It was a diplomatic dismissal, and Torrel recognized it as such.

He hesitated, then nodded curtly. "I'll check on the others," he agreed. "Alpha," he added with a respectful nod to me before departing.

When the door closed behind him, Danny let out a breath. "Well, that wasn't awkward at all."