Chapter 10

The men turned to find Silva walking toward them wearing tight jeans, hiking boots, gloves, and a short-waisted corduroy jacket while the scent of her feminine scent drifted through the air. I’ll support you. She spoke with a determination that matched Darien’s own.

Darien rebuked her for suggesting she join them, saying, “No women.” He had a strong voice.

“Why? Do you think I might also want to kill her? Or perhaps you have a little concern for little ol’ me. But I can manage on my own. Silva laughed. “The woman is a spitfire, and she deserves our assistance.”

Another body that would fill the void couldn’t do any harm, given his options. “At all times, remain with one of the men.”

Geez, Darien, you nearly make me believe you have feelings for me. She gave him a kiss before approaching Sam. Would you like to join my team?

“All right, go ahead and carry on your quest. The others snoozed for a while. Let’s move forward. With a longer stride and the resolve to find her before the night was out, Darien set off.

What do you believe is happening? Jacob hid himself beneath a spruce branch.

Gunman is a person.

“Why would you pursue our brother? Why pursue the red? You can take my guess as well as yours. Darien came to a stop to feel the breeze. Nothing more than the aroma of other grays, a deer, a rabbit, pine sap, and autumn.” I think he wasn’t after Tom. Merely the red. If only Tom had been watching her, he would have stood up for her.

“Do you still believe your partner killed themselves?”

Yes, and it was entirely his fault. Whirlwind romance aside, despite the fact that she had been unsure about being his mate and scared that his people would rebel because she was a red, she had been anxious about something deeper that he could never get her to share. Perhaps if he hadn’t insisted that she become his mate. He had been dreaming about her for months, but heck, she was his soul mate. And she finally admitted that she, too, had dreamed about him. How could he abandon her?

He gave me a headshake. I’m not sure what to think; Darien continued to feel the same strong suspicion that she had killed herself. When he did acknowledge it, she had previously tried.

Jake’s jaw fell open. “When? How come you didn’t tell me? “ She apologized. She pleaded with me not to inform the others and said she wouldn’t attempt again.

“Pack rules, Darien; a pack leader needs a strong partner. You ought to have at least informed me.

“I swore to her,”

And that led to her demise. Maybe if he had really paid attention to what bothered her. She experienced sleepless nights and used sleep aid medication, but she continued to wake up scared, worn out, and out of sorts. Hell, he never questioned the veracity of her suicide attempt when she succeeded this time.

Why did she attempt earlier?

She remained silent. She was a reserved individual. She was terribly exhausted and upset.

“Pregnant.”

Darien’s face became hot as his regret and rage clashed. Yes, they are expecting triplets. Which only served to highlight how absurd the entire situation was.

But how would she have been able to handle the pressure after the triplets were born if she couldn’t handle life before they were born?

I can see why you believe she may have killed herself at the time, but don’t you think her sister’s business casts a different light on the situation?

“Maybe.”

Despite not being able to see that it did Unless Lelandi was forced to write the suicide letter by another person, She had not been excited to have the children; in fact, she had been even more miserable about it. He didn’t think it would take much persuasion to get someone to compel her, but if they did, they would perish at his hands.

A mile away, shots sounded out, and Darien muttered an expletive. Jake swiftly closed the distance between them and grabbed his arm as he charged in that way. Darien spun around in rage but noticed Jake’s worried look. What, he murmured.

“Listen.”

He was as still as a lake that had frozen over in the dead of winter as he stood there listening.

A moan was followed by a slower, too-slow heartbeat from a distance.

“Lelandi!”

Jake gave him an aside.

Larissa, Darien screamed, with a ferocious glare on his face.

Darien and his brother scoured the area once more, this time being closer to one another in an effort to not miss her. He stopped. “Larissa!

Lelandi felt pressure. On her throat, as if a sneaker circulated her neck, squeezing tightly, through a fog-filled haze. Her breathing became labored, and her vision became dim. She made an effort to smell the snake, but all she caught was the overpowering smell of rotting leaves.

A stern, irritated male voice then yelled for Larissa, who was now closer.

A deep, menacing snarl could be heard.

Ural?

When the pressure on her throat let up, she struggled to breathe and gasped for air. Nothing, including where she was, who he was, or what had happened to Larissa, could hold her attention. In a hasty retreat from danger, the snake slithered through the undergrowth. Together with it, the strong humus odor vanished. Yet, a fresh aroma began to linger. It’s her cousin.

She attempted to utter “Ural,” but her throat became trapped. He crept up on her and licked her cheek; it was warm, wet, and nice. She wanted to wrap her arms around his neck but was unable to do so.

The male voice yelled, “Larissa!” as he drew closer. His steps caused the ground to tremble slightly and then again nearby.

She gave him a subtle correction, “Lelandi.” To her absolute annoyance, even her parents, her brother, and the other pack members frequently mispronounced their names. She took a deep breath,

She had a scratchy throat and a terrible, punishing chest ache that spread throughout her entire body. Where did she go?

Ural touched her face before relocating. He must be behind her. Defending her?

Her bones, skin, and joints were numb from the cold. She was unable to stand or lift her head. But it was starting to get lighter.

“Larissa!”

She tried to speak, but the snake had already taken her voice. She uttered an inaudible sound. She took a deep breath, closed her mouth, and fixed her gaze on the footsteps.

In front of the marauders, little boulders, twigs, and leaves slid down the hill, racing toward her and becoming closer and closer. They’d found her! The joy, however, was clouded by their plans for what to do with her going forward.

“This way!” She trembled with anticipation as she heard Darien’s deep baritone voice.

His dark eyes were almost black, his hair was twisted in the wind, and he had a set, gloomy face.

She then recalled Larissa was already dead. Tom fired a gun. He was fine, right? Ural too! If the greyhounds catch him,

“This way!” Darien yelled once more, and shortly after, another man burst through the dense undergrowth. She was enveloped in Darien’s leather coat after he jerked it off.

Jake showed up, snatched a phone off his belt, yelled coordinates into the phone, and instructed everyone to keep looking for the shooter. “Shit.” When Jake finally managed to get a word in edgewise, he paused. Sam was wounded.

Darien ceased taking his shirt’s buttons off. “Is he…”

A blow to the arm He’ll survive.

Silva, what about him? Lelandi’s jacket was being unbuttoned while Darien took off his shirt.

She’s shaken but okay. The shooter is dead. Jake was in Darien’s upward gaze. “Has anybody questioned him?” “He’s gone,”

Jake, I know that for a fact. But was he questioned before he passed away?

After hanging up the phone and shaking his head, Jake lifted his nose and sniffed. Do you have a reddish odor?

Can’t with all the perfume she’s wearing. Darien’s turtleneck was raised.

Her flesh was already frozen when the chilly air hit her. He mumbled an old wolf curse before tucking his body-warmed flannel shirt into her wounds, which were washed with his spicy, hot scent.

Until he spoke again, her thoughts wandered. “Who did he kill?”