CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & TWELVE
Nolan’s POV
‘Focus Nolan! More are coming!’
Talia’s voice broke through my shock. I caught the rogue lunging for me by the throat and quickly snapped his neck.
More rogues kept coming. I quickly mind linked with Marco, letting him know where I was and what was going on. I didn’t give him time to answer as I closed the link and focused on the fight.
I recognized them immediately by the way they moved. Their coordination was poor, their expressions unfocused, and their scent was wrong. These were not ordinary rogues looking to survive. Every one of them carried the unmistakable taint of
madness.
Talia moved to my side without hesitation.
We fought back-to-back. It was the only way to keep the rogues from surrounding and separating us. Each time a rogue lunged, one of us intercepted. My claws tore through flesh while Talia’s fangs ripped off limbs.
Viki screamed, “Maggie, let’s plaaayyy!!”
I turned just in time to see her break away from the fight. She lunged toward Maggie with the dagger clutched in her hand. Maggie was frozen with fear. Talia lunged forward and shoved her aside, taking the attack head-on.
“No!” I shouted as I saw Talia stumble backward baring her teeth at Viki.
I reached them in seconds. My fist connected with Viki’s temple, sending her back into the ground. Viki laughed wildly, but she was no longer calculating. The poison had stripped away the last remnants of her sanity.
I quickly placed her into a headlock. She struggled against me, but I held her in place. Talia quickly disemboweled her.
My wolf roared in satisfaction. His Luna, our Luna, had finally taken justice from what this evil woman had done to her.
I released Viki. Her body hit the ground with a final gasp. The madness left her eyes even before life did. For a moment, everything was silent except for our heavy breathing.
Talia shifted back into her human form. I removed my shirt and gave it to her to wear. “Is it over?” she asked as she pulled on my shirt.
Then more rogues rushed in.
Before they could reach us, Marco and Della burst into the clearing with warriors. They cut down the remaining rogues without hesitation.
When the last rogue fell, I finally relaxed and my wolf calmed down.
“Secure the area,” I ordered. “Clean this scene thoroughly. Preserve Viki’s blood and the wine.”
Talia hugged me. “That wine,” she said quietly. “I think it contained the blood of mad rogues.”
“It did,” I replied.
“If you had drunk it…” Her voice faltered.
“Then, don’t think about it,” I said and kissed her forehead.
I turned to Maggie. She stood apart from the others, trembling. Della tried to speak to her, but Maggie stared straight ahead, unresponsive.
‘Do not pity her,’ my wolf growled as I approached them.
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“Maggie, what the hell were you doing out here? Are you even listening to me?” Della demanded as she snapped her fingers in Maggie’s face.
“Who is backing Viki?” I demanded.
Maggie jumped at my voice and then shook her head frantically. “No, no, I don’t know.”
“Don’t lie to me again, Maggie,” I growled.
“She didn’t tell me. She lied to me,” Maggie stammered.
I took a step closer. “About what?”
“She said…” Maggie hesitated and then started crying.
“Enough of your crying! Answer the damn question,” Della snapped. “Or Goddess help me I’ll make you talk.”
“She said Talia stole her mate,” Maggie blurted out. “That she seduced you.”
“And you believed her?” I asked.
“I thought I was helping you,” Maggie cried. “I thought she was manipulating you. I thought…”
“No,” I cut in. “You were selfish. You only cared about what you wanted. Did you ever think about how I felt or what I wanted?”
Maggie collapsed to her knees, sobbing. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
“Your tears won’t save you,” Della snapped. “How could you do this? You…”
“Della, that is enough,” Talia said.
Della scowled but fell silent.
Talia touched my arm. “Viki was skilled at manipulation,” she said quietly. “It makes sense that she believed her. Viki wouldn’t have told her everything.”
I didn’t respond. Maggie betrayed my trust. If she had concerns, she should have come to me instead of an outsider.
Maggie crawled forward and clutched at Talia’s ankle. “Please,” she begged. “Forgive me.”
“Maggie, I…”
Talia swayed. Her knees buckled. I caught her instantly.
The scent of her blood hit me, and I looked down to see it smeared across my hand. My heart sank when I saw the deep wound in
her right shoulder.
‘Get her to a doctor now,’ my wolf urged. ‘She has been poisoned.’
“I need to get her to a doctor right now,” I said as I picked up Talia.
Maggie scrambled to her feet. “I can help. I…”
“No,” Della said firmly. “You’ve done enough.”
Maggie stepped toward me, but Della blocked her.
“You stay away!!” I snarled. “If anything happens to Talia, you will die. Do you understand me?”
Maggie froze, terror written across her face.
I did not wait for an answer.
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I broke into a run back to the pack house.
Nothing mattered except getting my mate to the infirmary alive.
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