For Fox's Sake (#3, Completed)

33. Sacrifice

Max shook his head. "You know he'll kill us if anything happens to you, right?"

"Then you'll have to trust me that I will be okay and I'll find him quickly. For everyone's sake."

"Alright," Rai nodded with understanding. "We'll keep the skulk safe. You go find James."

"Thank you."

I shut the door behind me and stripped once they were gone. The cold air stung my skin, but it only served to sharpen my focus on the task at hand. My bones cracked, fur erupting as I dropped to all fours. I tuned into the sensations of the earth under my paws, the crisp dew, as Ciara emerged with a snarl.

My mate's lingering scent outside the cottage was a lifeline, pulling us deeper into the shadowy undergrowth. My pulse raced while Ciara sprinted through the forest; my only thought—to find him. I couldn't lose him, not when we had finally found our way to each other.

As we ventured further, the shadows grew darker, and an oppressive silence blanketed the woods. Every instinct screamed danger, like there was a predator lurking nearby; yet nothing was going to stop me from tearing this place apart to ensure James' safety.

Still, seconds felt like an eternity. His scent was fading, being swept away by the wind, leaving Ciara and me racing against time, frantically following the faint trail he had left behind.

An ominous feeling crept over me, a chilling whisper in the air warning me that danger was near. Ciara stilled, her senses in overdrive, scrutinising every sound for potential threats.

Then a gunshot rang out through the trees, a bullet whistling past us. My wolf yelped and dropped into a crouch, peering through the bushes. In a small glade ahead, a poacher had his rifle aimed at a very naked James.

The world tilted as a primal rage rose in me at the sight of the man threatening my mate. Ciara's snarl echoed through the forest, the overpowering instinct to protect our mates demanding the poacher suffered the consequences. Her gaze was locked on the threat, muscles tensed and primed for the kill. I could already taste the tang of his blood as she launched herself at the man. But just as she was about to sink her teeth into him, my mate's voice rang in my mind.

Stop, little wolf! That man is innocent.

James' plea jolted me, cutting through the red haze of my anger. It was like a bucket of cold water, dousing the flames of my fury and leaving me shivering in its wake. Inches from the man's jugular, Ciara and I faltered, both of us perplexed. Why would he defend the life of the person who sought to harm him?

There's more to this than you know, Natalia. Trust me, he implored through our mind link.

Ciara whipped around, her gaze meeting his, the distress reflected in his eyes halting her assault. My confusion grew, but I obliged him.

Stand down, I mindlinked my wolf.

But this man wanted to hurt our mates. If he had shot James in the head, both of them with Aron would be...

Dead. She didn't dare say what we both knew would have been the likely outcome if we hadn't intervened.

James asked us to trust him, Ciara, so that's what we're going to do.

I could sense that she wasn't fully on board with the idea of sparing the man, but her teeth snapped shut and she retreated, allowing the poacher to run away. 

The early morning stillness closed back around us once I shifted to my human form. Tension knotted in my stomach as I looked at James with confusion. "Why did you stop us? And why did you leave the house? What's happening?"