Howls of the Lost | Now Published!

Chapter 26

"Obviously, so answer." Xander pulled my arms tighter behind my back and I winced before stomping on his foot. He swore under his breath and eased up on his vice grip, but not enough for me to break out of it. Had he not been so agitated already; I would have been fighting against him harder. But as it stood, Xander was like a ticking time bomb. The smallest thing could set him off and I knew it.

Unease settled in my stomach as my eyes drifted to my injured friend. He was trying to stand, wincing at even the slightest movement. Our eyes met and I nodded in reassurance, he didn't need to worry about me right now.

"I want you to release her," Logan said with a snort, his voice bringing me back to the present.

"Not a chance," Xander replied none too civilly.

Suddenly, I heard a dull thud. Neither Xander nor Logan seemed to have heard it, they were both too focused on me. On each other. When I looked over at David, I realized it had been him. He had fallen once again in his feeble attempts to stand. I knew I needed to get David out of the forest and back to the house, so I did the only thing that made sense to me.

"Xander?" I murmured.

"Yes, Tori?" he asked, his hold on me slackening as his tensed muscles relaxed.

Ever so slowly, I made a move to turn. Knowing my intent, Xander kept hold of my hands but allowed me to face him. Disgust with myself was already starting, but I couldn't focus on it at that moment. David needed my help. Casting my eyes downward, I peeked up at him through my lashes. "Please let me go," I said, my voice soft and barely above a whisper.

"But . . ." he trailed off as his face contorted into a look of pain. Shaking my head to silence him, I raised a hand tentatively to his cheek. He sighed and leaned into my touch, his eyes fluttering closed as he did so. Logan's anger was tangible through our connection even though it was weak, but for the time being he was going to have to deal with it.

"Please," I pleaded again. "He needs me," I insisted, my gaze traveling to David's form.

When he opened his eyes, they bored into my own and everything else fell away. But I didn't fight it, I couldn't. As long as he let me go, I would've done anything he asked of me.

"Go," he said on a sigh, his hands dropping to his sides. With one last fleeting glance at me, he walked dejectedly – brokenly – away from me.

"Thank you," I whispered, knowing my voice would carry to him. The minute he disappeared from my sight I bolted to David's side. He glared at me when I kneeled beside him, but I just rolled my eyes at him. "Don't look at me like that," I snapped, tugging on his hair. "If I hadn't done that who knows how long you would have lain here."

He grumbled unintelligibly under his breath as Logan come over and knelt beside us. "Help me get him on his feet," Logan instructed, taking one of David's arms and draping it around his shoulder. Nodding, I took David's other arm and did the same. Then, ever so carefully, Logan and I began to steer him back in the direction of the pack house. Tension settled over our trio as we started the long trek back to the house. My head hung as we kept moving. This was my fault. I should have left Xander the minute I got to him, then David would have never been there.

"Don't blame yourself," David whispered, reading my mind.

A sigh dragged itself out of my mouth. "I can't help it," I muttered, turning to face forward so I couldn't see the admonishing look he was giving me. Before I knew it the pack house came into view and we sped up our pace as much as we could.

"Rikki, Michael, Ashlyn!" Logan bellowed, hurting both David's and my ears. The three shifters in question burst through the front door of the house, expressions of worry painted on their faces. Rikki turned sheet white when her eyes landed on her mate.