Free Alpha Pack 02 - Savage Awakening by J.D. Tyler Page B

his attack. On theybattled, and Rowan couldn’t get a good shot at the beast without risking the wolf.
    Glancing anxiously at the rest of the fight, she saw Zan and the big gray wolf she knew to be Jax still engaged in the fight across the yard. That meant the wolf who’d saved her ass was Ryon—and he was losing.
    Just as he managed to sink his teeth into the ghoul’s throat, the thing tore him free and threw him aside. He sailed through the air, hit a tree hard, and slid to the ground, unmoving. The creep returned its attention to Rowan and she could’ve sworn it smiled.
    She aimed, but before she could fire, Nick ran around the side of the building, Kalen and Hammer hot on his heels. The Sorcerer took in the situation and slid to a stop. A big staff appeared out of thin air and he gripped it in his right hand as he knelt, arms straight out from his sides, head back.
    Closing his eyes, he began a chant in a language Rowan thought might be Latin. Instantly, everyone froze in place, even Rowan. She could move only her eyes, and she noted that the battle stopped in the middle of some macabre, deadly dance. That weirded her out, but not nearly as much as what came next.
    The beasts began to… enlarge. Just inflate, like they were oversized tires that someone was airing up. Their yellow eyes rounded in fear and one managed a whimper—
    And then they exploded in a shower of greenish black matter. God, it stunk. If Rowan had been able, she would’ve gagged.
    Head back, Kalen closed his left fist tightly, shook it. His comrades were freed, including Rowan, and she dropped to her knees. The Sorcerer slumped forward,supporting himself with the staff, breathing hard. Nick hurried to his Pack mate, steadying him.
    “My panther couldn’t have fought those things,” Kalen said hoarsely. “Too many of them. I did the first thing that came to mind.”
    “You did good, kid,” Nick praised, clamping a hand on his shoulder. “You okay?”
    He nodded. “I’m fine, just need a sec.”
    Jax shifted back to human form and began pulling on his clothes. “No wonder. Must take a helluva load of power to blow up one of those bastards, much less a whole army of them all at once.”
    “You could say that.” Kalen tried to make it a joke, but nobody was laughing.
    “Oh, God,” Zan whispered. “Ryon!”
    Following Zan’s gaze, the others saw where their friend lay crumpled on the ground several yards away. Zan reached him first, dropping to his knees. Once again in human form, Ryon was sprawled on his side. White-blond hair feathered around his handsome face and his eyes were closed. Four ragged gashes, bleeding heavily, marred his left side, and he was peppered with cuts and bruises.
    Zan took his shoulders and spoke to Jax. “Help me roll him onto his back.”
    Once this was accomplished, someone tossed Ryon’s shirt over his package for her sake, Rowan figured. Cursing herself, she watched as Zan placed both hands over the wounds on his friend’s side.
    “If it wasn’t for me, he’d be okay,” she said softly.
    “No,” Jax said sharply, glancing up at her. “If you hadn’t been here, those bastards would’ve torn all three of us apart before Kalen got to us. Because they couldn’tsee you at first, you took out a lot of them and saved our bacon.”
    Nick’s gaze was like twin blue lasers as he looked at her. “Is that true?”
    She just shrugged. No way was she gonna take credit when Ryon had ended up hurt, or worse. “I missed my last shot and that fucker got him. That’s all I know.”
    “Who cloaked you?”
    She saw no benefit in trying to hide the answer from a psychic. “Sariel. But he had his reasons and his heart was in the right place, so if there’s any punishment to be dealt, it’s mine.”
    Something like respect flashed across Nick’s face and was quickly replaced by a neutral expression. He nodded, turning back to his fallen man. Zan’s hands were now enveloped by a greenish glow that spread