Free Song of the Guardians by Erin Lark

role within the pack, I was stronger out of the two of us. Being a wolf gave me the agility I needed, and my ability to shift into human form allowed me to use tools in addition to my fangs and claws.
    Zarrius was just a wolf. A very injured one by the look of it.
    "There was a time you would’ve killed to be pack alpha," Zarrius coughed behind me, his breath hot against my leg.
    "Not now," I insisted, turning to face him. Zarrius was standing on all fours, leaning on a forepaw. "Not when Emma is your price."
    "She could make you immortal, you know?"
    "You don’t get it, do you? I’m not bonding with her so I can live. I’m bonding with her—"
    "So what... you can die?" Zarrius took a handful of steps. The alpha circled around me, holding his head and tail high, even though I could see he was hurting. "Please. You’re being even more pathetic than you were when you were a pup. Be a wolf."
    Zarrius leaped at my throat, and I strafed to the side. He careened into one of the cabinets.
    "A wolf is only part of who I am," I barked, glaring at him.
    "The better part of you, you mean."
    Something bumped in the room upstairs and we exchanged a glance. Zarrius’s ears perked.
    "She’s not yours to take," I said again, refusing to move.
    "Last chance, Tucker. Help me control my death or the child is mine."
    "I’ll break your skin before you ever reach the stairs."
    Zarrius’s eyes flashed in the dark and he lunged forward. I rolled out of the way, cursing under my breath when he ran by, down the hall, and toward the steps.
    Righting myself, I chased him into the living room, skidding to a halt when Zarrius jumped back through the broken window. Fearing for Emma’s safety, but knowing if I let Zarrius go he’d only come back, I stood frozen in the center of the room. You let him get away now, and you won't find him unless he comes looking for Emma. This was a warning. He’d already broken into the house and gone against our laws once. He’d do it again.
    I couldn’t afford to lose his trail, not now. Not anymore. Assured Emma would remain inside the house, I jumped through the window, my paws falling onto a thin layer of snow. Zarrius ran ahead, and I chased after him, leaving tracks in the snow behind me.
    * * * * *
    I t didn’t take long for me to pick up Zarrius’s trail. The alpha dropped blood with every step he took, and when I couldn’t see it, I could smell it. With the first light of morning far in the distance, I took comfort in the fact Emma was safe at home and I was pushing Zarrius as far away from her as I could.
    I knew what he wanted, what he expected of me, but it wasn’t something I could give. Any other time, I would’ve jumped at the opportunity to take his place as the pack alpha, but not now, not when he was at such a disadvantage.
    The farther we got from the house, the more open my surroundings became. The forest thinned, shrinking behind me as I loped across the barren tundra. My ankle screamed with pain, and I whimpered whenever I stepped on it. It wasn’t broken, but the bite Zarrius had left behind was enough to make my joints burn.
    Gods, he’s more injured than you are. But he had more experience. He’d fought other wolves and brought down large prey on his own. The pain didn’t bother him. And now, he had the advantage. My body threatened to shift, my guts twisting as my vision blurred. Emma. I breathed her name, focusing on my muzzle, my tail, paws and fur. Emma.
    I howled into the open air, ears perking when the other guardians howled their replies. A she-wolf raced to my side, her white pelt barely visible against the snow. I'd know that coat anywhere. Luna...
    "Protect the child," I barked, baring my teeth in her direction.
    I sent her a single image, projecting a snapshot into her mind of Emma and the house. Luna bowed her head and averted her eyes in submission, falling behind me as I pressed forward. The other guardians knew better than to get involved. Fights within the pack