Free Lifesong by Erin Lark Page B

of the bed. “And lock the door,” he ordered, shifting into a wolf moments later.
    I shot up from the bed and stared down the hall, watching Tucker until he was gone. I locked the bedroom door before I heard the second crash.

Chapter Eleven
     
     
     
    Tucker
     
    Zarrius’ scent filled my nostrils as soon as I opened the door to our room. The offensive odour wasn’t just outside anymore. The alpha’s scent hung heavily in the air, suffocating me.
    The fur on the back of my neck stood on end, and I lowered my stomach to the ground. Instinctively, I tucked my tail between my legs, ears lowered in submission. It was stupid for me to submit. He’d only come for one thing. Emma. Closing my eyes, I focused on Emma, on her pink body, her delicate flesh and her inability to defend herself from a full-grown wolf. There were no weapons inside the house, not unless I decided to get creative.
    It had never been a problem before. The pack knew better than to attack a human, let alone break into the house. I paused in the stairwell, ears perked, listening to a set of paws as they skidded across the floor. Something bumped down the hall, and I knew Emma was hiding herself in the bathroom, away from the windows and anything remotely close to the hallway. Good girl.
    Knowing Zarrius hadn’t passed me to get to the bedroom I slunk to the lower levels of the house. The smell of iron filled my nose well before I saw the blood, red puddles that stained the living room floor. I raised my tail with confidence, growling under my breath as I sniffed at the red trail.
    The front window was broken, shards of glass cracking beneath my weight. Guardians weren’t supposed to be in the house without a human. It was one of our laws, but that didn’t mean a wolf couldn’t break in. And as far as Zarrius was concerned, he was above the law. He’d made that perfectly clear the last time we’d spoken and he’d mentioned his interest in Emma.
    I lifted a paw and licked at it before heading into the kitchen. Something crashed against one of the cabinets, and I bounded after it, nearly skating across the kitchen floor. Zarrius’ jaws clamped down on to one of my hind legs—his grey pelt had been barely noticeable in the dark.
    I cried out, then growled under my breath as I searched the empty space for fur, an ear, anything I could bite. The metallic scent was stronger now. My ears flattened, and I turned, my fangs biting down on Zarrius’ muzzle. The taste of metal filled my maw, and I tried not to think about its source—my alpha, the wolf I’d followed for over a century.
    He yelped, his muzzle snapping at skin he couldn’t reach. The more he moved, the harder I fought to hold my jaws in place. I wasn’t going to kill him. Gods, I could never kill him. The pack still needed an alpha, and it wasn’t a role I was willing to take. I threw the wolf against the far wall, bowing my head between my shoulders.
    “I won’t let you get to her,” I growled, bristling my fur.
    “Why don’t you finish it then?”
    Zarrius cowered against the wall, blood caking along his side. His injuries weren’t fatal, but the glass inside his wounds would make any movement more painful.
    “And release you as pack alpha?” I asked. “No. I know how much you hate that role. You want to be relieved from the pack? Do it on your own…without my help.” I started to turn away, leaving myself open for another attack. He’ll stand down if he’s smart.
    Even though Zarrius had the most experience and the more powerful 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 around to face him.