I'd managed to get one wrist free through sheer desperation when I heard someone shout, "Snakes!"
I froze, wondering if I'd heard the word correctly. Then someone else yelled it too, and I frantically tugged at the bond on my other wrist as a new emotion ran through me: hope.
Chapter Ten
It was total chaos, human and wolf forms all crashing into each other around the garden and throughout the rest of the village. I struggled harder against my bonds, wishing I could throw myself into the fight as well. My pack was here. For me. They'd come after all. I could hardly believe it.
A shadow materialized beside me, appearing out of thin air. I opened my mouth to scream, but stopped when I saw who it was. Then I wanted to scream for other reasons.
Kaden.
He stalked up to the altar like something out of a dream, the moonlight streaming down on his dark hair. His broad shoulders and muscular frame filled my vision, and he radiated sheer alpha power with every step. He'd let his facial hair grow longer, and there was a hard set to his jaw as he looked me over, something burning in his icy blue eyes. Desire and longing rushed through me, but they felt entirely different from when the same emotions hit me around Jordan. Those felt forced, but this…this was all natural.
"You're here," I whispered, almost scared to believe what I was seeing with my own eyes. I'd never thought he would come for me, and yet now he was reaching down and yanking apart the bindings on my ankles.
When the last tie was undone, I practically launched myself at him. I wrapped my hands around Kaden's neck and pressed my face to his shoulder, nearly sobbing in relief. He was real, and he was here, and he was mine. I needed to breathe in his familiar scent, to recommit it to memory, along with the feel of his hard muscles against me, and his comforting warmth wrapped around me. Home.
But Kaden was as still as a statue under me, his arms staying staunchly by his side. He didn't hug me back. He didn't react at all.
When I pulled back, he studied my face, where I probably had a black eye from Jordan's punch. Then he lifted one of my arms up as if examining the bruising there. His face flashed with terrifying anger, his body almost trembling with rage. “Who did this to you?”
I jerked my arm back, trying to hide the bruises. “Jordan. And some of the other Leo pack members. Oh, and the Sun Witches got me a few times too.”
A low growl rumbled through Kaden. “Your mate did this to you? I'll kill him."
He glanced around with wild eyes, and I imagined if Jordan was here, Kaden would rip his throat out.
I frowned, struck again by the shocking realization that Jordan was my brother. Before, nothing would have pleased me more than Jordan being torn apart by Kaden's claws. But now I was so confused by this new truth, that I wasn't sure what I wanted. I'd already lost one brother, and no matter how much I hated Jordan, he was still family. At the very least I wanted to talk to him before Kaden ripped him to shreds.
Kaden must have noticed the hesitation written across my face, because he scowled and stepped back, shaking his head with disgust. "Even after he did this to you, you still want him."
"No!" I added as much vehemence to the word as I could. "It's not that. I don't want him, but—"
"I don't care," Kaden snapped. His strong arms came around me, lifting me up and throwing me over his shoulder so suddenly all the air rushed out of my lungs before I could get out the words he’s my brother. “We have to get out of here.”
I squirmed in his hold, remembering when he'd carried me like this during my heat. “Let me down, I can walk."
"No. You’re injured and you’ll be more of a hindrance than a help if I let you walk on your own two feet.” He adjusted my position, his hand on my ass, using it as leverage to hold me tighter as he hopped off the gazebo and strode through the garden.
I gritted my teeth, unwilling to tell Kaden that the reason I didn’t want him picking me up and pressing my body against him was because I was still wearing the skimpy dress with nothing underneath it. I could feel his muscles moving against my skin, and with the full moon overhead, it was driving me totally wild. Even worse, the scent I’d been dreaming about for weeks was now surrounding me, teasing me, tempting me. I could hardly think straight for how much I wanted him, but I needed to be focusing on everything else right now. Like the battle going on around me. Or getting the fuck out of this place once and for all.
He didn’t say anything else as he walked out of the garden with me tossed over his shoulder like a war prize. All around us were the sounds of fighting, and when I twisted my head to try to catch a glimpse of what was happening, I spotted a bunch of Ophiuchus wolves ambling toward us. I recognized Jack, Harper, and Dane, and actually laughed at how happy I was to see them. They circled around us, keeping the Leo wolves from getting to Kaden since he wouldn’t be able to fight with me in his arms.