Kael’s snarl ripped through the air, full of rage. The arrow jutted from his shoulder, his thick fur darkening with blood, but Nova barely registered it.

  All she saw was the direction it had come from. A shadow lurked between the trees, a flicker of movement in the distance. A violent, all-consuming fury crashed over her, white-hot and blinding. Her vision tunneled, and she launched forward, tearing into the trees without hesitation.

  Kael’s sharp bark of warning rang behind her. “Nova, stop!” But she was beyond reason, already on the hunt.

  Leaves and branches whipped against her face, snapping under her relentless charge. Her ears rang, her chest burned, but none of it mattered. The shadow moved ahead, and she fixated on it. Whoever it was or whatever it was, it would pay.

  A sharp, acrid scent hit her nose, burning her senses like acid. Nova recoiled mid-stride. What the hell was that? Her vision blurred at the edges, her nose flaring as her throat clenched. The scent was unnatural, chemical, and it clogged her lungs like smoke.

  She fought against it, her instincts screaming at her to keep moving, to power through it. The shadow turned sharply, trying to escape now. Not a chance, she thought.

  Nova lunged, ignoring the burn in her sinuses, her muscles tightening with deadly precision. She hit the hunter hard, her body slamming into his with enough force to knock the wind from his lungs. They tumbled to the ground in a violent, whirlwind. The hunter barely had time to react before Nova sank her teeth into his shoulder, the sickening crunch of bone reverberating through her jaw.

  He screamed, and the sound only further fueled her rage. She tore at him, claws raking across his chest, her fangs clamping down harder. The metallic tang of blood coated her tongue, and she felt his frantic struggle beneath her.

  She shouldn’t be enjoying this, but she was.

  Another arrow thudded into the dirt inches from her hind leg. Her head snapped up, her heart pounding. He hadn’t been alone. She whipped her head toward the trees, just as Kael exploded from the shadows. His massive form crashed into the second attacker before they could fire again. A snarl ripped from his throat, a sound so primal, and terrifying, that Nova shivered

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  The second hunter didn’t even have time to scream. Kael’s jaws closed around the man’s throat, and with one savage motion, it was over. The forest fell into silence. Nova was breathing hard, her chest heaving. The scent of blood clung to the air, thick and heavy. Her first attacker lay groaning beneath her, slowly dying.

  Kael’s amber eyes found hers through the darkness.

  "It’s done," he rumbled. His voice was low, steady, but his body wasn’t. Nova’s gaze flickered to the arrow still lodged in his shoulder. Blood matted his fur, soaking deep into the black waves. His muscles were trembling, just barely.

  Nova’s rage flickered, a coldness settling up on her.

  "Let's go." she said.

  Kael hesitated, but she was already turning away, disappearing into the trees.

  Nova led them, through dense undergrowth, toward the sound of rushing water. She pushed forward until they emerged in a clearing, where a natural waterfall cascaded down over moss covered rocks. The pool beneath shimmered, mist spraying up from the edges.

  Kael walked up to the edge, intending to soak his shoulder, but before he could, Nova sank her teeth into the arrow’s shaft.

  Kael growled, his body going rigid.

  "Hold still," she snapped through their bond.

  She braced herself and bit down hard, breaking off the arrow’s end.

  Kael let out a sharp breath, but he didn’t move, as fresh blood oozed from the wound,

  Nova shifted, needing her hands to continue. Her transformation was smoother this time, but the cool air was a shock against her skin. She put it to the back of her mind, and grabbed the broken arrow, bracing her other hand against his shoulder.

  Taking a deep breath, she pulled.

  The arrow slid free with a wet, sickening sound. Kael snarled, muscles flexing beneath her hands.

  "Shift," she demanded.

  Kael hesitated, but then relented. His body twisted, the wolf dissolving, until he stood before her. He was taller than she remembered, his body cut with sharp angles, his jaw tight from the lingering pain. His shoulder was a mess of torn flesh and blood. Nova stepped closer, her fingers already at his wound, trying to clean it.

  “It’s fine,” Kael said, “Leave it, it’ll heal.”

  Nova scowled."Sit down and shut up."

  And for once in his life he felt inclined to listen.