Chapter 18

"Fu..." I fumbled the word the same way I now fumbled my blade, dropping both to the forest floor. For a moment, I'd forgotten myself. Forgotten that I was training against a comrade while wielding a vicious hunk of metal that could slice a shifter in half. Forgotten my vow to protect my friends with my own life. Forgotten to hold back.

I fell to my knees, frantically parting the uber-alpha's hair to make sure he wasn't hurt. My heart was beating so fast I found it difficult to breathe and my throat was raw from my gasping breaths. Let him be alright. Hunter shivered beneath my ministrations. And then there was a kneeling man in my arms rather than a hefty wolf. A kneeling man with a distinct lack of clothing to shield his taut skin from my frenzied fingers.