Gwen’s POV
“There must be something we can do,” I tell Hanna as I watch the van disappear through the gate.
Stefan’s wound is yet to heal, and there’s a high probability the attackers are similar to the one from last night. If one was able to injure him so, when he is the most powerful werewolf around, what will happen if they are facing five or more?
“There is,” she says, turning to walk back into the house. “Do you know how to use a gun?”
“Yes.” Connor brought me to the shooting range enough times for me to perfect my aim. I never thought anything that happened with him would come in handy at some point.
“Good,” she says, heading for the stairs. “Wait here, I’ve got one for you.”
She heads upstairs and I wait, pacing in the foyer. Every second that passes feels like an eternity. She doesn’t stay long, and when she gets back, she has a handgun.
“Stefan will want to skin me alive for bringing you, but he might spare me if you have this,” she tells me as she hands me the pistol. “It’s fully loaded with silver bullets–fatal for a werewolf. If anyone gets close to you, shoot. Okay?”
I take the gun and weigh it in my hand. “Okay.”
She takes my hand and looks me in the eyes. “I need you to promise me that you’ll stay in the car unless absolutely necessary, Gwen. If anything happens to you–”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be careful,” I assure her. “This is going to be my first werewolf battle, but I have some experience with sticky situations.”
She smiles and gives me a quick hug. “Let’s go.”
A couple of minutes later, we leave the compound and head towards the forest road. I grip the gun in my hand tightly, hoping I won’t have to shoot anyone. Maybe we won’t be needed at all.
About fifteen minutes later we come across the van Stefan took, abandoned by the side of the road. There’s a bridge up ahead. On the other side is the car Levi and Max took when they left with Mari.
Hanna brings the car to a stop behind the van and we get out. The place is quiet. Way too quiet. And then there’s a sound. Thumping. Feet, running. Twigs breaking. Hanna steps in front of me, blocking me with her body.
“Stay back,” she says, her body tense. My eyes roam the bushes where the sound is coming from. It’s getting closer and any second now, someone–or something–is going to break onto the road.
“Get in the car and have your gun ready,” Hanna tells me.
Before I can move, a naked man breaks through the tree line and onto the road. He dashes across the road and Hanna springs as if to attack, but someone else breaks through the tree line.
Stefan.
I instinctively take a step forward but Hanna thrusts an arm out to hold me back. We watch as Stefan leaps into the air and collides into the man’s back, bringing him to the tarmac. He grips the man’s shoulder and turns him around as he straddles his hips.
And then he strikes his chest and… Oh my God. I gasp as Stefan’s hand disappears into the man’s chest. The man screams, but for only a second. A moment later, Stefan pulls his hand out of his chest, blood dripping down its length. And a beating heart throbbing between his fingers.
“Damn,” Hanna whispers. “Gwen, get inside the car.”
“Why isn’t he in his wolf form?” I ask.
“He is, kind of. Get in the car.”
“But–”
My words die on my lips as Stefan turns his head towards us. His eyes are glowing, his lips pulled back to reveal his fangs. He throws the heart in his hand to the ground as he gets to his feet.
“Stefan?” Hanna calls, her voice hesitant. As if she isn’t sure who she’s talking to. And that’s when I know something’s wrong.
All she gets back is a growl before he runs back into the forest. I’m running after him before she can ask me to get back into the car again.
“Gwen, you promised!” she reminds me as she comes after me.
“I’ll be fine,” I assure her, keeping my eyes on Stefan. “I have the gun.”
“Goddammit! You stay with me.”
“Okay.”
A second later, she grabs my arm and pulls me to a stop just in time as a wolf comes flying out of nowhere. A huge red wolf emerges from the bushes, and I get my gun ready.
“That’s Andreas,” she lets me know.
Andreas’s wolf walks towards the fallen wolf, who’s having trouble getting up. He gets no chance to get away as Andreas sinks his fangs into his throat and tears it apart. The stricken wolf whimpers before falling silent.
And then without warning, a naked Andreas is walking towards us. “What the fuck are you doing here?” he demands angrily, his eyes on Hanna.
I shift my eyes away from his naked body. I suppose it’s quite natural for werewolves to strut around each other naked, but I’m yet to get used to that part.
“Where is Levi?” she asks instead of answering his question.
“We’ve got things covered here. Go back. Did you think before bringing Gwen out here?”
“I’m good,” I say, showing him my gun. “She got me this.”
“If you’ve got things covered, then it’s fine if we stay, no?” Hanna asks, walking farther into the forest and bringing me with her. “Where are the others?”
“Hanna. I swear–”
“Why isn’t Stefan in his wolf form?”
Andreas stalks behind us, his footfalls heavy. “I don’t know, but he’s having no problems tearing mutts apart.”
“Is Mari okay?” I ask.
“She is fine, just a little banged up.”
There’s movement to our right, and we turn to see Levi and Max emerging. They have their arms around each other, and Levi is limping. Annnnd…more naked bodies.
“What happened?” Hanna asks as she rushes over to them.
“Landed on my fucking ankle,” Levi grunts. “I’ll be fine.”
“Did you get all of them?” she asks as she gets on his other side and brings his other hand around her shoulder.
“You don’t need to–”
“I got him,” Andreas interrupts Levi and walks over to them, pushing Hanna out of the way none too gently and taking her place.
“He actually fractured his shin,” Max provides.
“Snitch,” Levi grunts as the three men make their way out of the forest.
Hanna glares after them, but doesn’t follow. “I suppose we missed the party,” she tells me.
“Yeah.” I look around. Other than the wolf Andreas just killed, there are two more bodies lying nearby. One is in human form.
The next person to emerge out of the woods is Stefan, with Mari in his arms. Her arms are wrapped around his neck, her head lying listlessly on his shoulder. I rush towards them, but come to a halt a second later when Stefan’s head snaps towards me and he growls.
“Stefan, it’s me,” I say, resuming my approach, thinking he must still be in his alert mode. But the next growl that comes out of his lips sends a shiver down my spine and freezes me in my step.
Hanna comes to my side and grips my arm. “Let him go,” she says.
“But why…” My eyes are locked on his face. I know what the look on it means. That growl is a warning to not get close. But why would he consider me a threat?
He turns from us and keeps walking in the direction leading out of the forest.
I shake my head and look at Hanna. Her brow is furrowed, clearly confused too. “Why did he do that?”
She looks at me and shakes her head. “I…I don’t…he’s just being protective.”
“Why would he think I'm a threat?” I swallow and watch as he disappears from our sight. “The way he looked at me…like he doesn’t know me.”
“He probably thinks we are all threats,” she tells me, and then rubs my shoulder. “It’s probably the adrenaline from everything. He’s seeing red right now. Come on, I’ll get you back home. I need to get back to clean up this mess.”
Despite Hanna’s assurance, the feeling that something’s eerily wrong doesn’t leave me. On the ride back to the mansion, all I can think about is the look he gave me. Like I was an intruder.
And how he held her. Like he was ready to protect her from anything and everyone. Like he could tear me into pieces if I took another step towards her.