“No!” Connor’s face was like stone. “You heard him. We’re gone. And if you go wolf on me, I swear I’ll knock you out!”

“Please.” My eyes burned when I saw Ren’s fangs gleam and my breath stopped when Monroe dropped his swords.

“What is he doing?” I cried, dodging when Connor tried to grab me again.

“This is his fight now,” he said through clenched teeth. “Not ours.”

Ren jumped back as the swords clanged on the ground in front of him. Though his hackles were still raised, his growl died.

“Listen to me, Ren,” Monroe said, crouching to meet Ren at eye level, not looking at the other two wolves bearing down on him with cruel slowness. “You still have a choice. Come with me and know who you really are. Leave all this behind.”

Ren’s short, sharp bark ended in a confused whimper. The other three wolves continued stalking toward the Searcher, undeterred by their enemy having abruptly laid down his arms.

Connor’s arm swung around my neck, catching me in a painful headlock.

“We can’t watch this,” he snapped, slowly wrestling me out of the room.

“Ren, please!” I shouted. “Don’t choose them! Choose me!”

Ren turned at the desperation in my voice, watching Connor pull me through the doorway. He shifted forms, staring bewildered at Monroe’s outstretched hands, and took a step toward him.

“Who are you?”

Monroe’s voice shook. “I’m-”

“Enough! You’re a fool, boy,” Emile snarled at Ren before smiling at Monroe. “Just like your father.”

And then he was leaping through the air, shifting into wolf form-a thick bundle of fur, fangs, and claws. I saw him slam into Monroe, jaws locking around the unarmed man’s throat, a moment before I was whipped around.

Ren didn’t look at me when he spoke, ripping me free from the blur of memories. “When he laid down his swords, I thought he was crazy. Maybe suicidal. But there was something about his scent. It was familiar, like I knew it.”