Defiance (Heart Lines Series Book 5)

by Heather Hildenbrand

  Another wolf took its place, advancing on me with narrowed, yellow eyes. A third joined it and then a fourth until we were surrounded. In fact, as far as I could see, there were only wolves.

  Weeks’ worth of wolves being held off by Safar’s wards all snarled at me, heads dipped low, jaws open and muscles coiled, ready to strike. The flood gates had opened and I was out of places to hide.

  The air around us shifted and I was drawn back to where Indra’s body still lay. Blood coated her dress and the ground beneath her, so dark it looked black in the moonlight. I almost looked away then, disgusted by the loss and the mess of it, but movement held me still.

  In the center of the blood, something swirled.

  I glanced between it and the wolves still advancing toward Sam and me. No more time. Nowhere to go. Whatever was happening with Indra’s blood would be a mild distraction at best—

  But then out of the empty space around her, white lights appeared. Tiny, glowing—no bigger than the size of a firefly at first, I watched as they grew bigger and bigger until they’d spread out between the trees and the feral wolves bearing down on us now. And one by one, they took shape. Four paws, enormous furry torsos, and gleaming teeth. But most of all—clear eyes that narrowed in challenge at the werewolves who threatened us now.

  “What the hell?” I breathed.

  One of the ghost-wolves let out a piercing howl.

  Nearby, Safar stirred. Slowly, she pushed up on her hands and looked around, her jaw wide as she took in the scene before her. When her eyes settled on our army of ghost-wolves, she gasped. “How did you …?”

  “Indra’s blood released them,” I explained. “Can you …?”

  “Coax them along? Yes.” She scrambled over to the blood pooled on the ground. One of the infected wolves growled and tried to go for her but a ghost-wolf stepped in its path and exposed its teeth in challenge.

  Safar whispered some words over the blood and held her hand out, her eyes closed, her forehead creased in deep concentration. All around her, more pricks of light formed and grew into ghostly werewolves. They took one look at the infected and then us and surrounded us in a protective circle.

  Safar finally exhaled, her shoulders sagging. “Did it work?” she whispered.

  “See for yourself,” I said.

  She got up slowly, brushing off her hands and watching the ghost-wolves with wide eyes as she backed toward me. “Indra used her magic to trap their souls. Her death released them. I just … coaxed them out.”

  “Will they hurt us?” I asked.

  Safar shook her head, but her expression was etched with the lines of concentration I knew meant this was taking a lot out of her. “No. Not us.”

  She flicked her wrist and I watched as the first ghost-wolf leapt and then the next—all of them going after the wolves who had come to kill us. Their teeth snapped viciously and while they didn’t look solid before, they seemed it now as they tackled and tore at the infected ones.

  I took a step back as Safar gave up on going slow and turned and ran to my side. “They’re fighting for us,” she said. “But we should go while we can.”

  I opened my mouth to tell her to run for the hill behind us, but my words were cut off. Something wet hit my nose. It burned where it touched my skin, and I hissed out through my teeth, wiping it away. Another drop landed beside it, burning just as badly as the first.

  Sam moaned, her eyes fluttering and then opening as she tried to writhe away from the drops of water falling on and around us now. Wolves howled in pain, backing away as they looked for cover from the rain that fell through the canopy of leaves above us.

  I looked up, squinting, already sure I knew exactly where something like this would come from. And if I was right, rabid werewolves were the least of our problems. I didn’t see anything, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t there.

  Breck appeared, panting, every inch of him dirt-streaked and stained with blood. He stopped short to stare wide-eyed at the fight raging not far from where we stood. When he looked away, he didn’t even ask me how the ghost-wolves had come to be here or fight on our side. “Ride’s here,” he said simply.

  I nodded grimly. “So is everyone else.”

  Another drop hit my arm, and I bit back a curse. Breck wasn’t so quiet. “Fuck me. What the hell is that?” he demanded, brushing away the drop of rain on his cheek that left a red blister in its wake.

  “Acid rain,” I said flatly. “The werewolves aren’t the only late arrivals. If we’re going to go, it has to be now.”

  Breck nodded. “This way.”

  He took off at a sprint, weaving through trees and right past werewolves who were too caught up in the blistering rain to notice us. I hefted Sam higher in my arms and followed him, lungs burning for oxygen, muscles aching, and skin blistering as we went. Safar brought up the rear, her breaths and footfalls nearly silent as we cut a path.

  The wound on my arm from the cut I’d made earlier burned most of all as the rain fell against it. If this was any indication what waited for us when we decided to stand and face the ocean god for real, I wasn’t sure my blood was going to be any help at all.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Sam

  I had no idea how long I’d been out, but the instant I woke, I knew things had only gotten worse since Alex had brought me back into the circle—into my body—with that cup of blood. From the awkward angle Alex used to carry me as he ran, I could see it all. Soldiers poured in from the top of the hill above us, weapons clutched in their hands, faces covered by tactical masks. My skin went cold at the sight of them sprinting toward us. Alex’s breaths came heavy and short as he struggled to run with me in his arms. I was jostled hard as he shifted his weight to make it out of the trees and up the hill under the constant battering of burning rain that fell heavily now. The pain it left in its wake seared my skin until I cried out.

  This was it. Wolves at our backs. Soldiers at our front. The power of the ocean god literally raining down on us. We weren’t going to make it out. The merge might have worked, but it had been for nothing. This was where it would end.

  I opened my mouth, wanting to tell Alex to run faster. To try another direction. But no words came. Only a long, piercing howl that blended with the howls coming from the woods we’d just left behind.

  Alex jerked sideways, and I winced. When I opened my eyes again, I saw that we’d reached the soldiers. Or they’d reached us. Chaos roared in my ears as I defiantly rejected the idea of our failure. My blood screamed at Hina to do something. For once, inviting her in fully so that she could save us all. But she only sat back, calm and cool and welcoming of the death I felt ushering its way toward us at the end of the soldier’s guns.

  Alex stopped and spoke to one of the men. Beside him, Breck spoke to another and gestured to me and then to Safar who stood beside him, panting and pale. I gripped Alex has hard as I could, willing one of them to do something. To save us.

  One of the soldiers suddenly raised his weapon, and I howled, writhing against Alex as I struggled to break free. Alex set me on my feet and I yanked away from him, ready to run, but he held me still, pulling me aside as the soldier fired. I whirled and watched as a yellow-eyed wolf fell less than ten feet from where I stood. It slumped sideways and fell still and something in me lurched into grief over the loss.

  “You can’t … please don’t kill them,” I begged, turning back to the soldier, completely ready to beg for their lives. For all our lives.

  “It’s just a tranquilizer,” Alex assured me.

  I looked from him to the soldier. The man nodded.

  My shoulders sagged. “You’re safe, Sam,” Alex said.

  Safe.

  “Not for long,” Breck said, pointing.

  We all turned to look and I spotted a convoy moving fast along the road below us toward the entrance to the woods. Three of the vehicles broke off and veered toward where we stood on the hillside.

  My pulse sped. I looked at Alex, my mouth dry.
“CHAS?” I asked.

  He nodded.

  I squeezed his hand.

  “Let’s move out,” Breck called, waving a hand. At his command, every single soldier fell into step, turning on their heel in a group retreat. Alex led me along with them, taking a jacket offered by the same man who had fired his gun to protect us. Alex wrapped the jacket around both of us to keep off the rain, and I stumbled along beside him, glad he was doing most of the work to hold me up.

  I couldn’t do much more than put one foot in front of the other. It was too much. Wolves pouring in by the dozens. Indra dead. Acid rain. And Hina—

  I was aware of her so completely now it was overwhelming. There was a power, a confidence that came with it, that took some getting used to. Knowing I could wield my magic at a moment’s notice. That these soldiers, if they became a threat, would be so easy to disarm. That a part of me would enjoy it—

  “Almost there,” Alex said, and I blinked as I finally noticed what lay at the top of the hill. I stopped to stare.

  “That’s a …”

  “Helicopter, yes,” Alex supplied.

  I licked my lips and then took a second look at the team of men we were walking with. “Who are these men and why are we going with them?”

  “These guys work for the same company Breck used to work for,” Alex said quietly. “They’re going to get us out of here.”

  “What about the others?” I asked. “Brittany and Koby are still in there somewhere—”

  “They’re right there,” he said, pointing, and I craned my neck and squinted through the crowd of masks and weapons until I spotted Brittany and Koby on the far end, both heading in the same direction we were—toward the helicopter at the top of the hill.

  I exhaled.

  “And Harold—?”

  “Safe,” he assured me.

  I nodded and finally understood why Hina hadn’t fought back against these men. They weren’t the enemy. They were here to help. Where I lacked wisdom and insight, Hina made up for it. This merge was going to take a hell of a lot of getting used to.

  Alex led me forward, and I bent low as, up ahead, the helicopter’s propellers fired up and began oscillating as the motor came to life. Around us, the soldiers hurried with loading the men and weapons and prepared to lift off.

  When we neared the helicopter, I twisted around just one more time to look at the chaos we were leaving behind. Down the hill and over the forest, rain still fell, sizzling in some spots, killing the grass in others. Acid rain. I had no idea how RJ had learned that trick, but it was one I wouldn’t forget either. And in the midst of the rain, yellow-eyed wolves darted in and out of tree cover, jaws snapping and claws extended as they fought off the ghost-wolves that now stood between us and them.

  Indra’s last gift.

  I wondered if that meant the wolves would find their souls and be restored on their own—or if the ghosts or souls or whatever they were would wander alone until someone helped them reunite.

  I’d make it a point to find out, and in the meantime, I sent them my full gratitude. For making it possible for us to get away. For keeping all of my friends safe tonight. I hadn’t expected it, really. I’d expected much worse.

  I started to move toward the chopper, but before I could turn away, something else caught my eye. A figure at the far edge of the forest. Tanned skin, lean and tall, a frown twisting his face into an expression I didn’t recognize on him. He tugged at the shell necklace around his throat.

  My breath caught.

  His eyes found mine across the distance and held.

  Pure rage emanated and, even from here, I could feel his utter contempt for it all. The wolves, the witches, CHAS—and me. Hina.

  His scorned lover.

  I stared back at him, my own exhaustion slipping back in to weigh me down, until finally, I turned away to climb inside the helicopter. Alex was there, ready to haul me up. I let him pull me against him, smiled as he brushed my hair from my face, and watched as he strapped me in without a word, my heart thudding.

  RJ was here.

  So close, and I was nowhere near ready to face him. But he didn’t move to stop us. He just watched me—and let me go.

  For now.

  And I went. Because I didn’t know what else to do.

  We had two weeks until the equinox, so I could only hope I would figure it out by then. With the merge complete, Hina’s power was at my fingertips. All I had to do was figure out how to get it out of my fingertips and into the heart of the ocean god—before he destroyed us all. At least now, I had the power of a moon goddess inside me to help me do it.

  When the helicopter lifted me away, I didn’t look back.

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  Hey Love Bird,

  I hope you enjoyed Defiance!

  Man, this one really kicked my ass. I rewrote it twice and replotted four times between there. Nothing felt quite right … Until Indra fell into place. She’s difficult, and I hope you liked the synchronicity of how her story turned out. Alex learned a lot from her, I think. I mean, he still has a long way to go but he’s learning.

  Next up is book 6 and that’s where everything comes together (or falls apart—or both) so it’s going to be a lot. I am not doing a pre-order for it because I don’t want you to have to wait. So, the moment it’s ready, I’ll just put it out there.

  That means you have to keep an eye for it. You can subscribe to my newsletter to get notified that way or you can Follow me on Amazon and get an update that way. I am so excited to bring you an ending I’ve had planned for a long time now.

  The question is: will book 6 be the END of the Heart Lines series???

  Honestly, I don’t know. I need YOU, the reader, to tell me that. Let me know what you think about Alex and Sam. Should they keep going? AND I need my characters in this next book to tell me if their story feels finished.

  So, even though I was hoping to know the answer to that by now, all I can say is: we’ll see. (This kind of answer is proof I’m a mom. It’s one of our favorite phrases.) If you want to connect more about the series, ask questions, or let me know what you want to see next, you can find our Facebook group here. Hopefully I’ll see you in there!

  Other shit that happened while I was writing Defiance:

  I kept playing soccer and the only person who has hit me in the face with the ball lately … is me. I don’t want to talk about it. I am so awkward.

  I rode a jet ski for the first time in many years and it was the best thing ever. I need to do more adventuring.

  We bought a new motorcycle: A Yamaha V-max that I’ve named Maxine. You can find a picture of her on my Instagram. She’s pretty sweet.

  What’s coming up:

  This fall, I’m putting out a contemporary romance that’s going to be sexy and sassy—not like what you’ve read from me before. It’s called O Face. If that tells you anything ;) And it’s part of the #MeetCute theme brought to you by 12+ amazing authors. A new book in the theme releases every month by a different author. (These are all stand-alone, not a connected series. We just share that common theme in our story concepts.) If you want to know more about it, we have a Facebook group here where we’ll share each new release along with a FREE #MeetCute short story available now. Look out for more info in my email updates.

  Thanks for reading and being awesome.

  Love,

  Heather

  About the Author

  Heather Hildenbrand was born and raised in a small town in northern Virginia where she was homeschooled through high school. (She’s only slightly socially awkward as a result.) She writes romance of all kinds with plenty of abs and angst. Her most frequent hobbies are riding motorcycles and avoiding killer slugs.r />
  You can find out more about Heather and her books at www.heatherhildenbrand.com.

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  Other titles by Heather Hildenbrand:

  Whisper: A New Adult Fantasy Romance full of loss and true love and justice served. There’s also a hot Cherokee warrior involved. To read a sample of Whisper, click here.

  A Risk Worth Taking: A New Adult Contemporary Romance with southern charm and a hippie farmer capable of swoon and heartbreak in the same breath. To read a sample, click here.

  Dirty Blood: A Young Adult Paranormal Romance about a girl who falls in love with a werewolf, only to find out she’s a Hunter, born and bred to kill the very thing she means to save. To read a sample, click here.

  Imitation: A Young Adult SciFi Romance with life or death choices and a conspiracy so deep, even a motorcycle-riding bodyguard can’t pull you out. To read a sample, click here.

  Across the Galaxy: A Young Adult Epic Fantasy with beautiful aliens and guys so hot they glow. To read a sample, click here.

  Bitterroot: Two long lost sisters are reunited and forced to compete for the alpha role in their pack. The winner has been promised to the vampire prince. One sister wants to kiss him; the other wants to kill him. Can siblings survive rivalry and forbidden love? To read a sample, click here.