The Iron Ridge Pack lived in the bones of a canyon \u2014 stone ribs rising black and cold against the northern wind. Their fires never went out; smoke hugged the cliffs like a punishment that couldn\u2019t decide when to leave. Wolves moved through the gloom on silent feet, eyes down, no laughter. Here, obedience was warmth. Disobedience was death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Varro stood among the line of kneeling wolves, the air bitter with iron and ash. He kept his breath slow, his eyes fixed on the ground before him. The others trembled in the periphery \u2014 not from cold, but from the sound of a wolf pacing behind them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tarrik\u2019s clawed feet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They scraped and stopped, scraped and stopped, a slow rhythm that felt deliberate, meant to press every second into the spine. The Alpha\u2019s shadow stretched across the den wall \u2014 broad shoulders, darker fur at the muzzle, the faint shimmer of old scars. He carried himself like gravity was something that owed him respect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou failed me,\u201d Tarrik said, quiet enough that the words had to crawl into every ear. \u201cThree wolves sent south. Three come back. Empty-handed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He stopped behind Varro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI sent you for Kade,\u201d he said. \u201cThe deserter. The one thought he could walk away. You bring me words instead.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Varro didn\u2019t speak. He knew better. The enforcers beside him \u2014 Harn and Joss \u2014 barely breathed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tarrik crouched, voice near his ear now. \u201cYou see him?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes,\u201d Varro said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou see who keeps him?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tarrik\u2019s claws traced a slow line under his jaw. \u201cThen should have brought both.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Varro swallowed, jaw tightening. \u201cThere were too many. They were organized. The human town\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The blow came fast, backhanded, claws extended. Varro\u2019s head snapped sideways; his muzzle hit stone. Blood dripped between his teeth before he could even finish the sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cExcuses,\u201d Tarrik said. \u201cI don\u2019t feed on excuses.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He turned and stalked away, voice rising. \u201cYou let weakness breathe. You let mercy stand. You looked at a traitor and did not bite.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He turned back toward them suddenly, eyes glowing with something colder than fire. \u201cYou forgot what we are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He struck Joss across the muzzle, then slammed Harn into the wall by the throat. The sound echoed like wet wood splitting. Varro flinched despite himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tarrik roared \u2014 not animal, not human, something between. \u201cYou think the south makes us small? You think the wolves that walk with men are our equals?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He dropped Harn in a heap, breathing ragged. \u201cYou shame my name.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He kicked Varro hard in the ribs. Once. Twice. \u201cYou kneel before weakness and call it survival. But I remember the old creed.\u201d His voice dropped, shaking with control. \u201cThe strong rule. The pack obeys.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Varro spat blood, head low. He said nothing \u2014 not from loyalty, but because he\u2019d learned that words only fed the flames.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tarrik leaned close again, voice rough silk. \u201cYou will fix what you broke. Gather the adults. All of them. Tonight we march south. We will take the traitor back \u2014 and burn the town that shelters him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He straightened. \u201cNo one defies Iron Ridge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He walked away, cloak of black fur rippling like smoke. Varro stayed on his knees until the footsteps faded, the other wolves scattering in grim silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Only then did he move \u2014 slow, steady, each breath scraping the inside of his chest. He looked down at the blood on the snow. It steamed for a moment and then froze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Night fell fast in Iron Ridge. Twenty-one adult wolves gathered at the canyon mouth \u2014 armed, armored, silent. Tarrik led them, massive and relentless, eyes fixed south.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Varro followed, ribs aching, one eye swelling shut. He kept his thoughts buried under the mechanical rhythm of movement. Step, breath, step. But under it all, a small rebellion sparked: a memory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A voice calm and gravel-deep, saying, You want him, come take him.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n And another \u2014 Kade\u2019s \u2014 steady, tired, unbroken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They protect their own.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n It wasn\u2019t mercy that haunted Varro. It was dignity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hours passed. The trees thinned. The world grew open and bright again \u2014 moonlight cutting across snow like blades. They passed the river line and entered Northern Feral territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n White shadows watched from the ridge \u2014 Sable\u2019s scouts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Varro\u2019s head turned slightly, enough to see the flicker of pale fur vanish between trees. Tarrik didn\u2019t even glance their way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKeep moving,\u201d he ordered. \u201cLet them see what fear looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the edge of her camp, Sable stood among the trees, breath steaming in slow rhythm. She watched twenty-one dark forms pass like oil across snow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey do not stop,\u201d she said quietly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her second stepped forward. \u201cShould we strike?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNot yet,\u201d she said. \u201cThey do not hunt us. They go south.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She turned to the young wolf near the fire \u2014 a messenger who could speak the southern tongue best. The youth sprinted for the phone line they\u2019d rigged last moon. Sable watched the dark wave move farther into the valley and murmured, Thirty-two wolves broke camp in silence, their movement like one thought spreading through snow. The hunt was on \u2014 but this time, the prey was war itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The phone at the Libby cabin rang once, loud against the morning calm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane answered, wiping oil from his hands. \u201cYeah?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hank\u2019s voice came tight. \u201cWest gate. Three wolves. Say they want to see you. One calls himself Tarrik.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane froze a second. Then: \u201cWe\u2019re coming.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He hung up and looked around the cabin. Gabriel, Mark, Holt, Rime, Kade \u2014 all stopped mid-motion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKade,\u201d Thane said quietly. \u201cYou know that name.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kade\u2019s breath caught. \u201cI do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane saw the old terror flicker through him \u2014 not panic, but recognition. \u201cThen it\u2019s time to bury it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He grabbed his coat, \u201cLet\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Holt flexed his claws, already grinning. \u201cAbout time something interesting happened.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKeep it interesting, not final,\u201d Thane said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They moved fast through the snow, feet silent but sure. The town\u2019s smoke rose steady \u2014 unbothered, unaware. Thane liked that. It meant the place still believed in peace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The west gate stood tall and iron-bound, layered with steel plating and old street signs for reinforcement. Two guards on the wall watched nervously as three shapes waited beyond the fence \u2014 unmoving, patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When the wolves from the cabin arrived, Hank was already there, jaw tight. \u201cThat\u2019s them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane nodded once. \u201cOpen it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The hinges groaned. Cold air poured through like a challenge. The three wolves stepped into view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tarrik was unmistakable \u2014 tall, broad, black-and-silver fur catching the morning light like armor. His eyes were amber knives. Beside him stood Varro, battered, head bowed; behind them, two enforcers tense as coiled traps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tarrik\u2019s grin was the kind that came from someone who believed in his own legend. \u201cSo. The Alpha of Libby.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane stopped just inside the open gate, arms loose at his sides. \u201cYou found him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou have what\u2019s mine,\u201d Tarrik said. \u201cI take it back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThen you\u2019re going to be disappointed,\u201d Thane said evenly. \u201cHe\u2019s not yours anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tarrik tilted his head. \u201cYou think you own him now? You think taking my property makes you Alpha?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t own anyone,\u201d Thane said. \u201cThat\u2019s what makes me Alpha.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Behind him, Kade stiffened, every muscle wound tight. Rime\u2019s hand brushed his shoulder, a small grounding gesture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tarrik\u2019s gaze flicked to Kade, and the smile sharpened. \u201cYou look smaller than I remember.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kade\u2019s voice cracked but held. \u201cAnd you look exactly the same.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The growl that followed could have split bark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane stepped between them, calm as cold steel. \u201cThis isn\u2019t happening,\u201d he said. \u201cYou turn around, you walk back to your mountain, you live to regret it another day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tarrik laughed \u2014 full, booming, false. \u201cRegret? You think I regret coming here?\u201d He lifted a hand, and from the treeline behind him, shadows began to move. One by one, wolves stepped out. Dozens. The Iron Ridge pack in full.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabriel muttered, \u201cWell. That\u2019s a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Holt\u2019s grin spread wider. \u201cLooks like fun.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kade\u2019s eyes darted \u2014 twenty-one total, as he\u2019d remembered. His breath came sharp. \u201cThane\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI see them,\u201d Thane said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then the forest behind Thane<\/em> answered with a different kind of movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n White fur. Dozens of them. \u201cCalled you,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGot it,\u201d Thane replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tarrik\u2019s smirk faltered. For the first time, something frightened cracked behind his eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cProblem?\u201d Thane asked lightly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tarrik\u2019s lips pulled back. \u201cYou think more bodies change what you are?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo,\u201d Thane said. \u201cThey just make it easier to show you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n For a heartbeat, everything froze. Then Tarrik\u2019s voice snapped through the air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKill them all!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The forest exploded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Iron Ridge wolves surged forward like a flood \u2014 black shapes on white snow, snarling, screaming, all fury and blind obedience. The defenders met them halfway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rime struck first, slamming into an attacker mid-leap and rolling him into the ground with surgical precision. Holt barreled into three at once, his roar shaking the line. Gabriel\u2019s staff cracked skulls like firewood; Mark stayed near the wall, firing warning bursts into the air to scatter the flanks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane and Tarrik met at the center, claws against claws, power against pride. The impact sounded like thunder striking the gate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou preach mercy,\u201d Tarrik growled, swinging again. \u201cMercy kills.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane blocked, shoved, countered. \u201cNo. Fear does.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n They locked again, strength against will. Blood hit snow. Tarrik slammed him back against the steel gate, denting it \u2014 but Thane\u2019s claws caught his arm and twisted, forcing a cry that startled even Tarrik himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Across the field, Kade found himself face-to-face with an old packmate. The other wolf snarled, raising a blade. Kade disarmed him, pinned him, then released instead of killing. The confusion in the wolf\u2019s eyes was almost worse than pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Varro stood apart, watching the chaos, muscles shaking. Then Tarrik\u2019s voice rose again \u2014 \u201cFight, you coward!\u201d \u2014 and something in Varro snapped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He stepped forward. \u201cYou\u2019ll kill us all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tarrik, locked with Thane, spat, \u201cThen die, prove loyalty!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Varro\u2019s breath caught. \u201cThey are expendable<\/em> to you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey are mine!<\/em>\u201d Tarrik roared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Varro\u2019s claws flexed. \u201cNot anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He turned, dropped to one knee in the snow, and shouted, \u201cI am done serving fear!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Every head turned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That second was enough. Sable\u2019s wolves surged forward like a tide. Iron Ridge cracked. Some fled; most fell. The snow became chaos \u2014 claws, teeth, screams. Then silence again, as the last three Iron Ridge wolves dropped their weapons and froze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When it was done, eighteen of Tarrik\u2019s wolves lay broken. Three of Sable\u2019s were still, their comrades standing over them in quiet rage. Thane stood bleeding from his shoulder and side, Holt from the chest, both still upright.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tarrik lay half-buried in the churned snow, panting, one eye swelling shut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane stepped forward slowly, claws dripping, breath clouding the air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEnough,\u201d Tarrik rasped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s the first smart thing you\u2019ve said all day,\u201d Thane answered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tarrik sneered. \u201cYou think this ends anything?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt ends you,\u201d Sable said, stepping beside Thane. \u201cAnd that ends enough.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Varro limped forward, standing between them. His face was swollen, ribs bruised, but his voice came clear. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t speak for us anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He looked at Tarrik one last time \u2014 then spat at his paws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s all your rule is worth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He turned to Thane, kneeling. \u201cYou protect your wolves. You fight with them, not above them. I want that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane studied him. \u201cYou\u2019ll stand if Kade allows it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Varro looked up. \u201cKade\u2026\u201d Kade\u2019s eyes softened, pain flickering into something quieter. \u201cYou see him for what he is now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI do,\u201d Varro said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kade gave a single nod. \u201cThen stand. That\u2019s enough.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane extended his hand, pulled Varro to his feet. \u201cWelcome to Libby.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sable folded her arms, surveying the remaining Iron Ridge wolves. \u201cOthers?\u201d she called. \u201cYou want to live different, speak.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n None did. A few slunk back into the trees, leaderless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane turned to Tarrik, who still lay on the ground, barely breathing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is where you start learning what mercy actually looks like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tarrik bared his teeth. \u201cMercy is weakness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane crouched beside him, voice low. \u201cFunny. It\u2019s what kept your pack from killing you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He stood, motioned to Holt. \u201cLet him crawl home. If he comes south again, he won\u2019t return whole.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Holt nodded and stepped aside, growling low enough to shake the snow. Tarrik staggered up, glared at all of them \u2014 at Thane, at Kade, at Varro, at Sable \u2014 then turned and limped toward the treeline. None followed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The battle was over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The air hung thick with steam and silence. Wolves moved among the wounded. Rime and Kade checked the fallen; Gabriel wrapped Holt\u2019s chest. Sable stood watch, her pack tending to their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Varro knelt again, this time beside a Libby wounded, helping bind a gash. He didn\u2019t speak; he didn\u2019t need to. His hands did the apology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane walked the field once more, gaze sweeping over both sides. The snow had stopped falling. The light had changed \u2014 thinner, but warmer somehow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He looked back toward the town\u2019s wall, where humans now stood watching \u2014 silent, wide-eyed. Not afraid. Awed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kade came to stand beside him. \u201cYou think he\u2019ll be back?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane watched the tree line where Tarrik had vanished. \u201cNot soon. He\u2019ll lick his pride for a while first.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kade\u2019s jaw clenched. \u201cHe won\u2019t forget.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGood,\u201d Thane said. \u201cNeither will we.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rime limped up, blood on his shoulder but tail high. \u201cWe win. We eat now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Holt barked a laugh. \u201cDamn right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sable\u2019s grin was thin and proud. \u201cWe eat together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Varro straightened, chest rising. \u201cYou mean that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sable nodded toward Thane. \u201cHis word made you free. My word makes you fed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Varro bowed his head once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That night, the fires in Libby burned bright. Wolves and humans shared stew and laughter under the square\u2019s lanterns. Sable\u2019s pack mingled easily now \u2014 wary at first, then curious. Rime demonstrated how to drink from mugs without claws punching through them. Holt taught a young Feral how to play air guitar with a broom handle. Gabriel muttered something about \u201ccorrupting the entire species\u201d and grinned anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane sat at one of the tables near the fire, arm bandaged, eyes tired but alive. Kade sat beside him, the quiet calm of survival turning into belonging. Varro stood a few paces away, uncertain, until Thane motioned him over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEat,\u201d Thane said. \u201cYou recognized the truth today. Kade’s acceptance makes you pack.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Varro hesitated. \u201cJust like that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJust like that,\u201d Kade said softly. \u201cThat\u2019s how it starts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He handed him a bowl of stew. Varro took it carefully, like it was something sacred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Across the square, Marta and Hank raised glasses in silent salute. The people of Libby didn\u2019t know every detail of what had happened outside the gate \u2014 but they knew enough. The wolves had protected them again. The alliance held.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Later, when the fires dimmed and laughter softened, Thane stood at the gate one more time, looking out into the forest where the blood had already begun to freeze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sable joined him, her presence quiet but immense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou kept promise,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI didn’t do anything. You<\/em> came,\u201d Thane said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWould not miss,\u201d she replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He looked over, meeting her amber eyes. \u201cYou think he\u2019ll try again?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMaybe,\u201d she said. \u201cBut he bleed now. Bleed pride. Bleed pack. Wolves that follow fear do not run far.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThen we wait,\u201d Thane said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe watch,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They stood a long while in companionable silence, the world holding still around them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When Thane finally turned to go, he said softly, \u201cYou bite last, like you promised.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sable\u2019s mouth curved. \u201cYou bite first. Like you always do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n They both chuckled \u2014 the kind of laugh that carried history and trust.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Iron Ridge Pack lived in the bones of a canyon \u2014 stone ribs rising black and cold against the northern wind. Their fires never went out; smoke hugged the cliffs like a punishment that couldn\u2019t decide when to leave. Wolves moved through the gloom on silent feet, eyes down, no laughter. Here, obedience was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2989","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-new-world-life"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/threewerewolves.com\/afterthefall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2989","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/threewerewolves.com\/afterthefall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/threewerewolves.com\/afterthefall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/threewerewolves.com\/afterthefall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/threewerewolves.com\/afterthefall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2989"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/threewerewolves.com\/afterthefall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2989\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3114,"href":"https:\/\/threewerewolves.com\/afterthefall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2989\/revisions\/3114"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/threewerewolves.com\/afterthefall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2989"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/threewerewolves.com\/afterthefall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2989"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/threewerewolves.com\/afterthefall\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2989"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
He\u2019ll burn them all,<\/em> Varro thought. Even the ones that don\u2019t fight him.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\u201cCall Thane. Tell him wolves move. Many. Iron Ridge. Full pack.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNow we run.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
Sable\u2019s pack poured out of the snow like ghosts returning home. Thirty-two wolves, spread in a crescent formation, flanking the Libby wolves and the gate. Sable herself stepped to Thane\u2019s right, expression pure winter calm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
Thane seized the moment, shoulder-checked Tarrik backward, and drove him into the frozen ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
His voice broke. \u201cI wronged you. I let him hurt you. I didn\u2019t stop it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n