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There was one more long moment of hesitation, everyone hedging and looking at each other uncertainly. But finally, they finally grabbed one another’s hands, some of them shifting and letting the smaller children climb on their backs.
I stayed until they ran through the trees, disappearing behind them as if gathered up in the arms of the forest. Then, I turned and ran in the opposite direction before careening toward the front of the sawmill.
I wanted to be sure if anyone was coming out the front door, they would see me and forget to pursue the children.
For better or worse, it worked like a charm. Just as I reached the doorway I’d entered with Curt a few days prior, he and a few other shifters burst through the door.
I ran as fast as my feet would carry me, but I knew I’d be taken down soon. As my heart raced, though, I couldn’t help but feel it was worth it. If I died tonight, I would go knowing it had been for a purpose. I’d know I’d saved those kids.
And saving those kids was something worth dying for. I truly believed that.
The forest blurred around me as I ran, my footsteps echoing in the silent expanse. My lungs burned with exertion, my heart raced like a wild stallion. I didn't dare glance back, knowing that the shifters were hot on my trail, their snarls and growls closing in with every passing second.
Suddenly, a distant sound pierced through the haze of my panic—a tiny howl, faint but unmistakable. It was the voice of a young shifter, a signal that they had heard my warning and were fleeing to safety. Relief flooded through me like a cool breeze on a sweltering day. The children would be safe, shielded from the dangers lurking in the forest.
But before I could fully revel in that moment of respite, Curt materialized before me, his form shifting seamlessly from wolf to human. With a savage snarl, he lunged forward, catching me off-guard and tackling me to the ground with a bone-jarring force. I gasped for air as his weight pressed down on me, his hands closing around my throat with a vice-like grip.
Desperation clawed at me as I fought against his relentless assault, drawing upon every ounce of strength and cunning I possessed. River's teachings echoed in my mind, guiding my movements as I twisted and turned, seeking any opportunity to break free from Curt's grasp. But his hold was unyielding, his fury driving him to overpower me at any cost.
Just as darkness threatened to claim me, a familiar presence materialized out of the chaos. Cole appeared in human form, a primal fury burning in his eyes. With a deafening roar, he lunged at Curt, tearing him away from me with a ferocity that left me breathless.
A wild dance ensued between the two of them, the forest bearing witness to their battle. They shifted and twisted, their forms flickering between human and shifter in a blur of motion. I could only watch helplessly as they grappled with each other, locked in a deadly struggle for dominance.
In the end, it was Cole who emerged victorious, his strength and determination prevailing over Curt's savage rage. With a final, decisive move, he subdued Curt in his human form, his hands closing around the other man's throat in a vice-like grip. I held my breath, fearing the worst as Curt's struggles grew weaker and weaker until finally, he lay still, seemingly lifeless beneath Cole’s grip.
Exhausted and shaken, I staggered to my feet, my limbs trembling with a mixture of fear and relief. Cole turned to me, his gaze softening with concern as he reached out to steady me. We stood together in the aftermath of the chaos, the echoes of our ordeal still reverberating through the forest around us.
The chaos of the forest began to fade into sweet comfort as Cole scooped me up into his arms, his embrace firm yet tender. He pressed his lips to my cheeks, peppering them with soft kisses that filled me with warmth and reassurance. For a fleeting moment, I allowed myself to melt into his touch, seeking solace in his comforting presence.
But my moment of respite was short-lived, shattered by the weight of the children's safety pressing down on me like a leaden cloak. “The children, " I began, my voice choked with worry and fear.
“They're already being taken back to HQ,” Cole said, his words a balm to my frayed nerves. "The other pack members are holding off any remaining onslaught."
Relief washed over me like a crashing wave, flooding my senses with a renewed sense of hope. But as Cole brushed his thumb against my cheek, I winced, a sharp pang of pain shooting through me.
“It's starting to bruise...” he murmured, concern etched into the lines of his face.
I managed a bitter laugh, my lips twisting into a wry smile. “Considering the other scrapes I've been through, this one is relatively tame,” I replied, trying to downplay the severity of my injuries.
Cole's lips brushed against my cheekbone with feather-light tenderness, his apology a whispered promise of protection. “I'm sorry," he murmured, his voice tinged with regret. "It's time to go home. To finally put this behind us for good, don’t you think?”
“God, yes,” I said through a shaky breath. “Hopefully, this will be the final time we have to rescue one another.”
As we turned to walk away, leaving Curt's lifeless form behind us, a sense of relief washed over me like a tide. But just as Cole went to rest his arm over my shoulders, a sudden jolt of terror seized me, upending me like a rug pulled from under my feet.
Not terror, I realized. Curt himself.
Curt was still alive, his form shifting seamlessly into that of a wolf once more. Before I could react, his snarls filled the air, sending a shiver of dread down my spine. I screamed and thrashed, but it was too late—Curt lunged forward, his jaws clamping down on the flesh of my shoulder with savage ferocity.
Agony ripped through me like a searing fire, my vision swimming with pain as memories of past traumas flooded my mind. Wyatt's bite, the scars that still marred my flesh…it was as if history was repeating itself, a nightmare come to life before my very eyes.
All at once, a terrible reality flooded me. This bite would kill me.
It became clear just how true that was when I felt the horrible fire course through me. I’d experienced this before—it had happened with Wyatt—but it hadn’t been this bad. This time, it was like I was being flayed alive from the inside out. Like some wild creature was carving its way out of me.
I was distantly aware of another great force slamming into me, sending me skidding across the damp earth and leaving me lying face-down in a bed of sodden pine needles. I heard shortly after the frantic, keening yelp of an animal begging for mercy.
Then, silence came.
