“Maybe I’ll throw you into that hole with themutts,” I say.
She smiles. “Try and I’ll take you right down there with me, Riq.”
I shake my head and take off at a sprint toward the place Caja is hiding.
Francesca is right—I don’t have a choice but to let her follow. That doesn’t mean I’ll rely on her help, though. It’s been far too long since I last saw her. And I’m not naïve enough to trust her, history or not.
But I am glad Xavier and Philippe are distracted with Ander. The fewer Alphas I have to deal with, the better.
My senses sharpen as we run, my wolf listening for Caja. She hasn’t screamed recently, her last howl maybe ten or fifteen minutes ago at best.
Too long, I think.It’s been too long.
I don’t like that she’s silent.
I also don’t like the masculine howls growing louder with every step.
They’ve definitely found Caja. The question is, have they reached her?
A triumphant howl echoes in the daylight, the sound an ominous response to my query.
I run faster, my pulse pounding in my ears.If I don’t make it in time, I’m going to rip everyone apart on this fucking island,I vow.Including Xavier, Philippe, and Francesca.
“Is there a reason we’re not shifting?” Fran calls as she keeps pace right behind me.
I ignore her.
She’ll find out soon enough.
I don’t slow until we close in on the waterfall. It’s about a hundred yards ahead and swarmed with snarling wolves.
I don’t think, I act, taking a knee and dropping my packs to the ground.
“Finally,” Francesca mutters as she rips off her shirt and starts unfastening her pants.
Then freezes when I pull two guns from my pack.
“Holy shit,” she breathes.
“This is why I didn’t shift,” I tell her, and open fire on the rogues by the falls.
I hit three right in the head before they realize what’s happening. Then two dart under the water to hide while four others scramble up the steep incline.
I take all four out in a few seconds, then check my ammunition.
Between last night’s antics and this new situation, I’m running low. And I only have one magazine left in the bag.
I pocket it, grab two knives, and start toward the waterfall to handle the other wolves.
“Why the hell did you let us corner you if you had all this in you?” Francesca hisses.
“I wouldn’t say I let the three of you do anything,” I mutter back at her. “And close range, you would have stopped me before I had a chance to grab the gun from the pack. It also would have given away my advantage.”
A wolf growls from the top of the falls, drawing my focus upward. I aim, pull the trigger, and watch his body fall off the cliff.
“Jesus, I forgot how good a shot you are,” she says, sounding a little breathy.
“Still think I needed help?” I ask her as we walk toward the waterfall and the cavern behind it.
