Page 161 of Glitched Fates & Stolen Mates

Like, say, an avalanche.

More rumbling boomed from within the mountain, followed by an ominous crack that seemed to split the air itself. Through the entrance, flames licked at the edges of the doorway, orange light dancing against twisted metal.

We’d made it a fair distance when Kit finally slowed, his sides heaving. Around us, wolves were still running, all of them putting as much distance as possible between themselves and the mountain.

Absolute chaos.

Kit’s howl cut through the panic like nothing I’d ever heard.

It wasn’t just sound—it was command. Pure authority that seemed to vibrate in my bones and make every wolf on the mountainside freeze mid-stride. The note hung in the frigid air, echoing off the peaks, and I felt something primal inside me respond even though I wasn’t even a wolf.

Around us, wolves who’d been scattered across the slope began turning back, ears pricked and heads tilted towards Kit.

Kit howled again, shorter this time, and I swear I could hear the message in it: Come back. Stay close. Safety in the pack.

Soon we had an army of wolves encircling us, all looking to Kit with expressions of confusion and hope. They kept glancing between him and the burning facility behind us, waiting for direction.

“What in God’s name…”

We all turned at the familiar voice, and my mouth fell open.

Seb and Theo were trudging through the snow towards us, both wearing expressions of utter exasperation.

“Rory!” Theo shouted. Or, more accurately, screamed.

Rory immediately abandoned Moira’s chain and sprinted towards Theo. The wolves parted for him like the Red Sea. He launched himself at the detective, shouting, “Teddy!”

“You absolute fucking idiot,” Theo growled, even as he caught Rory, spinning him around to kiss him senseless. “You stupid, reckless, idiotic—”

“You used that one already,” Rory said.

Theo whacked the back of his head. “You almost gave me a heart attack. I thought… I thought you might be dead.”

“Never,” Rory vowed fiercely. “You’re stuck with me for life.”

Theo cradled Rory against him, stroking his hair while rocking the pair of them back and forth.

I leaned into Kit’s furry warmth, asking Seb, “How did you get here so quickly?”

Seb raised a pointed eyebrow. “It was hardly rocket science what the pair of you had decided to do. With the passports missing from the safe, you gave us little choice but to follow you. Then the bloke at the car rental office was extremely helpful when Theo proved you’d hired a car on his credit card. All their vehicles are tracked. That brought us close enough for Theo to sense Rory’s general direction through their bond.”

“You mean you didn’t bring your private jet?” Rory demanded, still clinging to Theo.

“I told you, it’s not my jet,” Seb said dryly.

“Well, how are we supposed to get a hundred wolves home?”

Seb pinched the bridge of his nose. “How was I supposed to know we’d be adopting a hundred wolves?”

Around us, the freed pack members whimpered and whined. Moira had gone ominously quiet in her silver restraints, and Isla stood apart from all of us, looking lost and terrified.

“Isla,” Theo said, in a surprisingly gentle tone. “It’s good to see you again.”

She nodded at him, managing a weak half smile of sorts. Then the mountain groaned behind us, and another section of the facility collapsed with a distant crash.

My teeth chattered uncontrollably as the mountain wind cut through my thermal jacket. “We need a plan.”

“I’m all out of them,” Rory said, finally pulling away from Theo to survey our ridiculous situation. An army of confused wolves, one chained war criminal, and us—stranded on a Swiss mountainside in the middle of the night. “Sorry.”