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Prologue
‘Fugitive’ Raphael Lake
JAZ MONROE
Howls reach my ears, cutting through the harsh sounds of my heavy breaths. The crunch of twigs and leaves beneath my racing feet let the wolves hunting me know my location, but that can’t be helped. Some of the howls are mournful, making my heart clench with pain so strong I can feel it stopping for seconds at a time. Others are so enraged, each fury filled echo beats against me as I continue running through the woods of Raider Pack lands.
Every howl is a lash against my soul. Every cry is like wolfsbane to my being.
“Just a couple more miles, Jaz.” I tell myself as I pump my legs harder.
I wish I could shift into my white wolf; I’d be able to run on silent feet and my senses would be superior to my human form. But shifting would give my pack a mental link to me, giving them access to my locationandmy thoughts. I can’t let my pack find me; I can’t let them know my plans. They’ll try to stop me.
They’re not our pack anymore,my wolf whimpers. She doesn’t actually talk to me, but her pain from my betrayal to Raider Pack speaks louder than words. She gets her point across with her sorrowful whines and internal scratches.
It was the only way to save them, I remind her. I didn’t want to kill my mate; I didn’t want to betray the trust my pack put in me as their new Alpha female. But when the magic on Choosing Night paired me with the golden boy of Raider Pack,andAlpha, I knew the Ancestors had chosen me for a reason. I was picked from my pack’s strongest beta females because only I have the strength to stop him from handing us all over to the Dark Bloods.
I would have done it even if I wasn’t chosen to mate bond with Cree.My wolf howls at my thoughts.If I’m labeled a betrayer, a murderer, then so be it. One death to save the many.
The Dark Bloods are our mortal enemies. They use dark magic to enslave our kind and harvest our blood to grow their power. Alpha Cree Raider was already ensnared by their powers and would have led us to them with a bow tied around us. I’m not sure how long he’s been under their spell or why he hasn’t handed us over yet, but for the past year, he’s been slowly changing from the Alpha we all knew and respected. Slowly and painfully pulling away from the pack bond we all shared with him.
He closed himself off from us, acting as if our memories of his goodness were nothing but our imaginations. When I questioned him, he threw me into the fighting pit. He has become more detached from our ways and traditions, casting our dedication days and seasons aside as if they're nothing but days without significance. Our pack fears him and follows his every order because he has become vicious and unhinged.A dark Alpha.
Killing him and running was the only way to ensure my pack would be safe until I found a solution. They may hate me now, salivating for my head to be on a spike, but I’ll be damned if I let them fall into the wicked hands of our enemies.
Just a couple of miles before I reach the country line railroad and I’ll be free of the territory. I’ll still have to keep running, but unless the pack wants to leave their lands open for enemies, they’ll have to turn back and regroup.
The buzzing of an arrow flies by my ear followed by another arrow ripping through my thigh.
“Fuck!” I roll to the ground, dodging the next arrow.
I ignore the arrowhead sticking out of my left thigh as beta Roland leaps high over a fallen Redwood tree, landing twenty feet away. Next to me, he’s the best beta in the pack. We’re evenly matched in combat, and I had hoped it wouldn’t be him who caught up to me.
“Betrayer!” He growls as he drops his bow and pulls his swords, “Only a coward runs from their troubles.”
I smirk as I stand and pull my short swords from the sheaths over my back.
Scissoring my blades quickly, I cut the arrowhead off the shaft, “Only a coward fights a wounded warrior.”
“Ain’t we a pair?” He says sarcastically before charging.
Crossing my blades above my head, Roland’s sword gets caught between them, sparks dancing around us like falling stars.
“Alpha Cree is under the control of Dark Bloods!” I growl as I lift my booted foot, kicking Roland in the esophagus. He stumbles back, gasping for air as I bring my blade to his neck, “I didn’twantto kill him, Rol. He’s the guy we all grew up with for Ancients’ sake! I just want to protect our pack. Our friends and family.”
“By running?” He growls.
“No, by finding the True Alpha Pack.”
Roland pushes against my blade, ignoring the slice my sharp blade makes on the side of his neck, “Swear it on your Oath.”
“By the blood in my veins and the words of the Ancients, I swear it.” He steps back, shoulders relaxing as his cut begins to knit together, “When I find them, I’ll make sure the Dark Bloods never come near us again.”
Shouts and howls come closer, but I don’t take my eyes off Roland.
“Then you better run fast, Jaz. Cree isn’t dead and he hunts as soon as the wounds you inflicted heal.”
I jolt at his words.
