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My heart slammed into my ribcage so hard, I swore it would break out. “Hell no.” I’d had enough of running for my life and fighting wolves to last me aneternity.
Dagen hit my thigh with his head andgrunted.
Yes,move!
I whirled and darted, gripping the straps of my bag over my shoulders to stop it from bouncing about. The earlier glee twisted into trepidation. I pounded the ground, and already Oryn and Nero were charged in my direction, their furbristled.
They whizzed past me in a zoom, targeting the wolves at my back. Dagen remained close, and I sprinted faster than I thoughtpossible.
Snarls erupted behind me. I couldn’t look, not when my skin crawled as I pictured myself mauled todeath.
In the meadow, we remained open targets. More so me. I was the vulnerable human the wolves saw as food. That thought squeezed my lungs, and I sprintedfaster.
My breaths raced, a cramp settling in my side. I pressed a palm over the pain and kept going. Nothing would stop me. The woods were at least fifty feet away now, meaning more of a chance to find a weapon to defend myself. Somewhere tohide.
Dagen fell behind, and the thundering growls were right in myears.
I dared a look over my shoulder, and Dagen tangled with two wolves, my other men in their own fights, but one wolf, brown as mud, circled the battles and charged right forme.
I ran with a scream pressing on mythroat.
A needed a weaponfast.
I pulled my bag off, driving one leg forward, then the other. From my bag, I grabbed a wolfsbaneroot.
Paws pounded the ground behindme.
Heavy breaths were on myheels.
Dread iced my insides. If I could reach the forest, I’d scramble up a tree and besafe.
I jumped over alog.
A shadow flew toward me from my right. I swiveled, screaming, and threw out my hand with thewolfsbane.
The brown wolf crashed into my side, the air knocked out of my lungs, and I smacked theground.
Scrambling backward, I drove the plant into the animal’s gapingmouth.
He fell, whining. I didn’t want to hurt him, but I didn’t want todie.
Another wolf rushed at me, teethbared.
My world blurred withfear.
On my knees, I swung my bag at his face, and the force threw him sideways. I climbed to my feet, giving me enough time to spot Dagen storming ahead, head-butting the wolf so hard, he flew into atree.
More wolves emerged from the forest behind us. I couldn’t wait for the others. Despite the worry piercing my heart about whether or not they’d be okay, I spun andran.
Reality struck me like a lightning bolt. How was I ever supposed to live in the Den if the wolves saw me as nothing but a meal? Sure, they were under an influence, but all it took was a juvenile pup, or an angry wolf attack, and I’d die. I didn’t heal quick or have the ability tofight.
I burst into the woods, foliage snapping under my heavy steps. And up ahead, I spotted the huge hedge of wolfsbane marking the border between the Den and my land.Heavens.The best sight in the world. I thundered onward, tearing through the shrubs, and stumbled out from their tangled branches before crossing over intoTerra.
Panting, I set my hands on my knees and glanced back over the hedge. Dagen paced back and forth near the barrier. Was he worried about following? I quickened to the plants, stepping in between them once more. I pushed my arms outward and forced them over, stepping on the stems, creating a narrow gap for my men to pass behindme.
“Come on,” I yelled, but Dagen wasn’t moving. I shoved the wolfsbane farther apart and widened the passage, yet he kept staring into the field, waiting for Nero and Oryn. A dark army of wolves hounded afterthem.
Dread scratched the inside of my skull like dirty nails onstone.
