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Run her back toward home.
I recoil.
I should not, under any circumstances, be able to hear another pack’s mind link. I might think I imagined it altogether if it weren’t for the fact that after the one wolf—clearly a leader of some sort—gives the command, the others all glance right at me.
I try to back away, but there’s a wolf right behind me, keeping me from going anywhere. They’ve closed in too tightly on me, there’s no opening to try to outrun them.
I don’t want to be sent home, there’s no way in hell I can face my sister. I desperately try to tell the wolf as much, but whatever trick the fates have played to let me hear him, they didn’t make it work both ways.
The wolves bump me from either side, nudging me forward. Confused, I let them move me several feet before planting my paws.
That’s not the direction of home. And if the wolf doesn’t mean my home…
Like hell I’m going to theirs.
Find an opening, my wolf urges.Focus.
The wolves start to move as a unit, leaving me no choice but to move alongside them. The sun is up completely, which means these wolves feel secure basically abducting me in broad daylight. I don’t think that bodes well for me.
I fall obediently in with their pack as we start north, knowing that all I have going for me right now is speed and patience. If I just wait for one of them to lower their guard, and manage to find a small opening, I can shoot through and outrun them. I’ll cut back south. I don’t fancy facing my sister or Callum, but right now that would be preferable. And if I’m lucky, I can skirt the outside of the territory line and avoid facing them altogether.
I’m more familiar with directions heading south, since my home pack is further south than the East Terrace Green Pack territory. If I can just change direction, I’ll be okay, I reassure myself. I might have abandoned the North Terrace Pack, but so long as my brother lives there, they’ll welcome me back on their land.
Look at you, thinking rationally in the middle of a crisis,my wolf admires fondly. I let out a soft snort that draws more attention than I meant for it to. The wolves all jerk their heads sharply to look at me. I tuck my chin and stare at the ground as they slow slightly, forcing me to slow with them. After a second, they seem to decide my harmless little snort wasn’t a sign of danger to come because they return to their original pace again.
If only I had thought rationally back there with Callum and Jimmy.The sharp pang of grief tears through me again, making my steps nearly falter, but I don’t dare let myself fall back on the wolves still close behind me.
My wolf whines, protesting.You were rational there too. A wolf protects her Alpha. Always and no matter who else might be in danger. The pack must always survive.
It’s the lesson we’ve been taught since we were all just pups, sure. But that concept is a hell of a lot easier when you’re not staring family in the face. I shake my head discreetly, knowing that all those thoughts will do is distract me. Distraction right now could potentially cost me my life.
The wolves start to move faster as they seem to realize I’m comfortably keeping pace. It’s a dangerous mistake, I realize, as we approach a territory line much faster than I anticipated.
It’s natural to us wolves, recognizing those territory lines. This time however, it feels particularly noteworthy. There’s an ominous chill that sweeps through the air, like a warning telling me it’s now or never.
Luckily for me, seeing their territory come into view is enough to make them sloppy. The wolf to my right drops back slightly, leaving just enough room between him and the wolf in front for me to dart through.
I pump my legs as hard as I can, my paws pounding the ground almost painfully in the effort to put distance between myself and the foreign pack as quickly as possible.
I never see the other wolf coming. He’s young and sloppy, and bulldozes into me from the side, making us both yelp loudly as we tumble to the ground together.
I feel the break in my hind leg even before I see the twisted angle of the bone jutting out. With a grimace, I shift into human form and hope for the best. Shifting around strangers like this isn’t exactly safe, but it’s not like I can run on a broken leg. At least shifting heals the break, leaving me with only a sore leg as I return to human form.
“Fucking hell that hurts like a bitch,” I groan, not even caring that I’m forgoing manners in front of strangers. It’s the result of years spent hanging out with construction workers.
The wolf that hit me turns. “Shit, I’m so sorry,” his voice cracks. I was right, he’s just a kid. Barely eighteen if I had to guess. Even though he’s not really that much younger than me, it feels like we’re decades apart. His hands flit over me, checking my injuries.
I push him away resolutely just as the wolf in charge shifts too, barking out, “Don’t touch her,” to the younger wolf.
The attractive blond easily covers the distance left between us—he managed to catch up thanks to the other wolf’s tackle. Apparently, the not touching thing doesn’t apply to him. The second he’s within reach he grapples with my leg, sliding his hand across my smooth skin to check it out.
I jerk away from his touch, feeling distinctly uncomfortable not only because I’m still not sure what he’s planning to do with me, but also because the touch feels too intimate.
“It’s okay,” he says, his voice deceptively calm. He looks at me with warmth in his eyes, and puts his hands on me again.
Forget that,my wolf snarls, and I jerk away again.
A flash of irritation passes over his face, but he collects himself with ease. “I won’t hurt you,” he vows seriously enough to make me consider believing the words. “I just want to take you home with me.”
