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He nodded. “After you.”
I coughed, the air was full of smoke now. Kyle had literally set the house on fire. For a moment, I had a fleeting worry for Tyler, but it passed quickly. The dark part of me hoped that both Tyler and Ace were trapped inside.
With all my attention focused on getting away from pack lands, I took off at a sprint. Kyle’s wolf ran alongside me, with Alec in his human form on the other. It was almost too much to process. I couldn’t forgive Alec, but I also couldn’t even let myself go there right now. I had to get away from here. Then I could start to figure out what the fuck was going on in my far too complicated life.
My body protested the running, cramps biting into my sides. Wincing, I slowed down, pushing through the pain, unwilling to stop. I might not be sprinting anymore, but I wasn’t about to ease up until I was in the clear. I’d gone days without enough food or water. I was exhausted and not at my usual fitness levels.
As soon as we got to the cover of the trees in the woods, I stopped to catch my breath. I glanced back at Tyler’s house. Flames were coming from the window of the room I’d just left and smoke rose in large clouds. In the distance, I heard the sirens racing to put out the fire. They’d be distracted for a while.
“This way to the barrier,” Alec said. “We can’t stop yet.”
“No. You don’t get to lead the way.” I turned to Kyle’s wolf. “How do we get out of here?”
The wolf started walking and I followed without looking over at Alec. For all I knew, Kyle was leading me into a trap. I didn’t give a damn where we were going if it meant I could walk away from Alec and not listen to him.
To my great relief, Alec moved alongside me, unspeaking. We crossed a narrow creek, and walked through bushes. I ducked under tree branches and sidestepped a few places of thick underbrush. Finally, I felt the icy sensation of passing through the magic of the ward.
I let out a long breath of relief. It wasn’t like I was any more protected here. Tyler or any of his cronies could walk right through that barrier and grab me. But there was something amazing about being outside the border. The ability to leave was still a novelty that I wasn’t going to take for granted.
Kyle’s wolf stopped walking. His body shuddered and I turned away so I wouldn’t have to watch him break and re-form into a human. Once the sounds of cracking eased, I looked back to where he was standing.
Alec tossed him a pair of jeans and a shirt that I didn’t even know he’d been carrying. I supposed that made sense I didn’t notice. I’d done everything I could to avoid looking at him.
“You said your car is near?” Kyle asked.
“Wait, your plan is trusting him?” I glanced over at Alec, then turned back to Kyle. “We’re better off on our own.”
“Lola, now isn’t the time,” Alec said. “The car is this way.” He started walking.
“You expect us to follow you? After everything you did to me?” I demanded.
Alec stopped and turned. “I’m trying to save you. For once in your life, accept some help.”
“I did that when I followed you to Wolf Creek. I asked for your help breaking the bond. I stole from my own mother. I risked my life. You betrayed me.” I could feel the anger rising alongside something else. A little hint of what I swore was my wolf. She had my back on this. It gave me the confidence I needed to press forward.
“If you have a car nearby, where are the keys?” I asked.
“Under the floor mat on the back passenger side,” he said. “You didn’t think I’d bring them to Wolf Creek with me?”
I looked over at Kyle. “You trust this asshole?”
“Asshole?” Alec set his hand on his chest. “You wound me. I thought we had something special.”
I growled. Low and guttural. The growl of a wolf.
“Well, nice to see you again, too,” Alec said. “I think your wolf likes me.”
“Don’t even think about it. You mean nothing to either of us,” I snarled. “Kyle, tell me there’s another way out of here that doesn’t involve going with this man.”
“He has a car, Lola. We could use the help getting away faster. The fire won’t occupy them for long,” Kyle said.
“It’s not just the car you need,” Alec said. “I have information.”
“I don’t want any of your information,” I said. “You are a liar.”
“I know who your father is,” he said.
That got my attention. I tried to hide the surprised look, but I knew I wasn’t fast enough. “Why would I care?”
