At some point, it feels like her scent is all over the place, like she ran in circles. Eventually, it picks up again, leading me until I spot a trail of blood along the forest ground. Leena's scent is mixed with the smell of her blood.
My body goes into overdrive when I see this. I've never run faster in my entire life. I follow the trail until my nose picks up probably the worst smell of the night.
Gunpowder.
I keep running with all my might until something catches my eye. It glistens even in the night, reflecting light from the stars above.
Just ahead of me, I see a small dot of silver lodged in a tree. If I had doubts about hunters being here, those doubts have now been cleared.
All the scents merge into an unholy soup. The hunters and wolves are close. I can sense them. But so is Leena. She's the one that matters, and I'll find her nomatter what.
My mind begins to make up terrible scenarios. What if she's already dead? I know next to nothing about mates, so I'm not even sure if I'll still be able to feel my bond with Leena if she isn't alive.
I shake all the negativity from my mind as soon as it enters.
I'm coming for you, my love. None of us will die tonight.
Chapter 21
LEENA
Pure pain is all I feel. It's like my left shoulder has exploded and is just barely hanging on by a thread.
I stumble back, hearing the branch beneath me crack. I reach for the one above with my right hand, holding on with whatever strength I have left. The branch I had been on tumbles to the floor at the hunters’ feet.
“Fuck it, Jimmy, you missed,” the female hunter growls.
“How the hell is this my fault, Carrie?” Jimmy argues. “Both of us shot at her.”
I'm too dazed to do anything, but my senses kick in when they try to shoot at me again. I swing to the tree in time to miss this one. I try to hang on with both hands, but the pain in my shoulder fights against me.
It's almost like the bullet that's lodged in there is traveling. My entire hand feels useless, and gripping the tree the way I am makes it seem like I'm pushing down on a bed of nails.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” I groan, trying my best not to cry. The hot tears roll down my face regardless.
“Look at her,” Carrie laughs, placing the gun back on her shoulder. Her partner shares in the laughter as well. Their mocking fills the night's air, scaring the insects and critters into silence.
“Should we let her fall?” Jimmy asks. “I don't mind waiting.”
“Yeah, we should have our fun with her,” Carrie jokes. “We haven't really killed anyone in a while. I'd love to savor this.” Carries levels her gun at me once more. “Even though I can blow her head up from here.”
Jimmy bends over with laughter. “Man, I haven't had this much fun in ages.”
A howl that travels through the forest, drawing everyone's attention. “Those wolves sound awfully close, don't they?” Carrie’s jovial expression changes. “We’d better get ready. If you hear any other howl nearby, then we'll finish her off.”
I look up, trying to find a different branch to climb to. I reach for the one right above me, but it snaps and plummets to the ground, almost taking me with it.
“Woah, not so fast,” Jimmy warns wryly. “We're having fun here, why are you trying to run away and ruin it?”
“Fuck you,” I spit at them. I dig my fingers into my shoulder, tearing through the flesh until I touch the burning silver. I yank it out, sending blood everywhere, throwing the bullet to the ground.
They share another terrible laugh. The sound is like a cheese grater to my ears. More than anything, I just want to jump down and rip out their throats, but I know I won't be fast enough. At least, not yet.
The scratches on my back have already started to heal, but my leg is still far from being a hundred percent.
I have no clue how much blood I've lost and whether my lightheadedness is because of that or the pain. Either way, I'm not going anywhere fast.
“Say, I can help you, you know?” Carrie offers. “If you give me something I want, then I'll happily set you free.”
