Out of the corner of my eye, I see the other two alphas just behind me. I chase the dark wolf who has haunted me, his fur flying, his scent leaving a trail that I would follow through the stars themselves.
He leaps over the barbed wire. I have one second to gather my strength. “The wire can be cleared,”my wolf side says. I crouch and push up, leaping high. I land heavily on the other side, but I’m already looking at the next obstacle when Mordecai and Jarek land beside me.
Cadel lets out a deep howl, which I echo.
“KILL THEM!” a woman shrieks and jerks in an unnatural way as she hurries towards us. The Beta Goddess has chosen a new puppet.
I put on more speed and jump another roll of barbed wire. The Beta’s Path rush us in their black robes, but in their eyes, I see terror. Now, they are the ones afraid. We’re wolves. They can’t stop us.
Cadel reaches the wall and leaps, his powerful claws digging in and dragging him up. I hit the wall and follow, using my front claws to pull and my back legs to push me up. It’s so steep and slippery, but I force myself to cling to the metal, not daring to lose concentration for even a moment. Up and up we go, I follow the alpha. My alpha as he leads us to freedom.
He reaches the top and lets out a defiant howl. It’s deep and full of rage and madness. Arrows hit the wall but harmlessly fall off.
I climb to the top, standing poised, looking over my shoulder at the city that is already burning.
I snort and then spot something out of the corner of my eye. The metal looks strange, as if there’s a hole underneath. I walk carefully over to it and grab it with my teeth, pulling and worrying. I set my teeth around the pole and dig my back feet in, bracing myself, and then I yank and pull.
I struggle, fighting with it.
And suddenly, the wall moves, shuddering. I turn and leap away, flying down the wall to freedom as it collapses like a metal tsunami behind me.
The sound is so loud that it drowns out all other sounds, but when I look back, the wall is just a crumbled mass of metal, but it’s not a barrier anymore.
The Beta’s Voice screams her rage. The dark and menacing shape of the Ravage Wolf climbs up onto the remains of the wall and stares at us.
It’s not over between us.
But I turn and run, following my alphas. I’ve escaped the Beta’s Path three times now. I can’t help but wonder how much longer my luck will hold.
Chapter 50
The further we run
The further we run, the more I relax until I slow and stop, rolling on the soft grass beneath the gigantic trees. The air is cool in my fur, and we’re alive and out of that horrible place. I almost can’t believe it.
All at once, I’m human, lying on my back, looking up at the trees and the various hues that shine through.
“We got out!” I whisper.
Jarek lands on me, laughing. I wrap my arms around him, and we roll. He kisses me hard enough that I forget where we are, losing myself at the touch of his tongue. Forgetting everything until a voice clears their throat. Mordecai holds out a hand, and I grab it. He pulls me easily to my feet and spins me around so I’m chest-to-chest with him.
“We got out,” he says with a grin.
“Beat the impossible odds again.”
He laughs, and the sound is truly one of my favourite sounds in the whole world.
But there’s something missing. Cadel is standing further away, his expression lost under a dark cloud of whatever thought has him in a chokehold.
“Cadel?”
He turns and tries to push it aside, but I can see itlinger there.
“What’s wrong?”
“I just want to put as much space between us and them as we can.”
I sober, my amusement fading as tinges of panic return to my mind. He’s right; we should be running.
