He’d finished off the first wolf and jumped in between her and the wolves.
Where was her gun! She searched frantically and saw it there, in the snow.
She bolted for it, picked it up and ran, gasping as her lungs dragged her first deep breath of frigid air in.
“Move,” she whispered to herself in a shaking voice. She could see the footsteps of the trail she and Dodger had made coming up here. They were faint, but she could see them!
Destiny wiped the Glock on her jacket, trying to rid it of the snow, and grabbed a low-hanging limb to help her as she slid down the side of a boulder.
Behind her, the wolves were engaged in war. The snarling filled the woods, filled her ears, filled her head.
Dodger.
She turned to look at him, and what she saw would stick with her. Dodger at war was something else. His wolf was white, and huge, and filled with violence. He was so fast, he blurred and had a rage inside of him that the other wolf couldn’t keep up with. Dodger was killing him.
She turned and gasped as a wolf leapt at her, teeth bared, bright green eyes full of hate. Destiny dropped down and pushed her shoulder up to hit the wolf. His balance wasn’t off for more than a moment, but it was enough for her to twist and get a shot off. She must’ve missed, because he scrambled right up.
Shit. She bolted, driven by the adrenaline surging through her body now.
Destiny scanned for the footprints, but they were getting muddied with the wolf tracks now.
She just had to run now. Her arms pumped as she swerved through the trees. She could feel the wolf on her, but she couldn’t turn around. She couldn’t miss a step. A snarl ripped through the air, and the heaviness behind her disappeared. A quick glance and Dodger had ripped the wolf backward, buying her time.
It happened twice more, Dodger ripping the wolves away from her, but when he engaged in a fight, another one would continue the chase. Dodger had fallen behind, and when she could feel a wolf right on her, she let him take her jacket. She’d unzipped it for this. She twisted in the fabric and pulled the trigger on the wolf before she’d even freed her arm from it.Boom, boom, boom!
The wolf dropped, but there was no time for relief. Dodger bolted past her and veered to the left. He was dragging her back toward the truck!
A stupid whimper escaped her throat as three more wolves came out of the trees.
Dodger couldn’t keep them all off her. Already, his white fur was matted with red. She couldn’t tell if it was his, but what if it was? He was hurt.
He flashed a frost-eyed look at her and slowed as the three wolves formed a half circle.
“Oh my gosh,” she whispered in horror. She had twelve shots left.
Breath heavy and frozen, she lifted her gun as Dodger backed toward her protectively.
“Leave us alone or we will kill every one of you!” she screamed, her voice echoing.
Two of the wolves looked at each other and stalked forward, closer. The other broke away and circled far to the right. Destiny followed him with her aim.
Dodger’s white wolf was so big, he blocked out the other two as they stalked toward them. Dodger turned suddenly and looked at something behind them and shoved her hard with his shoulder. As she fell backward into the snow, she saw him take the impact of a white wolf that she hadn’t even realized was behind them.
She scrambled up and aimed, but she couldn’t tell where one wolf ended and the next began. The other gray ones were on him now. She shot one at the edge, but it didn’t even act like the bullet had affected it. Where was dad? God, she needed him to show up right now for Dodger!
The gray wolf that had broken off jumped on her and hit her hard in the back. She was pinned and screaming. She fired one shot, but his teeth latched onto her wrist, and she shrieked as it felt like the animal ripped her arm off. She tried, but she couldn’t hold onto the gun. She shielded her face with her arms. This was it. This was where she would die.
Tears warm as they streamed out of the corners of her eyes, she cast a glance at Dodger, but he was fighting three wolves. His eyes were wide as he tried to get to her. His fur was turning red.
The wolf on top of her stilled, and was just waiting, pinning her down, his fangs buried into her skin. Oh, she knew it was over for her.
“I love you!” she whispered to Dodger.
Movement dragged her attention, and for just a moment she saw him around the weight of the wolf on top of her—the silver-haired man who had come to visit her dad from time to time. Elder. What was his name…Aro? His glowing eyes were on her, and then…Crack!
A sharp pain blinded her. She tried to hold on. Truly she did. She didn’t understand. Her head hurt so badly. She could hear the snarling and feel the warmth that trickled down her face. Tears?
It was a split second and then she couldn’t see.
