“Anyone who gets in our way goes down. No more playing nice.”
Dylan grins. “Finally.”
We move out in formation—me in front with Skylar tucked against my side, Dylan and Connor flanking us, and Caleb bringing up the rear with the wounded prisoner leaning heavily on his arm. The route back through the tunnels feels longer than it did coming in. Every shadow is a potential threat, and every distant sound could signal that someone has discovered we’re here.
We’re halfway to the service entrance when the first shout goes up behind us.
“They know we’re here,” Caleb reports. “Someone must have found the guards.”
“Then we run. Everyone stay together. Don’t stop until we hit the tree line.”
We burst through the service door and into the cold mountain night. The sounds of fighting from the front gate have intensified. Nic’s distraction is holding, but it won’t hold forever. We need to disappear into the forest before Rafe’s wolves can cut us off.
Skylar stumbles on the uneven ground, and I catch her before she can fall. Without breaking stride, I sweep her up into my arms and keep running. She wraps her arms around my neck and holds on tight with her breath warm against my throat.
“I can run,” she protests.
“I know you can.” I duck under a low branch and keep moving. “But I just got you back, and I’m not letting go yet.”
She doesn’t argue after that. Instead, she tucks her head against my shoulder and lets me carry her through the darkness, trusting me to get us both to safety.
The trees swallow us whole, and behind us, the compound erupts into pandemonium. Shouts and howls fill the night as Rafe’s wolves realize their prisoners are gone. But we’re already deep into the forest with Luna’s fading magic still clinging to us, and the darkness has become our ally.
Chapter 22 - Skylar
The silver collar falls away from my neck, and I gasp as my wolf comes roaring back to life.
Luna’s magic pulses through me like a wave of warmth, washing away the static that’s been blocking my connection for the past two days. My wolf rushes forward with a howl of triumph that echoes through every fiber of my being, and I have to brace myself against the nearest wall to keep from collapsing. The relief is so overwhelming that tears spring to my eyes before I can stop them.
“Easy.” Luna steadies me with a hand on my arm. “The bond was suppressed for a long time. It might take a few minutes for everything to settle.”
“I’m okay.” My voice comes out shaky, but I mean it. Having my wolf back feels like finding a piece of myself I didn’t realize was missing until it was gone. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”
Luna smiles and moves to Dina, who is trembling beside Caleb with her own collar still burning against her skin. The poor woman flinches when Luna raises her hands, but she holds still while Luna works the same magic. A moment later, Dina’s collar clatters to the floor, and she lets out a sob of relief.
“Three weeks,” Dina whispers as she touches her neck. The skin beneath where the collar sat is red and blistered, just like mine. “Three weeks without my wolf. I thought I’d never feel her again.”
“You’re safe now,” Luna promises. “Both of you.”
We’re standing in the pack house’s main hall, surrounded by wolves who rushed to meet us the moment we crossed theborder. Nic and Thomas flank Luna while James paces near the door with his phone pressed to his ear. Ruby hovers at Luna’s elbow, ready to assist if her magic is needed. Connor disappeared a few minutes ago to find Fern, and Dylan is coordinating with the patrol teams outside.
Bryan hasn’t left my side since we arrived. He’s standing close enough that I can feel his body heat, and every few seconds, he reaches out to touch me—a hand on my shoulder or fingers brushing my arm, like he needs constant reassurance that I’m really here. I understand the impulse. I keep catching myself doing the same thing.
Nic’s voice pulls my attention back to the present. “I know you need rest, but we don’t have much time, Skylar. Tell me everything. Rafe said about the explosives.”
I take a breath and organize my thoughts. The past two days are a jumble of fear and pain and desperate hope, but the information Rafe gave me stands out clearly. He wanted me to know what he was planning. He wanted me to suffer with the knowledge that Silvercreek would burn while I rotted in his cell.
“He said the explosives are already planted,” I begin. “The medical center, the pack house, the school—he mentioned all three. His wolves placed them while our patrol teams were distracted by the attack on the eastern border. He said it’s happening soon. A few hours, maybe less.”
Thomas swears under his breath. “The attack was a diversion. We played right into his hands.”
“How many explosives?” Nic asks. “Did he give you numbers?”
“No. Just that there were enough to do serious damage.” I glance at Dina. “Did you hear anything else? You were there longer than me.”
Dina is still rubbing at her neck where the collar sat as she replies, “The guards talked when they thought I was asleep. I heard them mention something about a detonator. Remote-controlled, I think. Rafe wants to trigger the explosives himself. He wants to watch.”
“That gives us a chance.” James has ended his phone call and joined the group. “If we can find the explosives before he triggers them, we can disarm them. Or at least evacuate the blast zones.”
