I glanced over my shoulder, and everyone was focused straight ahead. Ivory and Remus scanned the area from the back on high alert.
A musky scent hit me. Aidan.
Shit, they’ve been by here recently. Aidan kept his pace steady, but he was on high alert.
I turned to communicate to our group, and it was clear that the wolves behind realized the same thing.
Amethyst’s face was paler than normal. She sensed how the wolves felt.
Aidan turned right, trying to lose their scent. Hopefully, they were long gone and wouldn’t be doubling back any time soon. However, the more we continued in that direction, the stronger the smell became.
Hurry, let’s go in the opposite direction. We were heading straight to them. We’d assumed they would still be hanging out where they’d been earlier, and we’d been wrong … I just prayed we hadn’t been dead wrong.
Aidan pivoted, leading us to the left, and he picked up the pace.
Slow down. I said, feeling the panic wafting off him. For the first time ever, he wasn’t thinking clearly. They’ll hear us if you push Amethyst, Coral, and Samuel too hard.
Dammit, you’re right. He replied as he slowed, allowing us to catch up to him. I just have a bad feeling about this.
Take a deep breath and keep moving forward. That’s all we could do. If the Guild attacked us, we’d deal with it just like we had been doing. The closer we get to the vehicles, the less distance we have to fight.
With each step, paranoia filled me even more. It had to be Aidan’s mixing with my own fear. It didn’t matter though. I forced myself to tap into nature to help calm my ridden nerves.
A branch snapped less than a mile from us. A sound parallel to a train headed right in our direction. They’d picked up our scent.
Run, I shouted the words in my mind at Aidan. The scents were getting stronger, so we had nothing left to lose.
Aidan increased his speed, and soon, our group of ten was running with abandon through the woods. It didn’t matter that our feet pounded against the ground; they’d already found us.
My ears perked as I heard paws digging into the ground, rushing to get to us.
“They’re here,” Amethyst breathed.
I almost snapped, “No shit,’ but she could’ve been talking to Coral and Samuel for all I knew, so I bit back the words.
Luckily, we’re only a mile away from the vehicles. Aidan kept charging forward. Keep this pace until we have to stop. The closer we are, the better.
Witches could run fast, albeit not as fast as wolves.
The volume of our breathing competed with our running footsteps as adrenaline fueled our bodies. Just when the trees began to thin out and the vehicles came into view, three wolves sprang into our path.
None of us slowed as we pushed to reach the vehicles. However, the wolves were gaining ground.
Coral spun and lifted her hands and made a tree fall squarely in front of the wolves. The wolves jumped over the trunk like it was nothing.
“You three need to back down,” Remus ordered the three wolves, his words laced with alpha will, but they didn’t pause.
“Since you left the pack, they don’t consider you their alpha heir anymore.” Ivory pushed her legs, her long hair flying behind her like a cape.
The wolves were only ten feet away, which meant we needed to turn around and fight.
Aidan reached back and placed the keys in my hand. Get everyone else in the car while we fight them off. Honk once you’re settled, and I’ll make my way to you.
I wanted to argue, but he was right. We needed to hurry and stay together in case more wolves appeared.
“Come on, let’s keep going.” I waved the group behind me on and ran even harder.
I turned around to see Aidan, Logan, and Remus taking on the three wolves. Of course, the three of them would. You better be safe.
All three of us are former Hallowed Guild members. We know how they fight better than anyone else here. Aidan cut our connection off as a wolf lunged at him.
I stopped in my tracks, and right as I began heading back, Amethyst grabbed my arm.
“We have to get in the car.” Amethyst shook me gently. “You going back there will only prolong this.”
Dammit. How did she know that? Miserable empath.
It took all my self-control to turn around and rush back to the Suburban. Everything in me told me to go help my mate, but what if I caused him to get hurt?
The wolves tried to get past the three men, but they were holding their own. Cries and whimpers came from the enemy wolves.
The dirt ground blended with gravel. My hands shook as I mashed the UNLOCK button repeatedly. That son of a bitch better be unlocked when we get there.
The other vehicle honked, alerting me that Samuel had done the same thing. When we reached the Suburban, I went to the driver’s side, yanked the door open, and climbed in. Beth ran with the witches to the other vehicle as the hybrid girls piled in with me.
I honked the horn several times and linked with Aidan. We’re in.
Remus squatted, and as the wolf jumped at him, he stood, swinging his hands up and right into the wolf’s neck. The gray wolf flipped in the air and landed hard on its back.
He turned and ran to Aidan, who was fighting a wolf on its hind legs. The wolf was swinging its paws and trying to sink its claws into my mate’s skin.
The moment I was about to get out, Remus punched the wolf hard in the head. The wolf’s head wobbled before it fell over.
Thank God. I sagged against the steering wheel. I’d really thought that Aidan might get hurt.
The two of them reached Logan right as he head-butted the wolf. He then picked the animal up and threw it fifteen feet away.
Aidan linked with me as the three of them took off toward us. Start the car.
Seeing him run toward me broke me out of whatever torture spell I’d been in. I stuck the key in the ignition and started the car. “Open the back door.”
Ivory sat in the middle seat facing the woods. She flung the door open and jumped into the back on the driver’s side.
I leaned over the center console, ignoring the pain that erupted from my side, and pushed open the huge-ass door.
The three men were running at full speed as the three wolves chased them down.
As soon as my ass hit my seat again, Aidan jumped into the front passenger seat as the other two large men climbed in the back.
Tires squealed as Samuel burned out of our spot, getting out of my way.
Even before the doors were shut, I pressed the gas hard. The back end of the car swung to the side, and the wheels spat up gravel. One of the wolves lunged for us, the car jerked forward, and I spun onto the road.
Samuel raced back toward town, and I stayed right behind him. In the side mirror, I saw the wolves running as hard as they could to keep up with us.
“Let’s get to town fast,” Aidan said, his raspy voice fueling my anxiety even more.
A few cars passed us, heading in the opposite direction. It would at least give the wolves pause before they did something stupid.
Logan hunkered and headed in the backseat to sit on the side, putting Gabby in the center. Beyond that, no one else made a noise.
“They’re stopping,” Gabby called from the backseat. “Why?”
“My father must be summoning them.” Remus pulled himself into the seat Ivory had been sitting in. “They’re regrouping to hunt us.”