Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
Dammit. They’d figured out that we were here—but how? My first thought was Carter, but it didn't feel right. He’d seemed genuinely sorry for betraying me, but maybe that was remorse for being caught instead of for helping me get kidnapped.
I could stew on the how later. The looming threat was all that mattered right now. We had to get out of here without any more deaths, and before the enemy trapped us.
"How many vehicles are there?" Griffin asked as he stepped over next to me.
"Four huge SUVs. You two need to get out and into your car, now—they'll be here in minutes. We're heading your way."
Of course, they were. At least I’d found Dad's stash, even though it would've been nice to figure out the riddle earlier; we could've bypassed this encounter. Thankfully, we weren't leaving empty-handed. "I think I've found what we were looking for." It'd be nice to confirm it by looking through the stuff, but we didn't have time. I had to trust my instinct. Dad wouldn't have hidden something if he didn't think it was valuable.
"Why am I not surprised?" Griffin kissed my cheek, as he glanced around the room. "You're kind of amazing. Let's find something to put it in."
"Let's not go overboard with the compliments." I was definitely not amazing—if I were, we wouldn't be in our current situation. I stood and picked up the drawer. "And we don't have time to pack it. We're taking it as is." I rushed out the door and headed down the hallway. Thankfully, the vehicles were already loaded, so we just needed to get in and go.
Griffin followed me, and I heard the jangle of the keys as he pulled them from his pocket.
As I entered the living room, the front door opened, and Killian's strained face appeared. He glanced at the drawer and then at Griffin and me. "Come on. They're pulling into the neighborhood now."
"Do we know how many there are?" I jogged past him and stepped outside.
I glanced at his truck, finding Sierra in the driver's seat. Her hands clutched the wheel, and her chest heaved with each breath. She looked petrified, and I kind of hated that Killian had included her in our mess.
They'd lump her in with me now, which meant there was no telling what the enemy would do to her family. It was clear that they weren't above hurting or abusing innocent people to get what they wanted.
Enough people had been hurt or threatened because of me, and I hated to add another person to the ever-growing list.
"I have no clue," Killian answered as Griffin ran outside.
Griffin pressed the unlock button on his key fob and the car doors clicked. I rushed to open the passenger door and set the drawer on the floorboard. Fortunately, the vehicles hadn't turned down the dead-end road yet and hadn't seen that we’d carried something out, and they probably wouldn’t be looking for anything in the car.
"Let's go," Griffin commanded as he hurried to the driver’s side door and opened it. He leaned over the seat like he was searching for something.
The sounds of engines rumbled, and the vehicles took the turn and rushed toward us. One of the windows rolled down, and the barrel of a gun poked out, aiming in our direction.
Shit. We would be huge targets in the vehicles.
"We need to go into the woods." Everything inside me screamed to get into the car and go, but the protector side knew it was a horrible idea. If we tried, they would blow out our tires, and then we'd be even more at their mercy. I couldn't let panic take over. "Otherwise, we're sitting ducks. The trees will offer some protection."
As if reinforcing my words, the gun fired, and a bullet hit the back tire of Killian's truck. Air poured out as the vehicle drooped.
"Dammit." Killian opened the passenger door and yelled, "Sierra, crawl over here and get out now ."
Don't press the lock button on the fob, or they'll wonder why we cared enough to lock the vehicle. I pressed the lock button on the inside of the door panel so the horn wouldn't beep, and then slammed it shut.
Griffin shut the driver’s door and ran toward me. He took my hand and tugged me toward the trees. "We've got to move."
The tires squealed as the vehicles came to a harsh stop.
We were about to run out of time. Killian and Sierra ran past the Navigator, and Griffin and I ran hard behind them.
A few shots were fired and hit the ground beside us, breaking up dirt.
We ran at an angle, using our cars for coverage. Car doors opened as the enemies climbed out in hot pursuit.
At least I was on land that I knew all too well. Worst case—if we had to—we could run all the way back to Shadow Ridge, but that would be hard with the four of us. When I had been alone, they'd almost caught me. With four of us, it would be a miracle if we all got away.
A loud caw sounded overhead, and I looked into the sky to find a black crow hovering there. It paused directly over me, flapping like it was taunting me. It held a branch in its talons and dropped it, making a faint crack . The crow cawed again, mocking me.
Dammit, we hadn't been alone when we’d arrived here, after all. That branch I'd heard must have been the crow. I'd been so focused on a threat at ground level that I hadn't thought about looking in the damn trees. I should've known better, but the emotional strain of being here had gotten the better of me—that was why I hadn't sensed anything out of the ordinary. The bird had been God knew how high in the sky, so I couldn't smell it.
At least that told me that whoever it was didn’t live close by. Granted, they’d have to take time to group and get here, but if they lived in a city close by, they would’ve gotten here during the night.
Killing that dumbass bird jumped even higher on my priority list. He had flown under the radar way too many times, but I wouldn't make that mistake again. At least, Carter hadn't betrayed us again. That was the silver lining, if there was one.
"We all need to split up," one of the enemies commanded. "Remember, do not kill the girl, but stop her by any means necessary."
So in other words, shoot, but not to kill.
"What about the other three?" another man asked, bullets jangling as he loaded his gun.
"They don't matter," the first man responded. "Our mission is to get the girl."
Follow me. At some point, we would need to split up—but right now, I needed to get us far enough away that we all could talk. The first priority was getting past the crow.
I took off running deeper into the woods. A small cave sat about four hundred yards away that we should be able to use for shelter for at least a little while.
The three of them ran after me. I zigzagged, hoping to confuse the crow. Its wings flapped overhead, confirming what I already knew…it was tracking us to alert the idiots.
We were going to have to split up. We couldn't shake the crow.
Coming to a stop, I faced the other three and spoke quietly. We’d gained enough distance from our pursuers that if we talked softly enough, they wouldn't be able to hear. "We need to split up. That damn crow is following us. I'd hoped to hide out in a nearby cave for a little while until their group split up to look for us, but that won't work."
"So, what do we do?" Sierra asked with trepidation.
I took a deep breath so I wouldn’t snap at her. It was clear that the only one besides myself with any sort of training was Killian. But Sierra was here, trying to help, and I had to remember that. She was definitely proving her loyalty. "First off, what weapons do we have?" I bent and pulled my knife from my ankle sheath.
"Even though I didn't want to, I did bring something when you went missing." Killian lifted his shirt, revealing a gun.
If I wasn’t mated to Griffin and didn't consider Killian a brother, I would've kissed him right then. I'd expected to be the only one with a weapon. "Anyone else?"
"Believe it or not, me too." Griffin pulled out a gun from his waistband. "I'm learning that, when it comes to you, we all need to be prepared."
"What?" I couldn't believe my eyes. "How the hell did I not know you had that on you?" We'd had sex the night before, and he hadn’t had it then. It was like it appeared out of thin air.
"It was in the Navigator," he said with pride. "That's why I opened the door in the first place."
We actually had a better chance with two guns. The men tracking us wouldn't expect that, based on the last several fights they’d had with us. We’d never had guns in the pack before; only the handful of our guards that they’d taken out had carried them.
"Do you know how to shoot?" I didn't mean to come off condescending. Griffin was a strong wolf and a good fighter in animal form…the problem was when he was in human form. He didn't have strong skills then—although, that one punch he’d given Carter had shown good form.
"Yes…believe it or not, I do." Griffin sighed. "I didn't grow up training for battle, only politics, but the Shadow City leaders are all about target practice for leisure."
I'd take any wins we could get. "Okay, then let's split into two groups." I'd initially thought we'd all four separate, but that would be too risky—especially with Sierra weaponless. Killian was a trained fighter, so it made sense for her to go with him. "Griffin and I will stay together. You two head off that way." I pointed in the direction we'd been heading. "If you stay straight, it'll take you to a cave that you can use for cover. If you go to the side where the opening backs up to a wall, there's a section that's covered all around except for in front of you. You can use it to keep these guys at bay."
"What about you two?" Killian frowned. "We could all go there together."
"The cave isn't large enough for all four of us." We didn't have time to debate everything. "And if they stay grouped together, they can strategize more. If they split up, they can't make as much of a coordinated effort. You’ve gotta assume they have tranquilizer guns and can mind link. We can't."
"She knows the area and is a fucking silver wolf. She was born for this kind of thing." Sierra took a step in the direction I'd indicated. "And the longer we stay here, the faster they'll find us."
"Fine, but text us if you get in trouble." Killian hugged me tightly. "And please don't get captured." His body was rigid with tension and concern.
"Same to you two." I returned the embrace.
The sound of footsteps broke the moment. The enemy was coming, and faster than I'd given them credit for. Not willing to speak again, I gestured toward the cave.
Killian nodded and patted Griffin on the back before taking off. He and Sierra kept in step with each other as they ran in the direction I'd told them to.
Any ideas for us? Griffin held the gun at his side with his finger on the trigger.
I moved southward, away from Killian and Sierra, making sure our enemies would hear us and split. Even though I was their end goal, they’d have to keep an eye on the other two. No fighter would ignore two people who could be threats. Unfortunately, there isn't a spot like that for us. We're going to have to run so they’ll at least split up, and then fight.
As if they’d figured out our plan, their footsteps paused, and the leader spoke quietly, "They split up. It's clear the silver wolf went that way, so let's separate. This half goes with me, and the rest of you follow Bo's lead."
They were speaking out loud, which made me think that maybe they weren’t pack, either. At least this put us on more equal grounds.
"Got it," a guy responded, and half the group moved in the opposite direction from us.
"From here on out, we don't talk," the leader commanded. "We need to be as quiet as possible to try to surprise them." The group took off again, but they were noisier, probably because they didn't know the terrain. Luckily, they wouldn't get the drop on us.
Is there a way we can round them up or lock them in somewhere? Griffin kept pace with me.
I wished there was somewhere like that, but it was going to be hand-to-hand combat. We can get to the river so no one can sneak up behind us. I could maybe shift and have them focus on me so you can pick them off one at a time.
In other words, use you as bait? Griffin's anger was palpable through the bond. Hell, no. Unacceptable. Absolutely not.
The problem was this wasn't up for debate. They’re gunning for me…the rest of you are collateral damage. We have to think strategically. If we dangle me in front of them, they’ll be more focused on capturing me than hurting you. It's our best chance of making it out with minimal injuries.
Griffin growled. It sounds like you've already made up your mind.
Having him upset with me didn't sit well. This was our first disagreement, but I knew using me as bait was our best and safest strategy. I owed it to all of us to take the least risky approach. If things get too dicey, I promise to shift back to human and fight alongside you.
The suggestion seemed to appease the beast, and his anger receded. Okay. I'm not thrilled with this suggestion, but I trust you. If you think this is best, I'll go along with it. Just…please don't make me regret it.
My heart warmed. Thank you. I'm going to shift now, but take my knife so I don’t lose it.
I handed him the knife and sheath, and he put it in his pocket.
The sound of our pursuers’ feet hadn't gotten any closer—probably because they were moving slower, making sure they kept on our trail. They hadn't caught wind of us yet, which was miraculous.
Not bothering to strip, I called my wolf forward. She obliged willingly, sensing the trouble we were in.
My bones cracked as I shifted from human to wolf, and my skin tingled as fur sprouted all over my body. My clothes ripped away, and soon I stood on four legs.
A loud caw grated on my nerves, followed by the flapping of wings.
I lifted my head to see the crow flying over us, making enough racket that the enemy wolves would be able to find us. He hadn't made that move until I shifted, which meant he knew I was up to something.
I’d hoped to be closer to the water before they picked up our trail. I can't wait to kill that bird. Maybe you can shoot it.
It would be my pleasure. Griffin kept pace beside me.
If we ever got some downtime and I could work with Griffin, he would be an excellent fighter in both wolf and human form. Maybe when we got out of this horrible situation, I'd demand we take time for him to train. It'd be good for both of us—it would help me maintain my skills, and he would learn some important moves that would help in situations like this one.
The enemy heard us and moved faster, as if not worried about sneaking up on us anymore.
We weren't going to make it to the water, but we at least knew no one was circling around us. I stopped running and turned in the direction they would appear.
It was time to fight, and I prayed that Griffin was a good shot.