Chapter 20
He was here.
As always, I felt him before I saw him. I turned, and there, at the base of the incline, was Kole, a line of wolves either side of him.
He was hiding, no doubt presuming I couldn’t see him.
He wasn’t going to corner me on the ridge and make the same mistake twice.
He was waiting for me to come down. I looked away, pretending as if I hadn’t seen him while I came up with a plan.
I couldn’t go back down. Not that way, anyway. The only other way was over the ridge and down. I was a solid free climber but I had no idea what the cliff face looked like. Only one way to find out.
Moving fast, I eased myself over. It would take them maybe ten minutes to get around the base of the mountain. I had to get there first.
My luck held. Ridges and foot holds littered the face and I made my way down in minutes, pausing halfway. Trees littered one side of the cliff and I got an idea.
I made my way across the cliff face, took a breath, then jumped.
I landed in the tree, hunched over a branch, the wind knocked out of me.
My face was scratched and I could feel blood dripping down my cheek.
I pulled myself up and somehow managed to get my balance.
It was a miracle I was still moving, starved and exhausted as I was.
I could only blame it on the adrenaline.
Carefully, I began moving from one tree to the next. Every swing from one branch to another had me holding my breath, hoping I wouldn’t break my neck.
It was slower than running but if I kept my scent off the ground they would have no idea which way I’d headed. Maybe they’d even double back on themselves.
I got half a mile from the mountain before the trees grew sparse, forcing me to climb down.
I picked up the pace, running hard, using that pool of lava-like rage to propel me faster, faster. I just had to keep going.
My mind raced as I plotted my next move.
I needed to hide, I needed water, I needed people.
My feet pounded the earth but there was that tingle, that ripple, so visceral this time I almost doubled over.
Kole was claiming me, reaching out for me with that Alpha power, but I outstripped it, refusing to give in.
I heard a sound that lit hope in my heart.
Wheels. Wheels on tarmac. A car! It was possibly miles away but I could hear it.
I ran, pumping my legs harder, harder. If I got close enough to people, I had to hope Kole would hold back.
That he wouldn’t slaughter them to get to me and risk exposing what he was.
I was gaining closer, closer when I heard a strange click. I felt metal under my foot, and then blinding pain.
I fell to the ground, unable to hold back the scream splitting out of me. I looked down. Steel jaws were sunk deep into my flesh. I heard howls from every direction. Frantic, I grabbed at the trap. I cried out again as I pulled at the jaws but they weren’t going anywhere. I couldn’t get free.
I was going to be caught.
I was going to be…
I screamed in agony, in frustration, the trap sinking deeper into my left leg as I fought to be free even though I knew it was pointless now.
Arms clamped around me, warm and familiar.
Kole.
“Stay still, you’ll make it worse.”
I couldn’t. They were going to take me back. He was going to…
“I won’t go back,” I sobbed as I fought with everything I had.
Hands were on my leg, holding me still. Bodies loomed over me, Konnor among them and four male faces I didn’t recognise.
Siobhan…she was there too. I had no time to be relieved to see her alive, the metal ripping through my flesh robbed me of everything but pain.
I struggled harder, kicking at Konnor and another man as they held my leg down. I caught Konnor in the head and twisted, manic in my desperation to get away from them. I was insane, all rationality stripped out of my mind. Panic and terror consumed me. I had to get away. I had to.
I turned and fresh pain shot through me, the crack in the air unmistakable as my leg snapped. I let out an ear piercing scream. Kole gripped me again, holding me close as hands everywhere pinned me down.
“Get that fucking thing off of her!” Kole roared over me but it was too late, my leg was a broken, bloody mess. I stared at it in shock, at the bone, at the blood, at the flimsy piece of flesh that was all that held it together now.
I would never run again. I would never climb or hike or be free again. It was over. My world blurred and I looked up, finding the sky, seeing my freedom disappear.
“Please…please…” I wanted to die now. Moira Tourke had been right, but the wish to die had come much sooner than she’d predicted. My blood spilled into the earth and I willed it to spill faster, to spare me the fate that waited for me if I lived.
“Iona, stay awake, please.” Kole pulled me closer, his hand cupping my face as he whispered. “Just keep looking at me.”
I did, peering up into his green eyes. My body felt light, the pain fading as I faded too. “Let me go.”
“I can’t. Just stay with me, okay? I’ll make everything right.”
“Liar…” I couldn’t see him anymore, my vision blurring, but my body knew he was there and there was comfort in that.
“Iona, stay awake, please. Stay here. Don’t leave me.”
But I had no choice. The world was fading and I was tired of fighting it. I felt his warmth, his hand cupping my cheek. The scent of his hair, his skin…
“Wake up, Iona. I order you to open your eyes.” His voice was harsh in my ears. I felt his power jolt through me and my eyelids fluttered open.
I stared up at him, barely able to make out his handsome face. What had this man done to me?
“I’m sorry…I’m sorry…” His words swam to me on pain filled clouds, his agony palpable, swarming my own. He held me close. “Stay with me, Iona. I’ll fix it all, I promise. But you have to stay.”
But I couldn’t. I could feel my life bleeding out of me and I welcomed it. I had never felt this beaten. The jaws were wrenched out of my leg and the last thing I saw was those beautiful greens as everything faded to black.