Page 9 of In The Shadow of The Wolf

Lance turned and burned him with a stare that was crippling. “What part of your brain thought that it was a good idea to terrorize the Alpha and Beta mates?” Lance spat at him. “They are our mates, the most precious things in our lives, and we entrusted their care to you. You treated them like they were worthless, and in doing so, you treated Aaron and me like we were also worthless.” Lance turned his back on Terry. “Get out of my sight.”

Terry crumbled under the disappointment in Lance’s expression. He would have preferred the rage and a quick death to this feeling of . . . having failed him. They had trusted him, and he had let them down with his own bigoted attitude and behavior. He had failed them both. They both kept their backs to him as he got into his cruiser and left.

“They aren’t going to give up easily. We gave them to Terry and assured them that they would be safe. They aren’t going to believe us again.” Aaron pointed out.

Lance sighed heavily. “They probably think we wanted them disposed of. That’s what I would be thinking if I were them.” Lance and Aaron headed around the back of the gas station and started following their scent through the woods, which was still strong.

“They also probably think that we’ve already called Randall.” Lance nodded in agreement. “They aren’t going to come with us willingly.”

…

“I believe the highway was north of us from town, and the cop drove us northeast for about thirty minutes, so I’m pretty sure the highway is this way.” Ronan pointed ahead of him in the direction they had been traveling after Molly questioned their direction.

“How is it you know that, Ronan?” She was impressed.

“There aren’t any stars because it isn’t dark, so I can’t navigate by them, so I just went old school and looked for the moss to get my bearings.” He chuckled. “Sure, glad I was listening when that Eagle Scout came to speak to my environmental class in high school. Who knew I would eventually find that information valuable?”

“I plan on sending that Eagle Scout a thank you note when we get out of this,” Molly stated with gratitude.

“I really thought that big guy Lance liked me.” Ronan voiced his thoughts. “I even believed him when he said that he would protect us from Randall, and we never had to be afraid again. And Aaron, holy cow, he looked at you like you were a choice piece of his favorite apple pie. How was it that we misread them so badly?” Molly didn’t answer immediately. “Don’t tell me you weren’t affected because I saw the way you laid your head on his shoulder.”

“Oh, I wasn’t going to deny anything. I was just trying to come up with an answer to your question. I believed Aaron too. Until we got into the back seat of that squad car, I really thought we were safe and had nothing to worry about.” Molly stumbled over some roots, but Ronan caught her and set her back on her feet, and they continued to head north. “Wow, never knew you were such a woodsman Ronan.”

“Nothing major; it’s just that I’m wearing better foot gear than you.” He pointed to his feet which were encased in a pair of rugged work boots, and then he pointed to her feet. She was wearing a pair of lightweight ballet slippers. “Not the best choice for running from assailants through a rough wooded terrain.”

It had been nearly two hours since they got away from that asshole Terry, and finally, Ronan pointed to what was clearly a roadway ahead. They were within a half-mile when Molly stumbled again, only this time, she twisted her ankle to the degree that she was unable to get up.

“I think I broke it, Roe.” She only called him Roe in times of intense emotion when she forgot that he was an adult and no longer her little Roe. Ronan knew she was scared.

“We’ll make it, Molly.” He bent and lifted her into his arms and kept walking. “It’s not that far.”

Lance and Aaron made good time and were confident they would find them quickly. They didn’t have to shift into their wolf forms to locate them. Tracking humans was relatively easy, and tracking one’s own mate was even easier. Ronan and Molly kept moving at a surprisingly fast pace, but a wolf could track their mate through anything, even a blizzard or a hurricane. They would find them soon, and for Terry’s sake, they had better be unharmed.

Lance berated himself for having put Ronan in a position that left him afraid and running again. It had taken him years to finally locate his mate, and what did he do but put him into the hands of someone who proceeded to scare the shit out of him. He knew that the closeness and trust that he had begun to build with the young human while back in town was most definitely destroyed. Ronan would no more trust him than he did Terry, for it was he who handed him over to Terry and assured him he and his sister would be safe.

“I see them,” Aaron announced as they broke into a run. “Molly’s hurt; I can smell her pain . . . and her blood.” The frantic declaration had Aaron tearing through the woods towards his mate. Lance indicated for him to circle around and get in front of the two.

As soon as Ronan realized that they were being chased, he too began to run. With Molly in his arms, his speed was compromised, but he was still able to keep ahead of them for a while, and maybe he would make it to the highway. He was not going to surrender. He would not give in this time.

Lance was stunned by the sight before him. Ronan had his sister in his arms and was running full out, nearly flying through the woods, not stumbling and not stopping. The speed and the strength the young man exhibited were astounding. He could feel the exhaustion coming from him in waves, and yet he kept going and even picked up speed.

Considering the diminutive size and slender shape of the man, the thought that he could carry his sister and run was shocking. But to be able to do it through such rough terrain was even more shocking. Lance had underestimated Ronan, and it touched him that the young man would struggle and fight so hard to protect what was his. This was a very good sign.

Ronan thought he was going to die. He was so exhausted, but he could not let them win. He could not let Molly down. She was hurt, and he had to make it to the road; they would be safe if they got to the road.

Just before he made it to the tree line that separated the woods from the road, Aaron rounded in front of them. Ronan pulled up short and swung around to head in the opposite direction, only to be blocked by Lance. Again, he stopped and swung back as the two men stepped closer and closer, blocking them in. Ronan’s eyes shifted back and forth from one to the other, searching for an escape as he clutched Molly tighter to his chest.

“Your sister is hurt. Let me help you, please.” Aaron pleaded with him. He felt her fear and her pain, and it was overwhelming him. It would be only minutes until he could no longer hold back his beast, and he would take Molly from him. Her need was pervasive, and he had to answer. He had no choice.

“Stay back!” Ronan shouted and backed away as much as was possible. He could see Lance moving steadily closer with his hands outstretched in front of him in a non-aggressive stance.

“Please, Roe, you can’t keep running.” Molly’s voice was labored. Each word was forced out between pain-filled breaths. “I don’t trust them either, but we have no choice. Please . . . Roe, let them help us.”

“I know our assurances mean nothing to you now, and I am sorry for that. But please, we really only want to help you.” Lance continued to inch closer to Ronan with each word, as did Aaron. “Aaron will call for assistance and take your sister to the roadway and wait. You’re tired, Roe. You’ve done what you can. Let us help you, please.” Lance was close enough that he was able to reach out and carefully place a gentle hand on Ronan’s upper arm. Aaron stepped forward and, with a pleading look on his face, reached out for Molly, hoping that Ronan would hand her over.

“It’s okay, Roe. I want Aaron to help me.” Molly reassured him. Ronan looked down into her eyes and acquiesced.

Ronan checked the integrity in their eyes, both Aaron and Lance, before stepping towards Aaron and handing Molly to him. Aaron took her in his arms with a relieved sigh and hugged her tightly to his body.

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