Page 14 of Out of Peril

I wanted to cry out in agony. I wanted to beg her to return. I needed her to know that I would protect her no matter what because even though she was indeed a beast, she was still mine. I couldn’t say or do anything, though, as I watched it all in horror.

Then suddenly, she turned and dove back towards us.

“Get down!” Taylor yelled grabbing at me as she hit the ground along with everyone else around, but I'd just stood there in shock.

Suddenly, sharp claws locked around my armpits and lifted me into the air. They didn't hurt me in any way, just held me like a vice around my shoulders and arms. Then I was flying.

“Walter!” I heard Taylor scream.

“What the hell just happened?” Tarren asked through coms.

“Some beast of a witch just flew off with him,” Taylor replied, and I couldn't help but scold her for breaking cover.

“Tay, remember your role,” I told her.

She scoffed.

“Dude, you've just been kidnapped and that’s what you're worried about?”

“Are we able to track him?” I heard Silas asked.

“Yes, sir,” Tarron confirmed. “Coms are currently holding, too.”

“We're going to get you back,” Silas assured me, but even as he did, his voice began to break out.

“She's flying fast. He'll be completely out of range soon. Don't worry, we can still track . . .” His voice faded, and I just prayed he was going to end that sentence with “they can still track me despite losing coms.”

It took a moment before reality truly set in, and by then, we were flying over the Caribbean Sea, or was it the Gulf of Mexico? I didn’t know for sure where one stopped and the other began, but it seemed like a strange thing to think about at a time like this that a hysterical giggle welled up and escaped me.

This was insane and couldn't possibly be real. I had to have been drugged or was stuck in some weird-ass dream I didn't know how to escape. Nothing about it made sense, so my brain couldn't quite grasp what was actually happening to me.

The air was cool, but my inner wolf kept me warm enough. As we flew, I started to relax and just enjoy the views. Aside from an occasional ship, I mostly saw blue with a scattering of small islands. It was beautiful from this vantage point and quite peaceful.

I had forgotten all about the kids who were riding on her back until they both screamed.

“Lindsey!” the little boy screamed as I watched in horror as he slowly slid off of her and fell through the air.

My heart raced and a fear like I'd never experienced before gripped me.

She altered her course to go after him. I could feel her claws loosen around me and knew she was trying to grab for him the same she'd done to me. Panic set in and I wasn't sure if it was my panic or hers.

As we got close to him, I reached out and grabbed him, pulling the child close to me as he wrapped his arms around me and held on for dear life.

“I've got him,” I shouted, needing to assure her as well as myself and the kid.

“Don’t let go!” he begged.

“You're safe,” I assured him.

I had no idea how long I could hold onto him like this, but I knew I would do everything I could to keep him safe.

A short time later, we approached a tiny island, and I realized she had dropped to a lower elevation. She circled the island three times before softly landing us on the beach. There had been no sign of life anywhere. We were stranded on a deserted island.

When she let go of me, I dropped just a few feet as the boy and I rolled onto the sand. She lowered herself to allow the girl to climb off and run around to check on her brother.

“Dante! Are you okay?” the girl asked.

“I'm fine. He saved me,” the kid said like he couldn't believe it.

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