Page 99 of The Beta's Blind Date

A deafening bang echoes through the interior, and the vehicle jolts to the side of the road, spinning on the icy ground several times before coming to a stop, facing the wrong way. My head slams into the window and the headrest, and I clutch at it, where I can feel a bruise already forming.

I groan and shift in my seat, leaning forward, but Dominic’s hand darts out, holding me in place.

“What—”

“Shh!”

I follow his gaze to the middle of the road in front of us, to the mangy gray, yellow-eyed wolf with foaming jaws, and my heart leaps into my throat, pounding, blood rushing through my ears.

A rogue.

“Go,”I mindlink him.“Push on the gas and run him down.”

“I can’t,”he replies, his eyes flicking to the dented hood, where smoke and steam pour out into the freezing winter night air.

“You can risk driving the small distance to run him off the road,”I argue.“Then—”

My words are cut off by the jerking of the vehicle on its tires, wobbling as four loud pops and hisses echo off the mountain. The lone rogue stalks closer, still in the middle of the road, which means he’s not alone. He has backup.

Dominic’s claws extend and fur sprouts from his knuckles; his body already mid-shift as he readies himself to fight.“Run,”he mindlinks me.“Run to the safe room bunker.”

“I can fight,”I reply as movement from the driver’s side catches my eye. Rogues circle us, waiting, biding their time. They know we’re sitting ducks.“I can help you. I’m trained the same as any full-fledged warrior in Silver Ridge.”

“But can you shift?”

I bite my lip and close my eyes, focusing on my wolf, on shifting. But just like at my challenge, there is a block, a wall, something keeping my wolf from coming forward and my shift from happening. I shake my head and his hand moves to mine, squeezing it within his.

“Run as fast as you can,”he says, and I slip my high heels off, my heart racing in my chest and my breaths shaky.“I will distract them so you can get away. The pack is under attack, too. Delta Conor just linked me. Mindlink someone—your aunt or my mom—when you reach our border so they know you’re on your way and can keep the door from bolting shut until you’re there.”

“Dominic—”

“You can do this, Taryn. I know you can. And this is my job as alpha.”

I swallow and give him one quick nod, and then he bursts out through the door, shifting into his lycan with a mighty roar, drawing the attention of the small group of rogues.

They lunge at him, pouncing, and as soon as they are on him, I bolt, taking off through the trees and up the hill. The snow beneath my feet is freezing, but I keep my eyes ahead, sprinting through the trees and ignoring the pain from the temperature and the ice cutting into my feet. I recognize a border marker—a tree branded with our pack crest—and I reach out to my aunt through the pack link.

“Gigi! There are rogues on the road near the pack. I’m on my way to the safe house, and—”

“The bunker is destroyed,”she replies.“The entire pack is under attack. All the buildings are burning, and we’ve implemented Plan B. You need to get to safety.”

I grit my teeth and alter my path, running down the hill towards the spot where our border backs up to the Amber Forest border. If Plan B has been implemented, that means someone will alert the other packs—if they haven’t already—and they will expect us or will have scouts and warriors assembling to assist with fighting and rescue.

My head throbs from the crash and my muscles and lungs burn, but I keep pushing, running through and darting around the trees. Screams and shouting and sounds of fighting make their way to me from every corner of the forest, urging me to run faster. I don’t try to shift into my wolf, because attempting that would use up focus and energy I cannot spare.

I’m near the border when I hear it. Paws pounding the ground, slamming into it, harsh panting and snarling from behind me.

I risk a glance backwards, and a dirty, brown wolf follows me, his yellow eyes glowing and gleaming, his muzzle stained with blood and foam. His rogue stench of garbage and mildew hits my nose, and I retch once before turning forward and picking up my pace.

But the ice, snow, and the torn-up soles of my feet overpower me, and I stumble over a tree root, sprawling out onto the ground with a grunt. I scramble to my hands and knees, pushing myself to my feet, but claws dig into my thigh, yanking down and tearing both fabric and flesh.

I scream and grit my teeth, panting as I fight through the pain and the stinging of my thigh. The rogue lunges towards me again, but I’m ready this time and kick him in the chest, knocking him back at least one foot. I continue backing up, alternating between looking behind me for obstacles and looking at the rogue so I’m prepared for another assault.

He’s relentless, chasing me and lunging at me, and I know he’s trying to wear me out, but I have to keep fighting back. It would be easier if I could shift, but my wolf refuses to come out, even though my life is at stake, even though I need her now more than ever.

The rogue lunges again, this time biting into my leg, right where he already scratched me. I let out another bloodcurdling scream and fall to the ground, bile rising in my throat and tears stinging my eyes as I push at him with my hands and my other foot, trying to get him off me.

“Help me!” I yell, my voice hoarse and heavy with tears and exhaustion. “Please!”

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