Page 15 of Betrayed By the Alpha Wolf

He didn’t budge.

If we die here, we’ll never get back to her. And I…Idowant to get back to her.

My wolf rushed forward, taking over my physical form in a snap that sent me reeling from beneath the water. I was thrust out onto the bank, my muscles on fire. The mental words I’d spoken still echoed in my head. I wanted to get back to her; that’s all I’d said to him.

And I knew it wouldn’t have worked if it wasn’t the truth.

Then, the boars hit me, rushing in my direction as soon as I looked up from where my body had hit the ground. I dug my claws into the ground, twisting onto my feet and tearing off toward them with my fangs bared. They were big creatures, hulking and aggressive.

But I was bigger.

Boars were also pretty stupid as far as predators went. They barreled toward me with their tusks lowered, the perfect angle to jut up into my gut. Still, they rushed directly forward, not bothering to consider whether I would dodge out of the way, which is precisely what I did.

Ducking into a roll, I popped up behind them, slashing my claws through the belly of one before leaping on the other and going straight for the jugular. Blood spurted into my mouth, salty and warm, and I let it drip from my jaws.

They were down, but I knew this fight was far from over. There was still the matter of getting out of there, and with the adrenaline ebbing slightly, the pain in my calf screamed all the harder.

I looked around, my wolven eyes picking out textures and movement from a fair distance and zeroing in. Choal had gonethat way, and the scent wafting from that direction—soil and fireplace—supported that fact.

Taking off at a dead sprint, I pushed my body as hard as I could, rushing over the brush and undergrowth even as my leg demanded I stop. I had no time for that shit. I needed to be the first out of this damn maze, and my wolf form was controlling things now, my instincts commanding I get back to Kenzie in equal measure.

The paths zigzagged through another large stand of trees, and I could start to hear the sound of paws crunching leaves up ahead of me. I was closing in. If I could maybe tackle Choal to the ground, I could roll through and keep going toward the exit.

A low growl rumbled through the woods.

That wasn’t Choal.Slowing my pace enough to better track my surroundings, I searched for the source of the sound. A whine bit out through the silence, followed by another deep growl. The whine I could recognize, and if memory served, that sound was…

As I pulled to a stop before the next clearing, the exit just a few meters past it, I saw Choal struggling to fight against another hulking form.

A bear. Of course.

My stomach clenched at the thought of tangling with the beast. Wolf shifters were larger than your typical wolf, but we weren’t as massive as a grizzly. They had us by at least a few hundred pounds, and if we did have to take one down, we usually did it together.

And that’s probably what this was attempting to test. Choal and I were auditioning for Alpha. We were meant to lead. The two of us together could possibly take down a grizzly.Moreover, working together, we’d at least survive one long enough to get out of this damn maze, which the grizzly wouldn’t think to do.

I rushed over, circling behind the grizzly and distracting it enough so that Choal could get up. As I eyed him for about a second, I tried to send my thoughts to him.Work with me, you asshole.

Even in his wolf form, he looked reluctant, but after a moment, we fell into a pack formation, circling and nipping at the bear to get it off balance and split between whom he wanted to attack more.

Time slowed and sped up one after the other, the bullet-time sensation of dodging a blow followed by the hurried scramble to get further away or land a quick strike to the bear’s hindquarters.

But then I felt my claws connect deeper than they had. The bear roared out, dropping as his leg gave out. That was enough. We didn’t need to kill it, and the thing could heal from that. It was time to go.

Just as I hurried toward Choal, the bear lashed out, raking his claws through the air at Choal. I knocked him out of the way, but pain licked through my lower back as my skin tore. Rolling over the ground, I pulled Choal up by the scruff of his neck, the flesh over my kidney burning.

It didn’t feel too bad, but trying to get Choal moving was like dragging a damn elephant. He was punch-drunk and sloppy, his steps wobbling. He wasn’t going to make it if I left him out here.

Dammit, you bastard. You were content enough to leave my ass, and here I am, hauling you to the exit.

The bear didn’t follow as we pushed for the exit, and I was grateful for it. I knew I was leaking, and that would only diminish my abilities. I needed to get through this damn maze and shift back so that I could heal.

Inch by inch, I pulled Choal, who was in no way a help, until we got to the “finish line.” As soon as my paws crossed the obvious line set up, noting the audience house just a few feet down the hill up ahead, I crashed to the ground.

Choal was breathing hard on me, and my vision was going fuzzy.

But I did it.

Thudding steps roared across the ground in my direction, and I lifted my head just enough to see the packs running toward us. The remaining Williams went straight for Choal while Jet and Kaiden beat feet toward me.

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