Page 42 of Beckett's Fate

The danger in the air was suffocating, every second stretching into an eternity as they waited. Beck’s wolf snarled within, a fierce need to protect her surging through him.

But as the footsteps stopped just around the bend in the cavern, Beck’s heart hammered in his chest.

They’d been found.

And now, there was no way out.

15

IRENE

Afaint scuffle came as the boots cautiously made their way inside—the sound sending a chill racing down Irene’s spine. The hunters were wearing headlamps on their hats, projecting light on the wall that seemed to dance with the shadows in a kind of macabre waltz. Irene’s grip on her flashlight tightened, her knuckles white as the shadows seemed to come closer. She looked to Beck, his imposing figure tense and ready, every muscle coiled with the promise of violence if it came to that.

“They’re here,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the sound of her own heartbeat.

Beck looked at her, his gaze sharp and steady. Beneath the surface, Irene knew, his wolf raged as did hers. “We’re going to need to move fast and to fight. They’re coming this way, and they’re not going to want to chat. If you can get past them and head back the way we came. Knox should be coming.”

Irene said nothing but punched him in his bicep. “Your plan sucks. We stay together. Aren’t you the guy who wants me to believe that a pack is always stronger than the individual? Well at least for today, I’m your pack.”

He started to argue and then must have realized how useless that would be. Irene swallowed hard, her mind racing. She wasn’t afraid to fight, but she wasn’t naive enough to think they could take on a group of armed hunters in human form. Their wolves, though—that was a different story.

Beck must have read her mind, his hand already moving to the buttons of his shirt. “Strip,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Her cheeks flared, but she nodded, unzipping her jacket and yanking it off as Beck pulled his shirt over his head. They worked quickly, stripping down to bare skin, the urgency of the moment leaving no time for modesty. She stuffed their clothes into her pack, tightening the straps with quick, efficient motions before leaning it up against the cave wall—out of the way, but easy to get to.

The scuffling grew louder, echoing down the narrow passageway that led to the chamber they’d been exploring.

Irene risked a glance at Beck. His expression was grim, his eyes glowing faintly as his wolf pushed to the surface. She could feel the raw power radiating off him, a force that made her own wolf stir with anticipation.

“We do this together,” Beck said, his voice a low growl as he crouched beside her. “Stay close, no matter what happens.”

She nodded, her heart pounding as the familiar heat of her shift began to build beneath her skin. The air around her shimmered, the cavern’s dim light bending and crackling as her body gave way to the primal power within.

The swirling mist of her shift was warm and electric, sparking faintly as it enveloped her. Beside her, Beck’s mist swirled dark and thick, the crackle of his energy sending a ripple through her own. Their wolves emerged side by side, two massive forms that filled the cavern with their presence.

Irene shook her head, clearing the last vestiges of her human thoughts as her wolf senses sharpened. She could feel Beck’s presence like a steady drumbeat, his protective instincts wrapping around her like a shield.

The hunters rounded the corner, their flashlights cutting through the dim chamber.

“What the hell—” one of them started, his voice faltering as the dual mists crackled and melted away completely, the air thick with an almost tangible charge.

Beck’s black wolf stood tall and formidable, his fierce blue eyes glowing with feral intensity. Irene’s red wolf was smaller but no less imposing, her sleek frame coiled with power, her eyes locked on the intruders.

For a moment, the hunters froze, their weapons half-raised as they stared at the wolves before them. Irene knew it was one thing to know wolf-shifters existed, but to be trapped in a small cavern with them was another thing entirely. The primal energy radiating from the pair seemed to fill the chamber, a warning that sent a shiver down the spine of even the boldest hunter.

“Shifters,” one of the men muttered, his voice trembling.

“No kidding,” another snapped, his hands fumbling with his rifle. “Take them out before they?—”

Irene moved first, her wolf lunging forward with a ferocious snarl. Beck was right beside her, his powerful frame slamming into the nearest hunter with the force of a freight train. The man went down hard, his weapon clattering to the ground as Beck’s massive jaws snapped perilously close to his face.

Irene darted toward the second hunter, her claws raking across his chest as he stumbled back, his flashlight tumbling to the floor and plunging the chamber into near darkness.

The hunters shouted, their movements frantic as they scrambled to regroup. But the wolves were faster, theircombined strength and ferocity overwhelming the intruders with an efficiency that left no room for recovery.

One of the men managed to raise his rifle, but Beck was on him in an instant, his powerful jaws clamping down on the barrel and wrenching it from his grip. The man screamed, his voice echoing through the cavern as he stumbled back, his weapon now a useless piece of scrap.

Irene turned her attention to the last hunter, her wolf circling him with a low, guttural growl that made him freeze in place. His hands shook as he raised them in surrender, his wide eyes darting between her and Beck.

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