Page 48 of War Games

Fenris finally looked away from the sky, his eyes searching my face.

“You think you can keep us out of his reach?”

“I’m damn well going to try,” I snarled, pulling him hard. A howl began, and it echoed endlessly in the forest around us as we started running.

I wasn’t sure how much time or distance we had on our pursuer, but I didn’t let the fear of that unknown make me look back. I kept hold of Fenris’s elbow, forcing him to keep pace with me.

Together, we’ll get out of this. We have to. We’ve gotten through worse shit.

I kept up on the trail, hoping to see my house. I couldn’t feel where we were being chased from, though, even though we were certainly in my territory. I should have been able to feel the other werewolf, but I couldn’t.

I heard it running behind us after some time, though. Fenris and I were panting, but we didn’t relent. It was catching up, anyway. It didn’t matter how fast we were going, it was catching up to us.

“We might have to fight it,” I said through labored breathing.

“We can’t, Rebel. If it catches us, we die.” He didn’t sound much better.

“You don’t know that!”

“I do! I’ve been running from it for a long time!” Fenris picked up speed, and my legs burned to keep up with him, but the lightning-fast footfalls of the werewolf pursuing us kept coming, and they were getting louder.

We never reached my house. It made no sense. I didn’t understand. My lungs and legs were burning, and my head felt like it was going to split open as I skidded to a stop at a cliff, Fenris right beside me.

As I panted, desperately looking for another option, he only sighed.

“It’s been a fun ride,” he said.

“What? Fenris, no?—”

He pushed me to the side as the werewolf, one I could finally see was in its Last Change, jumped out of the darkness. It sent them both over the cliff.

“FENRIS!” I screamed as I scrambled to the edge. I leaned over, trying to find them, but they were gone.

He was gone, and there was nothing I could have done to stop it.

I sobbed and screamed hopelessly, knowing he wasn’t going to call back, but I kept screaming until my voice was gone. He never came back.

We could have escaped together, damn it!

We could have done it…

With a growl of anger and grief, I made a decision. I couldn’t see or hear them, but I knew they had fallen.

I was going to climb down. I looked at my hands, seeing how they had gotten torn up from being shoved down by Fenris. My right elbow was also torn open. I had no climbing gear, but I was a tough fucking werecat and my friend was down there. If he was dead, then I could at least take him home. He was an annoying friend, but he was mine.

19

CHAPTER NINETEEN

HEATH

She fell fast and hard, the glass tumbling out of her hand and spilling bourbon all over the floor. He could smell magic, thick in the air, suddenly activating like someone had just cast a spell.

Heath dropped his glass, falling to his knees to get to her, but someone grabbed him, pulling him back. He didn’t register who it was. He turned fast, his fist slamming into a jaw, then he was back to reaching for her.

“Jacky!” he yelled, and it was the only thing he heard. The rest of the world muted as he grabbed her face, trying to see if he could wake her. “Jacky, wake up. Please.”

“Pa, let me help. Don’t touch the spilled bourbon. You could go down, too!” Hands grabbed his shoulders, and he snarled, but they didn’t release him. He fought the one pulling him back, but somehow, this werewolf was stronger than him.

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