Page 49 of The Wolf Prince's Mate

And it made my stomach churn violently.

“I’m alive?” I croaked.

“It’s hard to kill a werewolf.”

“What about…”

A hand squeezed mine, and I tensed. It was small enough that I knew it was a woman’s. When I lifted my gaze, I found Sydney sitting beside me, wearing a small smile.

“Your stalker is dead. Clay killed him. Hunter’s trying to figure out who he is, but it’s more difficult than he expected.”

I let out a shaky breath.

Dead.

He was dead.

That was good, even if the knowledge didn’t do a damn thing for my existing fear. My heart was racing, and I was starting to sweat.

The way I felt when he grabbed my throat flooded my mind, making me feel trapped again.

Helpless.

Like I couldn’t breathe.

I gasped out a curse and sat up quickly. “I’ve got to get out of here.”

Sydney frowned. “Where do you want to go?”

I didn’t answer.

I wasn’t sure I could.

I was on my feet and rushing down the Lodge’s hallway a moment later, my heartbeat pounding in my ears.

The Lodge had never been comfortable. It never felt like home.

I needed to go somewhere. Somewhere safe.

My wolf whimpered, but nudged me.

She was willing to take a turn. To give me a break.

I needed to shift.

I hurried down the stairs. There was dried blood on my skin, and my arm hurt something fierce, but that was the furthest thing from my mind as my thoughts raced and my heart pounded.

Sydney called after me as I accidentally bumped my arm brace against the railing. My eyes stung, and I yanked it back. But I didn’t stop.

I couldn’t.

Finally, I burst through the door and ran for the forest. I heard people around me—someone said my name—but I couldn’t stop. I just couldn’t.

The shirt I had on was oversized, and belonged to a man. Hunter. His scent wasn’t comforting, and I yanked the fabric over my head without pause. It caught on the brace as it went, and more tears stung my eyes as I worked the fabric over it.

My wolf broke through my skin, whining at the pain as she held her injured leg off the ground. She carefully made her way to a large, thorny bush nearby, and buried herself inside it with her eyes facing the Lodge.

She wanted to see if anyone was coming for us.

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