Page 20 of Wolf Mate

I had to get away from them.

Adrenaline pumped through me, and I climbed to my feet. “Don’t come near me.”

“Raffe, grab her, man.” Keith shook his head. “Her voice is getting shrill, and after that weird noise that led us to her, my brain can’t handle it. I get she’s a human, but she’ll be so much better off if we make her forget everything.”

Adam snorted. “What brain?”

“The big one right here.” Keith pointed at his head. “It’s full of all sorts of information, which I’d like to retain by calming her ass down. Like, pronto. Besides, my tacos and pizza are getting cold, and I’m borderline hangry.”

White-hot anger coursed through me, almost increasing the fizz to a hum. I couldn’t believe they werejoking.

“And you two are the ones Raffe chose for his second and third in command?” Lafayette rolled his golden eyes and lifted his hands as he approached me. With each step forward he took, I took one back.

“As much as I hate to admit it, Keith is right. If you’ll allow me to help you forget everything, you won’t be fearful anymore.”

Raffe placed a hand over his heart. “Nothing bad will happen to you. I promise.”

“Says a man who can change into awolf,” I spat out, wanting him to tell me I was crazy. That this was a bad dream I’d wake up from. This wasn’t the first time I’d had that wish, but it was the first time I needed it to be true because of something I hadn’t done.

He sighed and hung his head. “Lafayette, make her forget about us too, and tell her to avoid the woods as well. This is the second time something’s happened to her, and she’s only been here two days.”

My fear climbed, and my blood hummed. “Someonewaschasing me in the woods?”

Raffe oozed concern and determination while Keith and Adam showed varying degrees of annoyance. Lafayette emanated bitterness and hate, but I wasn’t sure if that was directed at me or Raffe.

“Fine.” Lafayette stepped toward me, the edges of his eyes turning crimson as they swirled in a hypnotic spiral like the other guy’s had.

I flicked my gaze to the ground underneath the four guys, and the earth shook.

“What the fuck?” Keith yelped, and Raffe’s eyes widened and locked on me.

I turned tail and ran.

I spun around, realizing that trying to outrun vampires and wolves was dumb, but I didn’t know what else to do, nor did I know how long the earth would shake.

That fatigue weighed me down again, but I moved as fast as possible while I could. Every few steps, my body seemed to weigh even more.

I reached the area where the tree line thinned … so close to campus.

My victory was short-lived as my legs sagged, the exertion too much.

Suddenly, Slade appeared in front of me like a mirage.

“Go,” I croaked, not wanting him to be part of this awful encounter.

“Skylar?” His forehead lined with worry, and he hurried to me. “What’s wrong?”

Before I crumpled completely, he caught me and anchored me to his chest. He rasped, “What the hell happened?”

“You need—” I started, but a loud growl from behind me cut me off.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Ididn’t have to turn around to know who it was. Unfortunately, I was attuned to his voice and unique noises already, and the tingle of awareness at the base of my neck further confirmed his presence. I hated how attuned I was to him and, worse, that knowing what he was didn’t strangle me with fear like it did with the others.

“Let go of hernow,” Raffe snarled.

Slade tensed. “And let her fall? She can barely walk.”

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