Page 115 of This Pack of Ours

Adrian screamed as Ez sunk his teeth deep into his shoulder. My chest was tight, and I felt like I could barely breathe. A low whine tore from my lips as I watched Adrian punch his brother in the face. Ez barely flinched. This was so, so wrong.

Jhin was at Adrian’s side and I looked around; the alpha Jhin had fought was down, but Vander was still fighting his.

I saw the remaining alpha grip something in his teeth, the same as just a minute ago.

“Vander!” I shouted desperately.

“Shit,” Vander hissed, eyes darting to the alpha’s arm. He tried to twist out of the way, kicking his opponent away from him. The needle clattered to the ground, but Vander had fallen back, and the other alpha had rolled, now sprinting to the door after the others.

“I’m going,” Vander said, running for the exit, and I turned back to Ez and the others. He was still screaming wildly, but Jhin had his legs pinned and Adrian had trapped him in a tight headlock. His face was turning purple, his hands gouging deep scratches in the floor. There was nothing but pure hatred in his eyes, but Jhin and Adrian held him firmly as his struggles slowly weakened. When he finally collapsed, Adrian let him out of the stranglehold, and then hugged him tightly, a sob wracking his body.

Jhin just stared for a moment, his expression horrified. Then, his eyes snapped to the door, and he stood up.

“Protect them,” he told Adrian, and he was gone almost faster than I could track.

I struggled over to them as Adrian shifted, cradling Ez in his lap and pushing his golden hair out of his red face. He was still sniffing, rocking Ez’s limp form.

“He’s not…?” I couldn’t finish, but Adrian shook his head, resting his forehead on Ez’s.

“He’s alive,” he choked out, and I could breathe again, taking Ez’s hand in mine. His eyes were closed, and the red was starting to fade from his face. Blood covered his fingers and face, rubbing more red onto Adrian’s already soaked shirt.

I pressed a gentle kiss to Ez’s sweaty forehead and stood up.

Adrian’s face was buried in Ez’s shoulder. I ran before he could clock that I was gone.

NINETEEN

JUNIPER

My heart was hammering as I took another turn.

I could hear footsteps pounding inside this maze along with mine, and I wasn’t even sure there was a way out. I turned another corner and crashed into a solid figure. I pushed back, heart hammering, ready to fight, but it wasn’t one of the Carlisle pack.

“Vander?” I choked out.

He was real.Iwaslooking into Vander’s ice-blue eyes.

The terror on his face likely could have matched mine, but his expression broke as he saw me. I could have cried with relief as his morning frost scent surrounded me.

I’d spent the whole day exposed to the alphas who were supposed to be mine, their scents powerful enough to obliterate all of my thoughts, but none of them compared to how Vander smelled in this moment.

It was safety and the promise of protection.

It was him claiming me in the park, him crouched above me as we watched the others fight over tea towels, him holding me after my nest was destroyed.

It was home.

“You’re mine. I’ll always come after you,” he snapped as he scooped me up against his chest and ran, ducking around steel beams. I wrapped my arms around his warm body, and then my tears came. A shaky purr broke from my chest as I squeezed him. My alpha, protecting me.

I looked up as we neared the edge of the maze and I saw Valerie whip around, catching sight of us. But Vander had me in his arms, and I was safe. We’d made it out of the maze. One step, two?—

“Fight me, Alpha!” Valerie screamed and Vander stumbled, skidding to a halt, his eyes flicking back toward Valerie with hatred. I slipped from his grasp, hitting the ground hard.

“Run and hide,”Valerie’s voice was frantic, terrified, and I flinched, dashing back toward the maze, fear blazing through my veins.

Ihadto hide—now.

For a second, Vander’s hand brushed my shoulder.

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