Page 116 of This Pack of Ours

“Fight me, Alpha,”Valerie screamed again, and I heard Vander’s snarl of rage as he turned and charged at her.

I was running deeper and deeper into the center of the metal labyrinth when I realized what she’d done. Her laughter was ringing through the clearing.

She was using her voice to get us to do things we alreadywantedto do. Matching it to my fear, to Vander’s anger, and she’d separated us because I was here, in the maze again. While Vander was out there, charging at her and Lewis.

I clapped my hands over my ears as I struggled on. I felt so raw after being torn from Vander, after feeling so secure, only to end up right back here. I panted, trying to get a hold of myself, to think through the panic so I could get out?—

A thump sounded on my right, and I turned to see Rick, looking manic as blood trickled down his face. Two panes of warped glass separated us, distorting him so he looked exactly like the fucked-up monster he was.

I backed up—thank fuck, there was that glass between us. He’d have to go the long way around to get me. I stumbled as he surged forward, and his fist punched through the first panel, sending shards shattering everywhere. Shit.

I turned, looking for a way out behind me, and dove low. There was a beam curving up from the floor, the only way through, and he couldn’t smash that. I wriggled, removing my hands from my ears to pull myself through the gap. This hole would be way too small for him.

I could hear Valerie screaming at Vander, goading him, distracting him from Lewis as they fought.

I flinched as the sound of shattering glass repeated, scattering deadly shards all over the smooth concrete beneath me. Something grabbed my foot, and I screamed as I kicked back. A nasty crunch sounded, and my foot was free. I tugged myself on, turning to see Rick leering at me from the other side of the wall.

“Youbitch,” he spat, blood flowing from his nose. I scooted back on my butt, away from him. “I’m gonna make you regret that.”

He was bleeding from his arm, deep gashes where the glass had torn through his skin.

He grabbed onto two of the beams and slowly started to wrench them apart. The metal screamed and protested.

His aura was strong enough for him to bend them, forcing his way through.

I let out a shriek of frustrated rage and surged up. This little alcove I’d squeezed into wasn’t meant to be a path, and I had to squeeze through a narrow gap to escape.

I came out in a wide path, and blinked as I saw Jhin in front of me, just a thin pane of glass between us. Behind him, Vander and Lewis were locked together, and Valerie had turned her makeup-streaked face toward me again.

I clapped my hands over my ears and met Jhin’s eyes desperately. Thank fuck he followed suit, and then he stomped on the ground, shattering the concrete beneath him. He tipped his head to the side, and I ran out of the way as he kicked a loose piece of the ground at the pane of glass.

A burst of pride exploded through me as the stone obliterated the distorted red pane. That waswayfucking smarter than punching it. I ran into the rain and to his side, but then we both froze as a tortured scream made its way through our makeshift earplugs.

We turned to see Vander on the ground, face contorted in pain. Lewis was snarling above him, and Vander twitched once before going limp.

“Vander!”I saw Jhin’s mouth moving with the name, the sound muted but the anguish clear. He staggered, then stopped, eyes going back to me.

“Fucking go,” I snarled, furious he’d stopped. “Go.” I pointed at Vander and Jhin gave me one more desperate look before he was gone in a blink.

I stumbled away, breaking into a run again. I looked at the art maze; Rick was now peeling back the second wall of metal, but his hand kept slipping from the blood that was coating his arms. A movement caught my eye, and I saw Valerie charging toward me along the side of the maze, her lips moving as she snarled something.

Then there was another figure charging at me, too, but this one wasn’t big; it was skinny and sodden, heading toward Valerie with single-minded purpose.

I blinked as I saw Kit—fucking Kit—smash into Valerie, tackling them both right into the delicate pane of coloured glass to their left. It shattered, and I moved faster, my hands coming away from my ears, but I couldn’t run?—

“Kit!” My voice broke as the terrified scream burst out of me. Valerie was staggering to her feet, blood dripping down her face, and lifting up Kit by his throat. His pink hair was plastered to his face and his glasses were gone, a gash on his nose where they usually sat.

“Juniper?” Valerie called, her voice a lot calmer than it had been. I could only stare as she lifted Kit higher, his legs kicking frantically, his face starting to turn purple. “Is this one here for you, too? Come back to me now, my little omega, and I promise I’ll let him go.”

I was already running toward them, fear and adrenaline shooting through my veins like fire.

I’d do anything, please, he couldn’t die?—

Kit twisted in her arms, and a glint of something sharp flashed in his hand. Valerie let out a sudden scream and dropped him.

I stumbled through my last two steps, catching Kit before he fell, steadying him. His eyes were blazing with feral fury as he looked down at Valerie. She had landed on broken glass, hunched over.

“She will never be yours,” he hissed, his voice barely more than a rasp as he dragged me away. Valerie didn’t seem to be able to follow. “She’s always beenmine.”

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