Page 4 of Samuel
Its claws dug deep into my sprained ankle, dragging across the already tender flesh.
Pain exploded up my leg, and I couldn’t stop the scream that tore from my throat.
My body buckled, and I collapsed to the ground, barely able to move.
Another one was coming—snarling, jaws snapping, too close.
Panic gripped me, and with the last bit of strength I had left, I made a desperate lunge for the tunnel.
My heart hammered in my chest as I hit the dirt, scrambling on hands and knees, clawing my way into the tight, narrow space.
The rogues followed, their guttural growls sending chills down my spine. But the hole was too small for them to fit through.
For a moment, I let out a shaky breath of relief. I was safe—for now.
But the sound of their snarls outside reminded me this was temporary.
I couldn’t stay in here forever, and the bastards were probably smart enough to wait me out.
My leg throbbed, and I bit down on my lip to keep from screaming again.
The tunnel was dark and damp, the air heavy with the scent of earth and moss.
I crawled forward, dragging my bad leg behind me, gritting my teeth against the pain. Time passed—maybe hours, maybe minutes.
The darkness was disorienting, the walls pressing in on all sides.
Good thing I wasn’t claustrophobic, though I wasn’t sure how much longer I could last in this cramped space.
Then, the snarls stopped.
I froze, my heart racing. Had they given up? My ears strained to pick up any noise, but there was nothing—just eerie silence.
I had two choices now: either retrace my steps and risk running into them again, or push forward and hope this tunnel led somewhere, anywhere that wasn’t a dead end.
Rogue shifters were strong, but in our training, they’d always told us they were dumb, more animal than human.
But those rogues back there… they were coordinated, like they knew exactly what they were doing.
Gordon and I never stood a chance.
Gordon. A bitter taste filled my mouth at the thought of him, the selfish bastard.
He was probably back at the truck by now, on his way to headquarters, leaving me to rot.
I could almost see him giving his report to the Elders, telling them how I’d been tragically torn apart by rogues.
And Finn… My cousin Finn would be bawling his eyes out at my service, thinking I’d died in some heroic blaze of glory.
You’re not dead yet, Blake,I reminded myself. I kept crawling, the tunnel narrowing with every inch.
The air was thick and stifling, but as I dragged myself farther, I caught a glimpse of something—was that a spot of light up ahead?
My heart skipped a beat. It was nearly sunset when we’d started the hunt, but Gordon had insisted we finish it before nightfall.
It had to be nighttime by now, which meant… maybe that was moonlight.
Encouraged, I inched forward, the scent of cool, fresh air filling my lungs.
