Page 43 of Wolf Heart

Howls and growls sound closer. A whine sounds and I wince. Was that Aspen or Raven?

Thunder booms overhead, shaking the ground. Stinging rain pelts us and the sky flashes with lightning.

Dex and I run for what feels like hours.

“I’m not sure how much more I can take,” I say, my thighs soaked with mud, my arms bloody and scratched from fighting branches.

“You’ll be fine."

"Please, can't we stop?" I hate that I sound pathetic but I can't go another step. "What about Aspen and Raven?"

Oh God, what will Casey do to them? Drag them to his father and have them skinned for trying to protect me?

Dexstops abruptlyandturns to face me.Iflinch,expectinghimtoscold me.

Thunder booms overhead and flashes of lightning illuminate the sky and his emerald eyes.

"We can't stop. If we do, we're dead."

"But what about—"

"Trust me, they'll agree with me." When I don't answer, he continues, "We needed to split up."

He drags me forward, but I dig my heels into the ground. I try to pull away from him but he's too strong for me to get away and I stumble after him, but don't let go.

We continue through the dark forest and I'm barely able to see, while Dex doesn't stop.

Panting, I keep up with Dex as we run deeper into the forest. A branch knocks against my cheek, drawing blood that drips down my face. The rain soaks me.

"We need to stop," I gasp out between pants. Lightning flashes, making the dark forest visible for a moment before it returns to black. Dex stops running, tucking me with him and we huddle together in a small hollow beneath a tree.

I shiver, unable to stop even though I'm now wet and muddy, chilled to the bone, and terrified. Dex holds me close, resting his cold hands on my back.

Shouts sound in the distance and I close my eyes, wishing I could be anywhere else but here.

"What are we going to do?" My voice shakes.

Dex's gaze meets mine and the shadows mask it. "We need to wait until the storm clears."

I'm so tired I can barely keep my eyes open. There's a small light under the trees, barely perceptible. It feels like it's a million miles away.

Dex wraps his arms around me and keeps me close. His heart beats erratically beneath his ribs as his breathing slows. Is he resting or trying to listen for something?

"What do you hear?" I ask, pushing myself closer to him.

"Nothing." His voice is void of any emotion. "Quiet."

The rain pounds the ground, soaked into the earth, too far to be helped by the leaves overhead. The rain fills up the depression where we cower. It pours in, drenching us.

"What if we just go back to the cabin?" I wipe rainwater from my face and try to push the muddy water from my eyes.

He shakes his head. "We can't.”

Even though I know he’s right, I can’t help asking, "How do we know—"

"I know what I'm doing, Juniper," he snaps, his eyes glowing in the darkness. He’s on the verge of shifting. As his wolf, he’ll want to fight the others and I’ll be left alone. Solitude used to be my favorite time, but now it has me fearing the worst.

Casey and the others outnumber us. And it’s not like fighting the lost ones, we can’t kill an Alpha’s son, or his father will come after us and bring the entire pack with him… and possibly neighboring packs as well.

---