Page 81 of Wolf Heart

Casey.

I spin and run in the opposite direction of him and his goons.

I run until I can't hear Casey anymore, and the pain rips at me. The burn in my lungs mixed with the heaviness in my chest. I want my dad. I want to go home. But he's dead and home died with him. I have nowhere to go. I have no one. Except for three wolves who need me to heal themselves and their pack.

I drop to my knees, my hands shaking as sobs racks through my body.

I curl into a ball, sobbing. My tears soaked into my clothes and dirt until I'm sure I'm going to drown in a pool of despair.

But I can't cry myself to death. As much as I want to, I can't just fall apart.

I'm no good to anyone dead.

And maybe I can reach Aspen and Dex if I try hard enough. Maybe I can find Raven, too.

I'm weak from crashing through the woods, but I can't give up.

Casey breaks through a hedge of bushes with five other wolves with him.

I run; a snarl stuck in my throat. I want to tell them all to fuck off, but maybe Raven's right, and I'm only human. I mean I can't shift, can't do any magic. Can't fucking protect myself.

"Juniper." He hisses close behind. "I've been looking for you."

I gasp when he latches onto my arm and I trip.

I land in a shallow ditch, dirt splashing into my face. I scrabble to the side, but Casey sinks into the trench and grabs my ankle. I kick at him, but he's too big. Too strong.

"I can't believe you survived this long." He spits out. "My father made your life too easy. He should've killed you years ago."

"Let me go," I scream, my heart hammering in my chest.

"You're going to tell me where those bastards of yours are." His eyes narrow, his face inches from mine.

"I don't know." I shake my head, trying to crawl away.

"Seems like you've given them a good time. I can smell their musky scent on you, bitch." He sneers, grabbing my other ankle. I scream and kick at him.

Briefly, he lets go. I stumble and roll, landing with a thud that knocks all the air from my lungs.

"I've been looking for you," Casey says, coming into my line of sight, his brown eyes as cold as ever.

"Leave me alone," I say, scrambling back, but he's faster and grabs me by the hair, yanking me up onto my feet.

"You should never have run from the Alpha," he sneers. "It was the worst mistake of your life."

"I didn't run," I retort, shaking my head. "I walked. And why the hell does it matter to you? I'm gone and not part of your pack anymore."

I didn't belong to anyone.

Casey doesn't answer. I struggle to get away, but he's stronger than me and pins my arms over my head.

"But you'd come back," he says. "And when you did, I was going to let that Michael watch you die. This way is so much better. I can take my time."

He drags a thumb down my cheek and I spit at him. His slap is so fast and hard that I stumble back. Pain shatters across my cheek.

"They deserve to die for harboring you."

I shake my head, but he leans in, his hot breath on my face.

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