Page 74 of Hunting Their Omega

Branches snapped behind us as the wolves attacked the wall of vegetation, splitting trees as if they were kindling. We wriggled out of the greenery and immediately returned to our punishing pace. Putting distance between us and our attackers was the only chance we had.

The pursuit intensified as they emerged from the trees. Their furious howls echoed through the woods, and the dirt beneath our paws shook as they gave chase.

Rain began to fall as my wolf scrambled up an incline, digging her claws into tree bark to hoist us over the top. The forest floor quickly turned to mud, and our steps slowed as we tried not to slip. We had to shake them off our trail.

The rain should help disguise our scent, my wolf said.

Good. All we need to do is get far enough ahead to lose them, and then we can make a plan.

She huffed, sticking close to the cover of old oak trees, determined to lose our pursuers. We delved deeper into the labyrinth, and her senses sharpened. Adrenaline surged through us, the primal drive to survive pulsing in our veins with every breath.

The rain picked up, and we sank into the ground beneath us with every step. It forced my wolf to slow, and even with our claws digging into the earth, we started to slip.

Despite our fear, we refused to let our pursuers catch us. We wouldn’t fall prey to their sick little plans. With each agile maneuver, we dodged through the maze of trees, hoping to outpace the relentless predators who chased us through the shadowed forest.

Our legs ached, and rain pelted our fur. We were exhausted, lungs straining, but we pushed forward.

The breath was knocked from us as something slammed into our side. Pain erupted along our spine as we collided with the tree trunk behind us.

Disoriented, we tried to stand, slipping as we faced an enraged wolf. His yellow eyes glowed with anger, and his dirty brown fur hung off his massive, muscled frame. He pulled back his muzzle in a snarl, revealing sharp, threatening teeth.

The hair on the back of our neck rose, and we growled, unwilling to show fear. There was nowhere to run. We had to have to fight.

We stretched our senses, searching for any other living creatures. We didn’t want to be caught off guard if he had a buddy lurking in the shadows.

He circled, and my wolf instinctively kept pace. His tail flicked angrily behind him as he snapped his jaws in frustration. I guess he wasn’t expecting a fight.

Happy to disappoint.

Alaric’s voice rang through my head, loud and clear.

Keep your distance. Watch how they move.

I studied him, noticing how he favored his right leg. We took stock of our surroundings, observing the breaks in the trees and the decline directly behind the gooseberry bush to our right. When it was time, the west was the safest escape route. We just had to make it there.

In a split second, he attacked. His movements were honed and lethal, which gave me a moment of pause. Wasn’t he supposed to capture me? A slash of his claws forced me to roll to avoid the blow. My wolf used her speed against his strength, keeping herhead tucked close to her throat. He swiped again, and my left leg blazed with pain as his claws sank into my flesh. We twisted away, limping. I wanted to whimper and cry, but I couldn’t. Instead, I leaned on my wolf’s strength, allowing my pain to feed her bloodlust.

We narrowly avoided his next blow. We were getting slower, and it wouldn’t be long before he gained the advantage. We couldn’t avoid his attacks forever.

Hit him hard and without mercy, Alaric had said.

Our focus shifted to his injury, and as fast as we could manage, we pivoted around him, taking him off guard with our sudden offense. We clamped down on his leg and yanked hard. He dropped with a grunt of pain.

We turned and sprinted west, not bothering to look behind us. But as we reached the spruce trunks, my wolf yelped, digging her claws into the earth as something grabbed our leg and dragged us backward.

The wolf pinned us down with his large body, baring his teeth and pressing one massive paw into our injured flank. With a growl of victory, he wrapped his powerful jaws around our neck, forcing us to submit.

There were no options left.

Chapter 28

Alaric

I saw red as the brown wolf placed his teeth around Isolde’s neck. My wolf slammed into him before he could injure our mate, and he yelped as we bit into his shoulder. Using all my strength, I launched him into the thick trunk of a tree.

His bones cracked, but the sound didn’t satisfy me—neither did his yowl of pain as I tore him limb from limb. He thought he could subdue my mate, terrorize her, make her bleed, and force her to submit. I had come so close to losing her, and he deserved to suffer.

With teeth and claws, I slashed him apart until he fell silent. He went limp, nothing but a bloodied mass of meat and gore.

---