No wolves are out raiding after a Mating Moon. All male wolves are too exhausted to do anything other than try and recuperate. I knew it well. I’d heard them talk about it many times over the years.
Despite the beauty of these three men, their many kindnesses and how hard they'd tried. I feared another Mating Moon. Feared what might happen to me now as a mated female.
What if someone wanted to hurt me to get to them. I knew how none of this worked. But I hurt.
I was somehow afraid that when they awoke all that had occurred the night before, would only continue.
It's my one chance.
Wearing nothing but Racer's oversized shirt and covered in sex and their fluids, I fled barefoot from my hut. Straight blonde hair a banner chasing me in the early morning light as I streaked through the woods.
Faster than I'd ever run to get to the walls. As I ran, I saw light glinting over the wall and peering through the leaves in the tree canopy above me.
It triggered something in me. I saw that light above me and felt myself being dragged backward toward a hut I knew I lived in. I looked over and saw the bloodied, scarred face of a huge man I didn’t know.
An Alpha.
With that vision I saw myself crawling elbow deep in blood with it matted in my hair while I sobbed and shook my head in denial.
That scarred alpha straddling me and staring down at me with a smirk which told me what he intended for me.
“You will be my Mate, Princess.”
Then I was running. Past trees and through bushes until I
was scraped and cut from head to toe.
It was a memory. My first real memory since I came here.
I was shocked and I must’ve slowed my pace.
I heard chuckling behind me. I looked back and saw Hunter catching up. He'd already caught my trail. And of course, he'd follow me at a dead run.
The Hunter.
Damn him.
I looked beyond him back at the open doorway of my hut.
I just have to outrun him.
Racer stepped from behind a tree in-front of me.
Making me squawk and skid to a stop.
His arms were crossed over his chest as he stared chidingly down at me. "Did you think escaping us would be so easy."
I veered around him and kept going.
"Really, Vanna Rae?" He tossed his arms. His voice half-laughing. "Do you really think you're going to outrun me?"
He's right.
There's no way.
If I have a prayer, it's to outsmart him. I veered off toward the river. Pouncing sideways off two trees and turning into a white and cream-colored wolf as I landed. Upping my pace in this form to a long lope.
"She's turned." Racer called back.
"Where's Van?" Hunter shot back. Making me worry.
I leapt into the river and paddled across. Knowing I was only a short distance to the wall. I turned back into a woman and headed the only direction I could go to outmaneuver them.
Up.
I shimmied up the tree. Going as high as I could until I
was cloaked heavily in the dense spring foliage. Helping to mask my waning scent. I eyed the blood on the shirt and straddled a branch to grab fistfuls of leaves. Scrubbing them along the blood to mask much of the smell with broken plants then shoved them into a nearby hole in the tree.
Vanquish was the first one to appear beneath me. Looking unworried as he put his back to the tree. Inspecting his nails.
The other two arrived across the river as wolves. Giving him a long look.
"Haven't seen her." He shrugged. "Yet."
They stared at him.
He pointed in both directions. "Peel off, go separate ways. I'll watch for her to double back. Likely she will, don't you think? Then we'll have her back no matter which way she goes."
They whimpered and complied. Scampering off.
***
When the sounds of their hunting sniffs vanished in both directions, I wanted to sigh in relief but didn't dare with him still standing straight below me.
"Why you running away, Vanna Rae?" He asked. Confirming the terrible fear that he might know I was there.
I dared not answer. Squinting my eyes closed and praying he was just guessing.
"Rather pointless, don't you think? We're the top three Border Guards in this pack."
When I peeled my eyes opened and looked down, I found him with his head tilted up to stare straight back at me.
Dammit.
"Just go away and leave me!" I whispered urgently. Trying to wave him away.
He scoffed coldly. "Don't mistake my kindness for weakness, Vanna Rae. I'm not going anywhere."
My stomach dropped as hope fled.
"Now get your fine ass down that tree. Now." He said it with such command I knew he had every intention of coming up after me. And if I didn't obey him now, then he'd do what he'd always done.
Make me so miserable I wished I'd obeyed when I had the chance. And after last night and all the things that'd been done to me, I feared now more than ever what that'd entail.
I hesitated thinking over making him do it. But decided I feared that consequence more than the one I'd suffer now.
I reluctantly scooted back along the branch and made my way down the tree.
"Don't hurt me, Vanquish." I said quickly as I clung to the lowest branch just above him.
His green eyes were as icy and fierce as they'd always been.
My breathing quickened.
He reached up and snagged me off the branch, dragging me down despite me clinging to it. Still gripping my waist, he set me on my feet before him.
"Now explain to me," He said aggressively. "Why the hell are you fleeing now. When the worst parts are over?"