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“But—”
“Run!”
She slammed the thick wooden door, and a male on the other side demanded something, but the deep rumble of the voice was too muffled to hear his words clearly.
Blood raged in my temples, and my legs trembled as I desperately sprinted toward the trees ahead. I curled my fists around the small backpack of supplies the females had scraped together for me and moved faster, using all my energy to put distance between me and the Blood Moon pack. I didn’t have much time. The nightly rounds would start soon, and once my Alpha found out I was missing, trackers would be on my tail.
They’d do anything—short of killing me—to drag me back to Blood Moon’s borders.
Terror nipped at my heels.
This was my chance—my only chance.
Lights shone behind me, and shouts echoed through the air. The stark divide between the illuminated ground and the shadows of the wilderness felt like miles, though it was only a few feet at best.
A loud bang rang through the clearing, jolting me as angry voices and sobs met my ears.
I slowed my steps as I slipped into the forest, not wanting to tip off the males by crunching through the snow.
I fought the urge to look back. I needed to remain hidden.
“Where is she?” The Alpha’s dark voice choked the air from my lungs, and I froze.
“I—I don’t kn—”
The words cut off with a gasp. My wolf snapped at me, angered by the empathy that rooted me in place.
Maria. He has Maria.
My heart threatened to break. Maria, Ida, the other females—they would suffer, and it was my fault.
“I’ll ask you one more time,” the Alpha shouted. “Where is she? Where is my Omega?”
“I swear I don’t know. I haven’t seen—”
Slap.
“Lie to me again, and you won’t make it to morning,” he threatened.
Tears stung my eyes. My wolf growled, pushing me into the woods and urging my feet forward.
My skin tingled as I passed the dulled magical barrier, and I realized how long the women had spent planning my getaway. The barrier would be reinforced tomorrow. For the moment, it was little more than a skin irritant. It was another reason escape was usually almost impossible. When the barrier was at full power, it alerted the Alpha when an Omega crossed it.
My boots sank into the thickening blanket of snow as fat snowflakes clung to my face, stinging my cheeks and nose.
Their voices faded, but the memory of Maria’s trembling words and her sharp inhale of pain remained. Darkness fell, and my wolf gave me her strength, comforting me and allowing me to rely on her superior senses as we braved our new path.
Howls broke through the silence, interrupting my spiraling thoughts. The snowfall made it impossible to tell how far away they were. Sweat broke out on my brow as I clambered over the icy earth. The trees here were spaced further apart, and soon, I would lose my cover.
Shift, my wolf ordered, battling for control.
I squeezed the straps of my backpack. The temperature was dropping, and the snow was almost knee-deep. Snarls sounded behind me, coming from all directions. A tracking band.
I would lose all my provisions if I shifted.
But if I didn’t, I’d lose my chance at escape.
Gritting my teeth, I tossed the pack aside and stripped off my clothes, baring my body to the brutal elements. My wolf lunged forward, and the familiar pain of the shift took over.
