Flora’s P.O.V
“What was that?” I clutched Clay’s hand as the sound echoed through the quietness of the forest.
“Shots from a gun.” Clay’s voice was a growl. “They found us.”
“They?” I looked up at him wide-eyed. “Who’re they?”
“The men from the Castle had been searching the forest recently.” Clay said. “We had been successful in hiding our trail for the past few days, but I guess the blood from the deer hunt today was a giveaway.”
The castle guards had been searching the forest? “Why didn’t you tell me any of this?”
“I didn’t want to trouble you.” Clay confessed, taking my hand in his. “We were happy and I wanted it to last longer. But now I get it wasn’t a good idea.”
“We have to run.” I told him, pulling on his hand but Clay resisted instantly.
“No.” His voice was a growl. “We ran from him the last time; I’m not doing the same again.”
“And how do you plan on fighting him when he has weapons with him?” I challenged. “Remember how he attacked us the last time? How massive his form was? And when he came after you and your pack the first time? He has more than a few weapons with him and your wolves aren’t trained to dodge bullets!”
“I still have to fight him, Flora.” Clay protested. “How long will we keep running?”
“Until you and your pack are ready to fight weapons and guns.” I snapped at him, urging him to move. “You need to stop being stubborn, Clay! This isn’t about pride, this is about survival! Think about your pack! You are responsible for everyone’s lives here!”
Clay stood still for a few moments, his jaw tight as he looked ahead at our house. The ring of red around his eyes intensified for an instant, and then the rogues around us were all dropping what they were doing and running in the opposite direction behind the house.
I let out a breath of relief. Clay must have given them the order to run.
I know it had to cost him his pride to order them to flee, but Andre’s men were armed, if the shot was any indication. And if he had fired a warning shot, he wanted to us to know that he was coming and that he had back-up. He was coming prepared.
“There’s a hill a few minutes away from here. The caves there can provide us sanctuary for a few days.” Clay told me as he took a hold of my hand. “We have to leave all our belongings here. There’s no time.”
“I understand.” I told him. “Let’s go.”
Clay nodded and we took off running on our feet. Andre’s men were close, but I think we can outrun him if we plan carefully.
We went around the mansion and kept running ahead through the forest. There were some cinnamon trees planted here and their scent was strong enough to mask ours. I was sure even Andre’s men couldn’t sniff us through the scent of cinnamon bark.
The trees kept getting denser and denser as we went forwards. The tree trunks looked enormous and the sunlight decreased with each step we took. This seemed to be the oldest parts of the forest, which was probably why the said hills that Clay mentioned weren’t visible from the castle. There was also a layer of fog forming as we went forward, even with the sun bright in the sky and that fog only intensified as we went ahead. But even through it was hazy; I could tell his wolves were right ahead of us.
“There’s a small stream up ahead,” Clay warned. “Once we cross that, the wolves won’t be able to trace our scents anymore.”
“Okay.” I told him, feeling out of breath, but thanks to the adrenalin kick, I was able to keep up with Clay.
But then, Clay came to a sudden halt and hurled me back towards his chest…just as a bullet hit the tree in front of us, mere inches away from where we would’ve been if we had still been running.
The sound of the shot still reverberating in my ears, I looked up from Clay’s chest and there he was. Andre Saltzman, standing with a gun pointed at us from only a few feet away.
“Andre…” I whispered in horror, my heart beating so fast it threatened to burst out of my chest.
I clutched at Clay’s hand tightly, fearing that the instant I moved, Andre might take a shot. He was trying to separate us, I knew it right away.
But Andre had anticipated that I wouldn’t move, so he pointed his gun in our direction…and took the shot.
Clay hauled me away from him instantly, falling on his back as I landed on the ground on my hands and knees a few feet away from him. He had fallen for Andre’s trap without even noticing.
Within seconds, Andre was at my side, pulling me to my feet roughly with a grip around my arm. He moved back at a safe distance away from Clay, pulling me along with him.
“Let go of me!” I struggled against Andre’s grip as he pointed his gun at Clay. “No! Let him go!”
“Shut up!” Andre growled at me. “How dare you disrespect me by running off with this rogue? And that too after I told you what they did to my family?”
“He’s not like that, you have to believe me! He won’t harm anyone!” I pleaded with Andre, knowing that it was a futile attempt. There was a glint in his grey eyes that was more vicious than the red haze of the rogues. He wasn’t in control of himself and he was out for blood.
“All rogues are the same.” Andre’s voice was dead calm as he looked back at Clay...and then-
A shot resonated through the forest and for a second, everything stood still…that was until blood erupted from Clay’s chest and he fell to the ground, groaning in pain.
“NOOOOO!”
I ran towards Clay but was yanked back hastily by my arm, almost spraining it in the process. I looked up at Andre in betrayal, but found him just as startled as me.
There was no smoke coming out of his gun and the scent of gunpowder was absent too. That mean Andre hadn’t shot the bullet. But if he hadn’t then who-
“Take her back to the castle.” Came a familiar voice from the shadows in the forest and my attention snapped to his form immediately, as he stepped out into the light.
“Malachi!” I whispered desperately.
How could he! Why? After he had helped Clay all this time?
‘Not now, Flora.’ Malachi’s mental command was strong and sharp. ‘You must go with Andre. Go back to the castle and I will take care of Clay.’
‘No!’ I connected with him mentally. ‘He’s injured! I can’t leave him!’
‘If you don’t then Clay dies.’ His voice was a snapped out command. ‘Keep Andre busy. Let him take you back so I can get Mercy to heal Clay.’
I understood what Malachi was doing then. He had shot Clay in place of Andre to keep him from going for any vital organs. He was using me as a distraction to make sure Andre didn’t catch on.
But Clay was injured. He was now laying unmoving on the forest floor, facedown as blood drenched the soil.
‘Hurry!’
Knowing I was running out of time, I tried to yank my hand out of Andre’s grip once more, as if I was trying to break free so I could get to Clay. It worked. Andre instantly tightened his grip on me.
“Alpha, take care of that filth who dared to lay a hand on my mate.” Andre growled as he hauled me towards him, crushing me to his chest. “I must take her to safety immediately.”
“Of course.” Malachi nodded and pointed the gun at Clay.
But I didn’t get to see what happens next as Andre’s arms came around me in a vice grip and I was being hauled away from the scene at once. Andre picked me up into his arms and began running away at phenomenal speed towards the castle while I struggled to break free from him. And then I heard another gunshot.
‘Malachi!’
‘He’s alive. Get to safety.’
That was all I got out of Malachi before we were too far out of reach. Now all I needed to do was wait.