Chapter 67
I kept both of the wolves in my line of sight, my knees bending slightly as they charged toward us, my body on alert. I could hear Erica rallying the group behind me, and suddenly I stood as the lone barrier separating them all. I remained put and didn't move until I was certain that everyone was safely inside Erica's house.
I raced at both of the rogues, just missing their jaws as I dashed back to the tree line they had emerged from, feeling as though my ribs were giving way under me with every breath. The primary goal was to remove them from the pack as much as possible; Derrick would follow my smell and locate me, so I didn't need to worry.
As I sprinted past the trees, I could feel them both on my heel; their stink and ominous growls were drawing nearer, but I persisted.
All I had to do was keep them busy for as long as necessary.
All I had to do was keep running.
And all was well until my feet brushed against the exposed, jiggly roots of a tree. My foot twisted till I felt the bone in my ankle lock out of place as I plummeted face-first into the earth. I let out a cry when the anguish overwhelmed me, but I couldn't take care of my wound at the moment.
The rogues quickly circled me as I scrambled against the ground, brutally realizing how little distance I had really put between us. Somewhere in the depths of their minds, the ferocity of their wolf and their mortality appeared to have overcome them. Up close, they were repulsive creatures, their fur disheveled and their jaws dripping with saliva.
I crept away from them, trying to find some way out, holding my breath the whole time.
All I had to do was hang on till Derrick arrived, who was sure to arrive at any moment.
The wolves charged me, the first rogue pushing till my back was against the wall, trapping me so the other could do its damage. They were bigger and stronger than me, even as I writhed against them. Despite their physical superiority, I could feel a storm brewing inside of me as their jaws closed on me and their fangs sank into my skin, causing me to scream in agony for a long time.
The world appeared to stop as my body and blood were being torn apart. With their heads bent over me, the outlaws' vicious eyes reflected back at me. When I watched the threads become taunting, that's when everything collapsed into pandemonium. My powers were threading around us, tying us together in an unknown fate.
My existence's truth cracked like a dam.
A tremendous crack that shattered the earth reverberated around me as a brilliant white light burst forth from the power that was slicing out of my body and blooming out of my chest. I felt my bones popping out of place, my human body unable to sustain the force of my powers in its fractured state. I could no longer see or feel the rogues on me.
That energy burst was short-lived. The evidence was the damage that had been done, even if the blinding light seemed to have cleared away as if I had dreamt it.
The giant tree had cracked at the roots and collapsed, leaving the outlaws pinned to the ground while they writhed in their makeshift prison. The blood was flowing out of the branches that had pinned them to the ground like claws embedded in flesh. As the two of us processed what we had done, my wolf howled in horror.
I had used my powers on royal territory, but I was unsure if anyone had noticed. We were listening to the trees, and my wolf was brimming with nervous energy, the power still scorching through our system. Paws thudded against the grass as the wind whipped about us.
I wasn't safe, even if the warriors hadn't caught up to us yet.
With trepidation, I watched as my partner came to a halt in front of me, his soldiers stumbling to a standstill behind him. My wolf withdrew as Derrick approached me, his wolfish eyes fixed on me before he saw what a mess I'd made.
He growled low and menacingly at my movements, and my wolf growled back, refusing to submit. He stopped at my anger, but at that point, I was afraid—both of what he didn't know and of the unknown. I swung my wolf's head to face his warriors, growling at them as they advanced toward the fallen tree and the outlaws.
My heart hurt as I stared at him when he transformed back into a person. Turning to face his troops, he gazed back at me, sensing the sheer terror in me.
"They are not a threat to you." "The fight is over; shift back for me," he began. As he moved me forward once more, his remarks were kind.
I gave him a snarl, feeling the sorrow in my voice not quite reaching him, and saw the primal possession in his features.
But he was completely mistaken.
I was afraid of what I could do to him and his troops, not what they would do to me.
"You're hurt," His eyes locked onto my limping backwards, the blood still seeping from my wounds, and the stain of blood across my fur coat. It was an impatient sound.
"Shift back for me, Kylie, so that I can take care of you."
I was having trouble breathing and trying not to let my powers surge again.
He moved in my direction once more, and I remained still until he got to me.
He reached for my fur and began to rub his fingers through it.
"Either you shift back on your own or I'll have to force you to do it." His words lacked aggression, but his alpha stare was razor-sharp. He had to take care of me and make sure my wounds weren't too serious. I should have shifted back in response to his wolf's demands, but instead my wolf fell in front of him.
He wasn't patience when it came to my health; I needed time to regain my energy, which had decreased.
He caught something thrown at him and turned to face one of his troops.
"You're going to be okay." He took a step toward me, and I was surprised by his modest demeanor.
The last time they attempted to stab me with a needle, I had wolfed it out, so I knew he had done it for my benefit even if I didn't see the needle. This was worse than anything I could have imagined.
My body rebuilt and molded as the ice-cold poison was poured into my system, leaving a burning sensation on my bones.
He gathered me in his arms and immediately narrowed his focus to my wounds, causing the screams of my past to become trapped in my throat. However, before I could notice his kind movements, the wolf's bane began to take effect, robbing me of my sanity.