Chapter 9

For the next hour, we moved constantly, doubling back, crossing streams to lose our scent, and staying far from any of the obvious paths. Twice we heard males crashing through the underbrush nearby, and each time we froze, barely breathing until the danger passed.

Then came the scream—high and terrified, cutting through the forest like a knife. Maya's hand found mine, squeezing so tight it hurt.

"Someone got caught," she whispered, her face pale.

I nodded, my throat too tight to speak. The scream came again, then cut off abruptly. I didn't want to think about what that meant.

We kept moving.

Over the next hour, we heard more screams—some of fear, some of pain, and worst of all, a few that started as resistance and ended in a sickening kind of surrender. Each one made me flinch, made me move faster, more desperately.

"There's a clearing up ahead," Maya whispered as we picked our way through a particularly dense section of forest. "We should avoid it."

I nodded, but as we started to detour around, voices approached from our right—male voices, laughing and calling to each other. We froze, then backtracked quickly, seeking another route.

More voices from the left. We were being surrounded.

"Up," Maya mouthed, pointing to a massive pine tree with thick, low branches. "They won't look up."

Without hesitation, I grabbed the lowest branch and hauled myself into the tree. Maya followed, and we climbed as high as we dared, settling on sturdy branches about twenty feet up. Through the dense needles, we could see without being seen.

Just in time. A group of three males entered the small clearing below, sniffing the air and scanning the forest.

"I swear I caught a scent," one said, a tall guy with sandy blonde hair who looked vaguely familiar. "Two females, heading this way."

"Maybe they doubled back," suggested another, this one older and burlier. "These ones are clever."

"Good," said the third, a coldness in his voice that made my skin crawl. "I like a challenge. Makes the victory sweeter."

They circled the clearing, coming disturbing close to our tree. I held my breath, praying they wouldn't look up. Beside me, Maya was completely still, her eyes closed as if willing herself to be invisible.

After what felt like an eternity, they moved on, heading in the direction we'd originally come from. We waited another ten minutes to be sure they were gone before slowly climbing down.

"That was close," Maya whispered, her voice shaking slightly. "How much longer?"

I checked my watch. "About thirty minutes left. We've almost made it."

Hope flickered in her eyes. "Let's find somewhere to wait it out. Somewhere really hidden."

We found our sanctuary in a small cave formed by fallen boulders, just big enough for the two of us to squeeze into. It was dark and damp, but it felt safe, hidden from sight and with the wind blowing our scent away from the main forest.

"We did it," Maya said, allowing herself a small smile as we huddled together in the darkness. "We beat their stupid game."

"Not yet," I cautioned. "We still have to make it back to the gathering point unmarked."

We fell silent, listening to the forest around us. The screams had stopped, which could mean everything or nothing. Either all the girls had been caught, or they were hiding as we were.

When my watch showed only ten minutes remaining in the hunt, I nudged Maya. "We should start heading back. If we're not at the gathering point when time's up, they might extend the hunt to find us."

She nodded, squeezing out of our hiding place first. I followed, blinking in the late afternoon sunlight that filtered through the trees. The forest seemed quieter now, as if holding its breath.

"Which way?" Maya whispered.

I oriented myself, finding north by the position of the sun. "This way. If we hurry, we can make it with a few minutes to spare."

We moved quickly but cautiously, alert for any sound or movement. The exit point should be about half a mile southeast, through increasingly familiar territory. My heart began to lift—we were going to make it.

With just five minutes left, I could see the edge of the forest through the trees, the lawn where everyone would be gathering visible in patches of bright green.

"We made it," I breathed, relief washing over me. "Come on, let's—"

"Lena, wait," Maya hissed, grabbing my arm. "Listen."

I froze, straining my ears. At first, I heard nothing. Then—footsteps, coming fast from our right.

"Go," Maya urged, pushing me toward the exit. "Run. I'll draw them off."

"No!" I protested. "We stick together, remember?"

"There's no time," she insisted. "You're faster than me. Get to the exit. I'll be right behind you."

Before I could argue further, she darted away, deliberably making noise as she crashed through underbrush in the opposite direction. I heard shouts as whoever was following changed course to pursue her.

My instinct was to follow, to help her, but I knew she was right. The best thing I could do was make it out, then get help if she didn't appear. With a silent prayer to the Moon Goddess to keep her safe, I ran toward the exit.

I was so focused on the patch of sunlight ahead, so desperate to reach safety, that I didn't see the figure step into my path until it was too late. I slammed into what felt like a brick wall, the impact knocking the breath from my lungs and sending me sprawling backward.

Dazed, I looked up—and up, and up—at the male towering over me. He was massive, at least six-foot-four, with broad shoulders and powerful arms clearly visible under his torn t-shirt. His face was all sharp angles and strong jawline, frighteningly handsome in a severe way. Dark hair fell across his forehead, nearly obscuring eyes that burned with an intensity that pinned me to the spot.

But it wasn't his size or his looks that made my heart stutter in my chest. It was his scent—pine and smoke and something wild that called to a part of me I hadn't known existed. My wolf, dormant until now, suddenly howled to life inside me, clawing to get closer to him.

"Mate," I whispered, the word escaping my lips without my permission.

His nostrils flared as he inhaled deeply, those burning eyes never leaving mine. When he spoke, his voice was deep and rough, like gravel wrapped in velvet.

"Found you."

Time seemed to stop as we stared at each other. Some distant part of my brain screamed at me to run, to fight, to do anything but lie there looking up at him like a rabbit caught in a snare. But my body wouldn't obey. All I could focus on was his scent, his presence, the way my wolf was practically purring with recognition.

No. This couldn't be happening. Not to me. Not after everything I believed, everything I'd fought for.

I couldn't have a mate. I wouldn't.

And then everything went black.