1
Mo
My lungs burn as I tear through the undergrowth, leaping over roots and ducking beneath thorny branches that snag at my hair. The forest presses close, large trees swallowing the last of the light. Shadows hide drops and obstacles I can’t see until I’m on top of them.
But I know these woods. Or I think I do. Maybe not this far in.
A twig snaps behind me, and I whip my head around.
Fucking alphas. I can feel them closing in. Heavy footfalls shake the ground, and low voices thread through the cool autumn air.
They’re hunting. And I am their prey.
The omega who wandered into their territory. A mistake, and one that might cost me my life. Or at the very least, my freedom.
My wolf had been chasing a rabbit, and I’d lost my bearings. I hadn’t realized we’d crossed into their land before it was too late.
“Fuck that,” I mutter under my breath.
There’s no way in hell I’m letting them catch me.
I strain to track their approach. They’re close, closer than I’d like, and the biggest sons of bitches I’ve ever seen. But I’m fast. Always have been. It’s how I’ve survived this long, outwitting bigger, stronger predators. Small and quick. That’s me.
I veer sharply to the left, crashing into a thicket. Thorns rake my skin, but I barely feel it through the adrenaline. My body responds instinctively, muscles tensing, prepared to spring.
A glance behind me. Three—no, four hulking shapes weaving through the trees, eyes locked on their prey.
One alpha is bad enough. Four is just my shit luck.
The lead alpha lets out a guttural sound, frustration roughening his voice as I slip from sight. “Damn, she’s fast.”
A wild laugh rips from my throat before I can stop it. “You got that right, asshole,” I call back, knowing full well they can hear me.
Good fucking luck.
I bow to no one. Not anymore. Especially not a bunch of knot-for-brains alphas.
But the laugh dies in my throat. A shape steps out ahead of me, blocking my path. He’s massive, some Bigfoot wolf freak of nature, positioned to cut off my escape.
Damn it.
Options flood my mind. Left? Right? I can only gamble that the trees will swallow me up again. Left it is.
Heart hammering, I veer hard. His outstretched hand swings through the air, but I’m already past him, already gone. The ground drops away to my right, a sheer cliff’s edge, and my pulse spikes as I nearly go over. My claws scrape against the rough edge as I half-shift and scramble back up. The world tilts for a breathless second, the jagged drop pulling at me, but I find myfooting and push on, the trees thinning as the cliff edge turns dangerous.
The night deepens. Moonlight offers just enough to find my way. I don’t pause to think. I simply can’t. I run.
At least they haven’t shifted yet. They’re chasing me on two legs, and I don’t know why. Probably drawing out the fun.Psychopaths.But shifting fully is the last thing I want right now. An alpha command to stay put would end this in a heartbeat.
No way in hell.
One of them gains ground. Faster than I expected. Amber eyes find mine, a grin spreading across his handsome face as he closes the distance. Too close.
“End of the line, little omega. You can’t outrun us forever.”
His words sink in. He’s right. I’m feeling the strain. My muscles scream. My chest is on fire. How long have I been running? Feels like forever.
But I bare my teeth. “Watch me, asshat.”