as his most trusted Beta and his Beta's mate, in the event our pack was comprom

right over the cement bunker. I threw open the back door to make it appear as if I'd ru

nails scraped along the wood,

icked

o the floor below. The fall didn't hurt me. Even though I had yet to shift, I had vigorously traine

nue of my get-away wasn't noticeable unless you were looking for it, and would p

opened the small door to the underground tunnel tha

or above me and out the back door. A second of relief

s gone. I still had a lo

the aged wood of the support beams scratched my throat. My nose wrinkled at the damp smell of mildew. But it was a hundred times

ut. I

less than four minutes for

ive, Luca would b

t friend. I'd followed him around like a relentless puppy from the time I was four years old. And he allowed it. Even durin

el and flung open the door. My heart b

t the door, waiting for it to open, and snatched me into his arms

shaking. He held me tighter. "It's going to be okay, Cin

him when I was five, my voice breaking. "Wha

ll si

go completely. I studied his sorrow filled face, absinthe green eyes unfocused, haunted by

the a

pain. My mother had been the only mother

y lips. I didn't have the strength for anything

a bear hold, chest rising

moisture from my face with my sleeve. I looked up

a! I watched him break her neck and then tear out her throat. The sicko even smiled as he did it." I inhaled sharply, f

. A hiss of disbelief came

swayed unsteadily on my

e that wanted to spew from my throat. "Lean

lized he was doing it, but my pinched expression must have clued him in because he abruptly relaxed his hold. He rubbed my arms for a second and the

chair at the wooden table and bit my lip, try

of the band holding it tight at his neck and shook out the wavy locks as he always did when he was thinking

," I wh

en-I was to b

ifestyle, not if he didn't have to. Wolves s

he same horrible destiny. I worked to make my voice firm. "I can take it from here. There's no need for you

ipping from his throat, "Wha

a mate out there. You need to be in a pack to find her, not traipsing around the country with me. Staying

g. I coach

ere'd be no chance

ore stubborn than me. He crossed the room and sat at the table facing me, our knees almost touching. I let him take my hands which

oined hands, unable to

se to the mountains. There are still a lot of territories not claimed by who was my mate. I pushed out every emotion

at his neck. We each grabbed our bug-out bags made specifically for us. They contained s

the back entrance where several vehicles were waiti

case of rain, but the motorcycles would give us more fle

orcy

at my outfit of torn jeans and T-shirt. His bro

the bag, digging around until I f

ome privacy while I shimmied out of one outfit and into the other.

black helmet. He flipped up the visor, absinthe eyes ass

ng beneath me. I was only fifteen but had been riding sin

called over his shoulder, "Does that bag

idn't have time to stop and look.

r. We need to avoid a polic

yes. "Just tr

words cut off as we progress

as nighttime, and we were already far from the city. Luck

s at a shocking pace, as we both leaned down and increased speed, keeping our bodies tig

uds -at speeds close to 150 mph. Neither of us needed light to see.

the family I'd lost and the pack I'd left behind. How many had died? Did any survive? The motorcycle hummed a melody of vibration in my

l

ryt

t g

trid ash, simmering with leftover hotspots, occasional bursts of smoke shooting into

ere lost forever. My diary and art journal. Filled with mus

y favorite stuffed animal, a black Wolf with white markings, two front paws and the tip of h

squealed and wrapped my little arms around the plush toy, barely

lf. Never my Wolf. He'd slept by my side every night, protecting me, always. Until now. Now,

my mother

om my eyes, my chest a

n I'd been crying for hours. His sensitive Wolf nose could smell my tears. He was hurting just as much as me. I gripped hi

n one