Page 130 of A Wolfe in the Woods

“Erik’s not a concern anymore,” Fang said. He continued, rising to his feet, “You’re free to go.”

Cold spread through my veins. That didn’t sound right. He was letting me walk?

He gestured toward the dark forest behind me, where the land fell away into trees and shadow. “I’m giving you a gift, human. Take it.”

“Where’s Jonathan?” I demanded, hating the way my voice shook.

Fang took one step back and spread his arms slightly, like he was presenting a stage. His expression sharpened into something cruel. “Here’sourdeal, human.” He tipped his head. “I’ll give you a head start.”

The granite cliffs rose behind me in a jagged line, steep and unforgiving, the slope falling away into forest. For a split second, a memory slammed through me so hard my knees nearly gave.

A nightmare.

Wolves.

Cliffs.

A voice telling me to run.

My nightmare, the morning of my presentation. This was it. Come to life.

I forced myself to breathe through the panic “No. I’m not playing this game.”

Because I had a sick feeling I knew what would happen if I did.

“Oh, you are,” he said. “But you get to choose how.” One of the Lycans behind him chuckled. “As I said, I’ll give you a head start.”

My breath hitched.

“If you don’t,” he went on, “we’ll have fun with you anyway.”

My stomach dropped. I’d thought I was already in the worst possible situation. I was wrong.

The implication was clear: Run, or be taken apart where I stood.

One of the Lycans behind him chuckled. Another shifted, like he was settling into a ready stance.

Behind me, the wind hissed through the pines like a warning. Somewhere down the mountain, I heard the sound of a siren. Thin and distant, like an echo of civilization crying uselessly against the dark.

My heart sunk. Jonathan was with Erik and his pack…alone.

And I was with Fang and his men, here…alone.

I took one slow breath through my nose, lifted my chin, met Fang’s eyes, and promised him, “You’re going to regret this.”

Amused, Fang raised his hand and held up two fingers. “Two minutes.” He snapped his fingers. “Make it fun. We do like the chase.”

I turned and ran down the slope, into the darkness.

Branches tore at my clothing, rocks slid under my sneakers. My lungs burned almost immediately with panic making every breath I took, shallow. I stumbled, caught myself, then kept going, tears blurring my vision.

Thoughts fractured and scattered—Jonathan’s face, Everwick, June’s kitchen, Megan’s laugh. A thousand things I wasn’t ready to lose.

Behind me, I heard nothing. The only loud thing in the still night was the thundering beat of my heart. My legs screamed as I pushed myself to run as hard and as far as I could, following the only visible open path ahead. I didn’t know where I was going. This wasn’t a part of the forest Jonathan had ever brought me to. It wasn’t as ominous as the Whispering Woods but close enough. As I raced forward blindly, the forest closed in until the trail split suddenly into two directions.

I skidded to a stop, chest heaving, trying to control my heartbeat. Which way?

Then suddenly, a sound cut through my panic—a rush of air, soft and graceful. An owl swooped down and landed on a low branch cross from me.