Chapter 2: Forced Together

The SUV bounced hard over another root. I was still pinned under Eli, both of us naked and bleeding from the fight. His weight felt too solid, too real. The bond made my skin burn where we touched. I didn't really like it.

“Get off me already,” I snapped, shoving at his chest.

Eli didn’t budge. He kept one arm braced on the seat, gun in the other hand, eyes on the mirrors. “Hunters are still coming. Stay put or we both die.”

The driver, a younger guy with a tight grip on the wheel, glanced back. “Boss, two more vehicles are closing fast. They’ve got rifles.”

“Floor it, Marcus,” Eli ordered.

I twisted beneath him, trying to create space. Our legs tangled. Heat shot through me again. “This bond shit is messing with my head. I should want to rip your throat out.”

Eli looked down. His face was close enough I saw the gold flecks in his eyes. “Same. Yet here we are.” He shifted his weight slightly, but not enough to free me. “What’s your name, rogue?”

“Jax,” I bit out. “And I’m not your prisoner.”

“You stole from Shadowfang. That makes you exactly that.” A bullet pinged off the rear. Eli fired back through the broken window. The shot echoed loud inside the cab. “Marcus, take the old logging cut. Lose them in the thick trees.”

Marcus yanked the wheel. The SUV slid sideways before straightening. My stomach lurched. Eli’s body pressed tighter against mine to keep me steady. I felt every line of him. The bond pulsed stronger. It took effort not to react.

“You always manhandle your mates like this?” I asked, voice rough.

He gave a short laugh. “Never had one before. Lucky me.” Another shot from outside. Glass cracked above us. “Keep talking. It distracts them from shooting straight.”

I bucked harder. “Let me fight. I’m better on my feet.”

Eli pinned my wrists. “Not happening. You run and they pick you off.” His grip loosened just a fraction. “Besides, that bite on my shoulder says you’re already trouble.”

“You started it,” I shot back.

The SUV hit a dip. We bounced. Pain flared in my ribs where he’d slammed me earlier. I winced. Eli noticed.

After a long minute, Eli spoke again. “Why steal the artifact? It’s not worth dying over.”

I turned my head. Our faces were too close. “It’s worth everything. A curse was placed on me when my pack got wiped out years ago. This thing is supposed to break the curse they left on me.”

Eli’s eyes narrowed. “And you believe that will lift it?”

“None of your business,” I muttered.

A heavy silence fell between us, broken only by the roar of the engine and distant gunfire. Marcus cursed as another vehicle rammed our rear. The impact jolted us. Eli’s arms caged me tighter on instinct.

“Hold on, Jax.”

The bond flared at my name on his lips. I hated how good it sounded.

We broke out onto a narrower trail. Branches scraped the sides like claws. One hunter vehicle pulled alongside. A man leaned out, aiming. Eli fired first. The hunter slumped. Their SUV veered off into the trees.

“One down,” Marcus called.

“Not enough,” Eli replied. He finally eased off me enough to sit up, but kept a hand on my shoulder. “Can you fight if we have to stop?”

I sat up too, ignoring how my body felt his warmth. “Try me.”

“Good.” He handed me a spare gun from under the seat. Our fingers brushed. Sparks. We both pulled back fast.

“Don’t get any ideas,” I said.

“Too late for that.”

Eli leaned out the window and took careful shots. I joined him on the other side, firing until the clip ran dry. The recoil felt good. Familiar. One hunter vehicle swerved and crashed into a ditch.

“Nice shot,” Eli said, surprising me.

“Don’t sound so shocked.”

We kept going. The bond made every glance between us charged. I wanted to punch him. I also wanted to pull him close. The mix messed with my focus.

Minutes dragged into what felt like hours of pure chase. We crossed a shallow stream. Water sprayed. Hunters gained again. Marcus pushed the engine harder. Smoke started trailing from the hood.

“The engine's overheating, boss,” Marcus warned.

Eli cursed. “Keep us moving as long as you can.”

I wiped sweat from my eyes. “We crash, I’m shifting and running.”

“You run, I chase you down,” Eli said flatly. “Seems like you don't understand what you mean to me yet. Mates don't let go easily.”

Before I could reply, another ram from behind. This one was harder. Our SUV spun. Marcus fought the wheel but we slammed into a thick oak. Metal crunched. Airbags popped. My head hit the seat hard.

Everything went quiet for a second. Then Eli moved. “Out. Now.”

We spilled from the wrecked vehicle. Hunters poured from their cars, already shifting. Eli tossed me a knife from his boot. “Back to back, Jax. Don’t make me regret this.”

I caught it. “I wouldn't dream of it.”

Wolves charged us. I shifted fast, dropping the knife to use claws. Eli did the same. We fought together whether we wanted to or not. I took down one hunter with a throat bite. Eli tore through another. Blood sprayed across leaves. Marcus joined, covering our flank.

“Left side!” I barked in human form for a moment, then shifted back.

Eli adjusted without question. We moved like we’d trained together for years. The bond fed us instincts. It felt natural. Terrifying.

One hunter got lucky and grazed my leg. Pain flared. Eli noticed and took him out with a savage leap. “Stay with me,” he growled.

“I’m fine,” I lied, limping but still fighting.

The last hunter fell. Silence returned, broken by heavy breathing. We shifted back to humans. Naked, covered in dirt and blood again. Eli looked me over.

“You’re bleeding,” he said.

“So are you.” I pointed at his side.

Marcus checked the SUV. “It’s dead. We run from here.”

Eli nodded. “Pack house is three miles. Move.”

We started through the woods on foot. Eli stayed close. Too close. Our arms brushed as we jogged. The bond hummed steady now, like background music I couldn’t turn off.

The miles passed with more small talk mixed with tension. He asked about my life on the run. I asked about his pack. Answers stayed short, guarded. But the conversation kept the night from swallowing us.

By the time lights appeared through the trees, my legs felt like lead. The Shadowfang compound rose ahead. High walls, guarded gates, buildings that looked ready for war.

Eli waved to the sentries. They let us in fast. Inside the main house, people stared. Whispers followed us down the hall.

Eli stopped at a heavy door. “My quarters. For now.”

I stepped inside after him. The room was simple but solid. Bed, desk, weapons on the wall. He closed the door. We stood there, exhausted, staring at each other.

“What now, Alpha?” I asked.

Eli ran a hand through his hair. “Now we figure out why fate decided to screw us both.”

I sank onto the edge of the bed. Every cut and bruise ached, I was healing but it was slow. The bond still pulled. Stronger than ever.

This night had started with a simple heist. Now I was trapped with my enemy, my mate, and a whole pack that probably wanted me dead.

Sleep would have to wait. Trouble was just getting started.