Mag-log inZahra's POVAs I pull away from Elliot, I hear the first scream.Every head snaps towards the sound, and the entire mood changes in a fucking second. Elliot releases me, my mates move closer, and the warriors around us are already turning towards the disturbance when a mind link slams into the pack link.‘Rogues! Rogues attacking from the south-east!’Lincoln growls.“Shit. They're here,” I say.The screaming gets louder as more and more people start to run away from the attacking rogues.Lincoln's hand clamps around mine, and we take off running. Several of the Task Force warriors around us shift and sprint off in wolf form towards the disturbance. We've already discussed that I'm not to shift unless it's absolutely necessary, and it appears my mates are going to stick to that as well. We run together, their units with us.Zanthe is agitated, pacing inside my head. She wants out badly enough that I can feel her pushing against my skin, but I can't let her White Wolf be seen unless we
Zahra's POVThe second we step outside, I stop.Fuck.Seeing it from upstairs was one thing, but standing in the middle of it is something else entirely.The car park is full, people milling around vehicles, and the road up to the pack house and back into the town is bumper to bumper with cars. People are still tying bags and boxes to roof racks, children are being squeezed into already packed back seats, and a couple of elderly wolves are being helped into waiting vehicles. Warriors move between the cars, directing people and checking everyone is where they're supposed to be while engines rumble all around us.Edwardo is at the bottom of the pack house steps, talking to a few warriors. His army are going to cover our retreat, along with the Blood Moon warriors. They'll travel with us for part of the journey, hopefully providing enough protection from the rogues. Once we've put enough distance between ourselves and Shadow, and they're satisfied we're not being followed, they'll turn a
Zahra's POVThe trembling has finally stopped, but now I just feel wrung out. Emotionally and physically, I feel like an empty fucking husk. I'm exhausted. I slowly trail my fingers through the warm water as I stare at my knees.What the fuck was he doing here? What has Edwardo done with him now? I can't believe that, in the midst of all this nightmare, fucking Eli turned back up. I've barely thought about him in weeks.Of all the fucking days he could crawl back into my life, it had to be today, when we're already trying to evacuate an entire pack before an army gets here. I don't have time for him. I don't have time to be sitting in a fucking bath trying to pull myself back together because he managed to make me feel like that terrified girl again.The guys brought me back upstairs as soon as Edwardo had him dragged out, and they've spent precious time comforting me instead of packing and planning. If anything could make me feel worse, it's that.I know they chose to stay with me. I
Max's POVFor one horrible second, the leg buckles beneath us.‘Zahra.’That's all I have to say.Medus surges upwards with a roar.We wrench our leg free, leaving blood in the rogue's mouth, then slam our full weight into him. He tumbles across the ground, scrambles upright and launches himself straight back at us.Medus meets him in the air.Our jaws close around his throat.This time, we don't let go.The sandy wolf thrashes beneath us, claws tearing through the fur at our shoulder, but Medus clamps down harder until blood fills our mouth and the struggling stops.Then there's silence.Blood runs down our back leg, and every time Medus puts weight on it, pain tears through us. Our shoulder burns where claws have ripped through skin and fur, and there's blood coating our muzzle, chest and legs. Some of it is ours. Most of it isn't.I barely fucking notice. Neither does Medus.The sandy wolf lies dead beside his comrades, and Medus wastes no time. He doesn't check the bodies, doesn't
Max's POVI have no idea where I am. The road's been winding up into the mountains for a while, but without my phone and with no satnav in the truck, my actual location is a mystery.All I know is the bond is getting brighter as we get closer to our mate. The golden thread in my chest pulses strongly whenever I'm heading in the right direction, almost as if it's physically pulling me back towards Zahra. Whenever the road bends too far away from her, it weakens slightly, only to tug harder again when the road eventually curves back in the right direction.Medus is practically vibrating with anticipation. He wants to burst out of the cab and run again, straight up and over the mountain rather than winding round and round on this road.‘Run.’‘No.’‘Faster.’‘We've been through this. I'm not abandoning the fucking truck halfway up a mountain because you're impatient.’‘Road is stupid.’I can't exactly argue with that.My stomach rumbles again. I've been driving since last night without s
Lincoln's POVI slide my hand around Zahra’s hip as I reach her and feel her body trembling. Her pulse is hammering beneath my hand, and every muscle in her body is wound tight.Lex immediately reaches for Zanthe, soothing her agitation.Xander slides in on Zahra's other side, and Tobias positions himself behind the warrior, out of his line of sight, as Aiden, Jasper, Sam, Jackson, Zach and Oscar all enter the room, panting like they've run a mile to get here.I look at the warrior in front of us. He has blond hair cut short in a buzz cut, cold blue eyes and a handsome face. He's broad and obviously a warrior, but he's not that impressive.“Are you all right, darling?” Xander asks, leaning down slightly and lowering his voice.The warrior scoffs. “Fucking typical,” he says, shaking his head.“Excuse me?” I ask, trying to keep my tone light. “Did you say something?”He sneers at me. “I can't believe this stupid cheating bitch is up to her old tricks again. This time she's got you two w







