Chapter 7

LYRA POV

I don't think.

I just run.

The moment I realize the rogues are locked on me, I turn and sprint through the trees with every ounce of strength left in my exhausted body. Branches whip across my face and roots catch beneath my feet. I nearly fall twice, but I don't stop.

Behind me, the forest erupts with movement. Paws pound against the earth. Growls and snarls echo between the trees. They're coming after me.

Run, Lyra, I try encouraging myself. I push harder. For a few precious seconds, I manage to put some distance between us.

Then I hear them gaining.

My heart sinks. I glance over my shoulder and immediately regret it. One of the wolves is already closing the distance between us, its massive body effortlessly weaving through the trees while I'm stumbling over roots and struggling to breathe.

Of course they’re faster. They're wolves. I'm an exhausted, wolfless Omega who hasn't eaten properly in three days.

There’s no way I can outrun them.

Panic claws at my chest. Think, I urge myself, looking ahead instead of behind me. Running in a straight line won't work. If I keep going like this, they'll catch me within seconds. I need to disappear.

But how?

My eyes dart desperately across the forest until I spot a shallow puddle ahead. An idea strikes me. Under different circumstances, I would have deemed myself stupid for even thinking about that, but desperate as I am, I don’t care about how ridiculous it sounds.

Trying not to lose a lot of momentum, I throw myself into the puddle. Cold water soaks through my clothes as I roll across the ground, coating my arms, legs, and hair with mud. The smell is revolting, but I don't care.

If they’re tracking me by scent, maybe this will confuse them.

I scramble back to my feet and bolt again, though no longer in a straight line. I weave between the trees, doubling back whenever I can, forcing myself to ignore the screaming in my muscles. The sounds behind me begin to fade.

Then I spot a thick bush ahead, large enough to conceal me.

Without thinking twice, I dive inside.

Branches scratch my skin as I curl myself into the smallest shape possible, pressing one hand over my mouth to silence my rapid breathing. Seconds later, the wolves rush past. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to listen to them. One. Two. Three. They keep going.

My heart is still hammering, but hope slowly begins to replace the panic. It worked. The mud must have covered my scent. They're gone.

I let out a tiny, shaky sigh of relief as the realization sinks in.

Yet it fades as soon as I turn around to find a wolf staring directly at me, so close that its nose is almost touching mine.

“Ah!” I scream, scrambling backward and bursting out of the bush so quickly that I nearly fall.

The wolf doesn't attack. Instead, it stares at me for a moment before bones crack and fur begins to recede.

My stomach twists as I watch the man that stands before me. He's completely naked, his body filthy and covered in old scars and nasty scabs. His hair is tangled, his skin grimy, and his eyes gleam with the same predatory hunger I'd seen in his wolf.

A sinister grin spreads across his lips as he shouts, “Found her, guys!”

My blood runs cold. Within seconds, the others come rushing back. One by one, they shift into human form, surrounding me until there isn't a single direction I can run.

I press myself against the tree behind me, shaking so violently that my legs threaten to fail me. Their eyes move over me the same way predators examine their prey.

One of them tilts his head, his eyes glistening with amusement. “She’s unmated,” he observes.

Another lets out a low chuckle. “Well, that makes things more interesting.”

My heart drops.

“No…” the trembling word escapes my lips.

A male laughs as he takes a step toward me. “Don't worry, sweetheart. We’re not going to kill you yet. Do you know how long it’s been since we’ve had a female?”

“We’re gonna have our fun with you first,” another adds, and the others burst out laughing.

My breathing becomes shallow and frantic as sheer panic floods me.

“No. Please…” I try, in vain.

I look sideways, searching for an opening between them, but there’s none. I can only recoil when a rogue reaches toward me, jerking away so violently that my back slams against the tree.

“Don't touch me!” I scream frantically.

They just keep laughing.

That’s when hopelessness sinks in.

It doesn't matter what I do or say. There are too many of them. Even if I could shift, I wouldn’t have a fighting chance. And there’s nowhere left to run.

All I can do is pray this will be over quickly.

Or so I think, until a menacing roar reverberates through the forest.

Every rogue freezes, and so do I. The sound is deep enough that it makes the earth vibrate under my feet. It isn't merely loud.

It's frighteningly powerful.

“Shit,” one of the rogues murmurs, his attention completely leaving me.

In fact, none of them seem to remember I exist anymore as they exchange terrifying glances.

“Run!” another one whispers.

Nobody argues.

They shift almost simultaneously and scatter into the forest. For a moment, I stare after them in disbelief. Just like that, they’re gone.

Relief floods through me.

But it lasts only a second.

Because if those wolves were terrified enough to abandon their prey, then whatever sent them running must be even more terrifying.

I need to get away. Now.

Without wasting another second, I turn and run. I don't know where I'm going anymore, but I don't care. I only know that I need to put as much distance as possible between myself and whatever made those rogues flee.

My legs scream as I force them forward until I suddenly slam straight into something solid.

“Ah!” I stumble backward, clutching my forehead.

For a moment, I think I've run into a boulder. Then I realize boulders don't have fur.

Slowly, I lift my gaze.

And keep lifting.

The creature towering over me resembles a wolf, but no wolf I've ever seen could be this enormous. Its massive body is covered in thick black fur, powerful muscles shifting beneath its coat with every breath. Its paws are nearly the size of my head, each claw long enough to tear through flesh without effort.

I've seen Alphas in their wolf forms before.

They would look like pups beside this creature.

When its amber eyes meet mine, I forget how to breathe. Fear paralyzes me so completely that I can't even take a step backward. I can only stare into those terrifying eyes until something beyond the beast catches my attention.

The mountains.

They're much closer than I remember.

My stomach drops. In my panic, I stopped paying attention to where I was running. I wasn't moving away from Thornhold anymore.

I was running straight toward it.

And suddenly, I know exactly who—or rather, what—is standing before me.

The Lycan King.

The male I've spent the last three days desperately trying to avoid.

Fear washes over me so hard and fast I feel dizzy. As darkness closes in, one final thought crosses my mind.

I would have been safer with the rogues.