4 - ALERT

"And I told you I wasn't leaving," I shot back, and I swatted his hand away even though my own fingers were still trembling violently.

"You could have been killed, Liora," he argued, and his jaw clenched while his eyes searched my face for any sign of a hidden wound.

"Well, I wasn't, and you are welcome for saving your furry ass," I muttered, and I pushed myself up off the ground so I wouldn't look so pathetic sitting in the dirt.

"You are infuriating," he sighed, and he ran a hand over his face to wipe away the mix of rain and sweat covering his skin.

"The driver didn't make it," Darian confirmed softly, and he glanced back at the ruined SUV with a heavy sigh.

I swallowed hard, and the guilt gnawed at my stomach because the driver died just to transport me to a stupid school.

"We cannot mourn him right now, and we have to secure the perimeter," Darian stated, and his Alpha training took over as he scanned the tree line again.

I nodded slowly, and I gripped my wrench tighter while the freezing rain continued to wash the mud and blood from my hands.

"Are there any more of them out there?" I asked, and my voice sounded incredibly small against the vast emptiness of the mountain.

"I don't smell any fresh tracks, and the survivor is miles away by now," he assured me, and he stood up to retrieve his discarded pants from the luggage pile.

He dressed quickly in the rain, and his movements were stiff from the bruising he had taken during the fight with the rogue leader.

I watched him pull the damp fabric over his scarred skin, and I realized for the first time how much he actually sacrificed to keep me safe today.

"Thank you," I murmured, and the sincerity in my voice made him pause and look back at me in surprise.

"You don't need to thank me for protecting my pack," he said, and he offered me a small, genuine smile before his phone started buzzing in his pocket.

A sharp, repeating tone suddenly cut through the quiet air, and the harsh noise made us both jump.

He walked over to dig his cracked phone out of the wet denim, and he stared at the glowing screen for a long moment before his face drained of all color.

"What is it?" I asked, and a cold ache formed in my stomach because I knew bad news was the only thing that could make an Alpha heir look that panicked.

"It is an automated alert from Viremont Academy," Darian whispered, and his thumb hovered over the cracked glass while he read the message again to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.

"And what does it say, Darian?" I demanded, and I took a step closer because the suspense was making my heart race all over again.

"The magical gates are sealing for the semester, and they lock down the campus so nobody can enter or leave until the winter solstice," he explained, and his voice sounded strained and hollow.

"Okay, so we just tell them we got attacked by rogues and we will be late," I reasoned, and I gestured toward the dead monsters bleeding out in the grass.

"You don't understand how the academy works, Liora," he said, and he finally looked up at me with wide, panicked eyes that made my hands turn ice cold.

"The gates operate on an ancient ley-line ward, and they don't accept excuses or apologies once the timer runs out," he added, and he shoved the cracked phone back into his pocket.

"So what happens if we don't make it inside before they close?" I asked, and my voice wavered as the reality of my situation started to crash down on me.

"If you miss the deadline, your enrollment is voided, and my father's exile order becomes permanent," Darian said, and he dragged a hand through his wet hair in frustration.

"Meaning I become a rogue with no pack and nowhere to go," I whispered, and I stared out at the dark, endless woods while a fresh wave of panic tightened my chest.

"We aren't going to let that happen, and I promised I would get you there," Darian swore, and he grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the dark highway.

"How are we supposed to get there when our car is currently a crushed piece of scrap metal at the bottom of a ditch?" I yelled, and I slipped in the mud as he dragged me along.

"We run," Darian said simply, and he didn't even look back at the wreckage as we reached the slick asphalt of the mountain road.

"Are you out of your damn mind, Darian?" I gasped, and I tried to pull my hand free because my ribs were aching and my lungs were already burning.

"The academy is at the top of the next ridge, and we can make it if we cut through the old logging trail," he insisted, and his grip on my fingers tightened.

"I am a human with bruised ribs and mud in my boots, and I cannot outrun a magical clock up a mountain," I argued, and I planted my feet on the pavement to stop him.

Darian turned around and looked at me, and the fierce determination in his glowing eyes made me swallow the rest of my complaints.

"You just fought off a rabid shifter with a wrench, and I know you can run up a stupid hill," he said, and he didn't leave any room for debate.

"How much time do we actually have left?" I asked, and I wiped the rain from my eyes while trying to catch my breath.

"We have exactly ten minutes before the gates lock you out of this world forever, so you better start moving," Darian said, and he pulled me into the dark forest.