Alpha Loren
Chapter 212 Chapter 212

I battled my way through the jungle for hours. I could hear his voice. Leo's voice. He shouted myname over and over again but my senses were so overwhelmed by adrenaline and exhaustion Icouldn't pinpoint where it was coming from. It echoed all around my mind as my head spun and myheart thudded. I let out a desperate frustrated cry before stopping between two large trees to catchmy breath.

"Why'd you stop?" A voice asked. "He's so close.”

I jumped and snapped my head around. Luciano slowly emerged from the shadows, sporting onceof his most malicious grins.

"How long have you been following me?" I asked.

"Eh, hours," he said with a shrug as he examined the gun in his hand, polishing a smudge away withhis sleeve. "Kinda boring how you just go around and around in circles though.”

"Is this a game to you?" I questioned.

"It was until you just stopped and gave up,” he said. "You make it top easy for me."

I could still hear Leo's calls. Perhaps if I couldnt replace him, he couldn't replace me.

"Leo!" I shouted. "Leonardo!"

Before I could call for a third time, Luciano had grabbed me and slapped a hand over my mouth."Shut up,” he growled. "Or one of these bullets might end up in your Alpha's skull.”

"Fuck you," I hissed shoving him away from me.

At that, he wrapped his arm around my neck, pulling me into his chest and held the gun to myhead.

"Don't underestimate what I will do, Ella," he said deeply.

"Ella!" Leo's voice called again.

He was half a kilometre away now at the very most.

I didn't doubt Luciano's words for a second. He was perfectly capable of killing me but I was moreconcerned about him killing Leo. I stood silently, praying that he wouldn't replace us. It was the onlyway he'd stay safe.

Unfortunately, I was not so lucky. A few minutes later, we were listening to a set of close footstepsbattling through the dense vegetation and a few seconds after that, the light of the moon, filteringthrough the canopy, cast onto Leonardo's face.

He was exhausted. And not just from running through the jungle tonight. The sort of long termexhaustion from weeks and months of sleepless nights and stress. The twinkle in his eye haddiminished and his usual sturdiness of his presence had wilted into desperation.

But the second we made eye contact, he seemed to revive.

"Leo," I whispered as a tear rolled down my cheek.

He scanned me, stopping at every bruise and cut on my body, before returning with a sad smile.He then looked up to Luciano, who still hold the gun to my head, and immediately turned cold andharsh.

"Let her go," he growled.

"I don't take orders from you anymore," Luciano replied with a laugh.

Leo lurched forward but then Luciano only tightened his grip on me and pushed the gun harderagainst my head, "Don’t think I won't do it.”

Leo froze and gave Luciano the most demonic glare.

Just then, we heard the not so distant calls of men. Andrea's men.

Luciano turned and tuned his ear as I did the same. Andrea was among them.

"Where are you, Puta?” Andrea shouted. "You can't hide from me forever."

Luciano then looked back to Leo for a split second and then down to me. He removed the gun frommy head and shoved me towards Leo. I stumbled and gasped but without hesitation, Leo cameforward and pulled me into his arms. One arm wrapped firmly around my back, the other handsettling at the base of my head, holding me close to his chest in a protective embrace.

I rested my head on him and breathed in his comforting scent for the first time in months as Iclutched his shirt in my hands.

I felt him nod to Luciano who disappeared into the jungle, leaving me with Leo.

A few seconds later, he lifted my head so that my eyes met his, "I've never been so relieved to seeyou," he said wiping my tears with his thumb. "I love you."

In that moment, I felt our bond more powerfully than I ever had before and I was too choked withemotion to reply so instead I just gave him a genuine smile as more tears flooded out.

"We need to get out of here," he said a few moments later as the voices of Andrea and his men gotlouder.

I suddenly remembered our situation and the danger we were in.

"I tried to kill him," I said, my heart rate already increasing. "But-"

"It's okay," he replied. "We will get him one day. But for now, just let me get you somewhere safe.”I nodded and he took my hand in his tightly and we ran.