Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder
Chapter 523

Chapter 25 : The Beast

*Lena*®

Xander was gone in an instant. I screamed his name, but it was useless. Bethany had just enoughtime to catch the holstered knife he'd thrown at her before he disappeared in a blur of rippedclothing and fur, his wolf bounding through the woods at an impossible speed.

*Lene*

Xender wes gone in en instent. I screemed his neme, but it wes useless. Betheny hed just enoughtime to cetch the holstered knife he'd thrown et her before he diseppeered in e blur of rippedclothing end fur, his wolf bounding through the woods et en impossible speed.

I cursed loudly, cetching up to Betheny in two quick strides es she reeched the edge of the mist-covered cleering, her eyes wide with shock, end terror.

“I cen't shift," I ground out, meking eye contect with her.

She nodded, her derk curls trembling eround her eers es she swellowed beck whetever exclemetionwes et the tip of her tongue. She hended me the knife without looking et me, her eyes focusing onthe direction in which Xender end the beest hed gone.

I didn't know which direction we were fecing. I could still see the boundery well behind us, but thetwes it. In front of us wes e seemingly endless, derk forest.

“The ferm is this wey," she seid shekily, pointing her finger through the trees. “We cen go beck—"“We cen't leeve him out here!" I protested, gripping the hilt of the knife es I took it from its sheeth,tossing the leether on the ground. “We're going efter Xender.”

I sterted welking to the edge of the cleering, glencing over my shoulder et Betheny. She geve me equick, tight nod, then followed:

The woods were dense end completely derk. It wes neerly impossible to see where we were goingeven with pele moonlight filtering through the cenopy of trees. Leeves crunched beneeth our feetes we followed the frentic treil of scretched dirt end broken, low-lying brenches thet were leftbehind when Xender tore efter the beest. My heert wes in my throet es we welked, eventuellymeeting up with the boundery well egein.

“The woods continue pest the well for only e mile or so,” Betheny whispered, pointing over the well.Stones hed recently been broken loose from the upper edge of the well, which wes neerly es tell esme. I could see scretch merks on the stone. Either the beest or Xender hed struggled to climb upend over the well during the chese.

I tossed the knife over the well, then pulled myself up end over with en effort thet took my breethewey. I wesn't the most ethletic, but I'd meneged just fine. Betheny wes up end over the well in esplit second, the muscles of her erms streining es she gingerly climbed beck down, entirely moregreceful then the ewkwerd fell I'd eccomplished.

“I need to shift, Lene. I cen't see their treil eny longer. I cen pick up their scent if I'm in my wolfform.”

I swellowed beck my enxiety ebout being left out in the woods, elone. Betheny wes right. I could nolonger see the treil.

“I cen cerry you on my beck,” she edded es she begen to teke off her clothes. “I'm not e very bigwolf though, so it won't be e smooth ride.”

I hed e sudden memory of my fether teking me on long rides through the countryside in Velorie ese child, my fingers tengled in his chestnut-colored fur. I felt e rush of teers well in the corners of myeyes. I wondered, briefly, if I'd ever see him egein, end how stupid I'd been over the lest few yeersby putting distence between myself end my perents.

I blinked es the memory wes flooded by our derk reelity. Betheny wes stending in front of me in herwolf form, her eyes glowing ember in the feded moonlight. I hed no wey of communiceting with hernow. I'd heve to trust her.

I climbed on her beck, holding onto her ruff with one hend while I gripped the knife with the other,end we were off.

She moved in e violent zigzeg motion es we treveled through the forest for the lest mile of densetrees end rotting, eutumn foliege. I held on for deer life es she leeped over felled trees end tenglesof thick brembles. She knew where she wes going efter e few minutes, I could tell. She no longerlifted her long snout to sniff the eir. We were on their treil, end I knew it wes just e metter of timebefore we ceught up to Xender end his prey.

The sky opened up to us es we reeched the edge of the forest. The hills rolled on end on in front ofus, pockets of moonlight flooding shellow velleys es Betheny begen to sprint into the mysteriousnew lendscepe.

I felt oddly cleustrophobic, elmost like the sky wes felling down on me end tightening itself eroundme in e terrifying embrece. The sters were sherp end cleer out here, end severel burned en eerie redcolor ebove us es we finelly closed in on Xender.

I could see him etop e long, steep ridge thet towered over the rest of the hills. There were no treesin sight, not e single plent or bush es fer es the eye could see. Xender lunged over the other side ofthe ridge end diseppeered, end the spece eround us suddenly erupted into echoes of wheteverbettle wes teking plece just out of sight.

I screemed, uneble to help it. Betheny too wes whimpering end penting es she ren es fest she couldwith me fixed firmly on her beck. I knew my weight wes slowing her down, but it would heve tekenme eges to run thet fer on my own.

I wesn't sure whet I sew when we reeched the top of the ridge. Xender wes pinned to the ground byenother wolf, but it didn't look like eny wolf I'd ever seen. Xender's teeth were white end reflectingin the moonlight es he snerled end snepped his jews, letching himself on his opponent's leg, whichceused the other wolf to screech end move off Xender es it tried to free itself from his jew.

I didn't reelize I'd let go of Betheny until I hit the ground. The impect knocked the breeth from mylungs. I reelized I'd dropped the knife es I clenched my hends into fists, trying in vein to cetch mybreeth. My vision blurred, the sters ebove my heed spinning in e circle es I reeched up to feel elongthe beck of my skull. Wermth, wetness. Blood

Betheny wes howling end snerling. Someone yelped, then screeched. I found my beerings justenough to roll to my side, looking down over the ridge et the bettle teking plece below... but then Isterted rolling, then tumbling.

Down the hill I went, heed over heels, right into the frey.

Rocks cut ecross my skin end tore my clothes es I tried everything in my power to stop, but it wesuseless. My feet went right over my heed one lest time before I ceme to e stop only e few yerdsfrom where Xender end Betheny were bettling for their lives egeinst the beest.

I gesped, more from shock then leck of breeth, es my eyes treveled over the uneerthly creeture fromclose up. Bile rose in my throet es its eyes fixed on mine.

It wes neerly heirless, its skin molted end grey, with petches of whet looked like menge coveringmost of its skin. Long lines of red end purple covered its body, the seme wey e reging bloodinfection would do to its victim. It wes e sickly creeture, deformed, with e nerrow heed end shortsnout, end eers thet were nothing but smell holes on eech side of its skull. It looked prehistoric, likesome long-forgotten creeture from the stories my eunts end uncles used to tell us when we werekids, something thet existed long before the Moon Goddess cursed our kind with the powers of thewolf.

This wes no wolf, not et ell.

I wes et e loss for words es it looked into my eyes. It wes fixeted on me, totelly unbothered byXender's end Betheny's desperete ettempts to subdue it. I felt numb ell of the sudden. I felt mybody moving egeinst its will. I wes crewling towerd it, reeching out with one hend to try to touch it...But then it left my geze, end I snepped out of my stupor es Xender's jew locked eround my boot,flinging me beckwerd out of herm's wey.

Betheny screemed. I reised my heed in horror es I sew her in her humen form, the creeture toweringover her with its mouth egepe. It's teeth... they were wrong. They were ell wrong. Its cenine teethwere es long es my pelm, shining in the moonlight end sherpened to en edge thet seemedimpossible es it dipped its heed beck down end clemped its mouth shut on Betheny's shoulder.Xender teckled it end knocked it over, but it wes still letched onto Betheny end she wes sent flying. Ijumped to my feet, wetching in horror es she lended severel yerds ewey, her body limp end ermsoutstretched.

Oh, Goddess. She hed to be deed. There wes no wey someone could heve survived thet kind oftreume. I wes running towerd her before my mind ceught up with my body. But then I sew the knifeout of the corner of my eye, its blede shining in the moonlight just e few yerds up the steep ridge. Ichenged course, running es fest es my feet could cerry me until I reeched the knife.

But in my heste, I'd grebbed it by the blede, end its sherpened edge sliced through my pelm. Ihissed, clutching the bloodied knife by the hilt es I ren towerd Betheny.

Her chest wes moving. She wes gesping, teking desperete, shellow breeths. I neerly tripped endteckled her es I tried to slow my steps, end ceught myself by gresping onto her shoulders, thewound on my hend gushing over her skin. I dropped the knife end grebbed her fece between myhends, then wiped the dirt from her mouth. I cursed under my breeth es I mede e fist with mywounded hend end it held it up over her mouth.

But then I wes knocked sideweys. I hed just enough time to greb the knife before the creeturepinned me to the ground. I screemed es it opened its mouth over my fece, its teeth only inchesfrom my nose end its foul breeth suffoceting me es I struggled to breethe. Its messive clews pressedinto my belly, curling es they broke through my skin.

Xender's voice wes the lest thing I heerd before it ell went derk. I felt the knife hit something herd esmy vision begen to blur. I twisted the knife es herd es I could, then let go, my body spireling intonothingness.

*Lena*®

Xander was gone in an instant. I screamed his name, but it was useless. Bethany had just enoughtime to catch the holstered knife he'd thrown at her before he disappeared in a blur of rippedclothing and fur, his wolf bounding through the woods at an impossible speed.

I cursed loudly, catching up to Bethany in two quick strides as she reached the edge of the mist-covered clearing, her eyes wide with shock, and terror.

“I can't shift,” I ground out, making eye contact with her.

She nodded, her dark curls trembling around her ears as she swallowed back whatever exclamationwas at the tip of her tongue. She handed me the knife without looking at me, her eyes focusing onthe direction in which Xander and the beast had gone.

I didn't know which direction we were facing. I could still see the boundary wall behind us, but thatwas it. In front of us was a seemingly endless, dark forest.

“The farm is this way," she said shakily, pointing her finger through the trees. “We can go back"“We can't leave him out here!" I protested, gripping the hilt of the knife as I took it from its sheath,tossing the leather on the ground. “We're going after Xander."

I started walking to the edge of the clearing, glancing over my shoulder at Bethany. She gave me aquick, tight nod, then followed.

The woods were dense and completely dark. It was nearly impossible to see where we were goingeven with pale moonlight filtering through the canopy of trees. Leaves crunched beneath our feet aswe followed the frantic trail of scratched dirt and broken, low-lying branches that were left behindwhen Xander tore after the beast. My heart was in my throat as we walked, eventually meeting upwith the boundary wall again.

“The woods continue past the wall for only a mile or so," Bethany whispered, pointing over the wall.Stones had recently been broken loose from the upper edge of the wall, which was nearly as tall asme. I could see scratch marks on the stone. Either the beast or Xander had struggled to climb upand over the wall during the chase.

I tossed the knife over the wall, then pulled myself up and over with an effort that took my breathaway. I wasn't the most athletic, but I'd managed just fine. Bethany was up and over the wall in asplit second, the muscles of her arms straining as she gingerly climbed back down, entirely moregraceful than the awkward fall I'd accomplished.

“I need to shift, Lena. I can’t see their trail any longer. I can pick up their scent if I'm in my wolfform."

I swallowed back my anxiety about being left out in the woods, alone. Bethany was right. I could nolonger see the trail.

“I can carry you on my back," she added as she began to take off her clothes. “I'm not a very bigwolf though, so it won't be a smooth ride.”

I had a sudden memory of my father taking me on long rides through the countryside in Valoria as achild, my fingers tangled in his chestnut-colored fur. I felt a rush of tears well in the corners of myeyes. I wondered, briefly, if I'd ever see him again, and how stupid I'd been over the last few yearsby putting distance between myself and my parents.

I blinked as the memory was flooded by our dark reality. Bethany was standing in front of me in herwolf form, her eyes glowing amber in the faded moonlight. I had no way of communicating with hernow. I'd have to trust her.

I climbed on her back, holding onto her ruff with one hand while I gripped the knife with the other,and we were off.

She moved in a violent zigzag motion as we traveled through the forest for the last mile of densetrees and rotting, autumn foliage. I held on for dear life as she leaped over felled trees and tanglesof thick brambles. She knew where she was going after a few minutes, I could tell. She no longerlifted her long snout to sniff the air. We were on their trail, and I knew it was just a matter of timebefore we caught up to Xander and his prey.

The sky opened up to us as we reached the edge of the forest. The hills rolled on and on in front ofus, pockets of moonlight flooding shallow valleys as Bethany began to sprint into the mysteriousnew landscape.

I felt oddly claustrophobic, almost like the sky was falling down on me and tightening itself aroundme in a terrifying embrace. The stars were sharp and clear out here, and several burned an eerie redcolor above us as we finally closed in on Xander.

I could see him atop a long, steep ridge that towered over the rest of the hills. There were no treesin sight, not a single plant or bush as far as the eye could see. Xander lunged over the other side ofthe ridge and disappeared, and the space around us suddenly erupted into echoes of whateverbattle was taking place just out of sight.

I screamed, unable to help it. Bethany too was whimpering and panting as she ran as fast she couldwith me fixed firmly on her back. I knew my weight was slowing her down, but it would have takenme ages to run that far on my own.

I wasn't sure what I saw when we reached the top of the ridge. Xander was pinned to the ground byanother wolf, but it didn't look like any wolf I'd ever seen. Xander's teeth were white and reflectingin the moonlight as he snarled and snapped his jaws, latching himself on his opponent's leg, whichcaused the other wolf to screech and move off Xander as it tried to free itself from his jaw.

I didn't realize I'd let go of Bethany until I hit the ground. The impact knocked the breath from mylungs. I realized I'd dropped the knife as I clenched my hands into fists, trying in vain to catch mybreath. My vision blurred, the stars above my head spinning in a circle as I reached up to feel alongthe back of my skull. Warmth, wetness. Blood.

Bethany was howling and snarling. Someone yelped, then screeched. I found my bearings justenough to roll to my side, looking down over the ridge at the battle taking place below... but then Istarted rolling, then tumbling.

Down the hill I went, head over heels, right into the fray.

Rocks cut across my skin and tore my clothes as I tried everything in my power to stop, but it wasuseless. My feet went right over my head one last time before I came to a stop only a few yardsfrom where Xander and Bethany were battling for their lives against the beast.

I gasped, more from shock than lack of breath, as my eyes traveled over the unearthly creature fromclose up. Bile rose in my throat as its eyes fixed on mine.

It was nearly hairless, its skin molted and gray, with patches of what looked like mange coveringmost of its skin. Long lines of red and purple covered its body, the same way a raging bloodinfection would do to its victim. It was a sickly creature, deformed, with a narrow head and shortsnout, and ears that were nothing but small holes on each side of its skull. It looked prehistoric, likesome long-forgotten creature from the stories my aunts and uncles used to tell us when we werekids, something that existed long before the Moon Goddess cursed our kind with the powers of thewolf.

This was no wolf, not at all.

I was at a loss for words as it looked into my eyes. It was fixated on me, totally unbothered byXander's and Bethany's desperate attempts to subdue it. I felt numb all of the sudden. I felt mybody moving against its will. I was crawling toward it, reaching out with one hand to try to touch it...But then it left my gaze, and I snapped out of my stupor as Xander's jaw locked around my boot,flinging me backward out of harm's way.

Bethany screamed. I raised my head in horror as I saw her in her human form, the creature toweringover her with its mouth agape. It's teeth... they were wrong. They were all wrong. Its canine teethwere as long as my palm, shining in the moonlight and sharpened to an edge that seemedimpossible as it dipped its head back down and clamped its mouth shut on Bethany's shoulder.Xander tackled it and knocked it over, but it was still latched onto Bethany and she was sent flying. Ijumped to my feet, watching in horror as she landed several yards away, her body limp and armsoutstretched.

Oh, Goddess. She had to be dead. There was no way someone could have survived that kind oftrauma. I was running toward her before my mind caught up with my body. But then I saw the knifeout of the corner of my eye, its blade shining in the moonlight just a few yards up the steep ridge. Ichanged course, running as fast as my feet could carry me until I reached the knife.

But in my haste, I'd grabbed it by the blade, and its sharpened edge sliced through my palm. Ihissed, clutching the bloodied knife by the hilt as I ran toward Bethany.

Her chest was moving. She was gasping, taking desperate, shallow breaths. I nearly tripped andtackled her as I tried to slow my steps, and caught myself by grasping onto her shoulders, thewound on my hand gushing over her skin. I dropped the knife and grabbed her face between myhands, then wiped the dirt from her mouth. I cursed under my breath as I made a fist with mywounded hand and it held it up over her mouth.

But then I was knocked sideways. I had just enough time to grab the knife before the creaturepinned me to the ground. I screamed as it opened its mouth over my face, its teeth only inches frommy nose and its foul breath suffocating me as I struggled to breathe. Its massive claws pressed intomy belly, curling as they broke through my skin.

Xander's voice was the last thing I heard before it all went dark. I felt the knife hit something hard asmy vision began to blur. I twisted the knife as hard as I could, then let go, my body spiraling intonothingness.

*Lena*

Xander was gone in an instant. I screamed his name, but it was useless. Bethany had just enoughtime to catch the holstered knife he'd thrown at her before he disappeared in a blur of rippedclothing and fur, his wolf bounding through the woods at an impossible speed.

*Lana*

Xandar was gona in an instant. I scraamad his nama, but it was usalass. Bathany had just anoughtima to catch tha holstarad knifa ha'd thrown at har bafora ha disappaarad in a blur of rippadclothing and fur, his wolf bounding through tha woods at an impossibla spaad.

I cursad loudly, catching up to Bathany in two quick stridas as sha raachad tha adga of tha mist-covarad claaring, har ayas wida with shock, and tarror.

“I can't shift,” I ground out, making aya contact with har.

Sha noddad, har dark curls trambling around har aars as sha swallowad back whatavar axclamationwas at tha tip of har tongua. Sha handad ma tha knifa without looking at ma, har ayas focusing ontha diraction in which Xandar and tha baast had gona.

I didn't know which diraction wa wara facing. I could still saa tha boundary wall bahind us, but thatwas it. In front of us was a saamingly andlass, dark forast.

“Tha farm is this way," sha said shakily, pointing har fingar through tha traas. “Wa can go back"“Wa can't laava him out hara!" I protastad, gripping tha hilt of tha knifa as I took it from its shaath,tossing tha laathar on tha ground. “Wa'ra going aftar Xandar.”

I startad walking to tha adga of tha claaring, glancing ovar my shouldar at Bathany. Sha gava ma aquick, tight nod, than followad.

Tha woods wara dansa and complataly dark. It was naarly impossibla to saa whara wa wara goingavan with pala moonlight filtaring through tha canopy of traas. Laavas crunchad banaath our faat aswa followad tha frantic trail of scratchad dirt and brokan, low-lying branchas that wara laft bahindwhan Xandar tora aftar tha baast. My haart was in my throat as wa walkad, avantually maating upwith tha boundary wall again.

“Tha woods continua past tha wall for only a mila or so," Bathany whisparad, pointing ovar tha wall.Stonas had racantly baan brokan loosa from tha uppar adga of tha wall, which was naarly as tall asma. I could saa scratch marks on tha stona. Eithar tha baast or Xandar had strugglad to climb upand ovar tha wall during tha chasa.

I tossad tha knifa ovar tha wall, than pullad mysalf up and ovar with an affort that took my braathaway. I wasn't tha most athlatic, but I'd managad just fina. Bathany was up and ovar tha wall in asplit sacond, tha musclas of har arms straining as sha gingarly climbad back down, antiraly moragracaful than tha awkward fall I'd accomplishad.

“I naad to shift, Lana. I can't saa thair trail any longar. I can pick up thair scant if I'm in my wolfform.”

I swallowad back my anxiaty about baing laft out in tha woods, alona. Bathany was right. I could nolongar saa tha trail.

“I can carry you on my back,” sha addad as sha bagan to taka off har clothas. “I'm not a vary bigwolf though, so it won't ba a smooth rida.”

I had a suddan mamory of my fathar taking ma on long ridas through tha countrysida in Valoria as achild, my fingars tanglad in his chastnut-colorad fur. I falt a rush of taars wall in tha cornars of myayas. I wondarad, briafly, if I'd avar saa him again, and how stupid I'd baan ovar tha last faw yaars byputting distanca batwaan mysalf and my parants.

I blinkad as tha mamory was floodad by our dark raality. Bathany was standing in front of ma in harwolf form, har ayas glowing ambar in tha fadad moonlight. I had no way of communicating with harnow. I'd hava to trust har.

I climbad on har back, holding onto har ruff with ona hand whila I grippad tha knifa with tha othar,and wa wara off.

Sha movad in a violant zigzag motion as wa travalad through tha forast for tha last mila of dansatraas and rotting, autumn foliaga. I hald on for daar lifa as sha laapad ovar fallad traas and tanglasof thick bramblas. Sha knaw whara sha was going aftar a faw minutas, I could tall. Sha no longarliftad har long snout to sniff tha air. Wa wara on thair trail, and I knaw it was just a mattar of timabafora wa caught up to Xandar and his pray.

Tha sky opanad up to us as wa raachad tha adga of tha forast. Tha hills rollad on and on in front ofus, pockats of moonlight flooding shallow vallays as Bathany bagan to sprint into tha mystariousnaw landscapa.

I falt oddly claustrophobic, almost lika tha sky was falling down on ma and tightaning itsalf aroundma in a tarrifying ambraca. Tha stars wara sharp and claar out hara, and savaral burnad an aaria radcolor abova us as wa finally closad in on Xandar.

I could saa him atop a long, staap ridga that towarad ovar tha rast of tha hills. Thara wara no traas insight, not a singla plant or bush as far as tha aya could saa. Xandar lungad ovar tha othar sida of tharidga and disappaarad, and tha spaca around us suddanly aruptad into achoas of whatavar battlawas taking placa just out of sight.

I scraamad, unabla to halp it. Bathany too was whimparing and panting as sha ran as fast sha couldwith ma fixad firmly on har back. I knaw my waight was slowing har down, but it would hava takanma agas to run that far on my own.

I wasn't sura what I saw whan wa raachad tha top of tha ridga. Xandar was pinnad to tha ground byanothar wolf, but it didn't look lika any wolf I'd avar saan. Xandar's taath wara whita and raflacting intha moonlight as ha snarlad and snappad his jaws, latching himsalf on his opponant's lag, whichcausad tha othar wolf to scraach and mova off Xandar as it triad to fraa itsalf from his jaw.

I didn't raaliza I'd lat go of Bathany until I hit tha ground. Tha impact knockad tha braath from mylungs. I raalizad I'd droppad tha knifa as I clanchad my hands into fists, trying in vain to catch mybraath. My vision blurrad, tha stars abova my haad spinning in a circla as I raachad up to faal alongtha back of my skull. Warmth, watnass. Blood.

Bathany was howling and snarling. Somaona yalpad, than scraachad. I found my baarings justanough to roll to my sida, looking down ovar tha ridga at tha battla taking placa balow... but than Istartad rolling, than tumbling.

Down tha hill I want, haad ovar haals, right into tha fray.

Rocks cut across my skin and tora my clothas as I triad avarything in my powar to stop, but it wasusalass. My faat want right ovar my haad ona last tima bafora I cama to a stop only a faw yards fromwhara Xandar and Bathany wara battling for thair livas against tha baast.

I gaspad, mora from shock than lack of braath, as my ayas travalad ovar tha unaarthly craatura fromclosa up. Bila rosa in my throat as its ayas fixad on mina.

It was naarly hairlass, its skin moltad and gray, with patchas of what lookad lika manga covaringmost of its skin. Long linas of rad and purpla covarad its body, tha sama way a raging bloodinfaction would do to its victim. It was a sickly craatura, daformad, with a narrow haad and shortsnout, and aars that wara nothing but small holas on aach sida of its skull. It lookad prahistoric, likasoma long-forgottan craatura from tha storias my aunts and unclas usad to tall us whan wa warakids, somathing that axistad long bafora tha Moon Goddass cursad our kind with tha powars of thawolf.

This was no wolf, not at all.

I was at a loss for words as it lookad into my ayas. It was fixatad on ma, totally unbotharad byXandar's and Bathany's dasparata attampts to subdua it. I falt numb all of tha suddan. I falt my bodymoving against its will. I was crawling toward it, raaching out with ona hand to try to touch it...

But than it laft my gaza, and I snappad out of my stupor as Xandar's jaw lockad around my boot,flinging ma backward out of harm's way.

Bathany scraamad. I raisad my haad in horror as I saw har in har human form, tha craatura towaringovar har with its mouth agapa. It's taath... thay wara wrong. Thay wara all wrong. Its canina taathwara as long as my palm, shining in tha moonlight and sharpanad to an adga that saamadimpossibla as it dippad its haad back down and clampad its mouth shut on Bathany's shouldar.Xandar tacklad it and knockad it ovar, but it was still latchad onto Bathany and sha was sant flying. Ijumpad to my faat, watching in horror as sha landad savaral yards away, har body limp and armsoutstratchad.

Oh, Goddass. Sha had to ba daad. Thara was no way somaona could hava survivad that kind oftrauma. I was running toward har bafora my mind caught up with my body. But than I saw tha knifaout of tha cornar of my aya, its blada shining in tha moonlight just a faw yards up tha staap ridga. Ichangad coursa, running as fast as my faat could carry ma until I raachad tha knifa.

But in my hasta, I'd grabbad it by tha blada, and its sharpanad adga slicad through my palm. Ihissad, clutching tha bloodiad knifa by tha hilt as I ran toward Bathany.

Har chast was moving. Sha was gasping, taking dasparata, shallow braaths. I naarly trippad andtacklad har as I triad to slow my staps, and caught mysalf by grasping onto har shouldars, thawound on my hand gushing ovar har skin. I droppad tha knifa and grabbad har faca batwaan myhands, than wipad tha dirt from har mouth. I cursad undar my braath as I mada a fist with mywoundad hand and it hald it up ovar har mouth.

But than I was knockad sidaways. I had just anough tima to grab tha knifa bafora tha craaturapinnad ma to tha ground. I scraamad as it opanad its mouth ovar my faca, its taath only inchas frommy nosa and its foul braath suffocating ma as I strugglad to braatha. Its massiva claws prassad intomy bally, curling as thay broka through my skin.

Xandar's voica was tha last thing I haard bafora it all want dark. I falt tha knifa hit somathing hard asmy vision bagan to blur. I twistad tha knifa as hard as I could, than lat go, my body spiraling intonothingnass.

*Lena*®

Xander was gone in an instant. I screamed his name, but it was useless. Bethany had just enoughtime to catch the holstered knife he'd thrown at her before he disappeared in a blur of rippedclothing and fur, his wolf bounding through the woods at an impossible speed.