Chapter 157
Chapter 157
Avery’s POV
The entourage of cars entered the dark forest after we had been traveling for several hours the next day. The shadows beneath the tall pines were deep and gloomy. I stared into the murky depths of the woods and thought we must be drawing close to Nightwolf Village.
Gideon and Dierdra had ridden in the other car, leaving me to my own thoughts. Gideon hadn’t even looked at me as we had prepared to leave this morning, although he remarked that I didn’t appear to have much luggage.
I wasn’t sure I was ready to return. The events of the Alpha Council felt like a surreal nightmare punctuated by one night of incredible pleasure followed by misery.
Dierdra’s pregnancy announcement kept ringing in my ears. I wanted to tell myself she must be lying, and yet I couldn’t quite convince myself. I kept remembering the way Gideon had reached out as he’d gone to help her on the ballroom floor.
He was always her rescuer, never mine. 1
I was the only person who could rescue me, and I was so tired of doing it. 1
Something moved between the trees and I followed it with my eyes as we coasted past. Probably just a deer, I thought.
Then I heard the squealing of brakes, and our car jolted to a stop.
“What’s happening?” I called out, nervously.
My driver was on his phone, eyes still glued to the road. Suddenly he veered off to the side and we were bumping along in a ditch.
“Please!” I felt panic rising in my throat, “What’s going on p>
He didn’t answer, instead he flung the car into park and opened his door, darting forwards towards where Gideon and Dierdra’s car was also stopped ahead. I watched their doors open and Gideon stepped out, rolling up his sleeves.
Were we taking a sudden lunch break?
A part of me wondered if Dierdra had faked going into labor, and I leaned back onto the seat with a roll of my eyes. That would be so typical.
Movement outside my window caught my attention and I snapped my head in that direction. Someone was running through the trees along the edge of the forest.
No, several someone’s.
I pressed my forehead against the glass and tried to get a clearer look. There was a man running, full
1/3
Chapter 157
+25 Bonus
spring, towards the car.
As he drew closer, I saw his lips curl back into a snarl, revealing massive fangs, and then he was almost
upon the car.
I didn’t recognize him! Or the group of other warriors running behind him.
Were these… rogues p>
The man’s eyes seemed to fix on my face through the glass and I saw his mouth open in a yell, the roar reverberating against the window and shaking the car. Ahead of where I sat, through the windshield, I saw Gideon tilt his head back and give an answering roar, and then leap towards the attackers as they closed in on his location.
I gasped and slapped the lock on the door just as one of the rogues reached out a massive hand and tried to yank the door open. The driver’s door still stood ajar, and it would only be a second before the rogue scrambled into it and got to me.
I flung myself to the other end of the seat and shoved the door on that side open, rolling out into the ditch on the other side. I heard the rogue that was pursuing me growl and saw the car shake as he pushed himself back out of it.
I rolled to my feet and backed up into the road. The flat asphalt would give me a better line of sight on the rogues as they advanced on me, but it also made me an obvious target.
Then suddenly Gideon was there, rushing past me. He placed himself between me and the rogues.
For a second, I felt relief. Then I heard Dierdra scream.
“Gideonn!!” She was already surrounded by Nightwolf warriors, but she was clutching at her skirts and yelling, “Help! They’re going to get me p>
Gideon snarled and moved off, leaving me behind as he rushed to Dierdra’s side where relatively few attackers were concentrating. Instead, they had fanned out to flank along the sides of the cars, and the minute he ran away, they moved in, cutting me off from following him.
I gulped with terror. There was no way I could make it over to where the others stood now.
I moved off of the road, towards the direction of the village, barely visible through the trees. If I could just get over there, maybe I could find a place to hide, or the rest of the village’s warriors would be alerted to
the skirmish.
Then the rogues pounced, and the next few minutes became a blur of reflexes and movement. I spun as one dove at me, claws outstretched, and his partner shifted and leapt for my throat. I threw out my arm, and the wolf’s jaws closed around that instead, biting down so hard I felt teeth grind on bone.
I screamed, and at the other end of the street I saw Gideon turn in my direction, then Dierdra called out again and he spun back to her, wrapping his arms around her in a protective gesture.
I was all alone. 1
2/3
Chapter 157
+25 Bonus
Pain coursed through me from the bite on my arm. The wolf was tugging and snarling, like a terrier would shake a rat, and I felt as though my arm was about to tear from its socket.
Suddenly a surge of strength from my wolf flooded through me, and I kicked forward, striking the wolf in the chest with my heel and breaking the hold of his jaws on me.
No sooner had I wrenched my arm away from the wolf, than the unshifted rogue lunged at me, trying to grab me around the waist and haul me backwards into the trees. I shoved and pulled at his strong hands clamped around my hips.
There was someone standing behind us in the treeline, I realized as I struggled. I twisted in the rogue warrior’s arms, trying to free myself and also get a look at the man standing there.
A ray of light dappled through the trees off of the man’s silver hair and eyepatch.
It was the Rogue King! He was directing the rogues on where to go, sending just enough towards Gideon and Dierdra that Gideon wouldn’t abandon her, while the majority were focused on me and cutting me off from any aid.
More and more rogues were emerging from the trees now. I watched hopelessly as they filled the road, running off the guards that had clustered around their Alpha.
Gideon wasn’t coming to rescue me, and I couldn’t possibly fight off so many alone. I needed to find
another way to survive this!
Mustering that strength my wolf lent me, I bent myself double, overbalancing the man clinging to my back and tossing him over me onto the ground. Then I whirled and ran towards the village, trying to find enough air in my lungs to call out for help.
The pack of rogues was instantly on my tail, shouting to each other as they pursued me. Their calls and howls spurred me faster, but there was no way I could outrun them for long. I just had to hope the village warriors could get here in time.
I stopped in my tracks, threw back my head, and screamed with all my might.
P
Comments
Editorial Board
Editorial Board Our editorial team works behind the scenes to refine each chapter, maintain consistency, and deliver the best reading experience.