by Bethany Shaw
The wolf seemed to be sizing her up; Sarah took the few precious seconds to survey her options. She couldn’t outrun it and she certainly wasn’t leaving Vincent behind. That meant, somehow, she would have to fight it off until Vincent got back. He couldn’t have gone far. Where is he? She scanned the area in search of her companion.
Leaves crunched to her left and she peered over. Vincent’s emerald eyes met hers.
“Wolf,” she mouthed, pointing.
The brown wolf bolted forward, causing her to gasp as it sprang at Vincent and dragged him to the ground. She held her breath, terrified Vincent would be hurt. The wolf snarled as the two wrestled. Vincent flipped them over, quickly gaining the upper hand. Sarah let out a relieved breath and quickly rose to her feet, looking for something she could use as a weapon.
She was so concerned with her companion’s well being she didn’t realize the presence behind her until it was too late. Rough hands embedded into her hair and dragged her to her feet.
Sarah’s hands flew to her head in a desperate attempt to get the man off of her. His arm wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her roughly against his solid chest.
“Get off me!” she shrieked, flailing wildly, but to no avail.
Think, Sarah, think. He’s too strong for you to break free. He might be strong, but I bet it will still hurt like hell if you bite him.
Sarah bent forward and bit into the fleshy forearm. Bile rose up in her throat as the man tasted like stale, salty sweat and dirt. Her assaulter hissed, allowing his grip to loosen. Taking advantage, she lifted her foot and slammed her heel into the top of his foot. He retaliated by swiping his long, wolfish nails across her bicep as he released her.
Blinding pain tore through her arm and she screamed as the thick nails ripped at her flesh as he tried to grab her with his clawed hand.
“Get off her!” Vincent snarled, launching himself at her captor.
The air whooshed out of Sarah’s lungs as she was propelled to the ground. Her vision blurred and everything went black for a moment. She forced her eyes open and slithered across the dirt, away from the fighting.
Once out of the way, she rolled over to watch the fight. Vincent was holding his own, but his opponent was much larger. A dark spot soaked through the back of Vincent’s shirt and she blinked, realizing he was injured. She prayed it wasn’t serious. If something happened to Vincent she would lose it.
She had to help him. Sarah pushed to her feet, grimacing as a wave of dizziness pulled at her consciousness. She squeezed her eyes shut in an effort to stay awake. Blinking, she saw the brown wolf lying in a bloody heap in the brush. If she didn’t get it together, she or Vincent could be seriously injured or captured. She forced her eyes to focus on the fight before her. Vincent’s attacker tackled him to the ground and wrapped his hands around his throat.
Sarah held her breath. He couldn’t die—she couldn’t let him die like this. I need a weapon. Her eyes darted around the forest at the trees and brush that surrounded her. A large branch dangled from a tree, its diameter about the size of her wrist, but with long lean branches hanging off the end. Racing forward, she jerked the branch free of the tree and snapped the smaller, skinner ends of the branch off with her knee. Heat crept up her leg from the action, but she ignored it.
Sarah gritted her teeth as she hurried to Vincent, her makeshift club in hand. She clutched the branch above her like a baseball bat and positioned her body.
Then swung.
The man fell forward onto Vincent and she struck again, putting every ounce of strength she had into it. She’d be damned if anyone tried to kill Vincent. The man fell to the ground cursing as she continued to assault him. To her dismay, he started to push himself to his feet with a grunt.
Determined not to let him get up, she aimed again and lashed out, but her enemy caught it. He yanked on his end and pulled her to him. His grubby, calloused hand snatched her chin, squeezing to the point of pain.
“You stupid little—”
A sickening crunch sounded, cutting him off. The man’s eyes widened as he fell to his knees and then slumped to the ground. Vincent stood behind the man and caught him, tossing his body to the side before he could fall onto her.
Sarah’s stomach twisted as her gaze took in the odd angle of the man’s neck and the vacant black of his eyes.
“Sarah? Sarah?” Vincent said frantically. “Sarah? Are you okay?” Vincent’s warm hands cupped her cheeks as his emerald eyes searched her.
His soothing touch brought her out of her stupor. “I...I think so,” she replied after a long moment.
“We’ve got to go.” His fingers trailed down her arm, taking her hand in his. “Can you run?”
Sarah closed her eyes and nodded. She would not be captured; if she had to run through the entire state of New Mexico, she would. Anything was better than the fate the Lunas and Juarez had planned for her. She opened her eyes and met Vincent’s gaze.
“We’re going to be okay,” he assured as he bent down and picked up their bag. “Come on.” He tugged her hand as he led them away.
***
Vincent panted as they climbed up the side of a steep hill, side-by-side. He was exhausted, but he was more worried about his companion. Sarah grunted as she climbed the rocky terrain. Her face was pale and blood covered the length of her arm. A fine sheen of sweat formed on her brow and she seemed unsteady on her feet.
“You okay?” he asked breathlessly.
“Are we being followed?” she asked. Sarah reached for a rock, but as her fingers circled around it, it pulled free from the dirt. She clawed at the ground trying to catch herself.
“Sarah!” he panicked, grasping her hand as she slid down. A cloud of debris fluttered down and he swallowed, realizing just how high they were. Jagged rocks loomed precariously below them. If she fell, she would die. “I got you,” he assured as he held himself up with one hand and clutched onto her with the other.
Her hand was warm and sticky. Blood oozed between their entwined fingers and he looked down at the long claw marks that marred her upper arm. There was so much blood; he began to wonder if she would lose consciousness from blood loss. She needed medical care.
Sarah used her free hand to latch onto a rock and find her footing again. “I think I’m good now,” she hissed, her face contorting into a grimace as she gingerly moved her injured arm.
“You sure?” He wished there was more he could do for her, but right now, it would have to wait until they got to the top. She would make it to the peak, no matter what. He’d carry her on his back if needed.
Sarah flexed her digits in his palm, groaning slightly. “Yeah.”
Cautiously, he released her hand. “We’ll rest at the top for a minute. We’re not being followed.” At least not yet, he thought. The blood covering her arm was like a calling card to Luna and his men—they would be able to smell it for miles. First, they needed to get to the top of the hill and then they could figure out how to cover her scent.
“Good,” she huffed as she continued along.
They maneuvered their way up in silence. Vincent reached the peak first and rolled himself over the top. Twisting, he reached his hand down to Sarah. Her warm, slender fingers grasped his as he tugged her up beside him.
They collapsed on the ground next to each other, their breathing ragged and uneven. Vincent stared up at the bright blue sky, watching as the puffy white clouds rolled above them. Judging by the position of the sun, they’d been running from the Lunas most of the morning. His lungs burned and legs throbbed from the grueling workout.
“How is your arm?” he asked, rolling his head to look at her.
She lifted her arm and let out a long, pained breath. “The bleeding has stopped.” Her head swiveled and their gazes met. “What about you? Are you okay?”
Vincent paused, taking a moment to assess his injuries. Heat crept over his back and the longer he lay, the stiffer his muscles became. He would live, though. “I’m okay, but we need to
keep moving.”
“They’re not going to stop,” Sarah mumbled, looking back up at the sky. “They’ll just keep coming. We can’t keep this up.”
“Hey,” Vincent said, taking hold of her uninjured arm. “We’re not giving up.”
Sarah swallowed, her bottom lip trembling. “I thought he was going to kill you.”
“I’m not dying, Sarah.” He squeezed her hand.
“You don’t know that,” she whispered. “I’ve lost my parents, Rick, and Preston. They all thought the same thing. I can’t live with the guilt of another person’s death on my conscience.”
Vincent sat up and pulled her with him. “I promise you, Sarah, we are going home, both of us.”
She shook her head, a single tear rolling down her pale cheek. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
“We’re going to make it home,” he insisted. There was no way he was going to let her down. “Together. I promise you.”
“I can’t lose anyone else, Vincent. I don’t want to lose you, too.” A sob tore out of her throat.
Unshed tears pooled in her sapphire eyes and he knew everything was finally crashing down on her. He needed to reassure her.
“You won’t. We do this together. I won’t leave you alone. We go home together or we go down fighting together. I’m not giving up on us, not until my last breath. If you don’t go home, neither do I. What do you say?”
“I’m in. We get home together or we fight till our last breath—together. I refuse to be a breeder. I’ll die first.”
“Whatever happens, I’m right here with you,” he promised. He wouldn’t let Sarah down, even if he had to come back from the dead, he would be there for her.
Vincent reached up and pulled her to him. Sarah relaxed into him and wrapped her arms around him, clutched him tightly. They were going to get home. But first, they would have to run again. The smell of wolves drifted in the air a moment before he heard them.
“They’re up here,” a male voice called.
“I thought you said they weren’t following us,” Sarah murmured into his shoulder as she stiffened.
“You have to remember wolves have a keen sense of smell, and move fast.” Vincent pulled away from her but kept his hands on her elbows. “No rest for the weary. On the bright side, at least we’re getting a great workout. I think you’re getting some muscles in your arms.” He squeezed her uninjured bicep, playfully.
“Seriously?” Sarah huffed exasperated. “We are running for our lives and you are commenting on my muscle tone.”
Vincent chuckled, helping her to her feet. His limbs screamed at the movement as his muscles tightened painfully. He took a step forward, his stride stiff. “Come on, let’s keep our head start.”
Sarah clasped their hands together, and they both took off at a steady jog. A thicket of trees was ahead to their right. While the wolves could smell them, it would at least give them some cover. Taking the lead, Vincent steered them in that direction, pushing the dense foliage out of the way. The trees and brush in this area were still full, but the leaves were vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows.
Voices shouted behind them and he sprinted faster, willing his aching legs not to give out. If Sarah can keep moving, so can I. I just promised her we’d see this through together. That’s one promise I’m not breaking.
The pair came across a fallen log; he leapt up on it then turned to pull Sarah up before jumping down to the earth together. Leaves and twigs crunched behind them and they began to sprint, Sarah falling in stride next to Vincent.
In the distance, he could hear something roaring and prayed it wasn’t what he thought. Yet at this point, there was nowhere else for them to go. Light poked through the trees and he could see the drop off up ahead. His heart plummeted and dread filled him. Why can’t anything go our?
“How well do you swim?” he asked as the swirling sound of water became louder.
“I’m okay. Why?” she shot back wearily.
“We’re going to go for a swim,” he stated as they came out into the clearing. The trees stretched on for a few more yards before the drop off he’d feared would be there. The sun shone brightly and he slowed their pace as they approached the edge. The water looked deep enough for the twenty-or-so-foot plummet. The depth wasn’t the issue; it was the rapid current that could be a challenge for them, especially in their weakened state. Will Sarah be able to swim in the rapids?
Sarah sucked in a deep breath as she peered over the edge.
“At least we’ll get a bath,” he winked as he wiped at a smudge of dirt on Sarah’s cheek.
“We are really doing this?” she asked quietly, averting her wide-eyed gaze to the raging water below.
“Together?” he quirked his brow at her.
“Together,” she nodded.
Vincent squeezed her hand tighter. They were really going to do this. He sucked in a large gulp of air and, after one last look at Sarah, they plummeted off the edge into the swirling water below.
Chapter Five
Sarah gasped as the icy water hit her, causing a burst of pain to jolt up her legs from the impact. Water invaded her mouth as she went under and Vincent’s hand ripped away from hers. The water swirled around her ferociously. Her heart hammered against her ribs as she fought to push herself to the surface. The effort was in vain as the rapids pushed and pulled her in every direction but up.
Swim up!
Her body listed to the side and she kicked her feet in a futile attempt to fix her positioning. The sun shone brightly above, illuminating the way to the top. Terror filled her as she fought to get to the surface.
I am not going to drown! Sarah thrashed her arms down and propelled herself upwards. Like a torpedo, her head popped out of the river and she sputtered, expelling the water from her lungs. The river raged around her, sloshing into her face as she treaded water, fighting to stay afloat.
“Vincent!” she screamed out between coughs. She grasped onto a floating branch and hauled herself further out of the water. Sarah searched frantically for her companion. “Vincent!”
“Sarah!”
She spun around. Relief flooded her as Vincent swam against the current toward her. Her joy quickly turned to panic when she noticed the bag was still on his back and the current was forcing it over his head, making it hard for him to move. Vincent panted breathlessly as he fought the current to get to her. Help him! Sarah used her hands to paddle closer, praying he didn’t go under. He reached out and clung onto the branch with her.
“You okay?” he asked, running a hand over his face.
“Yeah. You?”
He nodded, his eyes drifting to the hilltop they’d jumped from. “We need to get moving before one of them musters up the courage to jump in after us.”
Sarah followed his gaze and shuddered. Is it really too much to ask for the Lunas to leave us alone? She just wanted a chance to rest, to be safe again.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option. Six men stood watching them. One of them was pointing and saying something to the others, but she couldn’t tell what he was saying. Vincent was right; they needed to get a move on. They were sitting ducks there in the water.
“Help me get to shore,” Vincent said. He clutched the limb with one arm and used his other as a paddle. Sarah mimicked his action, and, after a few strenuous moments, they reached the other side.
Vincent climbed out of the water first and then offered his hand to her. Sarah squeezed his fingers tightly as the water lapped at her hips. She stumbled in the water as her boots sunk into the murky ground. Vincent tugged on her arms harder, yanking her free of the muddy embankment.
She fell into his embrace and he quickly righted her. He took her hand in his and led them off the shore.
“Can you run?” he asked.
Sarah’s teeth chattered uncontrollably as she nodded. She was freezing. The word hypothermia popped into her head and she shuddered. Goose bumps covered her flesh and she noted Vincent’s lips had turned
purple from the chill of the water. Regardless of the cold, they had to keep moving. At lest the movement would keep their blood flowing.
“Come on,” Vincent hauled her the rest of the way out of the water, never once releasing her hand.
She glanced back to the hilltop again. The men still stood watching. She and Vincent needed to leave; for all they knew, more men were coming down to the river to greet them.
“Come on,” Vincent urged, pulling her forward into the cover of the trees.
***
Vincent collapsed against a tree trunk and ran his forearm across his sweaty brow. He let the bag fall off his back onto the ground, glad to be rid of the extra weight. Sarah, hunched over, brought her forehead to her knees. He was impressed with Sarah. Having spent a lot of time at the gym and training at the Harris’, he considered himself in peak physical shape. But the pace and intensity was taking a toll on him, and he had accelerated abilities. He couldn’t even imagine how she felt.
Sarah groaned as she slowly lowered herself to the ground. Exhaustion must have taken over because the next second she was on her butt. “I don’t think I can move another inch.”
“Me either,” he panted slouching down against a tree for support. He leaned his head back against the bark and closed his eyes. The tree was oddly comfortable. He could very well fall asleep right against it.
“You know the town was in the opposite direction,” she stated, quietly.
“I figured,” he mumbled, too tired to open his eyes.
“We can’t keep running. This pace is too much,” she choked out between pants.
“You’re not thinking of giving up,” he warned. He opened his eyes and fixed a pointed look on her.
“No!” she snapped. “We need to change tactics.”
“What did you have in mind?” Vincent inquired, genuinely interested. They did need a plan.
“Well, we know they want us alive—or at least they did a few days ago. We still have the upper hand.”
Vincent nodded. The men he fought hadn’t been going for the kill, which was why he was alive and they were dead. He was a skilled fighter, but taking on a wolf in human form was no easy feat.