"Just do as I say."
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Kyle
Get your ass down to the gate now!A mind-link message from James woke me up. I took a moment to rub my eyes before I stumbled from my bed, still half-asleep. I found a pair of jeans and stepped into them and then buttoned them up.
What's going on?I asked as I hurried from my room. I took the stairs quickly and made a dash out of the house. The cool morning air hit my bare chest. I hadn't had a chance to find a shirt.
The gates were open. I ran toward James, who was helping Dean walk inside the compound. He had gone missing a couple of days ago.
"What's going on?" I asked my beta.
"Crystal has escaped-," James began to say, but I cut him off.
"How do you know that?" I asked, feeling like I had woken up halfway through a movie and now I was trying to catch up.
"She saved me," Dean said softly. My eyes went to him. "The Keepers were going to kill me but she got me out of there."
None of what they were telling me was making sense in my groggy mind.
"She got out?" I directed the question to James. He nodded his head.
"Then where is she?" I asked, feeling a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Had something happened to her and they didn't know how to tell me?
"She left," James told me, knowing how much this was going to hurt me.
"How long?" I asked, already formulating how far she could have gotten.
"Five minutes."
I was already running toward the still-open gates. I shifted without missing a beat, determined that this time she wasn't going to get away. There wasn't much of a scent to follow because I wasn't tracking a werewolf. I picked up the faintest sniff of a human scent.
All my feelings that had been building up to this moment began to break free. It was nearly impossible to concentrate on what I needed to do to find her. If I made a mistake, I would lose her forever and that just wasn't an option.
My legs strained as I followed the old scent, hoping I would come across a new scent that would lead me to my mate.
The moment I caught the tiniest trace of a fresh human smell, I locked on to it like a bloodhound and I followed it, allowing my instinct to guide me. My ears strained for any sound of movement in the forest as I ran, pausing slightly to make sure I was on the right track.
The moment I heard the soft rustle of leaves and the padding of footsteps on the forest floor, I felt the relief. I was so close. No longer needing the scent, I followed the sound, straining my muscles as I ran as fast as I could.
The moment I caught sight of her fiery red hair, I felt the first flitter of hope that I had refused to feel until there was actually a chance of finding her, and here I was. So close.
She didn't slow down but I knew she could hear me. Now I would be able to find out why she was so intent on running away. Then I would make sure this never happened again.
She was my mate and I wanted her forever.
When I got closer she faltered slightly as she looked back over her shoulder. It was all I needed.
The moment she stumbled, I pushed off the ground. With every sense connected to her, I began to shift, intent on wrapping my arms around her and never letting go. She cried out as she began to fall forward, but I was faster.
The moment my hands touched her, I felt the jolt of electricity that vibrated through me.
Mine. That feeling of completeness that had evaded me for so long wrapped around me as I tightened my hold on her, pulling her closer. My strong arms would keep her safe, cocooned in my warmth. I breathed in her sweet smell.
Our eyes met for the briefest moment. Shock and then love shone in her eyes. She felt it too.
I landed on the ground on my back, cushioning her fall with my body.
