Resentment toward Nick, toward Sarah Sanchez and all the others who had brought about this change, left her trembling.
Damn them all.
But she couldn’t afford to dwell on her anger.
Pushing her feelings aside, Hannah focused once more on Gregory.He had nearly reached the edge of the mesa now.
Hannah knew she had to move fast.If she lost sight of Gregory now, she might never find him again.And then where would she be?Locked up in a cage on Nick’s orders, no doubt.Or worse.
No.She wouldn’t surrender.
Taking a deep breath, Hannah prepared herself for the final dash.It would leave her exposed, vulnerable to detection.But it was a risk she had to take.She couldn’t stay here, couldn’t face the judgment of the pack.This was her only chance.
With one last glance to ensure the coast was clear, Hannah sprinted from her hiding place.Her feet pounded against the hard-packed earth, kicking up small clouds of dust with each step.
Gregory was so close now.Just a few more yards…
“Gregory!”Hannah called out, her voice hoarse and breathless.“Wait!”
He stiffened, and his head began to turn.For a heart-stopping instant, Hannah thought he might run, might leave her behind to face the pack’s wrath alone.But then he paused, waiting for her to catch up.
Hannah nearly sobbed with relief as she reached him.
Gregory’s gaze settled on her, wary and calculating.“What are you doing here?”
“I’m coming with you,” Hannah said, trying to fill her voice with a confidence she didn’t feel.“We both know we can’t stay here.Not after…everything.”
After an eternity, Gregory gave a short nod.“Fine,” he said.“But we need to move.Now.”
As they turned to leave, Hannah cast one last glance back at the battlefield.The place that had been her home, the pack that had been her family—all of it was lost to her now.
She pushed any sorrow aside.
“Where are we going?”she asked Gregory as they began to move, picking their way carefully through the rocky terrain.
“Away,” he replied tersely.“As far as we can get.”Gregory was silent for a long moment, then he said, “And when the time is right, we come back stronger.”
Hannah trembled at his words.Come back?The thought both terrified and exhilarated her.Could they do that?Could they find a way to reclaim what they had lost?
As if sensing her thoughts, Gregory turned to her.“Vincent may be gone,” he said, “but his plans for the pack don’t have to die with him.”
Hannah nodded slowly, feeling a spark of her old ambition reigniting within her.
“I’m with you,” she said, her voice stronger than it had been all night.
Gregory’s lips curved into a small, satisfied smile.“Good,” he said.“We have some planning to do.”
Swallowing down the spike of anxiety his words sent through her, Hannah simply nodded.
And then she fell into place beside him.
CHAPTER 1
TWO WEEKS AFTER THEhorrific intrapack battle that had finally wrested control of the Sunburst Pack out of Vincent Foley’s cruel, power-hungry paws, Malcolm pulled his truck up to a small adobe house in the town of Sunburst, New Mexico.
He stepped out of his truck, surveying the house his friends Sarah and Nick had chosen, with its welcoming front porch and the promise of new beginnings.
Malcolm’s nostrils flared slightly, picking up the familiar scents of the pack.
