Only then did she allow herself to slow, gulping in great lungfuls of the cool night air.
The Caledonian silver mine loomed before her, the remains of the old hoist house now a dilapidated silhouette against the star-strewn sky.
Hannah approached cautiously, alert for any sign of other shifters.But everything was still, the only movement the gentle swaying of scrub brush in the desert breeze.
Carefully, she made her way into the hoist house, relying on her lupine eyesight to guide her in the dark.Hannah wrinkled her nose at the stale air even as a wave of relief washed over her.
They had done it.Against all odds, they had infiltrated pack territory and escaped with valuable intel.
She sank onto a rickety chair in one corner of the room, finally allowing the tension to drain from her body.Her hand brushed against her pocket, and she pulled out the photograph she had taken from Vincent’s study.In the dim moonlight filtering in through the gaps in the building, she stared at the image of her younger self.
She had been so naive then, so sure of her path.Vincent had promised her power, position, a chance to be more than just another packmate.And she had believed him, had done whatever it took to stay in his good graces.
Now here she was, an outcast, a fugitive from her own pack.And yet… Hannah’s grip tightened on the photo.And yet she was still fighting.Still clawing her way toward power, toward a future where she would never again be at anyone’s mercy.
A noise outside snapped her out of her reverie.Hannah was on her feet in an instant, her body tensed.But then Gregory’s scent reached her, and she let out a breath.
Gregory stumbled through the door, his clothes torn and dirty, a fresh cut oozing blood on his cheek.But his eyes were bright with triumph.
“Told you I’d make it,” he said, a wry smile twisting his lips.
Relief so strong it made her knees weak washed into her.She hadn’t realized until then how much she had come to rely on Gregory, how lost she would have been without him.
“What happened?”she asked, guiding him to the chair she had vacated.“Did Conall recognize you?”
Gregory shook his head, wincing slightly at the movement.“No, I managed to keep ahead of him until I could circle back.Lost him in that ravine near the eastern border.”
Hannah nodded.“What’s our next move?”
“We need to go through the documents,” he said finally.“See exactly what we’re dealing with.Then we can start making plans.”
Hannah nodded, pulling out the stack of papers.“And after that?”
A cold smile curved his lips.“After that,” he said softly, “we start taking back what’s ours.”
CHAPTER 12
AT THE EDGE OFthe gathering on Sunburst Mesa, Malcolm could feel the wolf within him pacing restlessly.
He scanned the crowd of pack members, taking in their excited chatter and nervous energy.This was it—the final alpha challenge.Everything he’d worked for all his life had led to this moment.
Malcolm glanced at Larissa as she moved to stand nearby.He could almost feel the phantom pressure of her lips against his, taste the sweetness of her mouth from their kiss during patrol.Even at this distance, a frisson of awareness passed between them, and Malcolm had to forcibly tear his gaze away.
Stop it,he told himself sternly.You can’t afford to be distracted now.
Nick’s voice cut through the murmur of the crowd, silencing the chatter as effectively as a gunshot.“Sunburst Pack,” he began “we gather here today for the final challenge that will determine our new alpha.”
Malcolm straightened his shoulders, forcing his face into a mask of calm confidence.He could feel the pack watching him, could smell their anticipation and curiosity.They were wondering if he had what it took to lead them, to protect them.
He intended to prove he did.
Nick continued, “This challenge will test not just your strength and speed but your ability to lead, to make difficult decisions under pressure.As alpha, you’ll be—”
A sudden commotion at the edge of the gathering cut Nick off midsentence.Malcolm caught a whiff of two scents he’d never expected to smell again.His heart stuttered, then began to race as his mind processed what his nose was telling him.
Gregory and Hannah?
Impossible.They’d fled after Vincent’s defeat.They couldn’t be here.And yet…
