Chapter 6 - Grayson

Thick pine branches slashed across my skin as I ran through the trees. The burn stinging all over was nothing compared to the ache blistering through my calf. Choal had gotten his claws into me through my jeans, and I was slowly oozing red, which worsened with each step.

But I couldn't stop.

I hadn't truly expected the guy to leave me alone, but I'd allowed myself to hold out hope. That was clearly the wrong move, and now, facing off against whatever lay ahead of me would be so much worse.

Cutting hard to the right, I dodged through a series of crisscrossing ropes that trapped the area up to my left. It was a close call, and then I was quickly flailing all over again to avoid the snare that nearly blended into the forest floor.

Pain tore through my calf as I zigged to the right again and took the next cordoned-off area of the maze. It felt like I was doubling back on myself again, but I couldn't tell if that was a bad thing. It became much more difficult to decide if your path was the correct one because the labyrinth required finding the grounds once again.

Up ahead, a small pond glimmered in the cloudy midday sunlight. I was dying of thirst, but I knew better than to trust it. Instead, I zoomed past, keeping my senses open for any sign of Choal or the exit.

Creak.

I stopped in my tracks, whipping my head to the left to pinpoint the source of the sound. It was definitely a branch or tree groaning, and as I peered into the shadowy section beneath a large bush, something moved.

Freezing, I crouched lower, pulling all the tension up in my legs and ready to dart in whatever direction I needed to. As I sucked in a deep breath, the wind shifted, and I was downwind from whatever stood before me.

Oh, shit.

I recognized the smell, and I'd already been here for too long, now. Just as I launched myself forward toward a tree, intent on climbing it, the sound of crunching leaves and twigs roared behind me. Before I could reach the trunk, I was knocked to the ground, the short animal shoving through my legs and getting me off balance.

A boar.

Another chuffing sound hit on my right.

Correction. Two boars. Fantastic.

They eyed me, huffing bursts of warm breath into the chilly forest air. Regret gnawed at my guts. I should have shifted the moment I got into the forest, but I hadn't wanted to stop and waste time doing so. Bad idea in retrospect.

The boar at my left charged, and I was just able to duck out of the way, rolling across the leaves and trying to get myself closer to the tree. If I could climb it, I'd have a few moments to plan what to do next.

But the other boar was heading right for me, and I had to quickly change course, pushing up from the ground and rushing toward the pond. I knew it wouldn't help me. Boars could actually swim very well, but I was running out of options.

Feeling them right behind me, I dove into the water, hoping that the bottom wasn't a mere two feet down. Luckily, I didn't hit silt as I jumped in, and I kicked forward, getting more distance between me and the boars.

When I surfaced, the thump of paws hitting the ground echoed from the path up ahead. Choal had found his way here, but he'd shifted, and the boars weren't fast enough to keep up with him.

They were distracted for a moment, however, and that would have to do.

Letting myself sink, I pulled on my wolf, eager for the bastard to take form quickly. He resisted, and my eyes flew open in the dirty water.

What are you doing?

I pulled hard, getting only a bit closer to shifting. He was fighting it so much, and the pain of trying to force this shift hit me like a semi-truck. Why on earth was he resisting me like this? He never had before. It was like my wolf was—

Then, his anger hit me. In this space between my forms, floating there between the seconds, I could sense my wolf's rage like nothing else. He was furious, frenzied, so close to the damn edge that he was ready to both shift and never let me come back into my human shape and unwilling to help me when I needed it.

And it was all because of Kenzie.

I could immediately tell that my wolf's wrath was all thanks to what I'd done to Kenzie. The reignited mate connection was funneling into him, and even though I'd rejected her, the claim was still there. My wolf wanted me to seize it—badly enough that he was willing to risk both of us to see it done.

Goddamn it. All right, already. I'll work on it. But she's mad.

He didn't budge.

If we die here, we'll never get back to her. And I…I do want to get back to her.

My wolf rushed forward, taking over my physical form in a snap that sent me reeling from beneath the water. I was thrust out onto the bank, my muscles on fire. The mental words I'd spoken still echoed in my head. I wanted to get back to her; that's all I'd said to him.

And I knew it wouldn't have worked if it wasn't the truth.

Then, the boars hit me, rushing in my direction as soon as I looked up from where my body had hit the ground. I dug my claws into the ground, twisting onto my feet and tearing off toward them with my fangs bared. They were big creatures, hulking and aggressive.

But I was bigger.

Boars were also pretty stupid as far as predators went. They barreled toward me with their tusks lowered, the perfect angle to jut up into my gut. Still, they rushed directly forward, not bothering to consider whether I would dodge out of the way, which is precisely what I did.

Ducking into a roll, I popped up behind them, slashing my claws through the belly of one before leaping on the other and going straight for the jugular. Blood spurted into my mouth, salty and warm, and I let it drip from my jaws.

They were down, but I knew this fight was far from over. There was still the matter of getting out of there, and with the adrenaline ebbing slightly, the pain in my calf screamed all the harder.

I looked around, my wolven eyes picking out textures and movement from a fair distance and zeroing in. Choal had gone that way, and the scent wafting from that direction—soil and fireplace—supported that fact.

Taking off at a dead sprint, I pushed my body as hard as I could, rushing over the brush and undergrowth even as my leg demanded I stop. I had no time for that shit. I needed to be the first out of this damn maze, and my wolf form was controlling things now, my instincts commanding I get back to Kenzie in equal measure.

The paths zigzagged through another large stand of trees, and I could start to hear the sound of paws crunching leaves up ahead of me. I was closing in. If I could maybe tackle Choal to the ground, I could roll through and keep going toward the exit.

A low growl rumbled through the woods.

That wasn't Choal. Slowing my pace enough to better track my surroundings, I searched for the source of the sound. A whine bit out through the silence, followed by another deep growl. The whine I could recognize, and if memory served, that sound was…

As I pulled to a stop before the next clearing, the exit just a few meters past it, I saw Choal struggling to fight against another hulking form.

A bear. Of course.

My stomach clenched at the thought of tangling with the beast. Wolf shifters were larger than your typical wolf, but we weren't as massive as a grizzly. They had us by at least a few hundred pounds, and if we did have to take one down, we usually did it together.

And that's probably what this was attempting to test. Choal and I were auditioning for Alpha. We were meant to lead. The two of us together could possibly take down a grizzly. Moreover, working together, we'd at least survive one long enough to get out of this damn maze, which the grizzly wouldn't think to do.

I rushed over, circling behind the grizzly and distracting it enough so that Choal could get up. As I eyed him for about a second, I tried to send my thoughts to him. Work with me, you asshole.

Even in his wolf form, he looked reluctant, but after a moment, we fell into a pack formation, circling and nipping at the bear to get it off balance and split between whom he wanted to attack more.

Time slowed and sped up one after the other, the bullet-time sensation of dodging a blow followed by the hurried scramble to get further away or land a quick strike to the bear's hindquarters.

But then I felt my claws connect deeper than they had. The bear roared out, dropping as his leg gave out. That was enough. We didn't need to kill it, and the thing could heal from that. It was time to go.

Just as I hurried toward Choal, the bear lashed out, raking his claws through the air at Choal. I knocked him out of the way, but pain licked through my lower back as my skin tore. Rolling over the ground, I pulled Choal up by the scruff of his neck, the flesh over my kidney burning.

It didn't feel too bad, but trying to get Choal moving was like dragging a damn elephant. He was punch-drunk and sloppy, his steps wobbling. He wasn't going to make it if I left him out here.

Dammit, you bastard. You were content enough to leave my ass, and here I am, hauling you to the exit.

The bear didn't follow as we pushed for the exit, and I was grateful for it. I knew I was leaking, and that would only diminish my abilities. I needed to get through this damn maze and shift back so that I could heal.

Inch by inch, I pulled Choal, who was in no way a help, until we got to the "finish line." As soon as my paws crossed the obvious line set up, noting the audience house just a few feet down the hill up ahead, I crashed to the ground.

Choal was breathing hard on me, and my vision was going fuzzy.

But I did it.

Thudding steps roared across the ground in my direction, and I lifted my head just enough to see the packs running toward us. The remaining Williams went straight for Choal while Jet and Kaiden beat feet toward me.

My wolf form slipped away, as did Choal's, and then hands were hoisting me off the ground.

"You are amazing, Gray. Well done!"

Jet's familiar voice rang out quietly by my ear as my senses evened out. The pain started to ease off as my body healed, but then a hand grabbed my wrist and lifted it into the air.

"Our winner!" Aspen called out, and I couldn't help the exhausted grin.

"Oh, good. That, umm, sucked."

I looked up to see Kaiden and Jet laughing, and then I sensed her. Kenzie was closing the distance to me, and my eyes immediately went to hers as she ran up.

"Fucking hell, you're a mess." She scowled at me, her hands on her hip as she stepped up to me. "You got any debris in there I need to be worried about?"

I tried to shrug, but it was uncoordinated and jumbled. "Don't know."

"All right, champion." Kenzie rolled her eyes, no admiration behind that nickname. "Let's get you back home so I can check your damn wounds."

***

Back in my room, I sat straighter on the bed, attempting to give Kenzie a better view of my back. She grumbled something under her breath, and I flinched as her tiny finger probed at the torn skin.

"Fuck," I looked over my shoulder at her, "are you trying to hurt me?"

She cocked her head, that perma-glare firmly in place. "Maybe. Would you just quit moving and hold still?"

"I'm not—" But I bit back the desire to get defensive with her. It didn't help, after all. "Sorry."

Kenzie raised her brows at me, and I turned around to face away from her again.

"Must've really bumped your head. You actually apologized for something."

I didn't respond to that one. I didn't know what to say. Again, Kenzie had every right to be pissy with me, but hell, it was getting old. I tried to think of anything else, focusing on the slight imperfection in the wall across from me.

The bed behind me dipped as Kenzie shuffled around again, and that cold liquid passed over my back again, cleaning out the wound before I healed. After a moment, she sighed, and I heard the snap of her latex gloves as Kenzie pulled them off.

"Finished?"

"Yup."

I went for my shirt, but as Kenzie scooted off the bed, she snatched it out of my hands.

"No shirt until you heal. Remember the last time your scab got stuck to the fabric?"

Kenzie had been there to treat my wounds after Terrance's attack. I'd been about as quiet during that session as well. Still, that time, we'd been on the same side, and Kenzie's scent had hit me hard that day.

I'd known she was my mate since she first shifted, the call arriving the exact moment her wolf did. But I didn't say anything. She didn't either, for that matter.

Though, I imagine we didn't think it was real. At least, I knew I didn't. Mates weren't a thing back then, not until Jet found his did I start to think more about it.

I remembered being alone with Kenzie for that healing session, remembered how her fingers had traced over the muscles of my chest—soft and gentle but…hungry.

I'd kissed her moments later.

As I looked over at her now, I just nodded. But that same desire to crash my lips against hers built in my stomach. I could taste her, my brain sending me the phantom signals as Kenzie turned away and crossed the room.

She was cleaning up her medical supplies, her back to me, and I turned around, watching her. It was a bad idea to be in her like this with her. Still, maybe I should say something.

Oh, like what, genius? I'm sorry? I don't think that's going to cut it anymore.

My shoulders slumped, and I looked away, getting up from the bed. I couldn't be still, and pacing seemed as good an idea as any. I needed to wait for my skin to knit back together before I could pull on my damn shirt, but at least I could sense myself healing.

Steps circling and the gentle thud of my boots on the floor were the only noise in the room, aside from Kenzie's nearly silent efforts to clean up.

"Would you quit stomping around?"

"I'm not stomping. It's just the boots. I'd take ‘em off, but then I think you'd be pissed at me for another reason."

Kenzie scoffed, turning over her shoulder just long enough to glare at me. Still, I stopped, just standing there by the bed and folding my arms over my chest.

"Could you please not just stare at me?" She held my gaze, clearly wanting me to turn around or something.

"Are you planning on changing? Because if you're not, I don't really feel like staring at the wall."

She glowered at me, and I sighed. I knew I was being just as snappy as she usually was this time. It was all just so complicated.

"Look," I hung my head, dropping my arms and raking a hand through my hair, "I'm sorry. I'm tired and in pain, and I know you're just trying to help, so…"

I didn't know how to finish the sentence, so I just let it hang in the air between us—heavy and awkward.

As I closed my eyes, gripping the roots of my hair as I took a deep breath, I noticed something about the room. Kenzie's scent was perfuming stronger than usual, a deep combination of burnt paper and an ocean storm. Her emotions were still charring her scent, but it was stronger.

Flicking my stare back up to her, I found Kenzie looking down at the ground. She held one arm across her chest, gripping her opposite bicep and sucking in slow breaths.

Something about the energy of the room changed, charged, and I could sense it coming from Kenzie. My wolf stirred beneath my skin, and just as I noted the lack of pain coming from my back, signaling that my healing had been completed, Kenzie looked up at me.

Her eyes glowed faintly.

Umm, what the fuck is happening?