Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

R owan

I held her tight against me.

She felt fragile in my arms, like the whole world might shatter if I let her go. Her fingers clutched at my ribcage, nails digging into my skin, leaving tiny half-moon marks that burned my flesh. But I didn’t mind. I welcomed the pain, welcomed the proof that she was real, that she was here, in my arms, and not just some fevered hallucination born out of my desperation.

My mate .

Kendra was perfect. Long, dark brown waves of hair fell past her shoulders, tangled and wild from her fucking, cascading down her back like a waterfall. I buried my face in it, inhaling the faint scent of something sweet, something that reminded me of rain and earth, and something I couldn’t quite name but knew I’d never forget.

When I pulled back, her eyes met mine—vivid green, like the first leaves of spring, wide with fear, but shining with a strength that took my breath away. Her gaze pierced through me, stripping away everything I thought I was, leaving me raw, exposed.

And I loved it.

I loved how her eyes seemed to look past the monster that lived inside me, past the blood and the scars, and see something worth saving.

She trembled slightly, and I tightened my grip around her waist, holding her close, wanting to shield her from everything that lay beyond this moment. Her body was slim, delicate, but I could feel the muscles coiled beneath her skin, the way she held herself like a warrior who’d seen more than her fair share of battles. She didn’t feel weak. She felt alive, and it made something in my chest tighten painfully, made something in me start to thaw.

“You’re okay,” I whispered, pressing my lips to her temple, feeling the warmth of her skin against my mouth. “I’ll keep you safe.”

She nodded against me, her breath coming out in short, ragged gasps, but she didn’t speak. I could feel her heartbeat, rapid and unsteady, fluttering like a trapped bird against my chest. And for a moment, it was enough just to hold her, to feel her heartbeat match mine, to know that she was here, in my arms, and I wasn’t alone anymore.

Then, from outside the door, there was a sudden crash—a loud, jarring sound that cut through the silence like a blade. Kendra tensed, her fingers digging into my ribs even deeper, her eyes going wide with fear. I cursed under my breath, instincts flaring to life, and I pulled her tighter against me, shielding her with my body.

“We have to go,” I said, my voice low, urgent. “Now.”

She looked up at me, confusion flickering across her face, but she didn’t argue. She just nodded, trusting me, and something in that simple gesture made my heart ache. I didn’t deserve her trust. I wasn’t even sure I deserved to hold her, but right now, none of that mattered.

All that mattered was getting her out of here.

I took her hand, and together we moved toward the door. My pulse pounded in my ears, adrenaline surging as I twisted the handle and edged the door open, peering out into the corridor beyond.

The hallway stretched out like a tunnel, fluorescent lights flickering overhead, casting erratic shadows that danced along the walls. We crept forward, my body tense, every muscle coiled tight, ready to spring at the first sign of danger.

“Stay close,” I whispered, my eyes scanning the darkness, and Kendra nodded, her fingers squeezing mine as she followed my lead.

The first wolf appeared out of nowhere, launching himself at me with a feral snarl, his claws outstretched, teeth bared. I moved on instinct, yanking Kendra behind me with one hand as I drove my fist into his throat with the other. He choked, eyes bulging, and I didn’t give him a chance to recover. I grabbed him by the hair, twisting his head violently to the side until I felt the satisfying snap of bone beneath my fingers.

Another wolf lunged from the shadows, this one larger, with wild eyes and a snarl that echoed down the hallway. I pushed Kendra against the wall, shielding her with my body, and met the wolf head-on, catching his outstretched arm and driving my knee into his gut. He doubled over, wheezing, but I didn’t stop. I grabbed him by the back of the neck and slammed him face-first into the concrete, the impact echoing like a clap of thunder through the silence.

Kendra gasped, and I turned to her, knowing we had to move quickly if we had any chance of getting out of here.

“Go,” I growled, pushing her forward. “We don’t have much time.”

We sprinted down the hallway, and for a moment, I thought we might make it. I could see the faint glow of the exit sign up ahead, could taste the cool night air just beyond it. But then, a door burst open, and five more wolves spilled into the corridor, blocking our path, their eyes glowing with hunger, with rage.

“Stay behind me,” I ordered, and without waiting for her response, I charged forward, adrenaline burning through my veins like wildfire.

The first wolf lunged at me, and I ducked low, driving my shoulder into his gut and flipping him over my back. I heard him hit the floor with a sickening crunch, but I didn’t stop to see if he got back up. The second wolf came at me with a blade, his movements fast and fluid, but I was faster. I sidestepped his swing, grabbed his wrist, and twisted until I heard the bone snap. He howled in pain, and I drove my fist into his jaw, feeling it break beneath my knuckles.

Another wolf tackled me from the side, his weight slamming into me like an eighteen-wheeler, and we crashed into the wall, plaster raining down around us. He snarled, snapping his teeth at my throat, but I shoved him back, slamming my elbow into his face, feeling the cartilage of his nose crack. I grabbed him by the neck, lifting him off his feet, and threw him into the remaining wolves, sending them sprawling across the floor.

“Move!” I shouted at Kendra, and we ran, my heart hammering in my chest, every nerve screaming that we wouldn’t make it, that there were too many of them, that this was a fight we couldn’t win.

We burst through the door at the end of the hall and found ourselves in a wide-open courtyard, the moon hanging low in the sky, bathing the compound in a pale, eerie light. The fence loomed ahead, tall and foreboding, topped with barbed wire that glistened like teeth in the darkness. And beyond that fence was freedom, the promise of escape.

But more wolves poured into the courtyard, snarling and snapping, blocking the path, their eyes gleaming with the thrill of the hunt. I pulled Kendra close, felt her heart racing against my chest, and I knew we had one last chance.

“Hold on to me,” I told her, and without waiting for a response, I grabbed her around the waist, lifting her off the ground and throwing her on my back. I charged forward, plowing into the wolves with every ounce of strength I had left.

They swarmed us, claws flashing, teeth snapping, and I fought like a man possessed, swinging wildly, feeling my fists connect with bone and flesh, hearing the wet crunch of impact as I drove them back. One of them sank his teeth into my shoulder, and I roared, slamming my forehead into his nose, feeling his grip loosen. Another wolf slashed at my ribs, and I caught his wrist, twisting until I heard the bones snap, then drove my knee into his gut, sending him sprawling.

More kept coming, a sea of snarling faces and flashing claws, but I didn’t slow down. I couldn’t. I had to get Kendra out. I had to keep moving.

“Rowan!” Kendra’s voice cut through the chaos, and I turned just in time to see a wolf lunging at the two of us from the side, his claws outstretched, reaching for her throat.

I grabbed him by the neck in mid-air, lifting him clean off the ground, and hurled him into the fence, feeling the shock of electricity ripple through his body as he collided with the wires. He convulsed, eyes wide and unseeing, and then fell limp, crumpling to the ground.

I panted, blood dripping from my wounds, my vision blurring, but I didn’t let go of Kendra, didn’t let myself fall. I turned to the fence, seeing our way out, and with a final surge of strength, I launched us both over it.

We hit the ground hard on the other side, rolling through the dirt, and for a moment, I just lay there, staring up at the sky, feeling the cool night air on my skin, feeling Kendra’s warmth pressed against me.

I wanted to stay there with her forever.

But the howls grew louder, closer, and I felt the tension ripple through my muscles, pushing me back into action.

“Hold on,” I ordered, grabbing her wrists and pulling her toward me. She barely had time to react before I hoisted her up and onto my back, wrapping her legs around my waist and her arms around my neck. “Like a spider monkey,” I muttered, trying to inject a bit of levity into the situation, even as my heart pounded against my ribs and adrenaline surged through my veins.

She tightened her grip, pressing her chest against my back, and I felt her breath on my ear, warm and unsteady.

“Are you sure—” she asked, but I cut her off.

“No time,” I said, already taking off, tearing through the underbrush with a speed that left the world around us a blur.

We tore through the wreckage of the city, the ruins rising up around us like jagged teeth. The streets were cracked and uneven, littered with debris and the remnants of a life that had been forgotten long ago, but I didn’t slow down. I moved through the chaos with a single-minded focus, my eyes locked on the path ahead, on the narrow alleyways and broken roads that would lead us out of this place.

Kendra clung to my back, her breath warm against my neck, and I could feel the way her body tensed with every step, every leap as I hurdled over obstacles that littered the ground. She didn’t say a word, didn’t ask questions or demand answers—she just held on, trusting me, even though she’d barely known me at all.

It made something tighten in my chest.

The wolves’ howls still echoed behind us, growing more distant with every stride, but I knew they wouldn’t give up. They’d come for us—again and again—until there was nothing left to take. I pushed that thought away, pushed past the fear, and kept running, kept moving, until the broken buildings began to thin and the cracked pavement gave way to patches of dirt and weeds.

Hours bled together as we ran, until the city fell away, fading into the darkness, and the towering ruins became nothing more than shadows on the horizon. The air grew colder, sharper, biting at our skin, and I felt Kendra’s grip around me weaken, her breath coming out in short, ragged bursts.

“We need to rest,” she murmured, her voice hoarse, barely more than a whisper. I slowed, glancing back at her, and saw the exhaustion etched into her features, the way her eyelids drooped, struggling to stay open. She was fighting it, but I could tell she was at her limit, her body trembling with the effort to stay awake.

“I’ll carry you,” I said, not giving her the chance to argue, and I shifted her in my arms, cradling her against my chest as I kept moving, never once stopping. She didn’t protest, didn’t try to fight me, just rested her head on my shoulder, her eyes fluttering shut as she finally let herself give in to the exhaustion.

I carried her through the night, my muscles burning, my legs aching with every step, but I refused to stop, refused to slow down until the first light of dawn began to creep over the horizon. The city had become a distant memory, and all that surrounded us now were the endless trees, their branches swaying gently in the wind, the scent of pine and earth filling the air.

The ground grew uneven as we moved deeper into the forest, the towering peaks of the Rockies rising up in the distance, their snow-covered tops glowing faintly in the early morning light.

I didn’t stop until the city was nothing but a blip on the horizon, until the forest had swallowed us whole, sheltering us from the world we’d left behind. But I knew that wouldn’t be enough. Not yet. The wolves that hunted us were relentless, their sense of smell sharper than any humans, and if I didn’t throw them off, they’d find us before we could catch our breath.

I shifted Kendra in my arms, her weight comforting and warm, and adjusted my path, veering toward the river I could hear rushing through the trees, its waters fast and unforgiving. I waded in without hesitation, the cold biting into my legs, and walked upstream, feeling the current tug at my ankles, my calves, trying to pull me under. The icy water rushed around us, soaking through my clothes, but it would wash away our scent and help hide our trail from those who hunted us.

Kendra stirred as the water splashed against her legs, her eyes fluttering open, confused, but I whispered softly, “Just a little longer,” and she nodded, trusting me, letting herself drift back into that half-asleep state that spoke of pure exhaustion.

I stayed in the river for as long as I could bear, moving through the water until the cold numbed my feet and my muscles ached from the effort. I climbed out onto the opposite bank, dripping and shivering, but the scent would be harder to track now, our trail mingling with the current, lost among the scents of the forest.

I carried her further, moving with purpose, scanning the trees for another way to stay hidden. We came across a patch of thick underbrush, and I knelt down, taking a handful of mud and smearing it over my clothes, over Kendra’s legs, her arms. It would mask our scent, blend us into the earth, the pine, and the damp leaves.

The wolves would catch only faint traces of us now, scattered and misleading. I was certain of it.

We moved deeper into the forest, and when I spotted a patch of loose moss on the side of a boulder, I pressed our bodies against it, letting the damp, musty scent cling to us. It wasn’t foolproof, but it was better than nothing.

Finally, after what felt like hours, I allowed myself to slow, to lower Kendra gently to the ground, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face as she stirred, blinking up at me with eyes that were still heavy with sleep.

“We’re safe,” I whispered, more to myself than to her, and I felt a weight lift from my shoulders, the tension that had coiled inside me finally starting to unwind. “For now, at least.”

She nodded, her eyes drifting closed again, and I took a moment to breathe, to listen to the silence of the forest around us, hoping that we’d done enough to stay hidden. But I knew, deep down, that this was only the beginning.

The wolves would keep coming for us.

And they’d never stop.