She remembered. Those wolves were why she’d come here. It had made the best fortress for hiding herself and her scent with magic. The scent of rain.
She could remember that now. It was too late now. Someone was here, and this time she didn’t think masking her scent would deter them.
She shivered. Please let them just keep going.
Her ears perked up at the snap of a twig. Her fingers dug into the gold rock as she awaited the next move. Sniffing the air, she recognized the scent. The same wolf from earlier and another that she didn’t recognize. Olivia didn’t dare open the mental pathways again. This was the pack Ethan has been worried about. Her hackles raised as the nails of the predators tapped along the stone entrance.
Ethan?
Logic told her to stay where she was. Instinct told her to leave or be hurt. Here she was though, in a different danger. Her wolf could smell it.
Ethan would come for her, but not soon enough.
She took on a sprinter’s stance, her heels in the air, her fingers planted firmly in front of her. Her thighs tensed. She had to think about the shift this time. She needed to shift, right? Wolf against wolf seemed like a better idea.
She tried to reach out to Ethan, knowing she had no idea how far she could connect to him. He was the only one that she’d heard clearly even in human form.
Ethan? If you can hear me, I’m here. She tried to give him the mental image of the cave.
A rock clattered somewhere to her right. Pushing back into the wall, a sharp prick of pain bit into her hip. Through the dark, she was able to make out the slow approach of the creature’s snout. His fur was dark, a contrast from the soft tan and brown of Ethan.
She held her breath. The white of the wolf’s canines reflecting the sprinkling of light. She had to hide her scent. Moss. Soft beds of moss. She thought of the moss, and next it blanketed the floor opposite her, perhaps catching enough attention that she could escape.
Her feet welcomed the warm contrast to the cold stone floor. She let out her breath as he passed her. Maybe it had worked? Ethan, if you can hear me, I’m sorry.
Rational thought came back to her and she knew Ethan hadn’t lied to her. He’d given her no doubt that he was hers. She knew the truth. She felt it. If she got out of this mess, she’d listen to him.
If she got out of this mess, she’d tell him yes. Not that he needed it, but he should have asked her to be his mate, his wife and at the very least she’d give him the answer he should have heard. Her family would never forgive her, and it didn’t really hurt to know that truth.
Extending her leg around the corner of the crevice she remained low to the ground and tried to slink out. Slowly. Her back brushed against jagged rocks, cold moisture sticking to her skin.
As she reached the entrance, she squinted against the brightness of the setting sun.
How long have I been in here?
She shielded her eyes. Once she survived this, she’d get a handle on this shifter thing.
A quick glance behind her and she darted out towards a grouping of trees. Sniffing the air, the clean soft scent of running water lay not far away. She’d head there. Pulling herself forward faster, Olivia tried to remain as close to the ground as possible. She should shift. She knew she should. But what if she was there to make sure the wolf kept them safe? She couldn’t risk not being present.
Sniffing again the wolf nodded. There was no clear reason, but she knew if they followed the river it would lead to safety, to home.
An unexpected jerk and her feet flew through the air. She screamed as something snagged her hair.
“Well, well, well. What do we have here?”
Peering up, nearly black eyes bared down on her. This was the wolf she sensed.
“Don’t touch me,” she spat.
Olivia rubbed at the sore spot on her head.
“Feisty aren’t you?” He knelt, and she was all too aware of his nakedness. Closing her eyes, she prayed he’d go away.
“I see he’s finally found himself his beta. Unfortunate. You’re exactly what I need to break that little alpha of yours. Too bad he didn’t keep you safe. Careless.”
A feral growl escaped her as her wolf fought to come out and rip the guy to shreds.
“You don’t touch Ethan.”
The guy eyed her. “You do have a little fight in you. Perhaps you’d prefer to mate with a real man after I free you from your current problem. That little cub won’t know what hit him.”
She yanked away from him, springing to her feet. She rocked onto her heels, catching her balance. There was no time to be proud of herself. Not now.
“Do not touch him. He’s mine.”
She began to charge, the magic of the wolf tingling along her skin.
Before she could complete the shift, her world shook and went sideways. Pain radiated from her chest, her limbs slowly went limp. Her last memory was of the itchy dryness of the forest floor.
She blinked once, twice, and slowly the world darkened.
Her head throbbed as she tried to focus. This wasn’t the cave. Her nose took in hundreds of scents, forest, dirt, musty, bitterness.
Darkness. She knew darkness well. A blur in her vision couldn't make out if the ceiling moved or if her brain played a trick on her. She blinked again. Slowly the fog of her mind started to clear.
A flap above her and she knew the ceiling did move. Dull ripples of fabric snapping in the wind caught her attention. It was a tent. She winced the movement of her head too much.
Where the heck was she now?
Closing her eyes, Olivia cleared her mind and tried to listen to the wolf inside. Her animal was
