Chapter 108


    Dex reacted instantly, mming on the gas as he swerved into the centerne. We narrowly missed a


    little maroon Buick, whose nasal sounding horn red down the highway.


    Before the vehicle could fully regain its bnce, Carson lifted herself out the minivan and onto the


    ledge of the window. My heart stuttered a few beats as I heard the deafening sound of a gun being


    shot.


    Bullets peppered the dark colored SUV that drove along side of us. They swerved to the right, but it


    seemed we weren’t the only ones with a bullet proof vehicle. The SUV veered right, trying to run us


    onto the shoulder.


    “F**k.” Carson snarled, tearing the visor off her head and chucking it out the window. “They’re boxing


    us in. If you don’t act fast, Dex, we’re screwed.”


    When Dex’s grip on the steering wheel turned white knuckled, I knew I wasn’t going to like what


    happened next. Dex lifted his head and eyed the four of us in the rearview mirror, his eyes straying to


    mest.


    “Our orders are to get you to the drop at all costs.”‘ He said firmly, eyes locked on my own. Where I’m


    sure mine were wide with the adrenaline that thundered through my veins, his were strong and bright.


    Even though I hardly knew this man, there was a sense of honor that was concrete within him. It guided


    his thoughts, his life, the decisions he made and the people he helped. I had no clue what Dex’s stake


    in all of this was, but I was surprised to find that I truly did trust him with my life.


    My response was a yelp as Dex turned the wheel all the way to the left; hurling us through the right


    lane of traffic and towards the metal guardrail that led into the forest below. Everything seemed to slow


    as we clipped the front of one car, and tore through the guardrail like cheap ribbon. I could feel the


    impact in my teeth, and hear the crunch and scream of metal as it was torn to shreds. My stomach


    dropped as I saw the magnitude of the hill we were about to roll down, and the thick trees that seemed


    to sit everywhere.


    I felt like a ragdoll in the hands of a child as the minivan we were in thundered over branches andC0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    stones, the p**s poor suspension groaning from the off-road trip. It was Kade who kept the seatbelt


    from strangling me as I was thrown forwards. Alec helped keep Tori in ce, who was pale faced and


    wide eyed in the back.


    The tree trunk that we clipped sent us careening forwards, into a roll that made me miss our previous


    position. I could feel something ssh against my face, and smelled the brief but fresh scent of water


    as it mixed with motor oil and blood. It was a tree that stopped our decent, and forced the car to a stop.


    The horn of the minivan red throughout the forest, loud and shrill as it told all nearby that we were


    here.


    Blood rushed to my head, and a mix of crimson and onyx danced behind my eyes. Jewels of


    shimmering color, covering the world in a filter that seemed to move as I blinked and groaned. I had


    never been in a car ident before–but the feeling of having my bones crushed, it was one I never


    wanted to repeat. The seatbelt dug into my shoulder and waist. ss was inches from my fingertips,


    which hung above my head and grazed the roof of the van. The van itself was upside down, the roof


    crushed from our roll.


    “I’m going to get you down, doll.”‘ Alec’s voice was a whisper away, smoothing out my panic before it


    could take root. “Just hold still, this isn’t going to feel very good.”


    My entire body quite literally protested as I heard and felt the click of the seatbelt, followed by gravity


    iming me for itself. Alec lessened the impact, but any sensation sent pain skittering along my skin


    and bones. ss dug into my skin, but was a mere afterthought with everything else going on. Half-


    blind with blood staining my eyes, I grabbed onto Alec’s hand and crawled as he helped pull me from


    the minivan. Once I felt the wet dirt beneath my knees, I frantically wiped the blood from my eyes with a


    dry piece of my shirt.


    The van was a crumpled husk, a tin can that had been kicked too many times. Shimmering pieces of


    ss littered the ground, along with various scraps of metal. Alec’s strong hands kept me from


    stumbling forwards when Kade and Tori crawled from the vehicle.


    “S**t, we need to f*****g go.” Dex grunted, spitting out a wad of blood as he hurried to the back of the


    minivan. The back window was shattered from the roll, making it easy for him to reach in and grab two


    backpacks filled to the brim. I went a little wide eyed when he wrenched open a duffel bag full of


    various fire arms and types of silver ammunition. It was somewhatforting to know that despite his


    usual jolly demeanor, his intimidating looks weren’t just for show. He tossed one of the backpacks at


    Kade, and within seconds, was urging us to leave.


    “Wait–” I stammered, stumbling to a halt when I saw the unconscious figure of Carson.


    I hadn’t noticed her before, caught up in the adrenaline and pain. The seatbelt was the only thing that


    kept her from falling to the floor, but unlike the rest of us, she was unconscious. Blood fell in a thick


    stream from a wound in her head.


    “No, Aurora.” Dex snarled, using a firm but gentle hand to urge me forwards. There it was–the purpose


    for his intimidating looks. I could see it in the way he towered over me, glowering as he urged me to


    move. Any sane person would have been frightened, but it wasn’t anger Dex felt. His grief and pain


    made my legs weak, but the unbreakable sense of honor within him let me know that Dex would


    complete this mission, no matter what he had to leave behind. “Her legs are pinned, one is broken. She


    understands the cost.”


    I had a split second, just one to decide what I was going to do. There was no time for thought, so I


    acted.


    “Don’t make me grab you, kid.” Dex warned, his eyes narrowing.


    “Don’t f*****g think about it.” Kade snarled, and I took that as my chance to bolt.


    I dug my feet into the earth, and turned on my heel. Dex hadn’t been expecting me to run back to


    where Carson was, but the twins did–they had seen in my eyes the moment I made up my mind. I half


    thought they would grab at me, drag me back and fling me over their shoulder as we escaped, leaving


    Carson to be m******d or worse.


    Instead of making a grab for me, they ran ahead. Kade to the back of the van, and Alec to the


    passenger side. He kicked and tore at the door, finally getting the crumpled thing off after the scream of


    metal filled the air. Dex cursed and ran a hand over his face, smearing the blood on his head and


    cheek, before running to the twin’s side.


    “You two, get over here and grab a gun.” Dex snarled at Tori and I, kicking us into action. He shouted


    towards Alec and Kade, “There should be a crowbar somewhere in there.


    Every move of my muscles sent agony through my bones and ribcage. I had definitely broken a rib or


    two, perhaps even my corbone. I could feel myself slowly knitting back together. Every thread of


    bone was like a stinging pain beneath the skin, very carefully making me whole again.


    Tori and I stumbled over to the back of the overturned minivan. Dex thrusted near identical handguns


    into our arms and quickly pointed at the two most important parts.


    “Turn the safety off. Aim, shoot. And don’t f*****g hesitate.” He told the two of us, his words fast and


    charged with the weight of oing violence. “They won’t send all they have yet, takes time to travel.


    The ones who were following us, they’ll find us before we can get Carson out. Just so you know, kid.


    Anything happens to you, and it’s my skin on the line.”


    “They wouldn’t have k****d her, would they?”‘ I asked, rather than give into the guilt that bubbled in my


    stomach.


    From the heaviness in Dex’s eyes, he knew what I was implying. No, Marcus’s men would not have


    k****d Carson, not with how close she had been to me. Would he torture her first? Or would he have


    the same wolf who looked into my head, look into hers? He would wring her for all the information she


    had, and only when she was no longer of use, would he finally dispose of her.


    From his emotions alone, I could tell that Dex and Carson weren’t mates. There was a deep bond


    there, but it wasn’t one that stemmed from romantic feelings. They were partners, friends in every


    sense of the word. There was an eptance between them that was strange, as though they saw each


    other in their entirety, and embraced the darkness they saw within.


    “No.” Dex said after few seconds, “They would not k**l her.”


    Behind the sound of Alec and Kade working to free Carson, there was something else in the


    background. I strained my ears to listen, but the pain behind my eyes made it hard to focus. I naturally


    looked towards Dex, who was fixated on a part of the forest just behind me.


    “DROP!” The word was thrown from his mouth with deadly uracy, each letter only a fraction of a


    second long. The twins had told me about an Alphamand weeks ago, and though I knew it’s power


    wouldn’t work on me, I registered the meaning behind his urgency.


    A deafening st rang out, followed by a second, at the same time a snarl ripped past my ear. Two dull


    thuds sounded, followed by the sound of two wolves slumping to the ground.


    “You’re an Alpha?” I gaped up at him, trying not to look at the d**d werewolf only a foot from where I


    sat.


    “You shouldn’t have gone back for her, Aurora.” Dex shook his head, ignoring my questionpletely,


    his bushy eyebrows knitted together. “You are more important than the rest of us.”


    “No, the change we want to bring is what’s important.” I shook my head, refusing to believe what he


    was saying. “That kind of thinking, that one person’s life is more important than someone else’s, that’s


    what helps men like Marcus sleep at night.”


    Dex remained silent for a few seconds, then reached out a hand.


    “Perhaps you’re right, but your powers in the hands of our enemies would cost us everything.” He


    finally said, once I was on my feet and brushing the dirt from my body.


    Another shot rang out through the forest, and I turned to stare wide eyed at Tori.


    “What?” She shrugged, nudging the d**d wolf with her foot. “Dad might be a doctor, but he has hobbies


    too. Plus, I actually have really good aim.”


    “Good, hold onto that.” Dex grunted, “Something tells me we’re going to need it.”


    I palmed the gun in my hands, feeling the cool metal that had slowly warmed to my mmy touch. I


    had yet to use the thing, and I desperately hoped I wouldn’t need to. With Carson on Alec’s shoulders,


    we trekked through the forest. I noticed Dex doing something with his hands as we walked, holding


    them palms up.


    “What are you doing?” I asked, eyeing his hands as he held them out.


    He cleared his throat a bit awkwardly and nced down at me, “I’m covering our scents.”


    “You’re covering our scents?” I repeated, my lightughter d***g out when I noticed how serious he


    was. “How?”


    “How do you feel emotions, or s**k the souls out of people?” He asked with a lifted eyebrow, turning his


    gaze back to the forest. “Magic, I suppose.”


    I felt my jaw slip a bit further, “You’re a white wolf?”


    “One of many in my family.” Dex nodded curtly, telling me I’d get nothing more out of him.


    An hour slowly turned into three, each one wracked with anxiety as every little sound brought on a


    wave of paranoia. Each snap of a branch was a wolf in waiting, ready to tear me away from my mates


    at all costs. I watched the decent of the sun as it dipped behind the trees, and felt fatigue settle in my


    bones.


    “I found a little cave system over here.” Dex grunted, shoving back the hanging limbs of a nt. He


    nced towards Carson, the concern he felt nk from his face. “Gonna have to set her leg if it’s to


    heal properly. You four go on in there. I’m going to see if I can scatter our scents a bit further. Buy us a


    few hours.”


    “I can set her leg. Like I said, my dad’s a doctor.” Tori shrugged, “You got a first aid kit in one of those


    bags.”


    “Backpartment.” Dex nodded, handing the bag to Tori. “Much appreciated.”


    While I wasn’t too excited to sleep in a damp cave, it was partially obscured from view thanks to a wall


    of moss and vine. It covered the rock like a nket, leaving a small slit to pass through.


    I kneeled beside Tori and Carson, while Alec wandered through the cave with a shlight in hand. His


    reasoning was to find another exit, just in case we needed to make a fast escape. While I appreciated


    the forward thinking, I hoped there was enough running for the day.


    That night, I sat between the twin’s, feeling the chill of night settle into my bones. We weren’t staying


    long, just a few hours until Carson woke up and her leg healed a little more. I traced patterns along


    Alec’s arm, which was slung over my midsection as he snored softly. It was Kade who had trouble


    sleeping, just as I did.


    ‘What are you thinking about?’ I asked, the corners of my lips twitching from the question.


    Kade let out a near silent chuckle, his eyes flickering towards where Iid beside him. I could choose


    whether or not to hear the twin’s thoughts. While sometimes it was instinctual to listen in and


    ‘Next time, wake one of us up so we can go with you.’ He warned, themand in his voice made


    something inside of me flutter. ‘We’ll talk about you sneaking off without uster, when Kade is awake


    and we are no longer running for our lives.’


    It was a good thing I hadn’t snuck out from the cave, because a secondter, Dex was already awake.


    His eyes snapped opened as Tori sniffled in her sleep. Kade followed suit, and before long, we were all


    awake. The moon still reigned, even though a few hours had passed.


    Carson was thest to wake up, letting out a soft groan as her fingers found the swelling on her head.


    The gaping wound was healing nicely, thanks to the butterfly stitches given by Tori. Half of her face was


    still blue and purple from the bruising, but it was a step up from earlier. Even after a few hours, she


    couldn’t ce her full weight on her leg. Tori all but forbade it until we managed to get her to a pack


    doctor.


    “What was that about?” Dex asked, eyeing Alec and I as we stood close to the mouth of the cave.


    “I feel emotionsing from somewhere.” I exined, leaving out the part where I had nned to go


    off on my own. My momentarypse ofmon sense did not need to be broadcasted. “There’s at


    least four or five, but they keep fading in and out. It’s making it hard to get a read on them.”


    Even though the emotions had piqued my curiosity, I was forced to let it go when we finally slipped from


    the cave ten minutester. Now that Carson was awake, and could walk with the help of the twins, we


    needed to be back on the move.


    It was easier, treading through the forest at night. The air was light and cool, chasing away the sweat


    that clung to my body and clothes. We walked for at least two hours, and I waited and watched as the


    distant emotions grew stronger.


    Dex somehow managed to catch onto the light scent of Marcus’s men as they set up their camp in the


    forest. They were also trying their best to cover themselves, but Dex’s abilities seemed to epass


    all things smell rted. I t was an odd gift, but actually very useful if you needed to sneak around


    without getting caught.


    We nned to veer out of the way, looping as far around them as we could. They couldn’t detect our


    scents, not with Dex covering us, but they could hear us if we spoke. Our heartbeats and breath were


    d*****d out by the nightlife within the forest, though I could hear the men’s chortles and jokes from a


    mile away.


    It was a snidement, something tossed into the conversation that caught my attention and made


    both Tori and I halt in our tracks.


    “Did you hear, Alpha’s prodigal son has returned home.” One of the men cackled, which led to a fit of


    raspy coughing. I cringed as he spat on the forest floor and continued in his grating voice. “Bet you that


    boy got the beating of his f*****g lifetime for helping the soul-sucking b***h and her pair of c***s.”


    The other menughed in tandem, spewing vile nonsense as they egged each other on. I knew that


    both Dex and Carson wanted to continue forwards, but they were clueless as to the importance of what


    these men were saying. They had no clue Zayne’s roll in all of this, nor the fact that we needed him to


    help tip the scales in this war.


    “He’s rightfully suspicious of the ingrateful pup.” Another cackled, followed by mumbles of agreement.


    “Don’t matter he’s just a figure head. Once the kid is old enough to take over, Alpha will never let go of


    control.”


    The conversation strayed, and just as we were about to continue forwards, one of the men said


    something that made the others halt in their tracks.


    “Did you hear ’bout the rumor swirling around?” He said to his group, his voice ending in a gruffugh.


    “The one ’bout the breeding?”


    Gone was the jovial mood, the boasting and jokes that came with a bunch of smelly, drunk men.


    “Careful where you spew that s**t, Damarcus. D**n idiot.” One spat, snarling at the man who had


    spoken. “If his inner circle hears you even mentioned it, we’re all f*****g d**d. Each and every one of


    us.”


    “It’s not going to get back to him, the whole pack’s talking ’bout it.’ He rasped, his voice deepening as


    he became defensive. “He’s too busy looking for the leak to bother with us grunts. Don’t want the


    people finding out what he’s been doing with his little white wolf project.”


    “Seth, what horse s**t are you talking now?” One of the men tried to lighten the mood, but that


    opportunity had long passed.


    “To h**l with you, it’s not s**t!” He snapped, whole heartedly believing every word he spoke. “Alpha’s


    been experimenting on the white wolves he keeps, the ones he says works for the pack. He’s been


    making them have kids, mixing their powers until hees up with something–new. Word has it, a


    nursemaid spilled the truthst month. Said there were rooms full of screaming babies, and that some


    —some didn’t even look human anymore.”


    I could feel my blood and sweat run cold at his words, followed by rage so strong–so consuming, I


    promptly cked out.