Chapter 488

The next day, I was energized. The pain was almost forgotten. I crept out of the house in the early morning, tiptoeing past Rick and Shelly. As soon as I hit the grass, I shifted, allowing Nix to go for a run. Then Megan would have her turn.

Nix ran along the cliff and then turned towards the trees. “The cliff is beautiful, but it’s the trees that call to me,” she chuffed as she wove between them. The dampness of the moss and small grass collected on our fur. Nix took a deep breath. “I wish life was like this. Peaceful. Quiet.”

Megan chuffed a laugh. “You would get so bored in less than five minutes.” Megan turned to me. She is a queen who thinks she would be content in the slums.

I threw my head back. Very true. I think she is just restless.

“She can hear you,” Nix snorted as she ran. We caught a whiff of someone from Vince’s pack, so she went the opposite way. Within minutes, someone was chasing us. “Oh, this should be fun!” Nix took off.

She ran through the trees in winding circles. Every so often, she caught the scent of another wolf. Vince’s trackers were out in full force. She had them all on her tail after her second circle, and she was clearly playing with them. By the fourth time around, she had spotted a downed tree and chuckled to herself.

Megan called to us. “Pump out our scent.”

“Why?”

Megan hopped up and ran to the clearing. I followed behind.

“Because,” Nix laughed. “We are going to have a little fun.”

Megan did as she asked. The smell overtook the clearing, and the trackers picked up their pace. Nix started a new circuit, and when we came close to the downed tree, she forced a shift. One second Megan was next to me; the next, Nix was beside me.

“Hide in the tree as I hide our scent.” Nix snuffed the air and climbed into the tree. “Stay still.”

The trackers ran by and then froze. “Where did she go?”

Another skidded to a stop. “I…don’t…know.” He whipped around in confusion.

They searched the area and came back with nothing. “She couldn’t have just disappeared,” another said, but one tracker laid down.

“To be honest,” he began, “we all know he is…”

“Who cares?” I recognized the voice as Thane, one of the guards I used to help train. “I’m going searching for Amy, and I, for one, ain’t going to be the one to turn her in.”

“Thane, you can’t say shit like that. We have a job to do.”

Thane just laughed. “Do what you want, but we all know Amy is in the right. Brandon chose Shannon in front of their entire neighborhood. How is she supposed to move on from that? We aren't stupid enough to believe Brandon would have kept sleeping with the pack bitch. Shannon does whatever he wants.”

“Thane, for fuck’s sake,” another called.

“You can yell all you want, Clark, but I’m right, and you know it.” Thane stretched his back.

“It doesn’t matter. Vince is our Alpha, not Amy.” Clark settled next to Thane. “I know she’s helped us, and she’s the best alpha I’ve ever met, but we have a job to do.” Clark looked out at the trees. “She took pack members. We need to get them back.”

“What if they don’t want to come back, Clark?” Thane shot up while the rest just watched. “What if they left for a reason?”

Clark shook his head. “If they had, they would have cut ties with the pack.”

Thane snorted. “You and I both know if a wolf severs its pack bonds without another to take its place, they become rogue.”

Chapter 488

Thane shook his head. “They are probably waiting until they find a safe place to run to.”

“Vince is really pissed about Rick taking off,” a third tracker said. “He must have known some things Vince didn’t want to get out.”

Clark snarled. “It doesn’t matter. Vince is our alpha.”

“That’s right.” A dark voice trailed from the trees, making everyone freeze. Vince slipped out of the trees and walked right up to Thane. “I am your alpha, and to say that I’m disappointed would be an understatement.” He lunged, snapping Thane’s neck and dropping him to the ground. “The brotherhood doesn’t allow traitors to live.” The other trackers snapped into formation, while Thane struggled in pain as his wolf worked to heal the broken neck. “What Alpha Amy has or hasn’t done is none of your business. I am looking for her and the missing pack members. Do your job or die.” Vince turned. “Like Thane here.” I wanted to jump out and stop what I knew was coming. But I felt someone holding me back. I knew if I left, I would die. I held my breath as Vince ripped Thane’s head from his body. “I told you to search the forest by the school, not here. The others have arrived. Let’s go.”