And then Charlie released me so quickly I almost fell onto the ground. I don’t know when he’d grabbed the gun, but he managed to fire off two shots before Hashim tackled him.

A half a heartbeat later, I was grabbed from behind, two arms the size of my thighs wrapping around my waist. Something deeper and more primal than the instinct of a fighter had me wrapping a leg around to jerk my foot against the back of an ankle as my head slammed back to crush a nose but finding a throat instead.

This time I did tumble to the ground upon being released. Thanks to the handcuffs, my fall was broken by my already sore face. I had to force my eyes open against the pain. When I did, I found the world awash in muted colors.

I felt instead of saw Travis coming at me again and rolled over. Rocking back to gain momentum, I sprang up to meet him face to face. The move wasn’t anything I could have done as a normal human girl, no matter the amount of training, but the wolf was running the show at this point. And unlike when she skirmished with Jase, she was fighting for her life.

Travis threw a punch, but I darted to the left just in time to save my jaw from being shattered into a million little bits. The next one, however, landed in my lower ribs. The kick to my hip also managed to connect, and with it I went flying backwards. I fell hard on my hands, an audible snap letting me know at least one bone was broken. Then a booted foot slammed into my side. The pain was so intense, I blacked out.

When I swam back to consciousness, Travis was no longer standing over me. I knew my thumb was broken, if not literally crushed, and at least a few of my ribs were also no longer in one piece. I was outnumbered and in handcuffs. And if I did manage to win this fight, then what? There was still a building full of Shifters who thought me a traitor, and there was no doubt the rest of the Alpha Pack, who was holding down the fort in Romania, would come after me like the pack of wild dogs they were under a full moon. It was a hopeless situation, one I had no chance of coming through alive.

But then I found a reason to keep fighting. He was holding his own between three of the most lethal Shifters in the world, moving with such grace it was hard not to just stare in awe. I might have still given up if hope hadn’t come in the form of a scent on the wind.

I tugged on my handcuffs, trying not to draw the attention of the men fighting Charlie. My broken thumb made them loose, but not quite enough to pull my hand free. Convincing myself the pain would be bearable, I pulled against the metal with my preternatural strength, breaking the knuckle of my pinky finger and pulling my hand through. Somehow, I managed to stay conscious as I pulled myself up with considerable effort.

The trek, however, garnered the attention of the Shifter who still saw himself as being on Scout Duty. Travis came at me full force. As his fist slammed out, I stepped forward, sweeping by his outstretched body. The gun came out of its holster with ease, although I almost lost it when an elbow planted into my stomach.

The next thirty seconds went by at the speed of light, yet I was able to take in every action - My finger squeezing the trigger. Travis’s body jerking from the impact before crumbling to the ground. The gray wolf launching itself over his fallen body and onto Hashim, who had come up behind me without my knowledge. Hashim and the wolf plowing into the earth. The wolf ripping out all the important stuff in Hashim’s throat with one quick bite. The sound of a snap that had me turning to see Charlie releasing Mandla’s head, which was now attached to his neck at a completely wrong angle.

We were all covered in blood. I could taste it on my mouth, which was probably as stained as the wolf’s. Charlie looked like the lone survivor of a zombie movie, the simple white button-up shirt he’d worn for the trial half untucked, ripped in various places, and sporting more than one red stain. His face was bruised, his arm bore deep gashes, and I felt certain his left leg was broken, but he was still standing.

It didn’t seem possible, but the ground was littered with the bodies of the Alpha Pack’s elite, and Charlie was still standing.

“Go,” he demanded the moment our eyes met. “Get out of here.”

“Stefan is still alive.” I could hear his wet respirations and slowing heartbeat.

“Not for long.” He looked towards the trail, obviously hearing the same thing I did. “Dammit, Scout, they’re coming. Don’t make this be for nothing. Go!”

That is what got me to move. Not the sound of the others rushing to scene. Not the wolf, who was butting his head against my leg and growling at me to get moving. No, it was Charlie telling me to not let all this blood be spilled for nothing. With one last look over my shoulder, I took off through the forrest, a gray wolf at my heels, refusing to slow down, even when the sound a gun echoed through the night.

***

The truck was parked where the trees met a large overgrown field. It was a monstrous affair with a full size cab and more wheels than any vehicle not hauling mass quantities of goods cross-the country needed. I jerked open the driver’s door with my good hand. The wolf bolted into the back seat, and after three attempts, I pulled myself into the driver’s seat.

Driving a vehicle that big across a field filled with holes and ruts isn’t easy for a Prius owner on the best of days, but having the use of only one hand made it near impossible. I breathed a sigh of relief when not only did I make it to the road, but I even knew where we were.

The drive should have taken twenty minutes, but I didn’t know how likely it was someone was following, so we made it in twelve. The gate Talley showed me was distinctive, and one I knew well. The ostentatious thing with tons of curlicues and an “R” proudly displayed in the middle came from some rich guy’s house when he bought a fancy electric deal to replace them with. The discarded gates now kept trespassers from using an old access road for a local fuel company. However, the company’s general manager was one of Mom’s brothers, and he’d shown us how to jimmy the lock open so Dad could use the car-free stretch to teach all of us - Jase, Charlie, Talley, and me - how to drive.

Despite my rush, I redid the lock after driving the truck through, hoping to delay anyone who came looking for us. My eyes strayed to the backseat as I jogged back. The sight of a sun-kissed shoulder had me looking away quickly, my cheeks ablaze.

My eyes watered as I drove over a mile to my next location. The fumes had always been awful, but with my Shifter senses they were nearly unbearable. I found the barn, which wasn’t really a barn but an old office, near the base of one of the fifty-foot high tanks containing fuel that would be hauled down the river on barges. The back of the building had a garage type place, probably where they’d parked gas trucks at one point in history. There was already an older four-door sedan of some sort parked inside. I pulled up next to it and cut the engine.