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His attitude was really getting on my nerves. I scowled. “Last time I checked, we’rebothleading this operation. So don’t tell me what to do!”

“Then golead!” he yelled as he leaned forward, getting into my personal space. “Go fucking lead, Mara. Get them outta here!”

I glared at him. “Not without you.” I heard several howls join the chorus. So many cries calling out into the night. There had to be dozens of them out there. And they were getting closer. He shot out like a cobra, his hand wrapping around my upper arm and gripping me so tight that it hurt. “Ouch!” I cried. “Let go of me!”

He started marching me forward, a mean scowl painted on his face. “Get. The fuck. Outta here!” he ordered as he all but threwme forward. And suddenly, I was five years old again, Belinda gripping my arm, digging her nails into my flesh as she threw me down the basement stairs. The memory reverberated within me. And then, I was pissed.

My blood boiled. I turned around, pulled my hand back, and slapped him…hard. My hand made a deliciousSMACKsound as it collided with his cheek. “Don’t youevergrab me like that again!” I screamed as I pointed my finger at him in a warning. “Hellhounds or no hellhounds, don’t youeverdo that to meeveragain! You got that? My stepmother did that to me, but I’m not in Telvia anymore! I’m not five! And you can be pissed off at me all you want for not marrying you, but don’t youeverdisrespect me like that again!”

Wes’s eyes flickered with emotions he couldn’t hide from me…not anymore. There was shock and regret and pain—so much pain—and fear. His lips parted, but he hesitated to speak, until finally, “Please…please go.” The words fell from his lips, almost a whisper. I wasn’t even sure I heard them at all. “Please, Mara.”

All the anger was gone. His shoulders collapsed, and all that was left in front of me was a wounded boy, filled with hurt and emotional anguish. And he was begging me. He was begging me to leave him. And I wasn’t stupid. He knew he was going to die. There was no way he was going to survive however many of those things were coming. He was sentencing himself to death, sacrificing his life to ensure the rest of us would live.

ThatIwould live.

“Please…”

My breath caught in my throat. Because it all hit me like a ton of bricks. I couldn’t leave him. There was no way I could ever leave him behind. And at that moment, I realized I was never going to leave him. I realized that the moment Wes asked me to stay with him on that dance floor at the gala, I meant what I said to him. I truly meant it with all my heart.

Always.

Because I would rather die a thousand deaths than live a single day without him. Because Wes was always there for me, and it was my turn to always be there for him. Without thinking I stepped forward, taking his face in my hands, holding him prisoner, holding his gaze.

“I’m not leaving you.” I offered him a small smile as I repeated to him the same words I said all those weeks ago during the Admin Job, and then again when he wanted to face his father alone. “You stay, then I stay…always.”

Wes stiffened, his eyes glittering, emotions passing through him so quickly. And then he closed his eyes, a single tear sliding down his cheek. The sight caused my heart to ache, because I had hurt him so much. He trusted me enough to give me his heart, to finally bring down the walls that kept him locked inside, and I had destroyed him. I destroyed him, all in an effort to save him, to keep him free. But in doing so, I betrayed his trust. And I never should have done that. I saw that now. I should have told him from the very beginning what was happening, looped him in so he could make his own choices. But instead, I made the decision for him. I took away his autonomy because I thought I knew what was best. And that was wrong.

Iwas wrong.

He breathed in sharply, opened his eyes, and gave one definitive nod. And I knew then that he remembered. He stepped back from me, grabbed my hand, and repeated back to me, “Always.”

I smiled then because I knew Wes was back in the game, ready to fight for his life and mine. Too bad it wouldn’t be enough.

64: Over the Edge

Wes and I ran as fast as we could, knowing that our lives depended on it. We had to reach the fence, gear up, and get far enough down the cliff that those creatures couldn’t get to us. Everything rested on it. My heart pounded as I pushed my legs past their limit, pumping my arms, feeling the burn in my lungs. Wes ran beside me, the exertion causing the drips of blood to become a steady trickle, leading the hellhounds right to us.

I heard them.

I heard the escalation in their cries, the excitement in every yip and yap that screamed victory as they caught the rich metallic scent that was Wes’s blood. They were onto us, and that meant they were only moments away from catching up. Because no matter how fast Wes and I were, they were faster.

We followed the curve of the building, Wes staying just a hair behind me even though I knew he was faster than I was. I wasn’t stupid. If those beasts caught up to us, he wanted them to takehim first. But I wasn’t going to argue with him. As much as I didn’t want him to die before me, there was no use in wasting time arguing. As long as he kept going, kept running toward survival, I’d deal with it. Because Wes had to live, and I’d make sure of it.

I heard the howls, heard dozens of paws beating on the ground, giving me the impression of a stampede coming behind us. And just as I was about to turn over my shoulder to look, I saw the hole in the fence come into view with the others just on the other side.

“Go!” Wes screamed, waving his arms at the others.

Calista turned and started her descent as Matias double checked Jacob’s harness to make sure it was secured. Jacob looked out at me, the horror etched across his gaunt face.

“Go!” I yelled at him. “Get out of here!”

His grim look broke my heart because I knew he was afraid, but he nodded and allowed Matias to help him over the edge. Then Matias turned to see us before beginning to descend himself when his eyes grew wide.

“Look out!”

That’s when I went flying as something slammed me to the ground. The force of impact caused me to skid across the dirt, scraping my face and hands.

“Mara!”