Page 64 of Alpha Queen (Lycan King Wars #3)

N atasha raced through the darkened woods south of Wolf River, heart pounding, harsh, icy breaths burning her lungs.

The canary-yellow-and-black emergency bag she’d keep under the bed bounced against her spine, weighing her down.

The set of keys her mom had shoved at her before pushing her out the basement window cut into her right palm.

“Keep moving.” Tate from the Night Shift Relocation Services, commanding voice floated through the Bluetooth. “You’re almost there.”

Gunshots rang out behind her. Natasha turned. Father! A sharp pain pierced her bare foot. She stumbled, grabbing onto the nearest tree, and lifted her foot. A small bead of blood welled on the skin. She swiped at it. Nothing major. She had to keep going.

“You’ve stopped. Is something wrong?”

“I’m cut,” she panted.

She scanned the familiar surroundings, her excellent night vision catching everything. The tall, slender trees looked like giant matchsticks in the dark. What was she doing? She should go to her uncle Jeremiah. Find her cousins and tell them what was happening.

A howl echoed behind her, followed by a second and then a third. No time.

“If you want to get to safety, keep moving,” Tate urged.

Natasha took off again. The howls increased in sound and proximity.

She zigzagged through the sparse foliage so fast she barely saw the individual trees.

A branch caught her under the left eye, slicing into her flesh.

Tears blurred her vision and stung her cheeks like tiny, wet bees. Her wolf snarled, but she kept moving.

“You’re about a hundred yards from the car. Don’t stop.” Tate’s voice buzzed in her ear through the Bluetooth like a voice inside her head.

Move! Her feet ached from trampling over the rocks, sticks and brambles that carpeted the ground like land mines.

She skidded out onto the dirt road, trying to keep her balance. The cool, late-summer wind blew against her bare arms, making them pucker with goose bumps. Her pink cami and gray yoga pants did little to keep out the chill. The scent of damp leaves filled her nostrils.

“Are you still there?” she asked.

“Yes.” Tate was little comfort.

“I’m at the road.”

“Go fifty yards to the left and you should see the car.”

Natasha ran down the dirt access road her parents had cleared but never used. She’d always known her parents had a contingency plan for their escape if something ever happened. Most Blood Born in Wolf River did, due to the recent contentions between packs.

The windows of a dark Honda glinted the closer she got. “There it is!”

Moving quicker than humanly possible, she aimed the key remote at the car and slammed her thumb down on the button. A scent hit her nose, stopping her short. A cry escaped her lips as her heartbeat faltered.

Out of the shadows to her left a large male appeared. An involuntary squeak escaped her lips.

“Are you at the car?” asked Tate.

Natasha’s stomach twisted like a wet rope. She sucked air into her lungs, trying to catch her breath. The tall male advanced on her, blocking her means of escape.

“Hello, Nat.”

“Daniel.” Her pulse thundered in her ears.

“Going somewhere?” He dragged a long nail down the side of the car. She winced at the shrill, grating sound. “I came for you, but you weren’t home. You know tonight’s the deadline, sweetheart.”

“Get to the car,” said Tate.

“I already gave you my decision. I won’t be your mate.”

Daniel sighed. “We’ve talked about this before. We’re meant for each other. The merging of our packs is needed for the good of both. You made a promise.”

How did he still not get it? She’d broken it off with him almost six months ago. “That was seven years ago. I was fifteen.”

“My parents were mated at sixteen.”

“Those were different times.”

Natasha moved sideways around the car toward the passenger side, wishing her father were there. Her parents had prepared for this scenario. She couldn’t make it all for nothing. As much as it ripped her up inside, she had to keep moving forward.

“Did you kill my parents?” she choked.

Daniel stared at her, and his eye twitched. “They’re trying to keep us apart.”

She stopped moving. Her rib cage caved in, ready to crush her thundering heartbeat.

“Did you kill them?” she screamed. Her wolf snarled unable to do a thing to help

“I wasn’t in the house when the shots went off. I’m sure they’ll be just fine if you come with me.” He licked his lips, a motion she’d seen him do a million times. She used to find it sexy, until she’d realized it meant he was lying.

Tears burned behind her eyelids and her legs wobbled. Every inch of her wanted to run back and see if they were okay. If they were dead, how would she make it?

He smiled and held his hand out to her. “Come with me, Nat, and no one else needs to get hurt.”

She moved around the Honda. Think!

He tracked her with precision. His strong, handsome face held a mixture of anger and lust. She inched toward the front of the car and he mimicked her steps with his own.

“I won’t go with you.” She needed a distraction. She was strong in her own right, but not as strong as Daniel.

“Can you get in the car?” asked Tate.

“You know my uncle Jeremiah will kill you for this.” Natasha brushed tears from her eyes. “If you let me go, I won’t tell him.”

“For being the Alpha of Wolf River I don’t see him or your cousins here stepping in.”

Stumbling over a mound of dirt, she grabbed the car for support.

“You need to get him away from the car.” Tate’s flat, clinical voice sounded like a drill sergeant’s.

Her gut clenched. He was right. Ever since her father and her uncle had fallen out, she’d only seen her cousins. There would be no one coming to help her. She needed to do it herself. She held the keyless entry tight in her fist. If she pushed the button again, he’d hear.

“Sweetheart, after we’re mated, no one will be able to keep us apart.” He moved at her fast. She gasped, pressing herself against the passenger door. “Not your parents. Not your uncle. Not even your hotheaded cousins.”

His piercing blue eyes held desire. He stepped into her space, making her shiver. His body was so familiar she knew every line. She’d seen him grow into a handsome, strong male. His musky scent hit her, no longer bringing with it a wave of desire.

He brushed her cheek with his hand, his palm lingering. When she didn’t pull away, he leaned his body into hers.

“Get him close and then attack.”

Natasha swallowed hard. Her head whirled. She tried to push her hair back, but it clung to her sweat-soaked face and neck. Her heart beat so loudly, it sounded like an echo in the night.

“You feel it, I know you do, Nat. The connection between us is unbreakable. No matter where you go, no matter how long it takes, I’ll always find you.

You’re mine and I’m yours. I have been, since I first laid eyes on you.

” He cupped her face. “Come back with me,” he whispered.

His lips dipped down to hers. He lingered, not quite touching.

Her body shook as adrenaline pumped through her.

He pressed his lips to hers. She breathed in his breath, the taste familiar and wrong.

Her wolf bared her teeth.

A howl sounded in the distance. Daniel lifted his head and answered the call. Striking out with her knee, she caught him in the groin, doubling him over. He roared in pain and she kicked him again in the face, flipping him onto his back.

“I’ll never be yours!” She slammed her foot into his gut.

“You bitch!” He gasped and rolled to his side.

“Get in the car!” Tate shouted.

Natasha raced to the driver’s side, pushing on the button to unlock the car over and over, making the lights flash and the horn beep.

She gripped the cold metal handle and pulled.

It didn’t open. She pressed the button again and still the door didn’t open.

Daniel banged on the trunk of the car, trying to steady himself on his feet.

Come on! Come on! What the hell is wrong with this thing?

“You’re going to pay for that, Nat!” He spat blood on the ground.

Natasha looked down at the remote. Her finger was on the damn lock button.

She moved her finger to unlock . Daniel reached the rear wheel well, his arm outstretched.

She pushed the button, and the car lights flickered and the horn beeped again.

She threw the door open right as Daniel reached for her.

Scrambling inside, she slammed the door, locking it. He yanked on the handle.

His bloodied face peered in the window; lips pulled into a sneer, incisors gleaming in the moonlight. He punched the window with his fist.

“Open the door!”

“Start the car,” Tate ordered.

Natasha’s hands shook trying to get the key in the ignition. Daniel reared back his fist and connected with the window again. The glass cracked but didn’t break.

“Please!” she prayed.

Daniel punched again as the car roared to life. Natasha turned her head just in time. Shards of glass showered her hair and neck. A large, clawed hand grabbed her shoulder, grinding the shards into her flesh.

She put the car in gear and floored the pedal.

Daniel hung on tight, half running, half dragged by the car. His claws dug into her. “Let go!” She struck out, and he grabbed her wrist.

“Never!”

Natasha wrenched the wheel, pushing him with the car.

He stumbled and fell. The car bumped up and down.

The roars that came from behind confirmed she’d run over him.

She whipped her head backward, but everything was obscured in a cloud of red tinged dirt.

She should stop and make sure he was okay, but to do so was a life sentence.

She sped down the dirt road, nose running, tears streaking down her cheeks. She blinked and swiped at her face. She had to see where she was going.

“You’re about a mile from the highway.”

“I think… I think… I think I hurt him bad.”

“That no longer matters. You’re covered either way. Keep driving.”

“My parents… My uncle-”