Page 103 of An Omega for the Lycan Prince

I nod tentatively. She doesn’t smell any wolves, so everything should be all right. I pause. But if it’s something else… would we be able to smell another being if we aren’t in our wolf form? What if they covered their scents? “What if it’s not a wolf?” I pause. “Or what if our senses are lowered?”

Ari spins around, staring at me. “Shit,” she mutters. “Let’s shift and hurry back. I will link our patrol.” She pauses, furrowing her brows. “I can’t. Fuck,” she curses. “It has to be wolfsbane. I have no idea how they did this!” She takes my hand. “RUN! We are too close to the pack's borders.”

I try to connect to Leah, but Ari is right. I can’t. For a moment, I feel nothing. I’m just…empty. Then my heart starts beating again. How… how did they do that? How did they infuse us with wolfsbane? No surprise, we didn't smell anyone.

We run. I follow her as well as I can, my senses spinning. I was being followed around even after the whole incident with Lauren. No one could smell them in town because they were… what? Humans? No one would smell humans in town because they are everywhere. There is nothing suspicious about humans in a human town.

I hear rustling behind us. Footsteps. Male voices yelling something.

There is a sound echoing through the air, and I feel something pass by me in a rush of air.

“Faster,” Ari yells towards me. She keeps my hand in hers tightly. “Come, young Luna!”

I see something flying past us, hitting one of the trees, making me realize in horror that they are shooting at us. Ari makes a few twists and turns to make sure nothing hits me. She makes sure I am in front of her now instead of being tugged along by her to shield me from any bullets.

There is another sound ripping through the air, another shot.

Ari stumbles.

“Ari,” I breathe out. “Aryanna!”

“It’s okay,” she huffs, clenching her hand against her stomach. There is blood dripping from it. She groans in pain. “Run, Annie, just run!”

“I can’t leave you behind. I can’t- “

“Yes, you can!” Ari shouts. She grabs my hand tightly; her eyes are dead serious. “It’s my job to protect you and Liam! If I can’t do that, I’m not worthy of my position. They are after you. I don’t mean anything to them. You are my future Luna and the future strength of my pack! A Luna must always think of the bigger picture. Run! I can defend myself.”

I take a deep breath. “I will try to get us help,” I jump to my feet again, picking up my pace. I don’t know where I am and where I’m running towards. I just vaguely remember the direction we came from.

I can hear the men behind me, some yell and scream, probably the ones Ari managed to hurt, but a few others are closing in on me again. I have no chance. I'm not fast enough to get away from them. “She is right in front of us,” one of the men yells. “Catch her!”

I don’t know how they put us under the effects of wolfsbane, but fuck, without a wolf, I’m just a normal girl.

Someone shoots at me again, the bullet brushing past my arm and hitting a tree.

What would a normal girl do when she has no chance to escape in silence!?

Scream, I think, scream for help.

“Help!” I yell. “We are under attack!”

I hear shots ring out. They're shooting at me again! The first bullet hits the tree I’m passing. The second… I stumble… pain shooting through my body. Something warm drips down my leg. I keep screaming for help.

Ari is right. They are probably after me. Goddess, I hope she survives this!

“Someone help me!” I yell again.

I can’t move my leg anymore, dropping down to the ground. I feel dizzy from the pain, my vision blurring. But I can see a bunch of guys approaching me. Humans, they are humans. Why are they here? Who are they?

There are six of them. No eight. Or nine. Or less? There is one hovering above me.

Then I hear new sounds. “Get off her!” I hear Aurelia’s voice. She kicks the guy away.

“Good thing we were on patrol close by. How the hell could they spread wolfsbane all around the area?” another voice hisses. That’s Nox. He jumps at one of the men.

“Did you link anyone before we came here?”

“Yes, Alpha Elden!”