Page 39 of Feral Mates (Ruthless Instinct #1)

“I won’t.” She moved into the darkness, turning on a light over the oven in the kitchen. I followed behind her, watching her every move.

She was beautiful in her actions, careful in advancing further into the house. Her defiance remained strong, her resilience remarkable. Yet I sensed a profound sadness deep within her. As she walked from room to room, she touched several items.

A piece of furniture.

A lamp.

A pillow.

A picture on the wall.

I lifted my head, curious as to what she was looking at. It was a picture and I could tell of her when she was much younger. Flanking her sides were a man and a woman who looked very much like her. They were her parents. They looked very happy.

She lingered there for a few seconds before turning and placing her hand over her mouth.

Once again, I pushed my muzzle against her butt, urging her to continue.

“I may never see them again, Kai. I’ll miss them.” As if realizing something, she turned to face me. “Like you must with your pack.”

“Don’t worry, little mate. It’s different with wolves. Yes, there is a sense of loneliness, but we are often lone wolves for a reason.”

Her laugh was subtle yet powerful to me. She’d become part of my pack. Our pack. A new establishment. Would it ever grow? That I didn’t know, but I certainly wouldn’t rule out any possibilities. “That’s good to know. I’m glad I can hear your thoughts. How very strange. How very… scary.”

“Finish. Get some clothes. We will find a place to hide and rest.”

She moved through the house, heading upstairs to a bedroom.

I stood in the doorway, inhaling as I drank in her luscious form.

The scent was delicate, like flowers. Her parents’ bedroom.

She opened drawers, finding what she needed including a pair of her mother’s jeans.

After donning a shirt and grabbing a jacket, she moved quickly toward a nightstand.

“My mother always kept an emergency stash of cash. For a rainy day. I don’t think she’ll mind.” She shoved the cash into her pocket and tentatively moved to the other side of the bed. She reached out for the drawer then hesitated, curling her fingers.

“What’s wrong?”

Her laugh was even more nervous than before, but she finally slid it open, pulling out whatever she was searching for. “My father’s gun. He always keeps it in here. Before you ask, I don’t like weapons, but my father was a highly trained marksman. He taught me to respect it.”

I growled in response.

“My brother was killed by an assailant who broke into the house a long time ago. With a gun. I think I need to shove my fears aside. Don’t you? He would want me safe. So would my father.” She slammed the drawer and headed for the closet, pulling down a box.

Ammunition.

Once the gun was loaded, she shoved the weapon into her jacket pocket and headed downstairs.

“My father might be able to help us with that. As long as he picks up the phone.” She returned to the office she’d been in when we’d first arrived, running her fingers across the computer. “Thank God they didn’t take my father’s computer.”

She moved to something located on another piece of furniture and it took me a few seconds to realize what she was doing.

Her father had a landline still installed.

With her hand shaking, she picked up and punched in several numbers.

Once she had, she turned to look at me, offering a smile while she remained anxious and fearful.

Not just of being captured, but also what would happen in the future.

When she closed her eyes, I felt a sense of relief. “Hey, Daddy. I really could use your help.”

As she explained what was going on, she nodded several times, writing something on a piece of paper.

“Yes, I know where to go. Thank you, Daddy. I’ll call you when I can.” As soon as she ended the call, she hung her head. “We have a plan. It’s risky, but it’s the only one we have.”

When she looked me in the eyes again, there was determination in hers.

“Let’s get out of here.”

She turned off the lights and we headed to the door. The moment she opened it, we heard a noise.

“There’s a vehicle approaching.”

I swung my head toward the driveway. “I can smell their stench. They mean us harm.”

Apollo and Roman moved toward us.

“Get on my back. There’s no time to waste.” She listened to me.

“They’re closing in fast. Run, Kai. Run fast.”

The three of us returned to the forest, racing through the trees, but they weren’t nearly as thick as the others had been. Whoever was driving wasn’t stopping.

We were fast, but they were gaining on us. Even though we were moving from one side to the other, keeping in the shadows, headlights pounded against our flanks.

She continuously glanced over her shoulder, taking gasping breaths as we fought our way through the forest.

“They’re gaining on us.” Her scream filtered into the night sky.

I pushed harder, moving as quickly as I could. The heat of the engine was close, too close. At this rate, there would be no chance of breaking free and getting away.

“No. They have dart guns. I can’t allow that to happen.” I knew exactly what she was doing. Reaching for her weapon.

We took off in another direction, trying to avoid another massacre. But at this point, we would do whatever was necessary to keep us all alive.

Somehow, she managed to grab her weapon while still hanging on. I couldn’t pay attention to what she was doing, instead rushing toward a thicker clump of trees.

The roar of the engine was even louder and seconds later, I narrowly avoided being hit by a dart.

Apollo acted as if he was going to stop and fight them.

“Don’t do it. You can’t win against them this way.” He growled at my words, even throwing his head back and issuing a single but long howl.

Birds scattered.

Other creatures fled the area.

Except for a group of beasts who I hadn’t sensed before, but they must have followed us.

Hybrids. Shifters.

They were angry.

And they would fight with us.

Perhaps they would get a chance.

Our beautiful mate managed to get off a single shot before almost falling from my back. She shrieked, almost dropping the weapon as she crouched down, wrapping her arm around my neck. Her breathing was ragged, her pants coming in shallow waves.

Just seconds later, we heard a crash, the sound echoing even in the dense forest. She’d managed to force the driver to lose control.

Only then did we slow down, moving behind a group of trees. Where we stood watching as other beasts inched from the shadows, advancing on the truck that had been following us.

Humans attempted to escape the wreck and the danger, one getting off a shot, hitting a beast in the chest.

The animals’ cries were high-pitched, but nothing was stopping the beasts from attacking.

The sounds were keening, men losing their lives, each one being torn apart by pissed-off beasts who hadn’t enjoyed their accommodations.

We remained where we were, our responsibility of protecting her the only thing on our minds.

When silence floated through the forest, I moved closer to the beasts with Savannah remaining on my back.

There were other wolves, their muscles dripping blood. And tigers, still licking their chops while feasting on the remains.

“Thank you,” she said, hoping they could understand.

And something inside told me they could.

We backed away, allowing them to enjoy the spoils of war.

For now.

For they were also the hunted.