Page 98 of The Last Sanctuary

Vaughn’s face darkened in outrage. “Kill her.”

Dekker seized her hair and dragged her back against his chest.

She couldn’t help it. She screamed. She tried to pull herself free. The knife bit into her throat, drawing blood.

“Now,” he said in her ear, “where were we?”

At least she would be in the woods when death came for her. At least she would die with rain on her face, dirt beneath her feet, the gray mouth of the sky swallowing her up.

The blade pressed deeper. Pain and dizziness exploded in front of her vision. At least?—

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw it.

A streak of motion bolted into the clearing. Then another. One white, one black. Twin demons of snarling fury.

Chapter Forty-One

The black wolf launched at Vaughn.

With a ferocious snarl, the white wolf charged Dekker.

The clearing exploded into chaos. Shouts of confusion and fear. Screams of pain and terror.

Dekker’s knife slipped an inch from Raven’s neck. His body went rigid against hers. “What the hell?—!”

Raven took her opportunity. She raised her foot and kicked backward with all her strength, aiming for Dekker’s kneecap.

He had time to scream.

Then the white wolf was on him.

Luna sprang at Dekker just as Raven dropped and twisted sideways. The wolf’s paws struck Dekker in the chest. She closed her powerful jaws around Dekker’s forearm. The wolf’s teeth sank into flesh, muscle, and bone.

Dekker screamed and fell backward. The knife slipped from Raven’s neck. A line of fire seared her throat.

They collapsed to the ground, entangled in flailing limbs. As she fell, Raven twisted free of the wolf’s scrabbling paws. Landing on top of Dekker, Luna kept her iron grip on Dekker’s arm with her teeth.

Raven rolled on the ground, flattening a swath of soaked ferns. Shakily, she clambered to her hands and knees. Scratches covered her arms and face. Blood dripped steadily from the cut across her throat. The zip ties dug into the flesh of her wrists. Rain slicked her face, soaked her body.

She didn’t care about herself. Scrambling awkwardly to her feet, she scanned frantically for the wolves.

Raven shouted, “Run, Luna! You have to run!”

They shouldn’t be here. The wolves were supposed to be far from here, running free. Safe and alive. They weren’t supposed to come back.

They weren’t supposed to save her.

Twenty yards away, in the center of the open clearing, Shadow battled Vaughn. Vaughn managed to slam the butt of his rifle against Shadow’s muzzle. Shadow let out a pained whimper and darted out of harm’s way.

Three Headhunters armed with pistols sprinted toward Vaughn. Scorpio and Cobb ran toward Dekker. They shouted, their rifles drawn, aiming wildly. They didn’t shoot for fear of hitting Dekker.

Dekker writhed beneath the wolf. Screaming in pain, shrieking curses. Snarling, Luna crouched atop him. She snapped viciously at his throat. Dekker attempted to shield his neck and face with his arms. Punching at her snout, striking at her head.

Run!Raven’s brain screamed at her. This was her chance to escape. But she couldn’t run.

She couldn’t leave the wolves in the hands of the Headhunters.

Not when they had come back for her. Not when they were in such danger.