Page 21 of The Reaper's Vow

My mate isn't just beautiful, she's fierce too, even if she doesn't know it yet.

“Follow me. Stay close.” I release her chin and grab her hand instead, threading our fingers together. The contact sends a jolt of electricity up my arm, my wolf howling with satisfaction at the simple touch.

We run through the alley, our footsteps swallowed by the night. Lockhart has already ordered his men to check this route, and their lights slash through the darkness behind us, sweeping closer. There’s no time to hide. The air burns in my lungs as I push Karina ahead, faster, keeping her within reach but out of sightlines. We have seconds before they spot us, and I’m not letting him have her.

Karina matches my stride, breathing measured though I can feel the unease coming off her in waves. Her fingers clutch mine hard enough to sting when footsteps sound up the road.

I pull her into a narrow space between two dumpsters that smell like roadkill and rotten eggs, pressing her against the brick wall with my body, hoping the smell from the dumpster will mask her scent long enough for them to move on. My arm bracesabove her head as I lean down, my lips nearly touching her ear. “Don't move.”

She freezes, her chest rising and falling rapidly against mine. Her heartbeat pulses, her breath coming in short, panicked gasps that brush my neck. The closeness is torture. I want nothing more than to bury my face in her neck, to taste her skin, to mark her as mine where everyone can see it.

But now is not the time.

Heavy footsteps approach, boots scraping against asphalt. I press Karina deeper into the shadows, shielding her with my body. One of Lockhart's men passes within feet of us, whistling like he’s at a fucking summer camp sing-a-long and not hunting a female. My fucking female. My lip curls in a silent snarl. He's enjoying this.

I'll kill him for that alone.

The footsteps pause. He's scenting the air, trying to catch our trail. My muscles coil, ready to spring if he gets any closer. Karina must sense the change in me because her fingers tighten around mine, a silent plea to stay hidden.

Smart girl.

After what feels like an eternity, the footsteps move on. Thank fuck for smelly dumpsters. That was too goddamn close. I wait until they fade completely before pulling back slightly, just enough to look down at her.

“My car is just around the corner.”

She nods. Despite everything, there’s a quiet steel in her expression that catches me off guard. This isn’t some fragile human in need of coddling. There’s a strong wolf in her, buried deep but unmistakably there.

“Let's go.” I take her hand in mine as we slip from our hiding spot, moving like ghosts through the maze of back alleys. My car sits where I left it. I unlock it remotely, the soft beep making Karina flinch.

“Get in,” I order, scanning the street one last time. “Stay low.”

She slips into the passenger seat, pulling the door shut as I round the hood and slide into the driver’s side. The engine hums to life with a low growl, but I keep the headlights off, easing out of the parking space under the cover of darkness.

“Where are we going?” she asks quietly.

I don’t answer.

Not yet.

My eyes are locked on the rearview mirror, scanning for signs of pursuit. No headlights. No movement. But that doesn’t mean we’re safe.

Not by a long shot.

I make a sharp turn onto a back road and press the gas a little harder.

“It’s the last place I want to take you,” I mutter. “But it’s the closest—and the only place I know you’ll be safe until I figure this out.”

She’s quiet, but I can feel her staring, waiting for more. I don’t offer it.

I grip the wheel tighter, jaw clenched, every muscle wound tight. My wolf is restless beneath my skin, prowling. Angry.Possessive.

The thought of walking her into that compound makes something violent rise in me.My wolf doesn’t want her there.He wants her away from all of them. Hidden. Guarded.Claimed.

I should keep driving. Past the compound. Out of the city. Into the woods. Somewhere no one can find her but me. Somewhere I can keep her locked away until I figure out what the hell the universe is playing at, throwing a mate into my path in the middle of a blood-soaked night.

But there’s no time. No plan. No safe house.

Her apartment is compromised.