Page 23 of The Reluctant Mate (Shifters of the Three Rivers #5)

Chapter twenty-three

Sofia

T he snow started falling heavier now, muffling sounds in that way only snow can do.

Would they follow me? I could only hope they were looking for Derek, and when they didn’t find him, they would leave.

Snow crunched behind me.

“Northwest push!” It wasn’t a shout, more of a murmur. They must be using radios.

Well, there went my hopes of getting out this easily.

My wolf clawed inside of me, wanting out, desperate to fight, to run faster, to Shift, but I couldn’t. Not yet.

Soon.

I needed time to Shift. If I stopped now, they would catch up.

Instead, I ran. At first, blindly, just trying to put some distance between me and them. But I was a barefoot barista, and they were trained professionals. I could scent them and hear them, but they didn’t need werewolf senses to follow my footprints.

I glanced up as I ran. “Come on, Goddess, more snow. I need more snow!”

It had to get heavier for there to be any hope that the snow would start to cover my tracks before the men found them. I changed direction—left, right, backtracking, anything to confuse those on my tail. My legs burned, but I pressed forward, wading through the snow between the trees and hopping over gnarled roots half-hidden under all the white fluff.

“She’s heading deeper!” Another murmur, closer than I wanted.

Damn it. I wasn’t losing them.

I cursed myself for not grabbing my sneakers—they were my favorite ones from Shya, as well. For not being better prepared. For trusting Derek.

And now? Now I was running through the goddamn woods with no shoes, no phone, no plan, and most definitely no backup.

A new scent cut through the air—water and ice, minerals and stone. A river. I angled west toward it, pushing through a thick patch of undergrowth.

The trees thinned out, revealing a narrow river, its surface completely frozen over. It wound through the forest like a silver ribbon, disappearing around a bend about fifty yards downstream. The surface was rough with frost, creating a pattern of tiny crystals. It looked solid enough to hold my weight, but one wrong step and I would be in freezing water.

“Footprints heading west.”

I was out of options. I tested the ice with one foot. Even with my numb feet, it was painfully cold. It held, though. I stepped fully onto the ice, my heart thundering against my ribs as I listened for cracking. Nothing.

A fallen branch caught my eye—pine, with dozens of smaller branches fanning out from the main stem. Perfect. I snatched it up, backing onto the ice while holding the branch behind me like a broom. The smaller twigs scraped against the frost, blending my footprints into the frost as I moved.

The sound of pursuit grew closer—boots crunching through snow, branches snapping.

Fuck it.

I turned, holding the branch behind me, hoping it would work. Then I started jogging downstream. I had to buy myself some time. If they found my tracks leading onto the ice but not leading off… Well, they weren’t stupid. They’d figure out what I’d done quickly, but it might be enough.

My feet felt like blocks of ice by the time I spotted a low-hanging branch stretching over the steep bank and onto the river. I reached up, using it to haul myself onto the bank. Only my feet wouldn’t cooperate. They were completely numb, refusing to grip properly as I stumbled forward. I made the bank and got maybe fifteen paces before I crashed to my knees, pain shooting up my legs.

Shaking all over, I hissed through chattering teeth, “Up! Gotta get up, Sofia!”

Shift. Now!

She was right. I turned over, fumbling with my clothes, my fingers not working properly. It felt like it took forever to peel my jeans and shirt off me. Then the Shift gripped me hard and fast, pain ripping through every muscle and bone. I sucked in a sharp breath as my body contorted, bones snapping, fur bursting from my skin, claws replacing fingers, teeth sharpening and lengthening, leaving my jaw aching.

The forest seemed to tilt for a heartbeat as the change finished, leaving me crouched low, my newly sharpened senses catching every sound, every scent in an overwhelming punch to my senses. Even here, even now, being hunted in a forest far from my Pack, my home, the joy of being in my wolf form thrummed through me.

Steam curled up off my fur in the cold air, and my paws pressed against the snow-covered ground instinctively, my body ready to run. I had a chance now.

I darted left, only to change my mind and dash back to snag Derek’s shirt between my teeth. Don’t ask me why, but I couldn’t leave it behind.

Everything felt sharper now—smells, sounds, the pounding rhythm of my heart. The forest stretched endlessly ahead. My ears flicked as the sound of boots crunching on frost reached me. They were on the river.

I surged forward, paws not sinking into the snow as much as my two feet had. I veered left, then right, dodging through the trees in unpredictable patterns. Low-hanging branches scraped at my sides, the rough bark pulling at my fur, but I took no notice. Anything to buy me distance. My breaths came in sharp bursts now, white clouds that puffed and vanished, and still, I pushed harder.

“Team C, focus southwest. She didn’t double back.” The voices dropped further behind, their sounds crisscrossing through the forest.

Perfect.

My nose twitched. There. The scent of asphalt, something metallic that didn’t belong in the forest, and a faint trace of gas.

A road. Derek had lied. There was a way out of here.

It would be easier to hide my tracks on the road, and I could follow it to safety.

Almost there.

And then I saw it—the break in the trees, the stretch of pale, open road beyond.

Yes!

I darted forward, then skidded to a halt as a man stepped into my path, his gun pointed right at me.

I froze, claws digging into the cold earth. The world around me halted, a breathless silence enveloping me for a long second before time snapped back into place. My heart thudded in my chest so hard I swore he could hear it. The man wore black combat fatigues and had sharp angular features and a thin nose leading to pale eyes. Dark hair was pulled back severely from his face into a tight knot at the base of his skull. A thin sheen of sweat glazed his temples despite the freezing temperature, the only sign that he’d been running.

I was more interested in his gun. Longer than a regular handgun, with some kind of scope on top and an extra grip underneath, it looked like something out of a military movie—sleek black metal with extra attachments that probably had specific purposes but just made it more menacing. The scariest part was the thin red beam coming from beneath the barrel, creating a steady red dot that hovered over my chest.

“You’re good, little wolf,” the man drawled, his voice smooth and calm. There was nothing rushed or uncertain in him. He knew he had me. “But not good enough.” The corners of his lips tilted into the faintest smirk, as if the chase had been amusing for him. Like I’d just been a game that he’d now won.

I snarled, my paws inching forward.

“Nuh-huh. Don’t even think about it. I’ll put you down faster than a blink.”

I snarled again but stopped moving.

“Good decision. Now, do you know where the USB is? If you do, you’ll save yourself a load of trouble by taking me to it.”

I bared my teeth as instincts pulled me in different directions. Part of me wanted to lunge for his throat, to tear into him until he stopped being a threat. But another part—the part that had never learned to fight, never been trained for situations like this—screamed at me to run. To find an opening and bolt into the forest’s shadows. I wasn’t Derek. When I Shifted, it was usually to run through the forest on full moons or burn off stress after a long day at the bar. I’d been in battles, had fought for my Pack, but always as a Pack, a team. I followed their lead. I had no idea how to get out of this on my own.

The man must have sensed my uncertainty. His laugh grated against me, a soft, mocking sound as he shifted his weight.

“No? Silent treatment, huh? Alright, that makes sense. The quiet ones always think they’re the toughest. But I gotta tell ya, sweetheart,” he swung the barrel slightly, the laser sight shifting to hover in front of my left paw, “bravery doesn’t count for much when you’re on your own.”

The crack of the gunshot cut through the forest like a thunderclap, the bullet biting into the ice just inches from my paw. Pain flared as shards sprayed against me, and the scent of my own blood hit my nostrils. I danced back, not putting weight on my front left paw, refusing to look at the tiny crater he’d torn into the earth in front of me.

“Still no, huh? Doesn’t matter. Pretty sure your friend will be much more talkative when he finds out we have you.”

I couldn’t let that happen.

Think, Sofia.

I had nothing. I was coming up blank. Okay, had to think faster!

He turned his head an inch to the side and said, “Alpha two, I got her.”

“Copy. Moving on your position.”

He stepped forward, the barrel of the gun dipping slightly. “Easy now, little wolf. We don’t have to do this the hard way, sweetheart.” His voice was casual, almost gentle, like he was coaxing a frightened pet.

The world slowed around me. My wolf saw only one choice.

I exploded forward, muscles bunching and releasing in one violent surge. The shirt dropped from my jaws as I became pure predator—teeth bared, claws digging into frozen earth for traction. My instincts screamed for his throat, that vulnerable pulse point where life could be severed in one powerful bite. But survival meant being smarter. I angled low toward his right thigh, aiming to cripple, not kill.

The space between us vanished in a heartbeat. I saw his eyes widen—just a fraction—before his training took over.

He pivoted with military precision, every movement a brutal economy of motion. The gun barrel swept up and away as he stepped left, bringing the weapon’s stock down like a club. It connected with my ribs with a sickening crack that reverberated through my entire body.

“Nice try,” he snarled, all pretense of gentleness gone.

Before I could recover, he slammed the butt into my flank with crushing force. Pain shot through me like white-hot lightning. The world spun as I was hurled sideways, a sharp yelp tearing from my throat before I could stop it.

I hit the frozen ground hard enough to drive what little breath remained from my lungs, tumbling through snow in a disorienting blur of white and gray. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

Every instinct screamed to stay down, but I forced myself to roll, paws scrabbling desperately against the ice as I struggled upright. My left side burned like fire, each breath a stabbing agony, as I bared my teeth and snarled at him.

“Feisty.” His voice had changed, edged with something darker now—respect mingled with cruelty. He tapped his fingers rhythmically against the weapon’s stock, an almost hypnotic gesture from a predator toying with wounded prey. “I like that.”

The red dot of his laser sight found my chest again, unwavering.

“But you’re not getting out of this.”