I felt split in two. The pack was coming. Their thoughts reached for me like snaking tendrils of hot tar. If they found me, their influence would stick to me, suffocating me, rendering me unable to move or fight back. It’s what they wanted. It’s how they functioned. Submit. Submit. Submit.

But, while one part of my brain felt crushed by the power of the Chief Pack, something else equally earth-shattering happened.

Molly.

Her life force tethered me to my own soul, my own will. Her intoxicating scent filled my lungs, making me feel as if I could take flight.

Freedom.

Molly was my salvation. God, how had I lived this long without knowing what I’d been missing?

Jagger never had any choice. I understood it now. Though he tortured himself with guilt over the danger his decision put us in, he couldn’t have turned away from Keara. I could never turn away from Molly.

She was mine. Her heart was my heart. It was more than just the connection I felt. I breathed when she breathed. It was as if every cell in my body had woken to her presence. How I’d lived without it I’ll never know. She gave me the strength to push away from the Chief Pack even as they drew ever closer.

Turn away!

The pack’s thoughts slammed into my brain. They were close enough to sense my mood. Their howls rose again as I ran toward the west. Ahead of me was the vast expanse of Mammoth Forest. If I didn’t get more distance between us, they might be able to track me to the secret cave entrance. I couldn’t risk drawing them there.

As much as it tore at my heart to do it, I turned south. I could still hit the edge of the forest and look for cover, but it was too dangerous to go to the caves. It was too dangerous to stay above ground. I had one advantage. Speed. The pack moved as a unit. I could zig zag and hope to throw them off my trail.

With no conscious idea where I was headed, I kept the tree line in the distance. Staying to the shadows, I prayed no humans would register my movement. To them, I was hopefully nothing more than a blur of motion. Something they might see in their periphery, but once they turned to look, I would already be gone.

It would be so much easier to shift again and let the wolf free. I could move twice as fast on four legs. But even that was too dangerous. My best chance of closing my mind off to the pack was if I stayed human. My wolf might become overwhelmed by the pack’s pull.

With each step I took, my heart began to ease. As I moved away from the more populated parts of Shadow Springs, they grew confused. There were too many paths to choose from. The further they were from the Chief Alpha or whichever of his top generals directed them, the weaker the control would be. They would second guess and become disoriented. In a panic, they would change directions and try to get closer to him. I was banking on it.

They made one last rally, almost closing the distance between us. I ran along the rural highway. Up ahead, I spied a small reservoir beneath an overpass. I dove for it. Submerging in the cool water, I felt the last vaporous thoughts of the Chief Pack fade. They were still coming, but they would soon head in the wrong directions. I’d broken their hold.

Panting, I emerged from the water. I’d stayed closer to the forest than I realized. Water sluiced off my naked body as I scrambled up the hillside. Though the Chief Pack had finally given up the chase, they weren’t far enough behind me to make me feel safe. Plus, I’d have to double back at some point to get to the cave entrance. It would put me directly in their path again. I’d likely have to wait until morning to even try.

It had been far too close a call. There could be no doubt the Pack had scented me this time. They knew I was close. That little piece of intel would drive the Alpha crazy. He’d likely double the patrols through Shadow Springs.

“Dammit,” I muttered under my breath. Just up ahead, I saw lights. There was a neighborhood or campground about a quarter mile up the trail. My best bet would be to hide there for the night. With humans all around, the Chief Pack would have a harder time tracking me. Plus, I’d need to find a change of clothes. Mine were shredded in the alley by the vet clinic after my sudden shift.

Just thinking about those few moments with Molly nearly made my wolf tear out of me again. God, that would be a disaster. The Pack was way too close. They’d sense me in a second. I clenched my fists to my sides and tried to still my breathing. Molly might feel like my salvation, but she could also be my downfall if I wasn’t careful.

The lights grew closer and I realized what they were. This was a trailer park. Soft laughter and the sound of glasses clinking rose. Probably a backyard barbeque or something like it. I stumbled on one great stroke of luck. One of the trailers on the outside of the park had a clothesline hung. Three pairs of blue jeans flapped in the breeze.

Darting quickly by, I grabbed one pair and dove back into the shadows. The fit was close enough. I stabbed my legs through them and zipped the fly. Now, I just had to find a hill to hide behind and bed down for the night.

The wolves howled behind me, registering the frustration of their failure. They would stay close, so I would have to stay hidden. I just prayed they wouldn’t be able to scent my trail through Mammoth Forest from earlier this morning.

A car screeched to a halt just up ahead. My heart began to race anew. Shaking my head, I staggered sideways. No.

Stupid. I’d been so stupid. I’d run south thinking I could throw off the Chief Pack and keep them from finding the cave entrance. Instead, I’d acted on instinct. If I needed any more proof of what she was to me, this was it. Instinct had led me straight to Molly’s doorstep. I may have protected Jagger and the others down in the caves, but I may just have led the Chief Pack to Molly instead.

I stayed in the shadows of three tall pines edging her property. Molly put her car in park. I saw her in profile. She gripped her steering wheel, pressing her forehead to it. My heart shattered. For as much as my own world had shifted on its axis, so had hers.

I owed her so much more. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. When a wolf shifter found his fated mate, there should be heat, joy, and passion. I’d had no choice but to run at the moment her heart began to beat alongside mine. It wasn’t fair. I couldn’t protect her. Not like this.

She stepped out of her little red Honda. My wolf stirred and the jeans I’d stolen grew tight. She was only a few yards away from me, but it felt like miles. I wanted nothing more than to take her in my arms and comfort her. Let my heart warm hers and kiss away her fears. Because, she was afraid.

I couldn’t read her thoughts like Jagger could read Keara’s. But, they were formally mated and he’d claimed her with his mark. It allowed him to communicate with her on a nonverbal frequency reserved for true pack Alphas. Though each time he did it, it put Keara at risk. If they were close enough, the Chief Pack would be able to sense that, reading it as a violation. Again, I found a kinship to Jagger that now went deeper than blood. What it must be like for him day in and day out worrying for Keara? There had been times I and the others questioned whether the risk had been worth it. Now, with each breath Molly took, I knew it was.

She sensed something. I moved further into the shadows and tried to steady my pulse. Molly had her keys out. Her hair had come loose from her ponytail and fell around her shoulders in soft, brunette waves.

She turned toward the tree line. Pressing her back against the screen door, she squinted and looked in my direction. I held my breath. I should go. I should run in the other direction even if it stirred the Chief Pack scouts who waited for me there. Fresh terror poured through me as I realized what I was already willing to do. If given the choice, would I jeopardize Mac, Gunnar, Payne, Jagger, and Keara to save Molly? I couldn’t let the thought fully form in my head. I wasn’t ready to deal with the consequences.

I sucked in a great breath of air and made my decision. If I went forward, I’d walk straight into Molly’s line of sight. If I went backward, that would put me in the path of the Chief Pack. My only option was to try and seek cover somewhere in the forest. I would have to run all night long.

It would have been a great idea except for one thing. I’d underestimated Molly’s new senses. She took a strident step off her porch. Then another. Squaring her shoulders, she faced the pine trees where I’d sought cover and headed straight for me.

“It’s no good,” she said, her voice catching. My blood caught fire as she approached. My cock stirred and I gripped the tree bark to steady myself. I could easily turn and vanish into the woods. She would never be fast enough to catch me.

God help me. God help us both. I stayed put and let her see me.

“Liam?” Even though she’d sensed me all along, Molly’s eyes widened with shock as I stepped out of the shadows.

“I shouldn’t have come,” I said. It felt woefully inadequate. This woman deserved so much more from me.

She raised a skeptical brow and put her hands on her hips. “That seems pretty much beside the point, Liam. Can we talk, or are you going to turn into the big bad wolf again?”

A beat passed. Then another. Then, a hearty laugh erupted from my throat. God, she was right. So much of this was just completely beside the point. I got ahold of myself and grew serious. Molly’s lips parted as she sucked in a breath. Being this close to me was having a similar effect on her as it was me.

“I meant what I said before. I’m never going to hurt you. But yes, I think we need to talk.”

Molly cast a nervous glance over her shoulder. There was no way she could sense the other wolves like I could, but being around me had her on high alert.

“You might as well come inside,” she said. Again, I felt split in two. I wanted nothing more than to be close to this woman. And yet, being close to her could make her a target if the Chief Pack tracked me to her. If they ever caught wind of what she meant to me… No. I couldn’t even let my mind go there.

“I might as well,” I said, trying to give her an easy smile. The truth was, Molly’s trailer was probably the safest place for me right now. If I stayed among non-shifters it would be that much harder for the Pack to pick up on my presence.

“Good,” she said. “I for one need a drink. You look like you could use a beer yourself.”

She turned and walked back up her little stone porch and into the trailer. She held the screen door open for me. I hesitated, knowing once I crossed that threshold, I could never go back. I took a steeling breath and followed her inside.

Molly’s trailer was sparse and neat. Everything inside of it was decorated in green and gold hues. She gestured toward her small breakfast nook, inviting me to sit down. I was so keyed up I wanted to stand. Hell, I would have rather paced, but I knew that wouldn’t help ease Molly’s nerves. So, I sat.

She was remarkably calm considering what she’d seen and been through. I could see her wheels spinning though. She sat, then got up, then sat again. I leaned against the soft cushion of the bench and watched her. A tiny bead of sweat dotted her upper lip. I had the urge to reach for her and brush it away. Her skin would sizzle beneath mine. I knew I could make the rest of her ignite as well. The thrumming heat between us was almost too much to bear. I half expected her trailer walls to blast apart from the combustible energy inside of it.

“You’re a werewolf,” she said. Not shocked. Not terrified. She had already accepted it. I knew it was because her nature called to mine. But, Molly was in no way ready for the greater truth. Hell, neither was I.

“I’m a shifter,” I answered.

“And there are more of you. I heard them. You were afraid of them. Someone’s coming after you. I could feel it. Why can I feel it?”

God she was beautiful. Glorious. She had the kind of beauty others might not see at first. Molly carried a hard expression, her face in an almost permanent scowl. A little line creased her forehead as she stared at me with those luminous sable eyes. Her thick brows cut in a straight slash above them, adding to the seriousness of her features. She had high cheekbones and a round face. Her full lips turned down in a pout I very much wanted to kiss away.

Her fierce gaze demanded an answer I couldn’t give. How could I tell her what she was? What we were? Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I’d been so long detached from any sort of normal pack life that I wasn’t accurately reading any of it. Even as I thought it, I knew it wasn’t true though.

Molly was mine. She was my fated mate. I’d known it the instant I saw her. Had I any doubt, all it would take was the lightest touch of her skin against mine. My inner wolf clamored inside me, demanding his own answer.

I quickly learned Molly was the kind of woman who talked through her fears. Her voice raised half an octave as she got up and started to pace. “Liam, there’s something. You did something to me. I can hear you...uh...I mean...I can feel you inside of me.”

Her cheeks flamed red as she realized what she’d said. My aching need to be inside of her nearly drove me to my knees right there in front of her. Instead, I gripped the edges of the table and concentrated on taking slow, steady breaths.

“It’s not really fair that you had to find out about all of this like that. That’s my fault. I probably should have stayed away the minute I realized what you…”

“You did break into the clinic the other night though. Right? You took meds. Why? Did you think we would have some kind of treatment for what you...how you…”

“I’m not sick.” My words tore out of me, taking on a hostile tone I hadn’t intended. They came out in a half-growl that made Molly jerk backward. “I’m not sick,” I said again, tempering my tone. “There’s nothing wrong with me. What I am is natural. It’s not an affliction any more than being fully human is for you.”

“Then what? What did you need the meds for? I mean...we have narcotics locked up back there. You took Tramadol. We have stronger stuff. Morphine, even. You didn’t take any of that. You took antibiotics.”

I let out a great sigh. This was hopeless. How in the world could I tell her anything? We were connected, but she was still a stranger. I couldn’t betray the others.

“They were for a friend,” I said, knowing how weak an answer that was. “And I am sorry. I’ve put you in the middle of something that’s got nothing to do with you.”

She stopped pacing. Turning to face me, she took two steps forward then sank slowly into the seat opposite me. I’d been afraid to touch her again. Molly wasn’t. She reached for me, gathering my hand in hers. The jolt of her touch nearly brought my wolf out again. My vision wavered and I knew she could see my wolf eyes glinting gold. Instead of showing fear though, my Molly marveled at them. She reached for my face and ran her thumb along my cheekbone.

“You’ve been here all the time, haven’t you?” she asked, her voice a solemn whisper. “All around me. I don’t even know how to describe it. But, I think I’ve seen shifters like you my whole life. I just didn’t open my mind to it.”

Smiling, I brought my hand up and covered hers with it. She was sweet and soft and trusting. The hint of tears made her eyes glisten, but she wasn’t sad. Molly was humbled. It would be so easy just to sink into the feel of her. God, I wished things were different. Jagger had known. He’d tried to explain.

“I have to go,” I said.

Molly jerked her hand away and stiffened. “You just got here. I have like a thousand questions.”

“I know. But, I have to get back.”

“It’s because of those other wolves, isn’t it?”

I swallowed hard and slowly rose. “Yes. It’s because of those other wolves.”

“Are you a good wolf or a bad wolf, Liam McConnell?”

The question took me by surprise. I had no ready answer. Molly didn’t press for one. Instead, she rose to her feet and came to me again. Touching my face, she studied it.

“They’ve been looking for you for a while,” she said. It was my turn to jerk away from her touch.

“What do you know about it?”

Molly bit her lip and moved toward the kitchen window. “Last night and the one before that. They were out there. I heard them howling. It felt like...I don’t know. They were hunting for something. I went outside. Liam, it was the most eerie thing I’d ever heard. At the time I thought I was just imagining things, but now?”

I went stone still, afraid to breathe. I didn’t want to transmit my fear to her. Molly moved to the back door.

“Don’t!” I shouted out a warning, but Molly had already opened the door and stepped outside.

I felt the vibration low in my core. My wolf tore at me. My vision tunneled. I saw Molly in infrared and profile. I hadn’t marked her. I hadn’t claimed her. But, already, just being near me had changed her on a molecular level. She sensed the same danger that I did.

“Liam?” She turned to me.

A lethal wind kicked up behind her, tossing her hair straight up. The walls of her trailer rocked.

“Get. Inside.” How I found the strength to form words when the wolf raged so fiercely, I do not know.

Molly took a step back, not quite able to separate the fear she felt pouring off of me from the danger behind her.

I went to her. Molly was already outside of the trailer. She gathered her arms around her, hugging herself as her hair blew wild around her face. I felt it as her spine turned to ice. The Chief Pack howled.

“Molly!” I shouted. “Get inside.”

But, it was already too late. The Chief Pack had scented me. How could they not? As close as I was to Molly, I had to have laid a pheromone trail all along the edge of the woods. Stupid. So stupid.

“Come on!” I shouted over the screeching wind.

“Where?” Molly turned to me, eyes wide.

“It’s not safe here for you. I can’t let them figure out your connection to me.”

“My what?” But there was no time for explanation. The Chief Pack was on the move. The pull to join them nearly drove me to my knees. Molly sensed it too. She took a halting step backward, her eyes lit with terror.

“Liam, you said…”

“No time!” I shouted. I had to get her to safety. There was only one place to go. I just prayed I’d be fast enough.

I went to her, gathering Molly into my arms. I held her so close I knocked the wind out of her. Then, I picked up speed and headed for the caves.