I stayed away until dawn took hold. Lena stayed hidden under a canopy of trees. She sorted out the mess of the tent and repacked the backpack. By the time I came back into myself, she was ready to move. I bathed in the river, washing away the blood from last night’s attack. I had on a fresh pair of jeans as I slowly approached. Lena busied herself zipping and unzipping the backpack.

“How’s your arm?” I asked. “You should let me have another look at it.”

“It’s fine,” she said, her voice clipped. She wouldn’t meet my eyes.

“Let me clean and redress it. Shifter wounds can get infected easily.”

Lena froze. I wanted to eat my words. This woman knew exactly what to expect from shifter-inflicted wounds. Again, that protective rage blazed inside of me. This time, it came out as a low growl I couldn’t hold back. Lena’s eyes snapped to mine. I knew she saw mine flare bright. The wolf simmered just below the surface. No power on this earth could keep him back.

“I’ll be fine,” she said, slinging one strap over her shoulder. I made a move toward her, wanting to take the bag from her. She put a hand up to stop me. My gut clenched. She was afraid of my touch.

“Okay,” I said. “We should get going. If we stick to the plan, we should get within maybe twenty miles of the border by nightfall. Are you okay with trying to push it a little?”

I hadn’t planned to ask her. After what she’d been through, maybe a slower pace might work best.

“I was going to ask you the same thing,” she said before I could take it back. “We got lucky last night. But somebody’s going to figure out those three wolves are missing. If they find them, they’ll figure out another shifter did it. It’s not like the list of suspects is very long.”

“Right,” I said. “I buried them deep in the woods. That’ll buy us some time, but if anybody comes through here looking in the next week or so, they’re going to pick up the scent.”

“So, the quicker we get to the border, the better.” Lena set her mouth in a grim, determined line. Before I could say anything else she brushed past me. Again, her scent hit me like a bolt of lightning. I had to bite my tongue to keep from groaning. I wanted to touch her so badly. I wanted to pull her to me and smooth the hair away from her face. She could straighten her back and pretend all she wanted, but I knew she was scared. I knew her pain.

Instead, I gave her space. I let Lena take the lead as we hiked along the river’s edge. She didn’t want to talk about what happened last night. The truth was, I wouldn’t even know what to say if she did.

The hike became easier as the day wore on. The wind stayed at our backs, which lessened the impact on Lena’s body, but also helped me keep my head. When the wind shifted, her scent called to me, threatening to drive out all reason at times.

We acted like amiable strangers that day. We had one close call as we reached a point in the trail where the highway ran close. A disabled vehicle pulled to the side of the road. When the driver got out, my wolf tore at me. Lena put a hand on my chest, stopping me. Her fingers seared my flesh. God, the ache of it. It took everything in me not to pull her close. Heat shot straight down my spine and settled between my legs.

“Shh!” She put a finger to her lips. We stayed in the shadows, still in the woods. We’d have to cross the highway to pick up the last leg of our journey. If we were seen…

The driver leaned over the hood of his car. Smoke billowed from beneath his hood. He tapped a number into his phone screen and swore at the sky.

“We can cross further down that way,” I said through gritted teeth.

“Is he a shifter?” Lena asked. She squinted. I put my body in front of hers. Her nervous heartbeat fluttered. Instinct made me turn and put a hand on the small of her back. It was just a casual gesture, one that came naturally. In two beats, her pulse slowed to match mine.

She stumbled backward, wanting distance. I made myself still as a statue. I gripped a tree branch, wanting to yank it down and smash something.

“Yes,” I finally said. “He’s Pack. He’s alone though.”

“What’s he doing this far out?” Lena whispered. I knew she was scared. But, this guy was low level. As I narrowed my gaze I made out the details of his features. He was skinny, pale. An omega. I’d put him at eighteen years old, tops. He may not have even reported to the Alpha yet for service.

Before I could answer her, a chorus of howls rose far in the distance. The kid on the highway dropped his phone. His back went rigid then he dropped to his knees.

“Payne!” Lena shouted.

“I hear it,” I said. “They’re about four miles northwest. Going in the opposite direction. Relax.”

“Relax? Are you kidding me?”

The kid cupped his hands over his ears as the sound of the Pack grew even stronger. They’d scented him. Then, he turned and looked straight at us. His eyes widened and he raised an index finger, pointing at me.

“My God,” Lena gasped. “He sees us!”

The kid was terrified, confused. His fear poured off him in waves. I closed my eyes. He was young. Pliant. His heartbeat slammed into my head. He felt torn in half. The Pack was close enough to reach him. God, I knew what that felt like too. The seductive pull would make his knees go weak and his heartbeat slow. It was a siren call. It would lull him to near sleep. When he woke, he’d let go. He’d belong to the Pack.

But, his eyes were still fixed on mine. He saw. He knew. If the Pack saw me through his eyes…

“Payne!” Lena had given up whispering. She screamed my name.

The urge came as natural to me as breathing as I locked eyes with the kid.

Submit.

New power rose within me. It was old, ancient. And it was mine.

The kid slowly nodded and rose to his feet. He took one look behind him then started toward me.

“Payne!” Lena said, pulling on my sleeve. “You can’t. You can’t take him. They’ll hear you!”

She was right. The logical part of my brain tore loose from instinct. I could make this kid submit to me. I was an Alpha by birthright. Claiming my own pack should have been as natural as breathing until Able Valent took that all away. But, if I did it...if I tapped into this power, the Chief Pack would sense it from miles away. They’d zone in on us like a tractor beam.

Except, now that I’d started, I couldn’t seem to break free. I’d unleashed a torrent of energy. Once uncorked, I couldn’t seem to pull it back.

The kid kept coming. He was young. Strong. Vibrant. His heart was good. I could feel it. I could train him. He would be loyal. I would never lead like Able did.

“Payne!”

Lena touched my arm. A kaleidoscope of colors burst behind my eyes. An arc of energy strong as an electrical current went from me to her and back again. She centered me. Pulled me in. Her will became mine. We were one.

The kid dropped to his knees again as I loosened my grip on his mind. The power drained from me, leaving a cold, hollow space. Only Lena’s touch kept me on my feet. I turned to her. She cupped my face in her hands. Her eyes lit with worry.

“Payne,” she whispered. “They’re coming. They know we’re here.”

As the howls rose and grew closer, I did the only thing I could to save us both. I gathered Lena in my arms and ran.