He was right behind me. I didn’t know where Riona or Donovan were. They were probably somewhere behind me, but I was focused ahead. I had to keep moving. I leaped over a stone wall and into a field. Getting away from the town was key. This thing was after me, and I didn’t want any innocent people hurt.

Luckily, I was faster than Bhrunyz. I spared a glance back. He wasn’t gaining on me. I could keep this up and get away.

He materialized in front of me. Shit. I was so fucked.

Fear threatened to swallow me whole as I realized I was going too fast to stop. I was going to run right into him.

I tried skirting around him, but his massive claws ripped into my side.

I howled in pain as I tried to keep going. I didn’t know where I was heading. I just had to go.

Donovan ran past me and leaped onto Bhrunyz again. I kept moving. Bhrunyz would shake him off and keep coming after me. I was his goal.

And then the beast cried out.

It wasn’t just any snarl, but a magical one. It burned along my skin as it locked my muscles in place. I was frozen mid-sprint in the middle of the woods. I couldn’t see Bhrunyz, but I knew he was still behind me. My limbs shook even as the magic held me in place. Fear had my heart racing. How in the hell was I going to get out of this one?

Donovan howled. His power ripped through my muscles. The Alpha was ordering me to move. The bond between us was strong enough that Donovan’s energy overruled the beast’s magic. I nearly cried with relief as my limbs kicked into motion. I lunged into a sprint, glancing back as Donovan tried to slow down Bhrunyz.

Donovan’s anger and fear beat at me as I dodged between trees, trying to get as much distance from the beast as possible. But it was useless. We both knew it. We weren’t giving up. I had to get away, but I had no idea how. The beast could transport whenever he wanted. It was just playing with me.

Bhrunyz cried out with magic, and I froze for a split second. The edge of the forest was just ahead and the field beyond it stretched wide into the horizon. Donovan’s power set me free. We moved over onto the field.

It went on forever like that. Every time I froze, Donovan would unfreeze me. Bhrunyz couldn’t move his bulky mass very fast. Even with him freezing me, I gained a lot of distance, but every time I got too far away, he’d transport.