"My dad sold me to a pack of werewolves to settle his gambling debt."
❀
"I'm going to count to three," Logan growls. He doesn't have to say the rest. If I haven't come to him by then, he'll come to me... and I'll regret it.
I know this game, and I...
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My wolf and I stand over the giant's prone body. Our breath comes out in fast, loud puffs and our heart pounds in our chest. Now that the immediate danger is gone, the tension slowly seeps out of our body, and the feeling of oneness with my wolf goes with it.
Suddenly, it's just me standing alone in the pitch black hallway, unable to see or hear anyone around me. I back up and instinct urges me to run. I need to save Logan and protect him and the pack from whatever the Rogues have planned.
I start moving until I think of Jess, Amaryllis, and her Mom. I can't just leave them here. Not when there's a chance they could get killed.
We need to get to Jess's cell, I tell my wolf. I wait for her to take over again—to guide me—but nothing happens. I can still feel her with me, but she seems content to just lie there and let me do all the hard work.
With a sigh, I focus on getting my bearings. I picture the steps I took to get to the giant and start retracing them from memory. I'm forced to navigate by smell and touch alone, which is pretty hard when everything reeks of blood. The scent is so strong, I'm no longer sure the giant is still alive, but that's the least of my worries.
I jump over him and Amaryllis's mom and head toward Jess's cell. I almost make it, too, when I slam into something warm. The something—or actually, someone—lets out a surprised shriek. It's almost completely drowned out by the alarm, but not quite. Then, something heavy hits my right-front paw and I jump with a yelp.
"No!" a familiar voice wails.
Jess?
Saffron? Thank the Goddess, Jess links back. Even though I hear her voice in my head, it's still almost completely drowned out by the alarm. Weird.
What— I jump back in surprise when Jess grabs my paw.
I dropped the keys, she shouts.Her hand grazes my paw again as she feels the floor. A few seconds pass, and Jess lets out a panicked cry. I can't find them.
I'll help you look! I shift into human form and feel the hard ground. It's covered in dust, and little stones graze my palms.
Let's just get out of here, Jess cries.
We can't. I feel around, searching everywhere: behind me, in front of me, to the sides... but there's no sign of keys.
We'll send back help, Jess begs. Please, Saffron.
We're not leaving without Amaryllis!
Suddenly, the lights turn back on and the blaring alarm stops. Now that no other sound is competing with them, the words "without Amaryllis" continue to pound loudly through my head.
