Shattered Bonds of the Shadowed Alpha

Chapter 5

The forest was a blur of shadows, the air sharp with pine and the metallic tang of fear. My ankle screamed with every step, but I ran, Jensen’s wolf formed a dark blur beside me. The river’s rush was faint, a cruel tease of freedom I’d never reach. Behind us, howls sliced through the night rogues, closing in.

Jensen growled, urging me faster. The amber-eyed stranger’s words echoed in my head: *You’re not going anywhere, Anna.* My knife, clutched tight, felt like a toy against whatever hunted us.

We ducked under low branches, my breath ragged. The Howling Moon was far behind, its alarm a distant wail. Jax had stayed to fight, but I didn’t trust him to save me. Not after three years of abandonment.

Jensen skidded to a halt, ears pricked. I stumbled into him, pain shooting through my leg. “What is it?” I whispered.

He shifted back to human form, crouching low. “They’re flanking us. Stay close.”

I nodded, scanning the darkness. The trees loomed, their shadows hiding eyes that glinted with malice. My wolf stirred, whining for Jax, but I shoved her down. She’d picked a lousy mate.

A twig snapped to our left. Jensen tensed, claws extending. “Run for the ridge,” he said. “There’s a safehouse. I’ll hold them off.”

“I’m not leaving you,” I hissed. “You’ll die.”

He shot me a look, almost amused. “You’re the target, Anna. Go.”

Before I could argue, a gray wolf lunged from the shadows. Jensen met it mid-air, their snarls echoing as they rolled across the ground. More shapes moved in the dark too many.

I bolted, ignoring the fire in my ankle. The ridge was steep, a rocky outcrop barely visible in the moonlight. If I could reach it, I might lose them. My bag bounced against my hip, the knife in my hand slick with sweat.

A growl sounded behind me, too close. I spun, slashing blindly. The wolf yelped, retreating, but another took its place. I scrambled up the ridge, rocks cutting my palms. The safehouse, a small cabin Jensen had said was somewhere ahead.

I crested the ridge, lungs burning. A wooden structure sat tucked against the cliff, its windows dark. I sprinted for it, heart pounding. The door was unlocked, swinging open to reveal a dusty room with a single cot and a table.

I slammed the door shut, shoving the table against it. It wouldn’t hold long, but it was something. I collapsed against the wall, catching my breath. The knife stayed in my hand, my only defense.

Outside, the howls grew louder, then stopped. Silence was worse, it meant they were close.

A knock rattled the door. I froze, gripping the knife tighter.

“Anna,” a voice called, low and familiar. Not Jax. Not Jensen.

“Who’s there?” I demanded, voice shaking.

The door creaked open, pushing the table aside. Lila stepped in, her face pale in the dim light. “It’s me.”

I lowered the knife, but not much. “How did you find me?”

She shut the door, glancing outside. “I’ve been tracking you. You’re in deep, Anna.”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” I snapped. “Who’s after me? Why?”

She hesitated, eyes darting to the window. “It’s not just rogues. Someone in the pack wants you gone.”

My stomach dropped. “Jax?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think so. But he’s not stopping it either.”

I paced the small room, the cot creaking under my weight as I sat. “Parker’s death was it them?”

Lila nodded. “He was digging into something. Something big. They killed him to keep it quiet.”

“What?” I pressed, leaning forward.

She opened her mouth, but a crash outside cut her off. Wood splintered, and a wolf’s snarl filled the air. Lila grabbed my arm. “We need to move. Now.”

I yanked free. “I’m done running blind. Tell me what’s going on.”

“There’s no time,” she hissed, pulling me toward a back window. “They’re here.”

The door burst open before we could move. A tall figure stepped in, human now, his eyes glowing amber. The same stranger from the forest, his smile cold. “Found you.”

I raised my knife, heart hammering. Lila stepped in front of me, hands raised. “Leave her alone, Kade.”

Kade laughed, stepping closer. “You’re protecting her? After what her father did?”

“She’s not Dirk,” Lila snapped. “Back off.”

He tilted his head, amused. “You’re both liabilities. The pack’s better off without you.”

A growl rumbled from the doorway. Jax appeared, blood streaking his face, Jensen and Mira behind him. “Kade,” he said, voice low and deadly. “Step away.”

Kade didn’t flinch. “You’re soft, Jax. Letting her live was a mistake.”

Jax’s claws extended, his eyes locked on Kade. “Last warning.”

I gripped my knife, caught between them. My wolf keened for Jax, but I didn’t trust him. Not when he’d left me to this.

Lila whispered, “Anna, the window. Go.”

I glanced at it, then back at Jax. His eyes met mine, a flicker of something regret? before he lunged at Kade. The room erupted, wolves clashing in a blur of fur and teeth.

I bolted for the window, shoving it open. Lila pushed me through, but a hand grabbed my ankle, yanking me back. I slashed with the knife, connecting with flesh. A yelp, and I was free, tumbling to the ground outside.

“Run!” Lila shouted, but a wolf tackled her before she could follow.

I scrambled to my feet, the forest swallowing me as I ran. The ridge sloped down, leading to the river. If I could cross it, I’d be out of pack territory. Free, maybe.

But the howls were back, closer now. My ankle buckled, slowing me. I pushed on, the river’s roar growing louder.

A figure stepped into my path, human, his silhouette sharp against the moonlight. Not Kade. Not Jax.

“Anna,” he said, voice calm but chilling. “You can’t outrun this.”

I raised my knife, heart pounding. “Who are you?”

He smiled, stepping closer. “Someone who knows what you’re hiding.”

My blood ran cold. He couldn’t know could he?

Before I could move, a wolf lunged from the shadows, tackling him. Jax’s black fur gleamed as they rolled, snarls echoing. I backed away, torn between running and staying.

Jensen appeared, human again, bloodied but standing. “Anna, come with me. Now.”

I shook my head, knife still raised. “I’m done trusting any of you.”

He stepped closer, eyes urgent. “You don’t have a choice. They’ll kill you.”

A scream cut through the night Lila’s. I turned, heart lurching. Jax was still fighting, but more wolves were coming, their eyes glowing in the dark.

Jensen grabbed my arm. “Safehouse. It’s your only shot.”

I pulled free, backing toward the river. “I’ll take my chances.”

He growled, but didn’t follow. The wolves were closing in, their snarls deafening. I turned and ran, the river’s edge in sight.

But as I reached it, a figure rose from the water, eyes locked on me. Kade, bloodied but alive, his smile promising death.

“You’re mine now,” he said, advancing.

I raised my knife, but my ankle gave out, dropping me to my knees. The river roared behind me, freedom so close yet impossible.

A howl split the air Jax? Jensen? I couldn’t tell. Kade lunged, and I swung, my blade catching moonlight.

Then everything went black.