price on my head 5
1050 Words
Chapter 5
Sammy POV
A price on my head. The words echoed painfully inside my mind.
For a second, I honestly thought I misheard him.
“Kanes brother?” I demanded instantly.
Maddox’s expression remained unreadable.
“We don’t know yet.”
“We?”
His eyes flickered briefly toward the wolves behind him.
“My people.”
I crossed my arms tightly, refusing to lower my guard completely.
“I thought you said you didn’t have a pack.”
“I don’t.”
That only confused me more. Before I could ask another question, one of the younger wolves stepped forward impatiently.
“Can we please continue this somewhere else?” he snapped. “Her scent is everywhere now.”
I stiffened immediately..Right..Blood..Silver..The fight..Any rogue nearby could track it. Maddox looked back at me.
“You can either stand here arguing with us until something worse finds you…” he said calmly, “or you can come with us and stay alive long enough to figure out who wants you dead.”
I laughed bitterly. “You realize every terrible thing in my life started with someone saying I’d be safer if I went with them?”
To my surprise, Maddox’s mouth twitched slightly like he was fighting a smile.
“Fair point.”
The younger wolf behind him looked horrified.
“You’re joking right now?”
Maddox ignored him completely. His attention stayed on me.
“You’re injured.”
I glanced down at my ankle. Pain shot upward the second I shifted my weight..Great. Adrenaline had been hiding it before.
“I’ve had worse.”
“You can barely stand.”
“I’m standing just fine.”
The second I took another step, my ankle nearly gave out beneath me. Sal snorted loudly inside my head.
“Very convincing.”
I silently cursed her. Maddox walked toward me slowly, giving me enough time to stab him if I wanted to. Not that I could actually win that fight.. Up close, his Alpha aura felt suffocating. Stronger than Blaze’s had been…Older somehow, too. Not in age. In power.
“Easy,” he murmured as I instinctively tensed.
“I don’t need help.”
“Didn’t say you did.”
Then, before I could react, he crouched slightly in front of me.
Confused, I frowned.
“What are you doing?”
“If I let you walk on that ankle, you’re going to collapse in five minutes.”
“I’m not climbing onto your back.”
One of the wolves behind him muttered, “I’d rather fight rogues.”
Maddox ignored him again.
“You can either accept help,” he said calmly, “or I can knock you unconscious and carry you anyway.”
I blinked at him. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
The confidence in his voice irritated me instantly.
“You think you can knock me out?”
His golden eyes met mine steadily. “Yes.”
The worst part? He probably could. Sal practically purred inside my head.
“I like him.”
“Traitor,” I muttered under my breath.
Maddox raised an eyebrow. “Talking to yourself?”
“You’re annoying.”
“That’s not an answer.”
I stared at him for another long second before finally groaning in frustration.
“Fine.”
The younger wolves looked shocked as I carefully climbed onto Maddox’s back.
Honestly, I was shocked, too. I hadn’t trusted anyone in years.
Maddox stood easily, like my weight meant nothing.
“Try anything,” I warned quietly near his ear, “and I’ll stab you in the throat.”
One of the wolves choked, trying not to laugh.
Maddox simply adjusted his grip beneath my legs.
“Good,” he said calmly. “Means you still have a fight left in you.”
Then he started walking through the forest. The others followed silently behind us. For a while, nobody spoke. The storm continued overhead while I watched the dark woods pass around us. My exhaustion slowly started catching up to me now that I wasn’t running anymore. But my mind refused to rest. Somebody wanted me dead badly enough to place a bounty on me. Who?
Sam, Kane's brother?
No. If Sam wanted me dead, he would’ve hunted me himself years ago. Kane’s remaining allies? Possible. But this felt bigger than that.
Maddox suddenly spoke, his voice quieter now.
“How long have you been running?”
I hesitated. “Years.”
“And before that?”
I looked away into the trees. “Does it matter?”
“It matters if someone’s trying to kill you.”
I stayed silent. Some memories were better buried. After a moment, Maddox stopped pushing. Good. Eventually, lights appeared ahead through the trees. A large cabin sat deep in the forest, surrounded by smaller buildings. Wolves moved around outside, instantly stopping when they saw us emerge from the woods. More specifically,
When they saw me on Maddox’s back. Every eye locked onto me immediately..Suspicion..Curiosity..Shock..One female even growled softly…Wonderful. Maddox finally set me down carefully near the cabin steps. The second my feet touched the ground, pain shot through my ankle again.
I hissed quietly. Without warning, Maddox crouched in front of me again and grabbed my ankle gently. Instinctively, I reached for my dagger. His hand immediately wrapped around my wrist before I could pull it.. Fast..Very fast. Golden eyes lifted to mine.
“I’m checking your ankle,” he said evenly. “Not attacking you.”
For several tense seconds, neither of us moved.
Then slowly…I relaxed…Just slightly. Maddox released my wrist before carefully examining the swelling around my ankle.
“You probably tore something,” he muttered.
“Fantastic.”
One of the female wolves stepped forward suddenly.
“She can stay in the east cabin,” she said cautiously.
Maddox looked up at her. “She’s not staying alone.”
My entire body stiffened…Absolutely not. The female looked surprise, too.
“Alpha.”
“She has a price on her head,” Maddox interrupted calmly. “Until we know who’s hunting her, she stays where I can protect her.”
Protect me.. I almost laughed at the idea. But something about the way he said it… Didn’t sound like control….It sounded like a promise.
- Writer
