~Grace ~
This is not the Leo I loved. That Leo wasn't this dense. This careless. He used to hold space for my thoughts like they were holy. He wanted me to be true to myself because he loved the person I actually was. Or so I thought.
The mixed feelings I have for him rise up in me. I want to tear his throat out, but the mate bond also makes me want to rip off his clothes and throw myself at his naked body.
Will it be that way for the rest of my life? Or will the longing eventually subside if I get far enough away from him?
My mind drifts instead to the Lycan who saved me. He is beautiful—honestly, hotter than Leo. More dangerous, too. I find myself wondering who would win in a fight; I've seen them both half-naked, and they are both pretty damn impressive...
I shake my head. I am in the middle of an abandoned forest, talking to myself, comparing the physical qualities of two male shifters who I hope to never see again.
"What do you say, Grace? The pack has declared you wanted; anyone who sees your face will report to me. I don't want to be forced into the decision of beheading you again. Come with me. I'm your only safe haven now."
He waits for an answer, his eyes searching mine for a flicker of surrender or a plea for mercy. But there is no voice in my throat to give him one.
My throat feels like it's full of broken glass. I don't have a speech left in me, and he doesn't deserve one. I just stare at him, my hand trembling with the sheer force of my heartbeat. I use the only language I have left. I slowly raise my hand into the space between us, my middle finger held high.
Fuck you, Leo! If my words can't be heard, my hands will do the job.
I continue my journey toward civilization, but in the very opposite direction I was headed. I do not want to coincidentally meet anyone else from my pack.
Leo runs after me, but as his hands reach for mine, a giant brown wolf snaps at his wrist. Leo immediately shifts into his beast form as his human skin stretches and tears away to reveal charcoal fur. The two collide, the ground shaking beneath the force of their snarls. The black wolf pins Leo into the dirt. Realizing he's outmatched, Leo scrambles back, his tail tucked as he disappears into the thicket of trees.
The giant black wolf turns slowly toward me, his amber eyes narrowing as his heavy paws crunch over the dry leaves.
I do the most sane thing I can. I run.
However, the growl continues from the wolf as it chases after me. The fact that I can hear it is enough to tell me whose wolf it is. My eyes widen, but I don't turn back; I just sprint across the forest.
I feel claws sink into my ankle a second before I am dragged to the muddy ground and thrown onto my back.