of the compound, keeping to the shadows.
Please, let them be all right. Please.
Behind me, the undead move slowly, so I’m hoping if I’m quick enough, any guards at the gate won’t see the hoard of zombies coming their way.
I remember there were several trees not too far from the fence. If I climb one of those, it should give me a better look into the compound. The farther I move, the more sparse the trees become.
My skin crawls with the thought of being so easily exposed, but I’m not going to sit back if my wolves are in danger. As Dušan said, we have one chance to create the element of surprise… and that comes down to me. If Mad did capture them, then our plans change.
I duck under a branch and swerve around a large fir when a shadow falls over me. A shudder races down to my bones.
I turn and come face to face with a huge brute, with close-cropped, shaved hair and a crooked nose. A Beta, by his bitter scent, and definitely belonging to Mad, seeing as he’s this close to the settlement. Omegas and Betas aren’t made for each other, so to me, they don’t smell appealing.
Recoiling, I glance quickly to where the Shadow Monsters are… They’re still just shadows in the distance in the woods, making their way too slowly.
Shit!
I throw my hands up as he approaches. He grins, covering me in shivers, then I kick him in the knee hard.
A split second is all he gives me, but it’s enough. I whip around and jolt away, right for the edge of the woods. And my anxiety goes off… If there’s one guard, there are more and me bursting into the clearing will grab their attention. I keep looking back and the undead are still too damn far away, blended in among the shadows in the woods.
I swerve left and right to ditch the dickhead coming for me now.
The siren ends abruptly, and a deafening silence settles over the land. My ears pulse, my heart banging loudly in them.
The bastard snatches my top and yanks me backward. I stumble on my heels and slam into his chest. Despair floods me, along with images of him beating me until I’m unconscious. Then I’m no use to anyone.
His hot breath brushes over my cheek. “You’re not escaping this time, Omega bitch.”
Rage burns me, and I slam my heel into his foot, shoving myself away from him. Iron fingers snap over my wrist too fast for me to escape. Panic swallows me.
I swing back around, my fist crashing into the side of his head. Just as he snarls and wrenches me closer, I drive my knee deep into his balls, loving every moment of his fallen expression.
“Don’t fucking touch me!” I shove my fists into his chest and he falls over, curling in on himself, moaning.
I snap around to escape, but I charge right into someone solid. Bouncing back, I teeter to catch my balance.
The new asshole snatches my hair and yanks me to him, sneering. “You dare raise a hand to us, you pathetic, plague-ridden filth?”
Pain roars over my scalp, and tears fill my eyes. I’m scratching his hand to get him to release me. Every inch of me trembles.
I grind my jaw, refusing to give in to them.
He’s suddenly hauling me by my hair across the land and right out of the woods. Desperately, I run to keep up with his long strides. I’m half-bent forward from his grip, so I can’t even look back to see how far the undead are.
Hell, if there was ever a time I needed them by my side, it’s freaking now.
The ass holding on to me pauses, growling. “Open the fucking door.” He bangs a fist against the door, and I crane my head up to see there are no guards on patrol on the fence.
Though from inside, the faint sounds of shouting reaches us. My stomach locks at the thought that maybe I’d been right all along and my men are captured.
Loathing for Mad burns all the way down to my gut. I want to make him suffer so much.
When the man goes to bang on the door once more, I drive a fist into his ribs, then another.
He sneers, his grasp tightening, wrenching me by my hair.
I cry out and twist around just enough to glance behind us.
The undead are emerging from the woods like a great wave, and I’ve never been happier in my whole life