My Alphas' Dark Desires Chapter 267: Almost Caught

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Chapter 267

~Valerie’s POV~

Branches whipped my cheeks. My hair snagged again, and I had to rip myself free, hair tearing as I pushed on.

Rember what Uncle Zade taught you. Use everything. Be unpredictable.

I spotted a thick tree up ahead with a low branch—perfect.

Climbing fast, I tied my hoodie around the trunk. From a distance, it would look like soone was up there, like I was crouched up there.

Then I dropped down the far side, rolling once before slipping deeper into the forest.

My scent now marked the tree. Let them waste ti.

I reached for the bottle of dye at my back pocket and popped it open, squeezing a few streaks of the hair dye into my hand. I sared it through my hair as I ran, disguising my scent.

Then I slid down the opposite side.

I sprinted again, zigzagging toward the river. Veered off-path. Mud caked my jeans. My arms were scraped. My knees ached. But I wasn’t slowing down.

I ducked under a fallen log, crawled through brambles, and ca to the riverbank. The sound of rushing water was faint, but I knew it well.

The current was low, barely above my ankles. Perfect.

I didn’t think—just waded in, walking several ters through it before stepping back onto land, careful to step on rocks and avoid wet soil.

The river would confuse them at least for a while.

I pushed deeper into the woods as more howls rose behind .

Minutes passed. Maybe fifteen? Maybe twenty. I couldn’t tell. My legs were burning. My arms scraped raw, but I just kept moving.

Until the cliff.

I’d forgotten this part of the forest dipped suddenly. My foot hit open air, and I tumbled again.

This ti, I slid hard through mud, screaming silently, arms flailing, as the ground disappeared beneath before crashing into a thick patch of wet, sticky earth. Winded.

Everything was spinning.

My entire body groaned. But I wasn’t done.

I spotted a boulder nearby, half-buried in the earth. It had a hollow space beneath it—small, but large enough for to squeeze into. It wouldn’t be comfortable, but it would hide .

I crawled toward it and slipped underneath, covered in mud and trembling from exertion. My back pressed against cold stone, chest heaving.

The chill of the wet ground seeped into my skin. The mud soaked , sticking to my skin, my hair, my clothes. But it masked everything, especially my scent.

Within a minute, several wolves passed.

I heard them, snarls, sniffs. One padded so close I could hear its nails scratching on the rocks, but they didn’t find .

My heart thundered wildly in my ears. I counted every breath. Every second.

I was hidden. I was safe. Or so I thought until a hiss. So soft I almost didn’t hear it.

Then... movent.

I turned my head ever so slightly, only to see a thick black snake slithering across the mud, its head only inches from my neck, beside my cheek. Its head tilted as if it sensed .

Its tongue flickered near my skin, tasting the air.

I didn’t move. Not a twitch.

Its scaled body slid slowly past , unbothered by my presence, until it paused. Right at the crook of my shoulder.

I swallowed, forcing myself not to say a word or do sothing foolish or move. I ceased breathing.

Then it moved again, slowly slithered away till it passed on top my feet and away. I exhaled shakily, eyes fixed on the trees above.

This ga wasn’t just about being hunted.

To , it was about knowing when to be still, when to move, and when to let the storm pass.

And I wasn’t going down easy. The cold mud clung to my clothes and skin as I carefully slid from beneath the boulder.

I kept my breath low, every muscle tense, my ears straining for movent in the trees above.

I decided to move away from here, or else more creatures would co for , but just as I pushed my head out.

A faint growl rumbled from sowhere close. My heart jolted and I instinctively ducked back into the shadows of the stone, holding my breath. Heavy paws thudded across the ground above, moving fast... then fading.

I waited a few seconds longer, just to be sure.

"Okay, that was close," I whispered to myself, brushing a muddy strand of hair out of my face. "I’d better keep moving."

Crawling out properly this ti, I surveyed the forest with narrowed eyes. My body was sore, scraped, and half-covered in muck, but I wasn’t done yet.

The last ti I checked, I had about twenty minutes left. That was nothing in this kind of chase.

And basically, plenty of ti for them to get . I adjusted the bottle of dye still tucked into my trousers pocket and started moving again, slower now, careful with every step. I couldn’t afford another fall—or worse, another ambush.

The air was growing colder. My clothes clung wetly to my body, weighing down, but I kept moving. Just ten more minutes, I told myself. I could do this.

And that’s when I heard them.

Low snarls followed by crunch of underbrush behind .

Three, there were three wolves.

They erged from the trees ahead—familiar eyes gleaming, fur bristling as they flanked fast.

Shit.

I backed up slightly, crouching into a defensive stance.

"All it takes is for us to catch you, and this ga can end," one of them stated.

"Too bad. I love where I am now."

One lunged first, a lean, reddish wolf. I ducked and rolled, grabbing a thick stick off the ground mid-roll and swung it like a bat. It connected with his side with a thud.

The wolf yelped and staggered back.

The second one, much larger, darker, and faster, ca at from the left. I twisted just in ti, dodging its fangs, then slamd my elbow into its jaw. It stumbled sideways, dazed.

The third charged, aiming low for my feet and fast. There was no ti to dodge.

I jumped, using a thick root to push off and kicked downward with both feet, landing directly on its back. It crumpled under the force, rolling onto its side with a whine.

I didn’t wait for either of them to recover before I bolted. Hell, if they could, I’d be sure none of them would go easy on .

And shifting wasn’t even my last resort.

Astra couldn’t be discovered now.