*Soren*
Mila was knocked to the ground as I leaped over her and swatted at her attacker.
Payne was right behind and took the first chance he got to flank the man that attacked Mila.
He stood between us, snarling and growling as he glanced back and forth.
I pulled my lips back, baring my teeth, growling and pawing at the ground.
He seed to understand that he couldn’t win a fight against both of us and he wasn’t going to make it out alive if he waited around too long.
Hissing, he lunged into the nearest bushes and disappeared.
I growled and tossed my head in the direction he went. Payne nodded and took off after the guy. If he caught him, he’d interrogate the bastard. I had full faith in Payne’s abilities.
For the ti being, I wanted to stay with Mila. Quickly, I shifted and threw on a pair of pants. Payne and I had brought a backpack with spare clothes, anticipating we’d have to shift on the fly.
I turned around and Mila was still sitting on the ground. Her eyes were distant as she looked in the opposite direction of where her attacker had run.
“Did you see those people back there?” she asked, pointing a shaking hand. “I wonder what was wrong with them.
I knelt down beside her. She didn’t seem to realize I was there and she was very dazed.
“I don’t know what is going on with the people here. Everyone is behaving oddly. Mila, you don’t look too good... We’ve got to get out of the open. We’re too vulnerable. Maybe there is a place in town where you can rest,” I suggested.
Sniffing, she snapped out of her daze and pulled back from . “I’m fine.”
I didn’t believe her.
“But those poor people. I want to see what happened to them,” she insisted.
She tried to stand up but she winced and her legs wobbled. Staggering to the side, Mila caught herself, barely, and her legs trembled.
I reached out and grabbed her arm, steadying her until she found her footing. When she tried to walk again, I stopped her.
“I need to see what happened to those people,” she said, pulling against .
“Or, I have a better idea. You need to rest and regain your strength,” I stated firmly. “If you’re attacked, you won’t be able to defend yourself and you’ll be no help to those people. You can’t go after them in this condition, not without help.”
“Then help ,” she said with a scoff.
“Bad idea. There are still people out here that are after you.” I told her, trying to appeal to her rationality. “It is too dangerous for you to investigate further.”
“Fine, fine,” Mila groaned.
She stopped pulling against and I turned us in the direction of the Miltern pack.
“There’s probably an inn back in town where I can stay,” she said. She glanced sideways at as I walked with her.
“I’ll walk you back to town,” I said when I saw the look.
She shook her head but didn’t outwardly protest. Her eyes scanned quickly and I could see the gears turning in her mind.
Desperately, I wanted to know what she was thinking. It was a completely illogical desire but I couldn’t deny it.
***
*Mila*
Soren had co to my rescue and now he was watching out for . It was so obvious that he wanted sothing from . Otherwise, why had he followed here?
Had he only been pretending to be generous and grant my freedom? I thought that was most likely, seeing as he was here now. He was just like the others and he was just after for sothing.
However, sothing inside of told to trust him and listen to him. Even though I thought he was after and he was following , he had also saved from the attacker. What was it about him?
I glanced sideways at him again and looked him over.
He was handso. I definitely couldn’t deny that. He was tall and strong with a muscular body. His hair was dark and his eyes restless and stormy. I recognized that look in his eyes, the sa desire for freedom that I had.
Not to ntion, his wolf was beautiful! Large, black, and sleek. His wolf had been strong and protective.
Ugh, what was I thinking?
Just because he was the most good-looking man I’d ever seen didn’t an I needed to trust him and take him at his word. How stupid was that?
He’d followed all the way to Miltern. Was there anywhere in the world I could hide from him?
I didn’t see any scenario in which he didn’t know where I was staying tonight.
Sighing, I tilted my head back. The sky was dark and I could see it now through the tree branches. The moon was out and shining brightly.
Before, the sun had been hidden in the trees but I could see the night sky clearly. That was strange.
During the day, the forest had felt suffocating. It had been like a maze and I had no idea how to navigate it. Now, for so reason, at night, I thought the forest was peaceful and charming... almost like I belonged there.
When I’d been alone in the forest before things had felt... uneasy. I’d even been a little afraid.
Now...
I glanced at Soren again. This feeling of ease and security, was it because he was here with now?
“Why are you here?” I asked him when the silence between us beca too much.
I wasn’t expecting him to give an honest answer. There was a large part of that still wanted to turn and run from him but with my aching muscles, he’d be breathing down my neck in a heartbeat.
“Do you have enemies? Do you even know why people are after you?” he asked.
“That’s none of your business,” I stated, turning away from him.
Of course, he wouldn’t answer my question, but he’d ask questions and expect real answers. That wasn’t going to work for .
It just reaffird the fact that he was here because he was after sothing from . He was working for those bastards now.
Ever since Norwind pack ca out with a giant reward for my capture, everyone turned against . And who wouldn’t? Norwind pack was rich and well supplied. Even other legitimate packs wanted their reward.
There was no doubt in my mind that a rogue like Soren would want that reward, too.
Honestly, I didn’t know why they were after . Norwind hadn’t released that information to anyone. Not that it mattered, the reward was enough.
I wanted to know more than anyone why they were after . But I had no answer for Soren. Even if I did know, I wasn’t sure I should tell him.
The only lead I had right now was Helen and my dreams.
Soren eyed and chuckled.
My stomach fluttered when his smile widened and his eyes settled on mine. I couldn’t stop staring at his smile, my mind feeling fuzzy and dreamy, and my reservations lted quickly.
“To answer your question, I ca here because so of the people after you burst into my inn asking to hand you over.”
I scoffed. “They promised you sothing, didn’t they?”
“Smart girl,” Soren said with a nod. “They promised to share the future profit with and leave my inn alone.”
“So, you are here to take to them then?” My heart sank and I looked at my feet. I fucking knew it!
Quickly, I glanced around for the fastest way out. Where could I run to that would give the best chance of escape?
There were so thorny bushes to my left. It would hurt like hell, but it would slow Soren down and I was smaller than him. I could slip through the thorns easier.
I might be able to get away from him by climbing a tree, but that would take a lot of physical effort and Soren was definitely stronger than .
Soren chuckled again and sighed. “Well, that’s not possible now.”
I arched an eyebrow at him, forgetting about my escape plan. What did he an by that?
“I’ve taken care of them and you don’t need to worry about them coming after you anymore,” he assured kindly.
Taken aback, my steps faltered.
He turned to quickly, ready to offer help, but I caught myself and kept walking.
Soren didn’t have to say it in words, but I got the impression that he killed the n that ca looking for . Killed, or injured to the point where they’d have to take a long ti to recover before coming after .
Did he know how much trouble he’d get himself into when the packs after found out about that kind of violence against them? They wouldn’t stand for an outlander raising a hand to them, even if they made the first move.
“You killed them?” I clarified.
“Did I say that?” he asked coyly, smirking.
I suppressed an eye roll. He must have thought I was dumb, and I wasn’t!
For a mont, my chest unclenched and I felt relieved.
What if he was only telling that because he thought it would get to drop my guard?
“You’re lying! If you took them out, then who were the others that attacked in the woods just now?”
“You really don’t know how many people are after you?” Soren asked.
I shook my head. How was I supposed to know sothing like that? Norwind pack could have sent the reward for my capture out to hundreds of smaller packs, rcenaries, and bounty hunters.
Soren frowned.
“Am I supposed to believe you’re not one of them?” I asked skeptically.
Soren sighed. “That would be nice.”
He didn’t seem to be lying. Already, he’d had plenty of opportunities to capture and turn over. He hadn’t taken any of them.
Instead, he kept showing up to save in the nick of ti. My presence in his life had clearly caused so problems for him, yet he was here, saving for a second ti.
Guilt twinged in my gut. I was safe now, thanks to him.
Slowly, I let myself relax with him. Underneath my defenses, I felt a strange pull toward him.
Was it possible that he was different from all the others I’d been on the run from?
#
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