Page 11 of Forsaking His Mate

I didn’t know we could do that.

When she finishes speaking, it is as if something slams against my awareness.

My wolf whimpers and lies down, her head on her paws.

“That was magic, right?”

Hester nods. “A cloaking spell. I don’t know if it will work while we’re moving so fast, but I don’t know what else to try. I hoped they’d lose our scent once we got in the truck.”

“Then let’s hope it holds,” I say.

I keep my gaze locked on the windshield, the side window, and behind us as Hester drives in the direction of this sanctuary she’s trying to get us to.

We’ve been traveling for about ten minutes with no sign of danger when I get a vision. It slams through me, taking me by surprise.

One of the wolves in front of the truck, his teeth snapping and his snout covered in blood.

As I come out of it, I know I only have seconds to react. I see a junction up ahead. “Turn left,” I order.

Hester glances at me, but she does as I ask.

While we’re moving up the new road, I twist in myseat, peering through the back window into the soupy darkness. I don’t see anything moving, but I know they are still on our trail.

We need to get to wherever we’re going and fast.

“You had a vision?” Hester guesses. I nod, gripping the edge of the seat. “Let me know if you have another.”

Neither of us speaks until we make it out of the mountains and onto the highway.

I feel like I can breathe again, even though we’re no safer than we were before.

Hester starts to relax too, though she keeps glancing between the mirror and the road. The journey feels like it takes forever, but eventually, small towns give way to rural, empty landscapes once more.

We’re driving back through trees, passing lakes and mountains. Civilization fades away again as we cruise down an empty road.

My heart continues to race until we turn up on a dirt track. I sit straighter, my gaze everywhere, trying to see everything. I can see the magic wards, meant to keep our enemies out, as we go through the gates.

The track goes through trees, so I can’t see what lies at the end of it until we’re nearly on top of it—a huge farmstead, with a wraparound porch and white wood cladding. It’s set back from the track, a double garage to the side.

Behind it, I can see lights and what looks like cabins. There are at least five or six, maybe more.

Hester stops the truck in front of the garage and cuts the engine, right before leaning her head against the steering wheel. “That was tense.”

Tense? It was terrifying.

“We’re safe here?” I ask, looking around dubiously. There’s not even a wall around the property.

But the magic…

I’d felt its power as we drove through the gates.

“Yeah. We’re safe.” Hester turns to me. “You need to sever your pack bond. They know where you are.”

“No!” I rebuke. “I’m not doing that!”

She winces, and a sympathetic look crosses her face. “You have to. If you keep the pack link, you’ll be drawn back to them, or the hunters will come for you again. I know it’s hard, but you have to leave them behind.”

It hurts. I don’t want to give up my connection to my family, to my father, but I know I have to.

---