Page 46 of Broken Forced Mate
The mining tunnel entrance sits another quarter-mile ahead, hidden behind a rockfall that most people would assume makes it impassable. But I’ve used this route before during training exercises, and I know which passages remain structurally sound.
We’re fifty yards from the tunnel when the shooting starts.
Bullets spark off rocks around us as muzzle flashes appear along the canyon rim. Professional marksmen with elevated positions and clean fields of fire. My wolf snarls with fury at being caught in such an obvious tactical disadvantage.
“Move!” I shout to Aidan as we sprint toward the tunnel entrance.
More gunfire erupts from positions I didn’t identify, confirming that Thornridge has been watching our patrol routes and preparing for exactly this scenario. They know how we operate, where we go, when we’re most vulnerable.
A bullet catches my vest and spins me around. The impact is like getting kicked by a mule. Kevlar stops the projectile from penetrating, but the force still knocks me off balance.
“Wyn!” Aidan reaches back to help steady me.
“Keep moving! Don’t stop!”
We dive through the tunnel entrance just as more rounds pepper the rock face behind us. The darkness inside feels like salvation after the exposed canyon, but I know we’re not safe yet. Thornridge could have people positioned at the other end of these passages.
“How far?” Aidan pants beside me.
“Half a mile through the main shaft, then up through the ventilation system to the surface.”
“And if they’re waiting for us at the exit?”
I heave in a breath and answer, “Then we die in a tunnel instead of a canyon.”
The old mining equipment provides some cover as we move deeper into the abandoned site. My eyes adjust to the darkness, allowing us to make our way through without using a flashlight that might give away our position.
But the alpha genes I’ve been suppressing make themselves known in other ways. Enhanced hearing picks up sounds that human ears would miss. My sense of smell detects scents that could indicate enemy presence ahead. Most importantly, I can feel the territorial boundaries of my pack’s land like physical markers, guiding us toward safety.
“Wyn,” Aidan whispers as we pause at a junction in the tunnels.
“What?”
“They weren’t shooting at me. I noticed it when you almost went down. They were specifically targeting you.”
I glance back at him. The implication makes my stomach roil. He’s right. When I faltered after getting hit, he was still a target. They weren’t interested in him.
But why me?
Is it because I’m married to Raegan? Because someone knows I’d do anything to keep her safe?
Something tells me it goes deeper than that. I suspect they targeted me specifically because of Raegan—eliminating her husband removes a protective element and destabilizes her emotionally. They know the marriage bond enhances her abilities, so breaking that bond weakens one of our tactical advantages.
“We need to get back to base,” I state. “Oren needs to know what just happened.”
The remainder of our journey through the mining tunnels passes without incident, but when we finally emerge into daylight, the Grayhide territory feels different. Less secure and more hostile. Like enemy eyes are watching from every shadow.
The drive back to headquarters gives me time to process what just happened and what it means for our defensive strategy. Thornridge isn’t just planning a general assault on our territory. They’re conducting targeted elimination of key personnel.
Which means they know exactly who poses the greatest threat to their operations.
When we make it to the pack hall, it’s filled with multiple teams reporting in from various reconnaissance missions, and the intelligence picture grows darker with each update. Thornridge forces have been identified in positions throughout the valley, and their coordination suggests imminent action.
I find Oren in his office, studying maps like he’s trying to solve an impossible puzzle. He looks up when I enter.
“Got a text from Aidan. He says you walked into a trap.”
“Targeted assassination attempt,” I correct. “They weren’t trying to capture intelligence or disrupt operations. They wanted me dead.”
