Mal pulled me through the dense forest, her grip firm and unyielding. My legs barely kept up with her pace, the ground uneven and littered with roots and rocks. Liam ran just ahead, his powerful wolf form navigating the terrain with ease, his golden-brown fur glinting faintly under the slivers of moonlight that managed to break through the canopy above.
I couldn’t stop thinking about Logan-his silver eyes blazing as he faced down Warwick’s alpha alone. My chest tightened with every step I took, the distance growing between us.
“Mal, stop!” I yanked my arm, trying to pull free of her grasp, but she held on tighter.
“Keep moving, Audrey!” she snapped, not even glancing back. “Logan gave us an order!”
“I don’t care about his order!” My voice cracked, a mix of anger and despair. “He’s going to die if we leave him behind!”
Mal skidded to a halt, turning to face me. Her chest heaved with exertion, her dark eyes piercing into mine. “And what exactly do you think you can do to stop that? You’ll just get yourself killed, and that’ll only make things worse!”
Her words hit hard, but I refused to back down. “I’m not useless, Mal. I’ve fought before, and I won’t abandon him. Not now, not ever.”
Liam let out a low growl, shifting back into his human form in a seamless blur. His towering frame loomed over me, his expression a mix of frustration and worry. “Logan doesn’t need you to save him. He needs you to stay alive. Do you think he threw himself into that fight for fun? He did it to buy us time.
Tears stung my eyes, but I blinked them away. “If we leave him, he might not survive.”
Liam’s voice softened, but his tone was firm. “Logan’s stronger than you think. He’s survived worse.”
“Against an alpha like Warwick?” I countered. “You’ve seen what he’s capable of.”
Mal stepped between us, her hands gripping my shoulders. “Listen to me, Audrey. Logan wouldn’t forgive himself if something happened to you. Do you understand? You’re his anchor, his reason for fighting. If you go back and die, everything he’s done will mean nothing.”
Her words silenced me. I hated that she was right. My heart ached, torn between the urge to run back and the realization that staying alive might be the only way to honor Logan’s sacrifice.
“We’re wasting time,” Liam muttered, his ears twitching as he listened for sounds of pursuit. “They’re coming. We need to move.”
Mal released me and grabbed my hand again, this time gentler. “We’re not leaving him behind forever. We’re regrouping, gathering our strength. Then we’ll come back for him.”
I nodded reluctantly, allowing her to lead me forward.
Minutes blurred into hours as we ran, the forest seeming endless. My body screamed in protest, my lungs burning with each breath, but I pushed forward. Finally, Liam halted near a rocky outcrop, his sharp eyes scanning the area.
“This’ll do for now,” he said, shifting back into his wolf form to patrol the perimeter.
Mal guided me to a flat patch of ground beneath a large tree, her face pale and drawn. “Sit,” she instructed.
I sank down without argument, exhaustion catching up to me. Mal crouched beside me, pulling a flask from her bag and handing it to me.
“Drink,” she said.
The water was lukewarm, but it soothed my parched throat. I handed the flask back, my voice barely a whisper. “Do you really think we can go back for him?”
Mal hesitated, her expression guarded. “Logan’s one of the strongest people I know. If anyone can survive that fight, it’s him.”
“But?” I prompted, sensing her hesitation.
Her shoulders slumped. “But Warwick’s not just strong-he’s ruthless. He won’t play fair, and he won’t stop until he’s eliminated every threat to his rule. Logan’s a target because of who he is, and…”
“And because of me,” I finished for her, my voice hollow.