The Shadow Wolf - Part 5

Sani raced through the tunnels as quickly as her wolf would carry her, knowing she needed to return before Ifan realized she was missing. Turning down the main tunnel, she continued running toward her room when she heard his accusing voice, ‘Sani, where the hell have you been? Kaj escaped, and Alpha Luka is on the warpath. Did you have anything to do with this?’

Ifan’s black wolf, Rain, towered over her with his golden eyes glued to her. He wanted answers that she couldn’t give, especially the truth.

Her grey wolf slowed and stood before him, and she linked with him, saying, ‘I’ve been with Ari.’

‘Liar!’ he growled. He could smell Kaju on her. Did she take him for a fool?

‘Honest. Ask Ari.’

‘Do you think I’m an idiot? I can smell him all over you. Where did you hide him?’

Instead of replying to Ifan, she linked with Ari and said, ‘Ifan knows. Need help.’

Sani needed to stall Ifan before he dragged her down to the prison cells and locked her up. If Alpha Luka learned about the resistance, she’d be killed before the New Year’s celebration started.

‘I went to see him in the cells. I needed to see him for myself. He’s still not mated, and I was desperate to know if I could be mated to him. You remember that I was only seventeen when he left.’ Sani hoped her lie would pacify him.

Ifan stepped closer, pushing her backward. His words echoed in her head. ‘Liar! Liar! I know there’s a resistance building to Alpha Luka. You think your precious Kaju will save you from the demented and sick Alpha. Well, you have another thing coming. Kaj has already been captured, and he’s going to be sentenced to death as soon as he is brought before the pack tribunal. It’s a foregone conclusion.’

If they had Kaj, then why was he still taunting her? Why not just kill her? Perhaps they hoped she would freak out and flee back through the tunnels? There was no way that she was going to fall into their trap. At least not this one.

‘Well, now that he’s not my mate, what do I care.’ She tried to be brave and pretend his words weren’t piercing her soul. How did their plan unravel so quickly?

Without warning, Ifan pounced on her, pinning her wolf to the ground. His teeth snapped at her snout, and he projected to her, ‘Last chance. Tell the truth, or you’re dead to the pack.’

With her free legs, she tried to push him off, but he was too strong.

Resigned to her fate, she knew she would have to sacrifice herself to save Kaj. He needed to be the one to challenge Alpha Luka since he alone had the strength to beat his father. Turning her face from Ifan, she waited for his fangs to sink into her throat and take her life.

Before he could strike, a silver wolf charged down the hall and barreled into Ifan’s wolf, pushing him off Sani and slamming him into the dirt wall. As Ifan recovered, several more wolves joined the fight and had Ifan cornered. Sani jumped up and raced down the tunnel toward her bedroom.

Once inside, she barred the door, shifted, and quickly dressed in traveling clothes. She needed to hide within the outer tunnels until she knew that the coup was won. If Kaj lost, she'd have to surrender and accept her fate.

Opening her door, she watched as the fighting continued. Sneaking out, she ran in the opposite direction for the next ten minutes when she crashed into another pack member. Falling on the ground, she looked up and saw Vito staring at her in disbelief. Then she felt it in her bones and heard her wolf growl, ‘MATE!’

“Shit! No! I don’t have time for this!”

“Sani, we’re mates. How? Didn’t you turn eighteen months ago?”

Standing up, she backed away and grabbed her bag, shoving her belongings back into it, then she hissed, “Not now, Vito. This can’t be happening. Not now.”

“Are you rejecting me?” he asked with a hint of fear in his voice.

“No! I just can’t deal with you right now. Don’t follow me, or you'll get us both killed! Do you understand?”

“Sani, what’s going on?”

“Stay, Vito! Just stay.” With that, she took off again in the opposite direction. She hoped that he wouldn’t follow, but if he wanted to, he'd be able to find her anywhere. Her damn scent would give her away.

If he were aligned with Alpha Luka, she’d be screwed.