Chapter 11

-Alpha Hayden's POV

I run as fast as I can and I see Evelyn in the distance. She is pulling something shiny out of her leg and then she starts to run again. Still blinded by rage and still heading for the abyss.

″Evelyn, stop!″

I force myself to run even faster, but I'm unable to catch up to Evelyn. I know that I'm not going to be able to get to her on time and I'm trying to figure out what else I could do.

″Evelyn, on your left!″ I yell in a desperate attempt to get her attention. It works, because Evelyn slows down for a moment as she looks for the threat.

I launch myself at her and I'm able to work her against the ground, but holding her down is a whole other story. Evelyn fights me with everything she has and all I can do is endure it.

″I saw them heading that way!″ I hear a women say in the distance. ″We can surround them and finish the job quickly.″

″I guess our new friend really knew what he was talking about,″ a man answers. ″They were exactly where he said they would be and we already got one of them!″

Evelyn stiffens when she hears the hunters and then both her eyes turn silver. With a force that I never felt before she frees herself out of my hold and she runs. Not in the direction of the abyss, but towards the hunters!

I follow and I expect to hear screams accompanied by the sounds that belonged to the inevitable bloodshed that would follow. Evelyn wouldn't hesitate to kill those hunters and neither would Sybil.

And I was very right about that!

I almost trip over the bodies and my stomach turns. The throats of the hunters are ripped out and they both have the same look in their eyes. They were terrified and shocked when they died, something that I could understand.

Evelyn killed them so fast that they couldn't even make a sound!

Another gunshot breaks the silence of the night and it is followed by a lot of yelling.

″After her!″

″Don't let her get away!″

″Kill her!″

From the corner of my eye I see Evelyn disappearing between the trees and she is almost there. The place where I haven't been in years, but that I could never forget.

″Evelyn, don't go that way!″ I yell as I follow her and this time I put my alpha command behind it.

It doesn't do a thing and I can tell that Evelyn is getting ready to make the jump.

″You won't make...″

The ground is shifting and Evelyn is trying to hold on to something, but it's too late. She falls and I jump after her without a second thought. Our bodies are being slammed against the rocks and I hear our bones breaking.

I brace myself, because I already know that we won't fall into the river. My body crashes into the ground and all the air is being smacked out of my lungs. I hear more bones breaking and for a moment everything turns black.

I can't see anything, but I can feel everything. Every cut, every bruise and all the bones that I broke. I can hardly understand how I am still alive, but then I feel something. Something that is softer then the hard ground.

No, no, no! Please, don't tell me that I fell on her!

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-Alpha Hayden's POV

I fight through the pain and I roll on my side. Evelyn is laying next to me. Her eyes are closed and her breathing is irregular.

Fuck, I did fell on her!

″Come on, they can't be far!″ I hear someone yell.

″Do you really think they survived that fall, Magnus?″

″Hunters and they are getting close,″ Ace mumbles.

It was already a miracle that we survived the fall, but we were in no condition to take them on. We needed time to heal, but there was no time for that. Those voices sounded already very close!

Ace is trying to help me by trying to take some of the pain away and it works. I manage to lift Evelyn up and I start stumbling in the direction of the cave.

″You have to cross the river.″ Ace urges me. ″It will buy you time and make it very hard for them to track you.″

I look at the river and I search for a point where the current isn't so strong, but I have to hurry. I can hear that the hunters are getting close, so I step into the ice cold water.

″Move it!″ Ace snaps at me.

We cross the river and with my last bit of strength I drag us all the way to the back of the cave. There I lay Evelyn down behind a boulder and lay down next to her. This was the last thing I could do to make sure the hunters wouldn't find us and I'm praying that it would be enough.

''They have to be here, Magnus. The others didn't see them and we followed the blood trail. It stopped right in front of the cave, so they must be in here!''

NO!

''They can't be here, Agnes. It's too narrow for two full grown wolves. We should head back and meet up with the others. Don't forget that there are more wolves out there and we still have to take care of the bodies.''

The beam of a flashlight hits the wall behind us and in that moment Evelyn opens her eyes. Confusion is followed by the horror of seeing me laying next to her and then the pain hits her.

''Hayden?''

A strange sensation spreads through my body and I look surprised at Evelyn. We never talked trough mind link before and she definitely never called me by my name.

''You can't make a sound! There are hunters looking for us, but they won't find us if we stay quiet.''

Evelyn buries her face in my chest and I know she is trying her hardest not to scream. All I can do is wrap my arms around her and stroke her back as I keep my gaze set on the light beam.

Those hunters had no idea how close they were, but they would give up soon. One of them said that they had to take care of the hunters that Evelyn killed and they knew they wouldn't be able to take on whole pack. My best warriors were coming and so were alpha Jake's.

The beam of light goes right over us and I instinctively pull Evelyn closer to me.

This was the smarter and saver way to survive, but I was ready to tear those hunters apart! If they tried to come after Evelyn, I would kill them with my bare hands!

''We have to go, Agnes! Rick just texted me that more wolves are heading our way! We have to go, now!''

The beam of light is gone, but I know it is a test. The hunters are still there and them trying to trick us into coming out of hiding, makes my blood boil.

''I can't help you if you go after them, Hayden. I'm too weak.''

Again that strange sensation spreads through my body and I forget about my anger. I let my head rest on Evelyn's and I starts to stroke her back again.

''We will wait them out, so try to rest.''

''Distract me, because the silver is messing with my ability to heal!'' Evelyn groans.

''You got shot with a silver bullet? How in the name of the Goddess were you able to continue to go after those hunters?''

''Got the bullet out and I couldn't let him get away, so I continued running.''

''You knew one of those hunters?''

''Hayden, where are we?'' Evelyn abruptly changes the subject and something in her voice tells me not to ask further about that hunter.

''We are near the river in the ravine, but I never found this place on my runs.''

''You came all the way here to go on a run?'' I ask surprised.

''We prefer to be on our own and chasing the river is awesome, because the current is brutal in some places!''

The beam of light is gone and I hear the hunters leave.

Finally!

''Hayden, how do you know about this place? I never caught your scent around here and as far as I know you always stay close to your pack.''

I'm trying to think about anything else to talk about, but I'm blank. This cave is filled with my most painful memories and they were all coming back to me.

Evelyn turns a little and there is loud cracking sound. One of her bones healed and snapped back into place. Evelyn winces and she smashes her lips against mine.

I know that she does it to make sure she doesn't scream and I'm forcing myself to not respond. It didn't mean anything and I had to stay focused. Evelyn pulls away and just when I want to make sure that she was alright, she presses her lips against mine again.

No, she is kissing me.

She is kissing me gentle, tender and I give in.