Free Betrayal: Reckless Desires (Dark Wolves Book 2) by Elianne Adams

looked up at her, his big eyes shining bright, but he didn’t make a sound. When she stepped off to the side, Vincent turned along with her.
    “You know, they’ll never let you get away with their son,” she told him. “If you leave him here, they won’t come after you.” It was a lie, and from the look he gave her, he knew it, too. But she wouldn’t give up.
    “Leave him. Finding him will slow them down. The Alpha is beside himself with worry. His second is off chasing the others. You’ll have time to get away if you go now.” She hated to say such things of Argram or remind the bastard that the pack was less than secure, but she’d do anything to keep the little guy safe. “I’ll even go willingly. I won’t fight you. Let’s just go.”
    Vincent advanced on her then, his eyes cold as he smiled at her. “Fine,” he said, grabbing her arm and jerking her so hard her shoulder popped.
    Amalija cried out as a searing pain shot through. An instant later, a loud roar sounded close by. The men were still patrolling. Had one of them heard?
    “Shut the fuck up and come with me. Otherwise, there won’t be anything left of you by the time I get you back to Roger,” he hissed at her as he pulled her injured arm.
    Amalija swallowed the pain and followed. Her shoulder hurt, but she didn’t argue. At least they were leaving Malec behind.
     
     
     

FIFTEEN
    Feet pounded on the ground as whoever had heard her rushed to the garden. Any second now, they would find Malec and he would be safe. Amalija held her breath, waiting for it. A moment passed, then another. Finally, as she and Vincent were ducking into deeper brush, the loudest roar she’d ever heard exploded from the garden. Corresponding howls echoed from the village.
    Soon, most of the men who hadn’t gone after the other Mahehkans would be out there. Some would stay and protect Malec while others would look for the enemy.
    With each step they took taking her farther from her Komoro pack, the little bit of hope she’d had that they would come looking fizzled and died. They didn’t even know she was out there. Even if they did catch her scent, it would be dismissed. She worked in the garden every day. And if she knew anything about the Mahehkans, it was that they were thorough. They didn’t do the damage to the garden to annoy the pack or cut off their vegetable supply. No, they had scattered their scents everywhere. And that would extend to the surrounding woods. Tracking Vincent, if they even could, would take a long time. And that was one thing she didn’t have.
    They ran until the muscles in her legs quivered and shook, and they kept on running. Every once in a while, Vincent would look over his shoulder at her, sneer, and give her arm a sharp tug. She wasn’t sure if he was more pleased when she managed to keep her cries inside or when the pain was so much that she couldn’t contain it.
    Each mile they crossed had the churning ball in the pit of her stomach growing bigger and tumbling harder until bile rose up in her throat. After all this time, she couldn’t believe she was back in the clutches of the Mahehkan pack. Even if Vincent didn’t touch her, which he almost certainly would, Roger would make her pay for leaving. He’d make sure she regretted ever having dreamed of a life where pain and suffering were nothing more than a distant memory.
    ***
    Wesken was already back at the village when he heard Orrin’s roar from the garden. He didn’t bother stopping at Argram and Miga’s house. Orrin’s call had demanded assistance. Wesken howled as he ran, nearly knocking one of the Komoro women over as he rushed past.
    The first thing he saw when he entered the garden was Orrin with his back turned away from him. The next was two forms, one larger one lying on its side, unmoving, the other, a frail looking female he’d never seen before. With her arms wrapped around her knees, she rocked back and forth. Fear shone in her eyes, and streaks of pale