Henrik snapped his jaws into the opening inches from her.
She grabbed a stone and slammed it against his nose.
He yelped, backed away and then shifted into his large hybrid form. He raked his claws across the opening. “Get out, bitch!” He picked up a big boulder.
Shit. Entomb her or cause the space to collapse. Her heart quickened. She shifted back to wolf form and whimpered.
Cricket huddled against the far wall. One minute…two…what was taking so long? She braved a peek out. Henrik, his back to her, perked his ear and sniffed the air before he dashed away.
Odd.
She growled. Coward.
Slade’s scent suddenly filtered into her crawl space.
His big white wolf nose poked in. “Abella, are you hurt?”
She crawled out, her tail wagging with a mind of its own. “Can’t keep your paws off me, huh? Mated or not.”
Slade licked her cheeks and then gazed at her. “Mated.”
“Which one?”
“You, my runaway naughty little wolf.”
“Me?” Holy shit. I better not wake up and find out this is a cruel dream.
“I…” He gazed toward the road and sniffed. “The fucker hid his scent.”
“Yes, go get him, cowboy!”
“Don’t move. I mean it!”
He chased after Henrik.
Cricket’s nostrils flared. Wait? My ass! She ran after them. Had Henrik hidden a car for a quick escape? A car door opening followed by the gunning of a powerful engine answered that question.
Shit, he’s getting away.
The sound of wheels skidding and a car slamming against something solid galvanized her fears. Had he slammed into Slade? Her mate.
She skidded onto the scene. A headless man's body hung through a smashed windshield. Henrik. Slade in hybrid wolf form picked up the head and smashed it against a tree. Lost in his personal vengeance.
Gross. Cricket shifted to human form. “Slade, calm down.”
He snarled, dropped the pulverized head, shifted to human form and turned. “Abella?”
“Yes.”
She ran and flung herself on him. Mine. He picked her up and lifted her above him. She smiled down.
Slade set her down and gently kissed her lips. “My mate.”
Cricket batted back tears. “The king can banish you…take your territory away. You stand to lose everything to be mine.”
He swept a teardrop from her cheek. “You are everything.”
Her heart stilled. “Seriously?” This better not be the part where I wake up from the best dream ever.