She rolled on her side. “I’ll try.” After a few minutes, she shifted into wolf form. Fortunately, her fur remained dry because she’d entered the water as a human. Her legs still shaky, she stood.
Slade licked behind her ear. “Are you okay?”
Cricket tilted her head, accepting his licks. “Not a scratch. Thank you again for saving my life.”
“My pleasure.” Despite their brush with death and ensuing danger, he wagged his tail. His little wolf turned him into a big oaf of a friendly dog.
She snuggled against him and licked his chin. “I can’t believe you braved the jump.”
“No choice.”
“I thought you hated flying and or heights—I mean because of your reaction during the flight.”
“Not flight, but the sense of being enclosed. Like how you felt inside the log.”
She smiled, showing her small canines. “Something we have in common.”
The helicopter’s search light honed in on the beach. They scrambled behind the rocks and ducked. His snow-white fur acted like a beacon, but at least he blended with the bleached boulders.
The helicopter headed up the cliff.
Slade growled. “It’s retrieving the men.”
Cricket ran ahead and turned. “We need to get back to the city.”
“You do.”
She snapped as if she was an alpha. “No. Don’t even think of playing decoy.”
“They want me alive, but sweetie, they intend to kill you.”
“I’m the seasoned member here, and I’m commanding you to stay with me.”
“Not if it means your life.”
“Slade, you are a royal alpha prince and way more important than me. I’m the one who should sacrifice myself and see to your safety.”
Maddened by the low value of herself, he pawed her to the ground and onto her back. “You are worth one thousand alphas and don’t you forget that.”
She cocked her head, her eyes wide. “Yes, sir.”
“Come on.”
They ran down the beach, heading for the distant lights. Before they reached humans, they’d have to shift. Cricket might have ideas on how to explain why two naked people needed to borrow a phone.
The helicopter hovered above the cliff and flew directly over them. Bright light encircled them. Slade might have climbed up the cliff to elude them, but Cricket would never make it and no way would he abandon her to fuckers intent on killing her.
The helicopter lowered to the ground and men jumped out.
Slade slammed to a stop and shielded Cricket. Like a wild wolf facing hunters, he pulled his lips back in a feral snarl.
Cricket whimpered. “We better head back.”
Slade pushed her toward a bed of washed up kelp, and she stumbled. “Run away.” He then ran away from her. He howled to draw their attention.
Satisfied the men followed him, Slade slowed.
A man shot his hip with a dart.