As I ran, the forest was a blur of shadows and branches. My heart hammered so loudly it drowned out the sound of my own footsteps; my breath came in ragged gasps. Behind me, I could still hear Zack's rogues, their snarls echoing in the night. They were hunting me, and our distance was closing too rapidly.
I had to keep on moving. Should I slow down even for a moment, they would be on me. And I would die before the sun emerged should they find me. Worse, I could not get back to the pack. I could not let them know about Ethan.
The idea of Ethan caught and tormented motivated me more. I had to keep him from being disappointed in me. Not after everything, There was no way I could fail him; he needed me now more than ever.
I hardly felt a sharp branch whipped across my face, cutting deeply.
