Chapter 70 Seventy
Danica bolted as quickly as her injured leg would allow her down the brightly lit hallway, looking here and there for a room to sneak into in an attempt to throw Marie. She had managed to lock her in the stairwell, giving herself some time to make some distance, but the door wouldn't hold the furious harpie queen much longer.
Turning to look behind her, Danica didn't expect a strong set of hands to grab and yank her into a dark room before wrapping around her mouth to stop a scream that tried to escape.
"It's me." Mason's voice whispered in Danica's ear, sending a wave of comfort through her.
Turning slightly, Danica looked into his warm green eyes as all her fear and worry immediately washed away.
"About time." Danica sighed, pulling Mason's hand away from her mouth. "I was beginning to believe you wouldn't be able to find me."
"Nothing in this world would stop me from finding you." Mason insisted with a small smile.
Feeling her heart clench, Danica had to control the sudden urge to attack Mason right then and there. At the moment, they needed to focus on escaping instead of feelings.
"You don't happen to have a brilliant plan for escaping, do you?" Danica asked, changing the subject.
"A few of my men are in the building waiting for my command." Mason explained. "But first, are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?"
"Later." Danica hissed as the sound of footsteps began to approach.
Holding her breath, Danica listened intently as they grew closer to the room that she and Mason were currently hiding in.
"Who..."
"Ssssshhhhhh."
Holding a finger to her lips Danica quieted Mason as the steps grew dangerously close. From the sounds of it, Marie was checking each and every room as she moved, meaning they would soon be discovered if they didn't do something soon.
"What are we supposed to do, Mason?" Danica whispered as fear began to build within her. "She's going to find us."
"Calm down." Mason murmured, placing his hands on Danica's shoulders. "I won't let anything happen."
Wincing Danica tried to pull away as Mason's palms brushed her wounds. In her haste to escape, she had forgotten all about them.
"What the?" Mason asked, stepping back and taking Danica's state in for the first time. "What the hell happened here?"
As he spoke, the footsteps in the hallway stopped entirely as their hiding spot was revealed thanks to Mason's uncontrollable temper. Bracing herself, Danica continued to listen as Marie's footsteps began making their way towards the room she and Mason were currently hiding in.
"What do we do?" Danica whispered to Mason, who was still seething with rage. "She's found us."
"Good." Mason growled as his alpha aura began to radiate off of him. "She deserves to die."
Danica's heart jumped to her throat at Mason's words. She deserves to die, meaning that the minute she yanked the door in front of them open, there would be no turning back. With as angry as Mason was, he was going to attempt to end the harpies lives right here and now.
"Try to calm down." Danica urged Mason as the door knob began to turn. "We need to get out, not fight right now."
"Look at you!" Mason hissed, motioning to Danica's injuries. "You think I'm going to just turn and escape after what she has done to you?"
"WE ARE IN THEIR TERRITORY!" Danica snapped as the door burst open.
"Found you." Marie spoke proudly as she appeared with two troll guards behind her. "You've reached your end."
"THE HELL WE HAVE!" Mason retorted as his nails and canines elongated.
Lunging forward, he grabbed hold of Marie, lifting her and throwing her into her two guards.
"Mason!" Danica yelled, running and grabbing his arm, trying to stop him as he moved towards a very shocked Marie. "We are in their territory; we need to get out of here!"
"No, she needs to die."
Mason's voice came out deep and fierce as he spoke. His alpha aura was in full swing by now as he let his rage get the best of him. Danica knew that if she didn't manage to get him to calm down and think clearly, things would go south and fast.
"Now is not the time!" Danica continued pulling at Mason as he snarled at the harpie queen, who had managed to stand once more. "We need to get out of here!"
Turning his head to look at Danica, Mason's eyes began to lighten ever so slightly as his rationale began to appear.
"Mason, come on." Danica begged as Marie and her guards began to move towards them.
Seeming to finally come to, Mason looked to Marie once more before scooping Danica into his arms as he began to run forward.
"CATCH THEM!" Marie bellowed to her guards as Mason rounded an empty hall.
"Where are we going?" Danica asked, looking over Mason's shoulder at the trolls that were chasing them.
"I need to get to the front hall, where my men are waiting." Mason said, turning another down another hall.
"How are they there without being noticed?" Danica asked, confused.
Instead of responding, Mason simply smirked as he barreled through two harpies that had been standing in the hallway talking. Shrieking, the harpies began to chase Mason after composing themselves.
"They're gaining on us." Danica yelled as Mason quickened his pace.
"Just a bit further." Mason panted while bursting out of the hallway and into the main hall of the building.
"Where are they?" Danica asked, looking around at the empty area.
Still not responding, Mason made to hand Danica to someone. Confused, she didn't expect to feel arms wrap around her as she hovered in mid-air.
"What?" Danica asked, her eyes widening.
Grinning Mason began to change into his wolf form while the two harpies that had been chasing them appeared.
Fully transformed Mason presented his back to Danica as whoever was holding her placed her on him. Letting out a howl, Mason burst forward, smashing through the front door and out into the day beyond.
Danica was shocked to see that it was dark as pitch outside as they emerged into the world. It seemed that they were somewhere in the darklands and now had to make their way back to their world while being chased by harpies and trolls. The situation they were in seemed to be much more dire than Danica had expected, and now she could only hope that Mason had planned the entire rescue well.