Chapter 34
Through the woods Lowell stumbles, breath ragged as the fever claws at his skin, but now it’s the scent that pulls him forward. It hits him like a freight train, sharp and intoxicating. Nana. Her scent: etched into the air, wrapping around him, drawing him in, pulling him onward with a strength he cannot fight against.
Fuck it, it can’t be ignored anymore. It’s like the bond that suffocates him. Ever since leaving, it’s been tugging and pulling away, but this… this is different.
He stops for a moment and puts a hand on a nearby tree to steady himself. The trees sway with the feeling, and the ache in his chest is unbearable.
He’s got to get to her.
Taking in a breath, he pushes upright, ignoring the tremors in his legs and the dizziness that feels like it will take him under any second. He can’t afford to stop. Not now. Not when she needs him. Out there, she must be feeling everything—his pain, his desperation—and it burns worse than any wound ever could.
The agony in Lowell’s body sends fire into every pore, and each step has grown heavier than the last. But that smell…Nana’s smell…the air around him rapidly thickens with it. It is suffocating; like a magnet, the bond pulls him towards it, while each fiber in his body screams for her.
He’s getting closer.
The trees start to thin out, and the sounds of the woods fade, replaced by a tense silence that hangs in the air. Lowell knows he’s entering the pack’s territory. His skin prickles. This is where he knows he’ll find her, but it’s also where danger lurks. Marco’s men are always on the hunt for him.
His chest tightens. He can’t afford to be caught. Not now, not when he’s this close. He can already feel the tension building in the air.
A twig snaps behind him, and the next thing he knows, he’s surrounded.
“Fucking hell,” he mutters, his heart hammering in his chest. Marco’s warriors. They’ve been waiting for him, tracking him like fucking dogs. He doesn’t have time to waste.
Before he can react, one of them lunges at him, a sharp snarl leaving his lips as he swings a fist at Lowell. But Lowell’s quick. Too quick. He ducks, dodging the attack, and kicks the guy in the stomach, sending him crashing to the ground.
“Get him!” He hears Stephen yells from behind, and the sound of shifting fills the air. Low growls echo, and in a blur of motion, the warriors begin to shift, their forms becoming more monstrous as they surround him.
Lowell’s heart races. His pulse thunders in his ears. The fever is still burning through him, but the desperation to protect Nana is what drives him now. It’s the only thing keeping him going. He can’t let them stop him. He won’t.
One of the wolves lunges for him again, jaws snapping, but Lowell’s already on the move. He shifts, his own beast crashing to the surface, ripping through him with a guttural roar. The power surges through his body, and he feels himself becoming the wolf, the animal he’s always been, the predator.
The first wolf that comes at him gets a clawed swipe to the chest, a savage blow that sends it sprawling back into the dirt. The others hesitate, giving him a moment of breathing room. But only a moment.
Lowell doesn’t waste it.
He moves like lightning, spinning and tearing through the group. His claws rake through fur and flesh, his teeth sinking into the nearest warrior’s shoulder, ripping through muscle and bone. The smell of blood fills the air, and the satisfying thud of bodies hitting the ground pushes him forward.
“You’re all dead!” one of them screams, charging at him, but Lowell is faster. He sidesteps, letting the wolf’s momentum carry it into a tree. The impact is sickening, and the wolf crumples to the ground.
But there’s no time to savor the fight. They keep coming. More warriors appear, drawn by the sound of the skirmish. Lowell grits his teeth, his body aching, but he keeps going. His resolve is unshakable. He’s not stopping. Not when Nana needs him.
He ducks a swipe from another wolf, slamming into its side with his shoulder and sending it crashing to the ground. His claws are bloodied, his fur slick with sweat and dirt. His body is exhausted, but the bond keeps him going, pushing him forward, even as his vision starts to blur.
Another warrior shifts, coming at him from behind. Lowell hears it too late. The wolf’s jaws snap around his neck, and the pressure is overwhelming. He’s thrown off balance, his feet slipping from under him as the wolf tightens its grip.
“Fuck!” Lowell curses, his claws scrabbling for purchase as he fights to break free.
He knows he can’t let this happen. He can’t die here. Not when he’s so close to getting to her.
With a roar, Lowell shifts his weight and slams the wolf into the ground with all his remaining strength. He twists its neck, the crack of bone echoing in the still air. The warrior goes limp, and Lowell yanks his claws free, a fresh wave of blood spilling onto the forest floor.
He stands there, chest heaving, eyes wild as he looks around. The remaining wolves back off, hesitant, but Lowell isn’t done. Not yet. His body is worn out, but the need to get to Nana is a fucking tidal wave inside him, and he’s not going to let anything stop him now.
He takes a step forward.
“You’re not stopping me,” he growls, his voice low and menacing. His eyes lock onto the remaining warriors. He’s not the same as he was when he started this fight. The animal inside him is loose now. There’s no going back.
The wolves hesitate for a moment, but Lowell can feel their fear. They know they’re no match for him.
“Get the hell out of my way,” he snarls.
And they do. One by one, they retreat, shifting back into human form, all of them glaring at him with fury in their eyes but knowing better than to challenge him any longer.
Lowell doesn’t waste another second. He turns away from them, his heart pounding in his chest as he pushes forward, closer to Nana.
He’s fucking coming for you, Nana.
The air grows still again, the forest quiet except for the sound of Lowell’s heavy footsteps. His body is battered, bruised, bloodied, but he doesn’t care. He’s so damn close now.
He has to get to her.
Every part of him aches, but it’s nothing compared to the pain of knowing she’s out there, alone, suffering. He’s not going to let her suffer alone.
Not while he’s still breathing.