May the gods protect you

"You should run until you reach the furthest exit. It should have anyone trailing Braelyn's scent on your tail while we head in the opposite direction. They aren't expecting her to go through the river, and the rafts will make it near impossible for Saint to catch her scent on the wind. Once you get to the end of the tunnel, Tyler, get on the bike and toss the nightgown over the cliffside. It should have them searching for her until nightfall, leaving us enough time to put some distance between them and us." Douglas dropped the nightgown into Tyler's hand, watching as he took one last long, heated glance at Tora, who smirked wickedly at his interest. "Go, you two can hook up much later once we're off this cursed mountain. The snow is coming, and once it does, we'll be easier to track."

We watched Tyler vanish into one of the many caves. Douglas sprinkled the pepper over the entrance of others, including a light dusting at the one where Tyler had disappeared. Moving to where Tora and I stood, Douglas nodded at us.

"You're going to need to get it into your clothes; that way, your pores suck up your scent that Saint and his people can track and hopefully will prevent more from releasing. It won't feel great, but it's better to play it safe. You hap- pened to mate with one of the meanest trackers and bloodhounds in the north, Braelyn."

"You said we're going to the river? It's dangerous with the rapids at this time of year," I elaborated as he nodded.

"So is leaving your mate for the unknown. That river isn't easy, but it is also why he'll look elsewhere for you. He won't think you were brave enough to chance the rapids to leave him." Douglas watched as I pulled my shirt out, shak- ing the thick scent of cayenne pepper onto it. His dark brow lifted when I start- ed to put it away, and a mischievous smile played on his full mouth. "In your pants too, sweetheart. He'll be counting on that lady trap to lead him right to you. And, I'm guessing he was trying to plant a pup last night because I can smell him on you."

“Plant a pup?" Tora laughed, causing my fear to ease a little at their banter.

"Hormones too, I'm guessing? He wasn't taking no for an answer," he said, astonished.

"Yeah, basically he wanted to keep my child after he'd succeeded in making one." I poured the pepper into my jeans, zipping them up and slapping my hands over my thighs, then smothered a sneeze before it ripped from me. I chuckled, standing as an angry howl echoed through the tunnels, reaching where we stood.

"That's our cue to run, ladies," Douglas starting down the dark tunnel, and we followed in silence.

I listened to the sounds of angry growls and voices rippling through the tunnels. The further we got away from their voices, the easier it became to breathe. Fear of being captured and dragged back up the mountain plagued my mind.

The mountain was the only home I'd ever known, and leaving it hadn't been easy. It was the right choice, though, which I reminded myself on repeat in my head. There was nothing left for me here. Chaos belonged with his father, and while I hated leaving him behind, it was the right thing to do. My chest clenched tightly, but no emotion escaped or was visible on my pinched features. We moved quickly, even as Saint bellowed my name repeatedly, which echoed from all angles as if he was everywhere at once.

Breaking free of the tunnels, we paused to look back at the multiple exits that opened up all over the hillside. Some had nowhere to stand, leading to sheer drops. My chest tightened as I considered Saint or his people falling from the higher openings. Tora grabbed my arm, dispelling the fear as we moved to- ward the shore of the river.

Douglas's men waited on the bank, handing us life jackets before shuffling us into the thick, black river rafts. Someone handed me an oar, and before I could tell the men that I did not know how to raft, we were shoved off the bank and rushed downstream by the quick-moving rapids.

Water splashed into the boat, soaking us as we continued down the river. The boat jerked, and the water tossed us around as we paddled furiously to stay away from the angrier rapids, trying to avoid any large boulders. The water was deafening, canceling out the words that anyone tried to scream. I peered back in the direction from which we'd escaped, seeing nothing but the bank as we were dragged further down the river.

My heart was stuck in my throat as I watched the mountain growing small- er. The light from the compound was fading, and the sense of dread I'd felt at leaving crept up on me. A hand touched my shoulder, pulling me from my mind, and I turned, finding Toralei watching me with worry burning in her emerald gaze.

She smiled reassuringly as something slammed into the boat, sending us all into the ice-cold water. I gasped, kicking my feet as the water forced me into the rocks. The water hid my screams as I kicked and flailed my arms, peering through the icy depths for Tora. A hand yanked me up, and I was pulled over the edge of a raft.

My entire body trembled, and the coppery tang of blood was thick in the air as I watched Douglas pulling Toralei up from the other side of the raft. Moving into action, I helped him pull her and the two other men out, glancing at the ripped raft we'd been in moments before. It was thrown lifelessly around in the rapids, slamming against a large rock that continually fought to suck the raft below the frozen depths.

It took another hour of battling the raging river before we left the rafts and rushed down the mountainside's rough terrain. At the bottom were more men, all dressed in high-tech gear, seated on four-wheelers. Douglas caught me be- fore I moved toward one of the men, helping me shed my coat, and replacing it with his larger one.

"The raft they were on flipped. We'll need to find a cave to let them get dry and warm. We won't be able to make it far if they end up with hypothermia. Let's move," Douglas ordered, nodding to a man on one of the quads, who scooted back for me to ride in front of him.

It took hours of riding through bone-chilling cold before we found a cave to accommodate our group's size. Douglas had packed thermal clothes, giving us each a set to change. Once we were dry and warmer, we were back on the bikes, riding through the first snow that blanketed the ground.

It took days to reach the Canadian border, and we were given fake passports and identification cards once we arrived. Douglas didn't stop there, handing us cash and giving us an address where we would be staying. He'd even gotten jobs for us, giving us everything we needed to start over from nothing.

I hugged him, crying against his shoulder as he hugged me back. "Thank you. Thank you, Douglas."

"Your mother helped me and mine once upon a time, kid. I never got the chance to repay her for that. Now I have. I have saved her daughter and given her a new chance at a life of her choosing. My debt has been repaid," he an- nounced, standing back as black SUVs pulled up to the side of the road. "You're braver than you think you are, Braelyn Haralson. May the gods protect you and keep you safe."