Josef reversed direction, shifting as he did so, making his body too small for them to grab, the bird spreading its wings and taking off, making it to the safety of the canopy. Small droplets of blood streamed after him like a comet. He circled away from the pack and back toward Skyler and Dimitri.

Get ahead of us, to the clearing, Dimitri directed. We’re coming in fast.

The pack knows, Josef warned. They’re already spreading out and heading your way, trying to get in front of you and around behind you. I can see them from up above. They’re fast, Dimitri, too fast.

The pack knew the woods, and they were used to running flat out for kilometers without breathing hard. Now they were in a frenzy to reach Dimitri.

I might have killed one of them, Josef confessed. I’m sorry. They’re really stirred up.

Dimitri dropped all pretense. “Run. As fast as you can. Don’t look back, just go for the meadow. Don’t follow the path anymore, Skyler, take the shortest possible route.”

What did it matter to hide their scent? The pack knew their direction and would use every means to cut them off. They couldn’t know about Skyler’s safe haven smack in the middle of the clearing, but they knew they were making for a specific destination and the pack was determined they wouldn’t make it.

Skyler picked up the pace, running hard. She couldn’t imagine what this type of exertion would do to Dimitri. She already had a major stitch in her side and her lungs were burning. The trees began to thin, giving them less cover.

Wolves leapt out of the forest just behind them—the guards left behind, converging together to make their attempt at stopping the escaping party.

One raised a weapon. Dimitri dropped directly behind her, his larger body shielding hers. Skyler, undaunted, sent her plea once more.

I call to thee, Mother, hear my call,

Send that which is silver to stop their footfall.

Bring forth that which is silver, now let it block,

Use that which was hidden to protect and to stop.

Beads of silver bubbled up from the soil and began to liquefy and extend across the ground behind and around them in a semicircle. Dimitri glanced back and down at the silver spreading so fast. His body gave an involuntary shudder.

Lycans wear boots. This cannot stop them.

Lycans wore thin gloves in order to handle the necessary silver weapons when going after rogue packs, and they almost always wore boots to protect their legs in the thick forest. The silver on the ground would not be a deterrent.

It won’t stop them, but it will slow them down. We just need time, Skyler assured.

The silver began to rise in columns, much like dust devils or mini tornadoes, spinning rapidly as they rose and fell, always surrounding the fleeing escape party.

The moment a Lycan came too close, the tiny beads shot out of the whirling twisters, peppering the wolves coming up behind them. Curses, growls and snarls rose, someone shot at them, the bullet whining through the rotating beads.

Dimitri spun around as if he might attack them, but Skyler caught at him, jerking at his arm. No, no, we can’t take a chance on starting a war, not if we have a chance to make it to the clearing. My blood was spilled there. The spell is strong. They won’t be able to penetrate through the shield.

He ran, but he didn’t like it. Twice he tried to drop back and cover Paul as well, but Paul just slowed with him.

Take care of Sky, Paul admonished. I’ll be fine. If they keep shooting at us, I’m going to shoot back, war or no war. This sucks.

Dimitri had to agree with him. He wasn’t used to running or being so weak. He prepared himself for battle, knowing that even Skyler’s clever wall of silver twisters wasn’t going to keep the Lycans back for long. Even as the thought entered his head, the wolves took to the trees, leaping high to catch branches, working their way around the twirling silver walls.

He caught glimpses of void spaces as if in the distance the trees were much thinner.

We’re close, Skyler said. But I can feel the main pack gaining on us. I’m sorry, Dimitri, I know I’m the one slowing you both down.

He had always known the pack would catch up with them. His worry was the safe haven Skyler had created wouldn’t be there and they’d be caught out in the open in a place nearly impossible to defend.

My body is still shaky, csitri, he told her, I’m not altogether certain I would be any faster on my own. But he would turn around and pick them off one by one. The hell with not going to war, not when they were going to kill his lifemate and Paul.

I’m with you, bro, Paul said.

Did I think that out loud? Dimitri asked. It was a sign of his weakness that he had.

Skyler answered him. Loud and clear. I heard it, too. All this time I thought you were the cool, peaceful, Zen-like warrior.

Dimitri saw that both Skyler and Paul found his little gaffe amusing in spite of the danger they were in, and he was grateful he’d made the mistake. They were running flat out now, uncaring of their burning lungs and cramping muscles. They knew they were running for their lives.

Paul gave an inelegant snort. Yeah, cool and Zen-like, that’s Dimitri. I say let him loose on these bozos.

Just ahead, Dimitri could see the clearing. Skyler broke into the open first, running fast, heading for the very center. Josef waited, his hands in the air, ready to do whatever it took to protect them, but having no real idea how.

Dimitri paced himself just behind Skyler, always making certain his body blocked hers from the line to the Lycans. Behind him, he heard Paul grunt and the boy’s pace changed. He glanced over his shoulder but Paul continued to run, not quite as fast, but he was into the clearing.

Shots rang out. He scented blood. Dimitri whirled around while Skyler skidded to a halt. Behind them, Paul was down, writhing on the very edge of the meadow. Just as Dimitri began to backtrack, Paul staggered to his feet, waving him off.

Paul picked up his pace again, sometimes hopping, but gamely coming toward them. Dimitri could see the shield shimmering, translucent, but definitely warping in the night air. Something was there waiting for them. He was reluctant to remove his body from where he blocked the Lycans’ line of fire from his lifemate.

Get inside, Skyler. Get to safety. I’m going back for Paul.

Paul went down again, hard. Anyone could see the boy was in trouble. There was blood on his shoulder, clearly a through and through, and more blood on his leg.

Let me get him, Josef said, rushing past Skyler and Dimitri.

Another volley of shots rang out, and Josef hit the ground, his body rolling. Skyler let out a frightened cry and would have run past Dimitri, but he blocked her way.