Torn

Chapter 68✓

Carter

My heart is beating wildly in my chest as my paws pound against the forest floor. Pine needles fly up behind me as I kick them up in the dust.

Faster Carter! They're gaining on us! Lupin yelps. I bear down and push my body harder and skillfully maneuver myself around the trunks of the old trees.

I feel like I am flying through the dense forest as I push myself even more. I wonder how far I am ahead of them. I only had a few moments head start. I strain to listen; it takes a moment, but I can hear the two wolves running behind me, and I know it won't be long before they're right on my heels.

I take a sharp turn right, before taking another turn not long after. I need to lose these bastards. Don't stop, you can do this, I tell myself. I slide to a stop and duck behind one of the larger trees around me. I hunker low to the ground, and I cover my muzzle under my paws to try to mask the sound of my ragged breathing.

My lungs burn and I try to suck in a deep breath. Footsteps are coming up fast behind me. Shit! How did they find me so fast? I look around desperately trying to come up with an escape plan. I know this forest like the back of my hand. I can figure this out. If I leave now and go up a few hundred feet and duck right, it's a straight shot to grandpa's cabin-

I hear them stop running a few feet behind me. I stop breathing, my heart beating wildly in my chest. Damnit, I should have run when I had the chance.

"We know you're here. I can hear the beating of your heart." Xander rumbles in my mind.

"I can smell your fear, little wolf. Come out of hiding. We'll go easy on you." Quinn growls. I can almost see the feral smile on his face.

Shivers run down my spine. How the hell am I going to get out of this? I can hear their footsteps move apart. They're splitting up, each taking one side of the massive tree I'm hiding behind, like they're stalking their prey.

I see Quinn's brown wolf on my right come around the tree, brilliant silver eyes staring right at me. Triumph shining bright on his face. He lunges for me, and I duck under his body and run.

"What the hell Quinn? We almost had her!" I hear Xander grumble through our connection as they both take off after me. I bark a laughed, hoping I'm not celebrating too early.

Ducking under a low hanging branch I quickly take another turn. Their footsteps are loud and close on my heels. How do I always get myself into these situations?

Being cocky to our mates, that's how. Lupin chuckles in my mind.

What are they going to do with me once they catch me? I smile at the thought, anticipation coursing through me.

Only ten more feet until I can make my next turn. Dodge, run, turn, zigzag like a rabbit. They won't be able to get their hands on us that way, I tell myself.

One moment I'm staring at the tree I had pinpointed as my turn, the next the world is turning upside down on me. Those bastards lunged at me! I can feel my body shift back mid tumble. Lupin retreating to the depths of my mind.

Bodies flipping over each other, my elbow hits one of them in the face, which one I'm not sure. Though the hiss that I hear come from their mouth as I tumble across the forest floor is quite satisfying.

Our vicious momentum comes to a sudden halt with my body on top of a tall, muscular, dark haired Xander with piercing blue eyes staring at me with pride, and Quinn on top of both of us. One thing I didn't account for was not having our clothes on when we shifted back...

"Good catch, Xander." Quinn chuckles from behind me and I feel his chest vibrate against my back with his words. His breath on my cheek sends shivers down my spine.

His teeth graze the back of my shoulder as he nibbles on his new favorite spot on my body. No longer is it the skin that once held my birthmark, no. It's now where his mark rests upon my shoulder.

My breath hitches and goosebumps spread over my body, a breathy moan escaping my lips. Xander's breath is coming fast underneath me as his hands ran up the side of my stomach to pull me closer to him, my lips mere inches from his. I stare into his eyes; they are darker than usual and hold such bright flecks of molten silver and filled with hunger. His eyes flick down to look at my lips.

Quinn's lips slowly move down the side of my neck to my shoulder, his canines gently brushing against my sensitive skin. His hands roam up my sides, fingers grazing my stomach slowly moving up to my ribs. Heat floods my core.

While Xander's one arm holds me close, he moves the other hand to caress my cheek. He pulls my face down till our lips were almost touching. "Carter..."

A memory slams into me at full speed and I gasp, pulling back. "Holy shit." I exclaim loudly. "I've seen this before... Well... not exactly this, some things have changed... but I saw this all happen!"

"What do you mean?" Xander looks at me with his brows furrowed deeply.

"The night I got the phone call from the lawyer saying Grandpa Jones had passed away... I was in the middle of dreaming that this would happen." I whisper.

Quinn keeps placing soft kisses along my neck and shoulder. My mind is going a million miles a minute.

What does this mean? I ask Lupin.

That we are special in more ways than one, my human. Her soft voice replies.

"What ever this means... it just shows that we are meant to be. You were always meant to be ours, we just had to wait for you to become whole again." Xander whispers before pulling my face down to his, our lips press together in a passionate kiss.

"I agree wholeheartedly. You're ours, and we will never let you go again." Quinn growls before biting into his mark on my shoulder gently.

He' right, I am theirs as much as they are mine. Things are going to get challenging as I become Queen and follow the path my mother has set out for me, we still need to have the funeral for Quinn's parents, introduce the Lycan's fully to the pack, we have to figure out what the hell we are going to do about Xavier and not to mention the announcement of myself as their Queen... but no matter what happens I know that we'll be okay, because we have each other.