You Are Mine (The Lycans 2)

I made it to the creek, continuing to keep low to the ground, following it all the way to the overgrowth. And then I saw it, the opening to the tunnel I’d created so long ago. It had gotten slightly overgrown over time, but it looked like I could still squeeze through.

I got on my hands and knees and started to crawl through, the thorns on the branches snagging my cardigan as I pushed onward. The ground was wet, my knees and hands sinking into the mud.

The rain made everything soggy, my fingers and nails digging into the earth. But I didn’t care. I had one goal, one objective.

And I was so close.

But then I heard twigs snapping behind me, and I stilled, holding my breath, only a few feet into the overgrowth. I prayed the creek and the mud surrounding me masked my scent enough.

I held my breath, closed my eyes, and tried to Just. Be. Calm.

I could hear someone, their footsteps heavy and way too close for comfort. Then I heard static before a deep voice came through what I assumed was a walkie talkie all the sentries had on them.

“All clear on the south end of the property,” the husky voice said before starting to walk away.

Only when I couldn’t hear his footsteps any longer did I exhale and open my eyes. I didn’t procrastinate, didn’t wait to see if I was alone again; I just moved faster. My hair kept getting tangled up in the thorns, mud covering my jeans and my hands, but I didn’t care. In fact, all I felt was this rush of excitement.

It was only when I got through to the other side that I stilled. I listened. I scented the air.

I was alone.

I rose up to stand and immediately got rid of the cardigan. Leaves and thorns were embedded within the material, and all it served as was something that slowed me down.

I let it fall to the mud beside my feet as I stared at the large iron and stone wall that was a few feet in front of me.

The magic woven into it was strong, the kind meant to keep an Otherworld creature out. And it had been reinforced with that magic tenfold to keep my mate out.

I looked down at myself, seeing my muddy jeans, my shoes soaked clean through, and my white T-shirt smudged with dirt. I hated to see what my face looked like, if the makeup was even still intact or if it was smeared, an almost comic visage of the girl I tried to be. But I didn’t care. And I was positive neither would Luca.

Anticipation and adrenaline strummed through my veins, and I breathed out slowly, knowing I couldn’t screw things up by being overly eager or anxious.

I tipped my head back and looked at the wall, then turned my attention to those massive trees that were on either side of me, some of the branches as thick and long as my body. Those branches reached out, nearly touching the top of the iron.

I exhaled slowly and knew this was the beginning of how my future was supposed to be carved out.

I was the one who had control of my destiny.

And I was the one who would make the decisions in my life from this point on.

11

Luca

I’d been stalking the perimeter of the wall all night.

Back and forth, looking for weaknesses, any kind of opening.

I noticed several massive trees on the other side of the wall, their branches thick and long as if they were reaching for the tops of those spikes. I could scale one of them and jump over the wall. I didn’t even care if I was stabbed by one of them, which was a very real possibility.

I didn’t even fucking care that the guards would no doubt reach me before I made it ten feet on the other side. Trying was better than what I was doing now.

Which was pacing. Getting more agitated. Damn near salivating to get to her.

I was going to scale this damn wall, and I was going to get to my mate.

My entire body tensed, because I knew I’d only have a small window of time before the fuckers patrolling figured out what I was doing and tried to stop me. But before I even took a step to initiate my plan, the wind picked up, blowing from the north, the branches of the trees gently swaying, the scent of rain still in the air. But that’s not the only thing I smelled.

Her. Ours. Mine.

My body went tight for another reason, my inner wolf coming alive at the aroma of the sweetest thing I’d ever smelled.

I closed my eyes and groaned, my body swaying toward the direction of where my mate was.

I snapped my eyes open and immediately moved toward her. I kept deep in the woods to stay hidden from the Lycans. Nothing would deter me. Nothing would stop me.