The lost mate
Chapter 38: The chase in the night

Chapter 38: The chase in the night

The night was darkest just before dawn, the inky blackness of the Alaskan wilderness stretching endlessly around her. Annie gripped the steering wheel of her old car tightly, her knuckles white, as the headlights carved a narrow path through the dense forest that bordered the road. The only sound was the hum of the engine and the occasional rustle of the wind through the trees. The further she drove, the more she felt her breath begin to steady, her heartbeat slowing as the distance grew.

She had left everything behind—the small town, the café, the life she had built with Heather and Emily. She had done what she knew best: she ran.

She had no destination in mind, only a vague plan to find a motel and lay low until Heather contacted her. It was safer this way, she told herself. Safer for Ryan, safer for Heather and Emily. She couldn’t let them be dragged into the danger that seemed to follow her wherever she went.

But as she rounded another bend in the road, her stomach twisted with a sudden, inexplicable dread. Her eyes flicked to the rearview mirror, and her heart stuttered in her chest. A pair of headlights appeared in the distance, growing closer with every passing second. The road had been empty for miles, and now, out of nowhere, a car was tailing her. She squinted, trying to make out the vehicle through the darkness, but all she could see were those glaring lights, like the eyes of a predator locked onto its prey.

Panic surged through her veins. Annie pressed her foot down on the gas pedal, urging the car to go faster. The engine roared in response, the speedometer climbing, but the car behind her kept pace. It could have overtaken her at any time, but it didn’t. Instead, it hovered just behind her, as if waiting, watching.

She was being hunted.

Annie’s breath came in shallow gasps as she glanced at the road ahead, searching desperately for an escape route. But there was nothing—only the unending stretch of asphalt winding through the dark forest. Her mind raced, trying to think of a plan—any plan—that would get her out of this alive.

Suddenly, the car behind her surged forward, pulling up alongside her truck. Annie turned her head, her heart pounding in her ears, and her blood ran cold. Through the window, she could see the silhouettes of several burly men inside. Their eyes glinted with an unnatural light, and a primal fear gripped her.

Wolves.

She knew it instinctively. They were werewolves, and they were after her. How had they found her so quickly? Was this Damien’s doing, or were they someone else’s pack? Questions swirled in her mind, but there was no time to dwell on them. All that mattered now was survival.

Annie’s instincts kicked in. She swerved sharply to the right, trying to throw them off, but the other car matched her move effortlessly. The truck’s tyres screeched in protest as she fought to maintain control on the narrow road. The wolves weren’t just following her—they were herding her, forcing her to stop.

With a surge of adrenaline, Annie yanked the wheel hard to the left, sending the truck careening down a narrow side road that branched off the main highway. The road was little more than a dirt path, barely visible in the darkness, but it was her only chance. The truck jolted and bounced over the uneven ground, the headlights struggling to illuminate the way ahead.

For a brief moment, she thought she might have lost them. The side road twisted and turned through the dense forest, the trees closing in around her like skeletal hands reaching out of the darkness. But then, in the rearview mirror, those headlights appeared again, relentless, unwavering. The wolves were still on her tail.

In the back seat, Ryan stirred, his small voice breaking through the silence. "Mommy?" he mumbled sleepily, rubbing his eyes with his tiny fists.

Annie’s heart clenched. She had hoped he would sleep through this, that she could keep him blissfully unaware of the danger. But now, as she glanced back at him, she saw the confusion in his big blue eyes—the fear that was beginning to replace the sleepiness.

"It’s okay, sweetheart," she said, trying to keep her voice calm and soothing. "We’re just going on a little adventure, okay? Stay quiet for Mommy."

Ryan nodded. He was only four, too young to understand the full extent of what was happening, but he could sense that something was wrong.

The road took another sharp bend, and the car jolted violently as one of the tyres hit a loose patch of gravel. Annie’s breath caught in her throat as she fought to regain control, the wheel jerking wildly in her hands. For a terrifying moment, she thought the car was going to flip.

But it was too late. The momentary loss of control had sent her careening off the narrow road, the car ploughing through the underbrush before slamming into a tree with a bone-rattling impact.

The world seemed to tilt on its axis as the force of the collision threw Annie forward against the seatbelt, her head snapping back violently. The airbag deployed with a deafening pop, filling the cab with the smell of burnt chemicals. Pain shot through her chest and shoulders, but she ignored it, her only thought on Ryan.

"Ryan!" she gasped, her voice shaking as she twisted around in her seat.

Ryan was still in his car seat, wide awake now, and looking around in confusion. "Mommy, what happened?" he asked, his voice trembling.

Annie’s hands shook as she reached back to touch his cheek, trying to soothe him. "It’s okay, baby. We’re going to be okay."

But even as she said the words, her heart pounded in her chest, and she knew she was lying. They weren’t okay. The car was totalled, and the SUV that had been following them had stopped just a few feet away. She could see the men inside, their figures in dark silhouettes against the faint light of the rising sun.

Annie’s breath came in short, panicked gasps as she fumbled with the seatbelt; it was stuck, so she just snapped it off.

The sound of footsteps on gravel reached her ears, and her heart lurched. The men were approaching the truck, their heavy boots crunching on the ground. Annie forced herself to move faster, yanking open the driver’s side door and stumbling out into the cold, crisp air.

She moved around to the back of the truck, her hands shaking as she reached for Ryan. He was crying now, his small body trembling with fear. Annie quickly unbuckled him from his car seat and lifted him into her arms, holding him close as she tried to figure out what to do next.

But there was no time. The men were already there, surrounding them. One of them, the tallest and broadest of the group, stepped forward, his eyes locking onto hers with a cold, predatory gaze.

"Get in," he said, his voice low and menacing as he pointed to the SUV.