The Chase and Betrayal
Retreat doesn't mean safety when predators give chase.
We'd made it maybe two hundred meters into the forest before Gideon's forces came after us. Through the bond, I felt Darius's awareness spike as hostile wolves picked up our trail with supernatural speed.
They weren't letting us escape. Weren't content with us disrupting their base and getting away. Gideon wanted blood, and he was done playing games.
"Caleb, we've got company," I said through the comm, breathing hard as we pushed through thick undergrowth. "Multiple hostiles. Moving fast. They're going to catch us before we reach the pickup point."
"How many?"
Through Darius's wolf senses, I counted. "Eight confirmed. Maybe more. They're trying to cut us off and trap us."
Caleb's response was quick and tense. "Extraction team is twenty minutes out. Can you hold that long?"
