Close call

Greg’s POV

Anna and I exchanged tense glances as we stood by the door, every muscle in my body coiled with anxiety.

The knock at our hotel door echoed in the quiet room, a reminder that we were no longer safe—not even for a second.

We hadn’t been able to shake the fear since escaping the pack, and every shadow felt like an extension of Cole’s reach. I knew he wouldn’t stop until he had me in chains or worse, and he’d take Anna down just to get to me.

We both took a deep breath, inching closer to the door.

Anna’s hand brushed against mine, and I could feel the slight tremble in her fingers. We had dealt with rogue wolves, ambushes, and battles, but somehow this moment—this ordinary knock on the door—felt like the most dangerous thing we’d faced.

“Are you ready?” I whispered, my voice barely audible, my eyes locked on the door handle.

She nodded, her face set in determination. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

I reached for the doorknob, feeling the cold metal against my skin. I twisted it slowly, every nerve in my body on high alert.

The door creaked open, and I stared at the sight before us: a man dressed in a crisp hotel uniform stood there with a service cart laden with food. Three other men flanked him, each holding a bottle of champagne. Their faces were calm, disarming, smiling even, and yet something about the scene felt off.

“We didn’t order room service,” I said, my voice edged with suspicion. I kept the door halfway open, blocking their entry with my body.

The man with the cart nodded politely. “Compliments of the hotel, sir. A special service for our esteemed guests. No charge.”

Anna and I exchanged another look. I didn’t buy it. This wasn’t the kind of place that gave out freebies, especially not with us barely checked in. But as suspicious as it was, there was nothing visibly threatening about these men. No obvious signs that they were anything but what they claimed to be.

I hesitated for a second too long. Against my better judgment, I stepped aside and let them in, keeping my senses sharp.

The man with the cart pushed it in first, the champagne bottles clinking softly as the three others followed, fanning out into the room. I stayed near the door, my instincts screaming that something was wrong, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

As the door clicked shut behind us, everything exploded into chaos.

Without warning, the men dropped the bottles and pulled out guns, aiming directly at Anna and me. They moved with precision and speed, and before I could react, they were firing. The sound of gunfire erupted, filling the room with deafening noise and the smell of gunpowder.

I grabbed Anna, pushing her out of the line of fire as I moved at lightning speed. Bullets tore through the walls, the bed, and the glass lampshade exploded into shards, scattering everywhere. My heart pounded as I used my super speed to throw Anna toward the window.

“Go!” I shouted, just as a bullet grazed my arm. I felt the sting but ignored it, my focus solely on getting Anna out of here alive.

Anna smashed through the window, glass flying in every direction as I turned back to the attackers. I rushed toward them, my movements a blur, and before they could even register what was happening, I grabbed the first man’s gun and snapped his wrist. He screamed, dropping the weapon as I slammed him against the wall with a sickening thud.

The others tried to aim, but I was too fast. I grabbed the second man’s arm, twisting it until I heard the bones crack. He dropped to his knees, howling in pain as I knocked the gun from his hand.

The third man fired a shot that whizzed past my ear, and I lunged, ripping the gun from his grasp before tossing him across the room. He collided with the dresser, collapsing into a heap, unconscious.

I didn’t waste any time. I leaped through the shattered window, the cold night air hitting my face as I fell from the tenth story. I saw Anna still falling as I used my fire powers to blast me faster towards her.

I reached out, catching her mid-air and pulling her close just before we hit the ground.

We landed hard, but I absorbed the impact, shielding Anna with my body. I set her down gently, and she looked up at me, her eyes wide with adrenaline and relief.

“You okay?” I asked, my voice breathless.

Anna nodded, her breathing ragged but steady. “Yeah. That was… intense.”

I glanced back up at the hotel, spotting the silhouettes of the men stumbling toward the window, shouting in frustration. There was no time to lose. I grabbed Anna’s hand and zipped us over to the Bugatti, the engine already roaring to life as we jumped in. I slammed on the gas, tires screeching as we sped away from the hotel, leaving the chaos behind us.

Anna was still catching her breath, her chest rising and falling rapidly. She turned to me, her eyes searching mine for answers. “Greg, who were they? That wasn’t random—they were after us.”

I gripped the steering wheel tighter, my jaw clenched. “They were sent by Cole. I’m sure of it. He’s done playing games. He wants us dead.”

Anna’s expression hardened, fear flashing across her face. “So what do we do now? We can’t keep running forever. He’s going to keep sending people.”

I nodded, weaving the car through the city streets as fast as I dared. “I know. But we need to find a safe place to regroup, somewhere he won’t think to look for us. We need time to figure out our next move.”

Anna fell silent, staring out the window as the city blurred past. “Maybe we should go underground. There are places in the old city where even Cole’s spies wouldn’t think to look.”

I nodded, considering her suggestion. “Good idea. We’ll need to lie low and figure out who we can trust. We need allies if we’re going to survive this.”

Anna turned back to me, her hand reaching out to rest on my arm. “We’ll figure it out, Greg. I’m with you, no matter what. I just… I don’t want to lose you.”

I glanced over at her, my heart aching at the fear in her voice. “You won’t. I promise, Anna. We’ll get through this. Together.”

As we sped down the highway, the city lights fading behind us, I knew that our journey was only beginning. We were outcasts now, fugitives running from a king’s wrath. But as long as Anna was by my side, I knew I’d find a way to protect her—to protect us.

I pressed down on the gas, pushing the Bugatti to its limits. We had a long road ahead of us, but we were still alive, still fighting. And as long as we had each other, I was ready to face whatever came next.

My phone rang as I looked at it. It was Cole.

I refused to pick it up. He could trace me with it.

“I’m done being a prince,” I said, tossing the phone out of the window as I sped through the night.