CHAPTER 37

MIA POV.
Dominic's grip on my arm was painfully tight as he pulled me along into the forest for safety and even deeper in between the trees in the direction of the house. I stumble after him in the darkness, my nerves a ball of mess with panic fear and adrenalin as my throat and eyes still burned from that smoke grenade earlier.
Suddenly I get yanked down to my knees and Dominic’s face is in front of mine in the darkness of the forest. He had pulled me behind a bush that was big enough to conceal both of us. “Stay here.” He said and I was about to protest when he silenced me with a dominating growl. “Stay here and stay silent. Do you understand?” Dominic said and I barely nodded when he disappeared into the darkness.
Shouting and gunfire could still be heard in the distance and then I remembered… “Vivienne!” I uttered out in a shocked breath before my eyes tried to pierce the darkness, searching to where Dominic had gone to. "Dominic, wait! Vivienne might still be back there!" I yelled into the darkness, but the only reply I got were the banging and popping sounds in the distance. I was just about to sprint off into the direction of the house, when a hand caught my elbow. Relief flooded me when I saw that it was Dominic. He looked angry and his hair was a mess, almost like he took a tumble, but I had bigger concerns. “Vivienne!” I exclaimed. She’s still back there.” I spoke and was about to walk past him when he pulled me back as he still had a grip on my arm. “You can’t go back there, it is too dangerous, Mia.” Dominic said but I shook my head, filled with determination. “We can’t just leave her… I won’t.” I said and for a moment our eyes locked in a fierce gaze before he growled roughly in his throat and wiped his face with his other hand in an irritable manner.
“Fine, but I don’t think she is there. everyone started to run as soon as the gunfire went off so the safest bet would be that she made a run for it to the house.” Dominic said and it made sense. I nodded and we both started to run in the direction of the house.
I hoped Dominic was right and that Vivienne was already there waiting for us. After a few minutes, we finally run out from the trees, the house standing large and looming over us, but before we could get close a masked figure stepped into our path, blocking us from going any further. Fear clawed at the insides of my chest as I watched the masked man lift his hand as it shifted into a wolf’s claw, his eyes gleaming with malice. Dominic’s arms wrapped around me and pulled me back just as the masked man brought his clawed hand down upon me, his claws making a slicing sound just as a loud bang shatters the air around us.
I scream, covering my face with my hands. Waiting for the hit… waiting for the pain, but there was nothing. My heart racing, I peek through my fingers. The masked man lies motionless, a dark stain spreading across his chest.
I gaze toward the sound of approaching footsteps, and I almost feared that it would be a second attacker, but I have never been so relieved to see my ex-boyfriend, Tony, walking up to us from the other side of the house. Tony emerged from the shadows; his usually impeccable attire dishevelled. His shirt's unbuttoned, hair mussed, and he was holding up his pants with the one hand as it was undone and wrinkled.
For a fleeting moment, I wonder if he'd been having sex, but my attention snaps back to the situation at hand when my eyes caught the still smoking gun in his hand. Tony had saved her.
Dominic's voice is low but urgent. "Half-shift, now. We need to get Mia out of here and to safety." Tony briefly glances at me. without saying a word, he nods, and Tony’s body begins to contort as a pained look crossed his face. I looked to Dominic who was going through a similar shift but with less emotion on his face. Their claws shone in the light of the moon and fur sprouted from their skin that was available to the eye. Their eyes glow yellow in the darkness, except for Dominic’s. his glowed red. The eyes of an alpha. "Tony, take point," Dominic growls, his voice now a deep rumble as I saw a few sharp teeth in his mouth when he spoke. "Mia, stay between us." He orders me. I nod, my heart racing with fear and adrenaline. Tony, now a towering giant, leads the way towards the forest. I follow closely with a huge Dominic bringing up the rear. The gun that he took from Tony, at the ready.
As we enter the forest, an eerie silence falls around us, enveloping their leaves and branches protectively over us. Tony pads silently ahead, his ears perked and nose twitching whilst Dominic scans our surroundings, his gun sweeping the area. I was sandwiched in between them as we made our way through the trees.
My mind was reeling with all sorts of questions, and I couldn’t help but break the silence to ask. “What’s happening?” I asked and I got an irritated shush from Tony as he kept making his way through the forest. I ignored him and looked at Dominic behind me.
Dominic's expression was serious and grim. "Like I said before, Mia. A Moonlight hunt is the perfect opportunity to either gather intelligence or attack a pack.” Dominic said and I took in a shaky breath. “But I don’t think this attack was about pack politics. It could be targeting one of us, possibly you." Dominic said as his red eyes darting through the darkness, narrowing every now and again. My eyes widen in horror. "Me? Why?" Dominic's jaw clenches. "We don't have time for this now. We need to get out of here, now." Dominic says and my heart leaps in fear when I see a guarded look in his eyes, and he suddenly grabs me at the back of my head and pushes me down to the ground. “Get down!” He yells and Tony drops to the forest floor next to me as Dominic shoot at attackers in the night.
I could read the alarm written across his face as Tony looked towards his father. "Dad, what…” Tony started to speak before Dominic’s growling voice interrupts him. "Tony, take Mia and run to the other side of the forest. Don't look back, don't stop. That is an order!” Dominic says. Tony nods, determination etched on his features. “On my count.” Dominic says and his eyes meet mine. My breath stutters in my breath as I see an unknown look in his eyes. I didn’t want to leave him, but as Tony’s hand enclosed around my wrist, I knew I didn’t have a choice and before I could fully think about what was happening, Dominic growled, “NOW.”
"Let's go, Mia." Tony says, grasping my hand and nearly pulling me across the dirt floor before I managed to get my footing and start running with him. My legs pump furiously, struggling to keep up with Tony's long strides as my mind screams at me to go back and I risk a glance back. I gasp as I see that Dominic has fully shifted into a massive black wolf. His eyes blood red and menacing in the gaps of moon light through the trees. He's surrounded by indistinct attackers and my heart nearly stopped as gunshots filled the air and Dominic's wolf form staggers.
A cry rips from my throat. "NO!" I scream as I yank my arm from Tony’s grip, twisting it free and turning back towards Dominic without any thought of myself as Tony also came to a stop to shout after me. "MIA, NO!”