Chapter 3 Pick a Side, Pick a Fight

Rowan's hand tightened around mine. "Choose. Now.

My pulse pounded like crazy in my ears as the growls behind us grew louder and louder.

I looked from him to Kieran, who stood with blood on his shirt and murder in his eyes. My only two brain cells struggled to pick the safer choice, one was screaming at me to pick the guy who looked like he could kill three wolves with his bare hands, but the other one went, Well yeah, but the book version of you always chooses Rowan here, he's your savior and sweetheart and all that, coming to your rescue and sweeping you off your feet.

"Rowan," I blurted.

Kieran's head snapped toward me, and for a second, he looked betrayed, like I'd just stabbed him in the back.

Meanwhile Rowan didn't waste time, he pulled me toward the ridge's edge, scanning for a way down as the pounding of paws on dirt got closer.

"Don't turn back!" Kieran roared.

So of course I did the opposite and looked back anyway. I twisted just in time to see the first wolf leap for him, and watched with bugged out eyes as he caught it mid-air and slammed it into the ground like it was no more than a toy in his grasp.

Then another came, and he spun, claws flashing. Yes, claws, long, lethal, curved claws exactly as you would expect from a werewolf, if books and movies were anything to go by.

"Oh my God," I breathed. "He's actually-holy sh-"

Rowan yanked me around. "Focus. Don't look at him."

"Hard not to when he's basically the supernatural John Wick," I muttered, but I followed as he skirted along the ridge.

A third wolf blocked our path, and Rowan, quick as ever, shoved me behind him and drew a knife from his belt. I had no idea where he'd been hiding that, but I was definitely glad he had it.

The wolf leapt, aiming straight for us, but Rowan sidestepped it, his blade flashing as he struck it in the eye. It yelped and fell back, snarling.

"Are you hurt?" he asked without looking at me.

"I'm doing great actually, other than the whole getting chased by oversized murder dogs in a book world thing. Don't worry about me."

That earned me a glance over his shoulder. "What is wrong with you tonight, Elowyn?"

"What's wrong with me? I choked on a Dorito and woke up here of all fucking places! I mean, five minutes ago I was adjusting my Wi-Fi settings so I could see my sister better on the phone. I think I'm allowed to be a little off my game!"

"Dorito? Wi-Fi? Are you sure you're okay? Do you need to see the pack healer?" His brow furrowed in genuine, well-meaning concern.

"Never mind!" I hissed. "Just keep stabbing things!"

We moved again, this time cutting toward a narrow slope that wound down the side of the ridge. The sounds of Kieran fighting echoed behind us; violent snarling, bodies crashing into trees, crushing bones on impact. I tried my hardest not to picture what he was doing to those wolves, but the image was vivid anyway, making today all the more frightening and strange.

"You've been... different since you came back," Rowan said as we ran.

"Different how?" I demanded, despite knowing very well what he was talking about.

"You're not... you. You don't look at me the same way."

"What way did I used to look at you?"

His jaw worked. "Like I was the only person you trusted. Like I was..." He shook his head. "And you've never sworn this much in your life."

"Yeah, well, maybe I'm expanding my vocabulary."

His grip on my hand tightened and his eyes misted over with soft affection. "You've also never told Kieran you don't belong to him."

I bit my lip. The original heroine was sweet, devoted to Rowan, but torn by the mate bond with Kieran, although she never outright rejected him. I'd been here less than an hour and already flipped the script.

That single thought kept growing in my head till it became even more troubling, If this was an alternate universe of some fictional book world, what would happen if someone were to change the story? What happens when I reach the end?

The slope leveled out into another clearing, and this time, weren't alone. Three more wolves prowled at the far side with their hackles up, threatening and ominous, drooling with wide toothy mouths gaping, eyes set with bloodthirsty hate.

"We can't outrun them," Rowan said.

"So... we talk? What the hell are we supposed to do?"

He didn't answer. The first wolf lunged at me and Rowan shoved me aside, struggling hard to catch its shoulder and meet it with steel. The other two took his distraction as an opportunity to target me instead.

"Shit!" I scrambled backward, grabbing a rock the size of my fist. I hurled it at the nearest one. It hit with a pathetic thunk, then fell limply to the ground. The wolf didn't even flinch, it looked first at the rock then at me, and I could swear that I saw it roll its eyes in disappointment.

Rowan dropped one and spun toward me, grabbing my arm. "Stay close!"

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere!" I ducked under his arm as he slashed at the next wolf.

A blur of movement hit the last wolf just before it could reach me. It was Kieran. His chest heaved with strain and effort, and his shirt was shredded with streaks of blood soaking through, the red matching the glow in his eyes as he snapped the wolf's neck like it was nothing.

Rowan stepped in front of me. "We didn't need your help."

"You would have been dead without me," Kieran said flatly. His gaze shifted to me, sweeping over me like he was checking for injuries. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm... uh... fine?" My voice didn't sound convincing, even to me.

Kieran scoffed and took my hand, inspecting a small scrape I must've gotten from scratching myself on a tree while I ran, or from all the falling. "Look at this, you should've come with me."

"Yeah, well," I said, crossing my arms, "you don't get to make my decisions for me."

He arched one eyebrow at me, clearly expecting a very different response than the one I just gave him. The red in his eyes dimmed, but his focus stayed on me, his gaze reaching deep into my soul like he was trying to read my mind. It made my stomach flip and I hated it, the way it made me feel naked and exposed.

Rowan tugged me back. "We're leaving."

Kieran stepped forward, blocking our path. "Not without answers."

"What are you talking about? What answers?" I asked, pulse spiking.

"You've been acting strange. You smell different, you fight, very badly might I add, instead of letting me do the saving as is my duty as your alpha. You're suddenly foul-mouthed, and you look at me like you've never seen me before, yet you know exactly what I am."

Oh. I thought he was going to ask one of the barely surviving wolves what their deal was, but I guess that wasn't as important right now?

My throat went dry as I tried my hardest to come up with some explanation that wouldn't end up with me getting thrown in a mental hospital. Or whatever counts as a mental hospital in medieval times.

Rowan's eyes flicked to me. "Go on." As much as he hated Kieran, he also had to agree with him, something was definitely wrong with their Luna.

I swallowed hard. "I... might have some gaps in my memory?"

"Gaps?" Rowan's voice sharpened in disbelief.

Kieran's gaze didn't waver. "She's hiding something. And I'm going to find out what."