My Alphas' Dark Desires-Chapter 267: Almost Caught

*****************

Chapter 267

~Valerie’s POV~

Branches whipped my cheeks. My hair snagged again, and I had to rip myself free, hair tearing as I pushed on.

Remember what Uncle Zade taught you. Use everything. Be unpredictable.

I spotted a thick tree up ahead with a low branch—perfect.

Climbing fast, I tied my hoodie around the trunk. From a distance, it would look like someone was up there, like I was crouched up there.

Then I dropped down the far side, rolling once before slipping deeper into the forest.

My scent now marked the tree. Let them waste time.

I reached for the bottle of dye at my back pocket and popped it open, squeezing a few streaks of the hair dye into my hand. I smeared it through my hair as I ran, disguising my scent.

Then I slid down the opposite side.

I sprinted again, zigzagging toward the river. Veered off-path. Mud caked my jeans. My arms were scraped. My knees ached. But I wasn’t slowing down.

I ducked under a fallen log, crawled through brambles, and came to the riverbank. The sound of rushing water was faint, but I knew it well.

The current was low, barely above my ankles. Perfect.

I didn’t think—just waded in, walking several meters through it before stepping back onto land, careful to step on rocks and avoid wet soil.

The river would confuse them at least for a while.

I pushed deeper into the woods as more howls rose behind me.

Minutes passed. Maybe fifteen? Maybe twenty. I couldn’t tell. My legs were burning. My arms scraped raw, but I just kept moving.

Until the cliff.

I’d forgotten this part of the forest dipped suddenly. My foot hit open air, and I tumbled again. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

This time, I slid hard through mud, screaming silently, arms flailing, as the ground disappeared beneath me before crashing into a thick patch of wet, sticky earth. Winded.

Everything was spinning.

My entire body groaned. But I wasn’t done.

I spotted a boulder nearby, half-buried in the earth. It had a hollow space beneath it—small, but large enough for me to squeeze into. It wouldn’t be comfortable, but it would hide me.

I crawled toward it and slipped underneath, covered in mud and trembling from exertion. My back pressed against cold stone, chest heaving.

The chill of the wet ground seeped into my skin. The mud soaked me, sticking to my skin, my hair, my clothes. But it masked everything, especially my scent.

Within a minute, several wolves passed.

I heard them, snarls, sniffs. One padded so close I could hear its nails scratching on the rocks, but they didn’t find me.

My heart thundered wildly in my ears. I counted every breath. Every second.

I was hidden. I was safe. Or so I thought until a hiss. So soft I almost didn’t hear it.

Then... movement.

I turned my head ever so slightly, only to see a thick black snake slithering across the mud, its head only inches from my neck, beside my cheek. Its head tilted as if it sensed me.

Its tongue flickered near my skin, tasting the air.

I didn’t move. Not a twitch.

Its scaled body slid slowly past me, unbothered by my presence, until it paused. Right at the crook of my shoulder.

I swallowed, forcing myself not to say a word or do something foolish or move. I ceased breathing.

Then it moved again, slowly slithered away till it passed on top my feet and away. I exhaled shakily, eyes fixed on the trees above.

This game wasn’t just about being hunted.

To me, it was about knowing when to be still, when to move, and when to let the storm pass.

And I wasn’t going down easy. The cold mud clung to my clothes and skin as I carefully slid from beneath the boulder.

I kept my breath low, every muscle tense, my ears straining for movement in the trees above.

I decided to move away from here, or else more creatures would come for me, but just as I pushed my head out.

A faint growl rumbled from somewhere close. My heart jolted and I instinctively ducked back into the shadows of the stone, holding my breath. Heavy paws thudded across the ground above, moving fast... then fading.

I waited a few seconds longer, just to be sure.

"Okay, that was close," I whispered to myself, brushing a muddy strand of hair out of my face. "I’d better keep moving."

Crawling out properly this time, I surveyed the forest with narrowed eyes. My body was sore, scraped, and half-covered in muck, but I wasn’t done yet.

The last time I checked, I had about twenty minutes left. That was nothing in this kind of chase.

And basically, plenty of time for them to get me. I adjusted the bottle of dye still tucked into my trousers pocket and started moving again, slower now, careful with every step. I couldn’t afford another fall—or worse, another ambush.

The air was growing colder. My clothes clung wetly to my body, weighing me down, but I kept moving. Just ten more minutes, I told myself. I could do this.

And that’s when I heard them.

Low snarls followed by crunch of underbrush behind me.

Three, there were three wolves.

They emerged from the trees ahead—familiar eyes gleaming, fur bristling as they flanked me fast.

Shit.

I backed up slightly, crouching into a defensive stance.

"All it takes is for us to catch you, and this game can end," one of them stated.

"Too bad. I love where I am now."

One lunged first, a lean, reddish wolf. I ducked and rolled, grabbing a thick stick off the ground mid-roll and swung it like a bat. It connected with his side with a thud.

The wolf yelped and staggered back.

The second one, much larger, darker, and faster, came at me from the left. I twisted just in time, dodging its fangs, then slammed my elbow into its jaw. It stumbled sideways, dazed.

The third charged, aiming low for my feet and fast. There was no time to dodge.

I jumped, using a thick root to push off and kicked downward with both feet, landing directly on its back. It crumpled under the force, rolling onto its side with a whine.

I didn’t wait for either of them to recover before I bolted. Hell, if they could, I’d be sure none of them would go easy on me.

And shifting wasn’t even my last resort.

Astra couldn’t be discovered now.