Maya's POV
A drop of blood ran down my neck as the silver knife pressed harder against my throat. Connor growled and tightened his arm around my waist.
"You're making a big mistake, King," he said. "By the law of the Moon Goddess, Maya is mine. You have no authority to meddle."
Alexander approached cautiously, keeping his gaze fixed on the knife. "Connor, you are the only one who made this error. An innocent woman is being threatened by you."
"Innocent?" Connor gave a sour laugh. "My life was ruined by her! She gave me a mate bond that I didn't want, trapping me."
Connor was holding the knife, and I could feel his hand trembling. He was afraid, but that didn't make him any less dangerous. I muttered, "I didn't trap you." "Neither did I want this."
"Stop talking!" Connor's voice broke. "You are solely to blame!"
I could hear the anger beneath Alexander's calm voice. "Connor, let her go. It doesn't have to end badly."
"The day she became my mate, it already ended badly!" Connor began to back off, pulling me along with him. "But I'll make it right. I'll be free once the witch breaks our bond."
"What witch?" Alexander made a demand.
Connor grinned icily. "The person who will murder Maya on my behalf. She is eager for Omega blood and is waiting at the border."
I felt sick to my stomach. Even with King Alexander present, Connor still intended to take me to the witch.
"You're crazy," Alexander said, trailing us while Connor kept retreating. "If you kill her, you'll start a war."
"Only if anyone finds out what really happened," Connor answered. "However, mishaps in the forest are frequent. Wild animals, rogue attacks, and cliff falls..."
I became aware that Connor was leading us away from the pack house and toward the forest's edge. He continued to use me as a shield to prevent Alexander from stopping him from getting me to the witch.
"Please," I muttered to Connor. "I'll stop at nothing. I'll never bother you again, and I'll leave the pack. Don't take me to the witch, please."
"Too late," said Connor. "This should have been done months ago."
We continued to backtrack through the trees. Alexander trailed behind, but he was unable to approach me closely enough to offer assistance without running the risk of Connor slitting my throat.
"You know what I think?" Connor said, sounding irrational. "I believe you wish to keep Maya for yourself. King, is that really why you're here? Would you like to take my partner?"
Alexander firmly stated, "I'm here because I heard a woman crying for help." "Nothing more." However, there was something in his voice that gave me the impression that wasn't entirely accurate. I had a weird feeling when he looked at me. like a sensation of warmth that I had never experienced before in my chest.
"Liar," spit out Connor. "I smell it on you. You desire her."
Now we were moving farther into the forest. The moonlight hardly reached us, and the trees were thicker. In the shadows, I could hear odd noises: the rustle of leaves, the creaking of branches, and what sounded like a growl.
Connor whispered in my ear, "The witch is close." "She has been anticipating our arrival."
I realized then that I needed to take action. I would die tonight if Connor managed to get me to the witch. Despite his strength, Alexander was too far away to save me.
I recalled the things my mother used to say to me prior to her passing. "Maya, you are the only one who can save yourself sometimes."
I inhaled deeply before making my decision. I tasted blood as I bit down hard on Connor's arm. With a scream, he let go of the knife. I turned my back on him and sprinted farther into the woods.
Both men behind me yelled, "Maya!" but I continued. I sprinted as quickly as my ailing legs would allow. Branches snatched at my clothing and hair. My bare feet get cut by rocks. However, I knew Connor was pursuing me, so I continued to run.
"Come back here!" The sound of Connor's voice carried through the trees. "You can't get away!"
Behind me, I could hear him approaching through the bushes. My legs felt like they were about to give out, and my lungs burned. However, I was unable to stop.
I staggered down a small hill after jumping over a fallen log. I turned to see Connor's flashlight beam searching for me in the shadows.
"Maya!" From somewhere behind Connor, Alexander's voice called. "Where are you?"
I was worried that Connor would hear me before I could call him back. I continued to run in an attempt to increase our distance from one another.
My blood froze when I heard that. In the darkness in front of me, I heard a woman's voice singing softly. The voice sang, "Come to me, little Omega." "Let me taste your fear, please."
The witch. I was heading directly for the witch.
My foot snagged on a root as I attempted to change course. I landed hard on the rocky ground, scraping my knees and hands. My ankle started to hurt when I tried to stand up.
From somewhere nearby, Connor's voice said, "Found you."
I tried to hide by crawling behind a big tree. I tasted blood in my mouth, and my ankle hurt. But I had to keep going.
Now the singing was growing louder. "Don't be scared, sweet little wolf. I'll get there quickly."
I was confined. The witch was in front of me, Connor was behind me, and I was too injured to run at this point.
I heard footsteps coming at that moment. Boots heavy on the forest floor. When I realized Connor had located me, my heart fell.
He stepped around the tree and said, "There you are."
However, there was a problem. He had a new voice. I'm afraid. I saw why when I looked up. Connor's hands were shaking and his face was white. As if he were being followed, he kept checking over his shoulder.
He grabbed my arm and said, "We have to go." "We must leave this place."
"What? However, the witch—"
"Ignore the witch!" I was pulled to my feet by Connor. "Something else is present in these woods. Something worse."
We heard a howl before I could ask him what he meant. I had never heard a wolf sound like that, though. It seemed to have come from something much larger than a typical wolf, and it was deeper and more terrifying.
"Run," Connor muttered. "Run now."