Chapter 566

Enzo

The crunch of leaves and snap of twigs echoed through the trees as Matt and I tore after the Schreiber scout. Our breaths came in ragged gasps, the hot summer air burning our lungs. Overhead, a little red bird chirped and flitted through the green canopy of trees; Daphne.

But even she wasn’t fast enough.

“Don’t let him get away!” I growled over my shoulder at Matt. I could see the scout’s dark form weaving between the tree trunks ahead, his footfalls lighter and more nimble than our own. We had caught him lurking around Nina’s and my house—likely spying for information, or maybe even looking for another opportunity to attack.

But not this time. This time, we were determined to get this scout and learn more about the Schreibers.

Matt grunted in response, putting on an extra burst of speed. I pushed my legs harder, ignoring the growing ache as my muscles protested from the overexertion. Up ahead, the scout leapt over a fallen log with almost feline grace, not breaking his stride. Gritting my teeth, I followed suit—only for my boot to catch on a gnarled root, sending me crashing to the ground with a muffled curse.

“Enzo!” Matt skidded to a halt beside me as I rolled onto my back, temporarily winded. He held out a hand, but I was already scrambling back to my feet, waving him off.

“I’m fine, I’m fine! Keep going!”

He hesitated for the briefest moment before giving a curt nod and rushing forward once more. I fell into step behind him, the metallic tang of blood filling my mouth from where I’d bitten the inside of my cheek on impact.

Through the tangle of branches, I could just make out the flutter of the scout’s dark clothing as he sprinted away, putting more distance between us with every stride. A growl rumbled up from my chest as my frustration mounted—we were so close, yet constantly just out of reach.

Then, up ahead, the trees gave way to a small clearing. The scout must have spotted it at the same moment I did, because without breaking his pace he angled his trajectory to cut straight through the open space.

An idea formed in my mind then, one I didn’t have time to second-guess. “Head him off at the other side!: I barked at Matt, veering off to the left.

To his credit, he didn’t question me, instantly peeling off in the opposite direction as we attempted to circle around and trap the scout in the clearing. My lungs burned, but I willed my legs to move faster, crashing through the underbrush.

Just as I reached the far edge of the treeline, the scout burst into the open field—and skidded to an abrupt halt as he realized his mistake. Daphne dive-bombed him from above, using the clearing to her advantage. He yelped and ducked back and forth, searching for an escape route as Matt and I flanked him from opposite sides and as Daphne continued assaulting him.

For a fraction of a second, it seemed like he might turn and run directly at me in a desperate bid for freedom. My body tensed, ready to grapple with the scout if needed.

But then, something else caught his eye over my shoulder—a break in the trees, a potential path to safety. Before I could react, he was sprinting that way, doing everything in his power to reach the tree line before we could intercept.

“No you don’t!” Matt’s shout rang out behind me as he barreled into the clearing, quickly closing the gap.

I pivoted and took off after the scout once more, the world around me dissolving into a frenzied blur of green and brown as I put every ounce of energy into my legs. Closer and closer, I could feel the ghost of his heels just out of reach, taunting me.

Then, at the last possible second, the scout seemed to find an extra burst of speed. He surged forward, hurtling between two towering oak trees and vanishing into the cover of the forest beyond.

“Dammit!” I slammed my palms against the rough bark of the nearest trunk, powerless to do anything but watch as the last traces of his retreat faded into silence. “Damn it all—”

I stopped myself before I could finish, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. A true Alpha would never lose control like this. I had to remind myself of that constantly these days, ever since the effects of Mila’s poison had wormed their way into my brain.

It had been minor, sure—but enough to amplify the sensation of my primal anger. I was determined to get it under control.

Slowly, I exhaled and turned to face Matt, who was bent over with his hands on his knees, panting heavily. Daphne flitted down from a branch behind him, shifting gracefully into her human form. She remained silent as she stood there, her red hair catching the light of the setting sun.

“Enzo,” Matt began, “if we hurry, we could try to cut him off at the—”

“Let him go,” I said, my voice surprisingly calm despite the adrenaline still coursing through my veins. “We’ll track them all down eventually.”

Matt straightened up, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow as he caught his breath. He exchanged a brief glance with Daphne, but then nodded, seemingly unsurprised by my decision to call off the pursuit.

We had been at this game of cat-and-mouse with the Schreibers for weeks now, and it was starting to take its toll.

Without another word, the three of us turned and began the long trek back to where we had left the car—where Luke was waiting. The silence between us was comfortable, but even then, my mind raced with thoughts of our next move.

But there was no ‘next move’ to be had. The Schreibers had made themselves incredibly scarce after their little disappearing act from the warehouse.

And I was losing hope.

Soon, the treeline broke up ahead, and we emerged back onto the dirt road where we had left my battered pickup truck. As we approached it, Luke looked up from where he had been sitting in the drivers seat.

He shot me a questioning look, but I simply shook my head. I couldn’t help but let out a weary sigh then. This had been just another long day in a seemingly endless string of them.

Matt must have sensed my fatigue, because he clapped a hand on my shoulder as we reached the truck. “You know I’m in this for the long haul, right?” His voice was earnest, his gaze unwavering. “I’m not going anywhere. We’ll get to the bottom of this giant barrel of shit. Together.”

I studied him for a moment, feeling a surge of gratitude for my friend’s loyalty. There had been a time, not so long ago, when the poison coursing through my veins had pushed Matt away.

When I had lashed out and hurt those closest to me, all thanks to the manipulation of a dragon queen who had stolen the satisfaction of revenge right out from under us in the end.

But Matt had been one of the first to forgive me when I had finally come back to my senses. When the real me had re-emerged and I had worked tirelessly to make amends.

Reaching out, I grasped his hand and gave it a firm shake. “Thank you, Matt. Really... I don’t know what I’d do without you watching my back these days.”

He waved me off with a crooked grin. “I’m your Beta. It’s my job.”