Chapter 228

Alaric’s POV

Melinda looked at Noel with some surprise in her typically guarded expression. “So sure of yourself, are you?”

“I can hear your heartbeat,” Noel said. “It spikes when you lie.”

“Maybe the truth just excites me,” she countered.

He shook his head. “You lied again.”

She stared at him for a long moment. “I’d like to see you try to prove it.”

“We don’t have time for this,” I said, growing annoyed with her diversion tactics. “If you know something, tell us.”

“Why should I know anything?” she said.

Noel inched closer to her. In his eyes, I saw a wicked red flash, dangerous.

Melinda saw it too. She must have because she suddenly stilled, her eyes going wide. “What are you?”

“If you don’t want to find out,” Noel said, “You will answer our questions.”

The menace was clear in his words, and I was infinitely grateful that he was on our side.

Melinda was not so fortunate. As she continued to stare at him, as if testing the weight of his threat, his eyes continued to flash and flicker with the dangerous red.

Finally, she swallowed hard. “I suppose I could tell you. It’s not like you can do anything to stop it now.”

“Tell us what?” I demanded.

Melinda shrugged. “I have an accomplice already in hiding in the forest. Once Cara falls behind from the pack, and once she is far enough away from the onlookers at the start line, my man will strike. Trust me, he has no qualms in hurting that little pretender.”

“She is the true Auburn,” Noel said lowly. “You and your lot are the pretenders.”

“Think what you want,” Melinda replied. “None of it will matter when the race begins.”

Noel looked at me. “Go, Alaric. I will hold her while you deal with the accomplice.”

At this, Melinda began to cruelly laugh. “Good luck with that,” she said. “Security is so tight around here, they won’t let anyone onto the track. No even you.”

“They let in your accomplice,” I said.

“Oh? Did they?” she grinned. Gods, she was infuriating. I should have exiled her long ago.

“We don’t have time for this,” I growled.

“Go,” Noel said. “Get past security however you can.”

I didn’t need him to tell me that. For Cara’s safety, I didn’t care what lengths I had to go to, or what rules I had to break.

Turning, I took off running. With luck, I would arrive even before the event began. If I could stop Cara from racing, then she would have no reason to be in danger.

Yet, just as I was within earshot of the grandstand, I heard the blank of the starting gun. I turned the corner around the grandstand, just to watch Cara disappear into the forest.

I cursed under my breath as I surged forward. Yet, just before I could reach a line of trees, a person wearing a sash labeled security stepped directly into my way.

“Halt! Under orders of the commission, only contenders and those given distinct permission from the head commissioner are allowed to enter!”

Nothing was going to stop me from saving Cara.

Not the commission. Not the rules.

Not even this man.

Cara’s POV

As soon as the starter pistol fires, I dashed off with the rest of the contenders out of the starting line. In a blink, however, every other single contestant had shifted and darted forward, easily surpassing me before I even made it to the trees.

When I finally crossed the threshold of the forest, I watched their tails disappear around the trees and into the distance.

I had no hopes of winning this contest. I’d known that from the start. So I supposed I shouldn’t have been upset when I fell so far behind so quickly.

Even so, I had hoped that perhaps I wouldn’t embarrass myself too badly with my time. At this rate, I had no hope of making any kind of progress in this event. I could walk the rest of the way and it wouldn’t make a difference.

Last was last, earning the same number of points, whether it took me twenty minutes to finish the race or twenty hours.

It was hard not to feel discouraged.

Yet quitting was not in my vocabulary so I kept pushing. I had to believe in myself, even if it was hard.

If only Cara would come back to me. Maybe I could still catch up to the stragglers in time enough to not finish dead last.

I hurried, pushing my frail human body to its limits. I’d trained for this, so I was still moving quickly, even for my human body. But it was nowhere near enough to be able to actually compete.

For that, I would need to shift. I needed Lucy.

“Please,” I said in huffs as I ran. “Please, Lucy.” I pushed my legs even harder than usual, hoping the strain would bring my wolf out of me.

Instead, I just felt my muscles tighten uncomfortably. If I kept this up, I was only going to succeed in hurting myself.

But I had to keep trying. I kept pushing myself. I kept begging. “Please, Lucy, please. Where are you? Come back to me.”

My legs hurt and my lungs heaved, trying to find enough breath to satisfy my grueling pace. I couldn’t last like this. I needed my wolf!

“Lucy!” I cried.

There was no one to hear me here. I was too far from the start line now, and likely too far behind any contenders.

“Lucy, please!”

Despite my yelling, Lucy remained dormant, not answering my calls.

Now, my heart hurt worse than my body.

I had hoped that the thrill of this competition would entice Lucy back to me, and I pushed myself hard, hoping to coax her back too.

As much as I cared about this competition, as much as I wanted to win…

What I cared about the most was having Lucy back.

This was the contest with which I needed her the most. For her not to return now, even when I needed her, it hurt worse than the loss I was sure to face.

She was gone from me, ever out of my reach. And there was hell all I could do about it.

She was so close the other night, closer than she’d ever been. To have that and to lose it again so quickly was too cruel. Far too cruel.

Now… I felt like a failure, both as a contender and as a werewolf…

Still I kept pushing, kept hoping… But defeat was starting to hang over me like a dark cloud, raining down on me.

But then… someone stepped directly into my path. They were a few yards up, wearing a yellow and red security sash and holding their arms out as if to alert me.

Recognizing the uniform as official, I slowed to a stop.

I was annoyed. Every moment wasted was a moment more I fell even farther behind. But I wanted to respect the game and the rules, not wanting to give the commission any more reason to hate me.

Already, the odds were stacked against me. I had to play nice.

The security officer wore a serious expression. Had something happened?

“Ms. Auburn,” the officer said. “You need to come with me right away. It’s urgent. Your safety is at risk.”