Aila's back was to the van. She leaned against it and hissed from stretching her back and feeling the sharp edge go into her wound. She felt the area and pulled her hand back at the raw sting of her hand touching it. The wound needed pressing into-

"A bloody bandage would help. That's not going to heal any time soon if we are doing what I think we are doing!" Malia interrupted her thoughts. But Aila ignored her; there were more pressing matters.

"Finn, I know you're here.. I need you to catch up to the others.."

"I'm your Delta. I'm not going anywhere," Finn snapped back. She didn't know where he was, but he did well staying hidden.

"Finn, I can't have you getting caught. Like Chase, you will be used as a hostage-"

"Luna.. Aila. What happens if you get caught?" Finn growled through the mind-link.

"I won't," Aila replied stubbornly.

"You are already injured!"

Aila searched her surroundings for Finn but still couldn't find him. She had been pressing her hand against her back while she waited, grimacing as she did so. He either could see her now or saw what happened earlier.

"Finn," She snapped back and started to feel her stomach tighten in anticipation of her Alpha powers spurring to life again. "I am much faster than you and anyone else. I'm going to let them chase me, and then I will lose them. Find the others, join them or go to the packhouse. Now, do as I say!"

Her command blasted through to him, and he instantly replied, "Luna!"

Now she knew Finn was away; she didn't stay in hiding and emerged to see the hunters were but a meter from the first SUV. The van was the furthest away.

Silas clapped his hands as though he was applauding her. "I must say, I didn't expect that shapeshifter to turn up, but now you're all alone.. Do I really need to wrap some chains around you to keep you subdued? Or will you come to us, your tail between your legs.."

Clint smirked next to him, but she couldn't help her own smirk crawl up her face. "Silas.. Did you really expect me to come to you willingly?" Aila widened her stance slowly, something none of the hunters noticed except Clint, whose eyes scrutinised her, making her nearly recoil and feel sick.

Silas stepped forward, his hands fisted by his sides, "ENOUGH!" He roared. His voice made her flinch, sending a jolt of fear through her, reminding her of the time spent in the cell. Silas started walking towards her with Clint by his side, who held some chains in his hands, looking at her like she was a new toy.

"Aila"

"Aila…"

"AILA!" Malia screamed through her mind. Aila had stilled in fear, like a deer in headlights. But her wolf brought her back to the present, and Aila smirked again.

"Sorry, mate, but I don't take orders from anyone. If you want me.. come and get me!" She raised her voice before turning away and instantly shifting. Though it took longer than expected, and it was excruciating. Her wound in her back was still yet to heal correctly, and the silver must have slowed it down like how wolfsbane acted.

As soon as Aila saw her snout growing before in front of her eyes, she set off. Her paws started pounding against the wet earth; she didn't know where she was going, but it was as far away as possible. Just as she was beginning to think of where to lead the hunters, Ajax mind-linked her.

"Do you know where Chester is?"

Aila looked around, wondering how he could still mind-link her. Then she looked up to the skies and saw a falcon flying near the peaks of the mountains.

"Yes," She replied.

"It's not too far, maybe two days away if you kept running throughout the night. Can you do that?" Ajax asked again.

"I'll be fine." Aila looked back after hearing the sounds of engines roaring through the mountains behind her. She kept her speed to that of an average werewolf's so as not to lose the hunters just yet.

"I'll be here with you the whole time.. Although it was quite hard getting Gabriel to agree.. I swear he is more stubborn than he was in the cells-"

"Ajax. It's not safe for you to be with me," Aila interrupted as she picked up her pace again after feeling the heat of a bullet land just behind her back paw.

Shit!

Her back was throbbing already from the running, but her motivation at keeping everyone safe was stronger than that of a stupid knife wound.

"I mean, it fricken hurts, Aila," Malia moaned.

"Yeah.. I know.." Aila rolled her eyes.

Ajax interrupted her little conversation with her wolf. "I'll be in the sky and only swoop in when you need help. I can guide you on where to go as well.. Oh my! Like I'm your personal sat nav! Like toggle maps, but instead, it's Ajax maps! Turn left… make a U-Turn!"

Aila shook her head at the laughter from her wolf and Ajax trying to lighten her mood. The further she was getting away from the pack, the tighter her chest felt. It wasn't the pack causing her heart to pinch and the tears to fall from her eyes. It was her mate.

Damon.

Aila was getting further away from him even as she felt his anger, his crushing sadness at her leaving and the pain he was still feeling. She had blocked him from her mind so she could concentrate and so he couldn't tell she was injured. But from the waves of emotions rolling through her, he certainly knew now, and he was seething.

".. It could be a little road trip, minus a few bumps in the road and the occasional gunshot. Ha!"

While her heart was breaking, Ajax was still chatting away to her as though she was not being chased by an angry group of hunters.

This was going to be a long couple of days.

BANG! BANG!

"Pay attention, Aila!" Malia roared through her mind. Aila muttered about Ajax distracting her with his consistent chatter but leapt down from a boulder and changed direction.

She was leading them away, but it didn't mean she would put up with the gunshots. They might actually hit her. Her heart was pounding in her chest, her legs going just as quick as she made it out of the mountains and ran through the fields following them.

A howl erupted in the distance, making the earth shake beneath her paws, and she found herself stopping and looking back. Even as the cars in the distance came closer, Aila looked to the mountains and tilted her head back, crying back to her mate as she looked to the sky. It was the longest howl she had released so far; she hoped Damon could hear her plea to stay safe and that she loved him.

Her head lowered, and she turned her back on the mountains, her pack and her mate. The weight of her choice crushed her chest, and already she could feel the burning sensation of her mark.