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Scarlet hid behind her arled up, coating Wolf’s chin and neck, dribbling down onto the le was quick to drain out of hi the dead body slurasped the stair railing and hauled herself up the flight Running, half li up the steps

The lobby was still deserted Her feet splashed through the puddle in the center of the room as she ran for the doors Doors that would lead to the street To freedoh the exit The cool evening air engulfed her as she pounded down the stairs to the e the open square for help

She saw no one

No one

The door slammed open behind her before it had time to close and she stumbled blindly across the street In the distance, she saoed her feet to move faster, to fly She suddenly felt like she could take off and soar over the concrete If she could just reach the woman, just use her port to call for help--

And then another figure appeared Another ait abnormally fast He sped into the alley and a moment later the woman’s terrified scream screeched across the square, and was cut short

A howl erupted from the sareet it, and another, and another, filling the twilight with bloodthirsty cries

Terror and hopelessness choked Scarlet all at once and she fell, silt and concrete digging into her pal, drenched with sweat, she rolled onto her back Wolf had stopped running, but he still ca toward her withalmost as hard as she was

So started

Wolf did not join them

His attention was all for Scarlet, cold and sharp and hungry The pain was clear The fury was clearer

She scra palms

Wolf paused as he reached the center of the intersection He was silhouetted by the

She saw his Watched as he curled and uncurled his fingers His jaorked as if to take in a bigger gulp of air

She could see his fight His struggle As clearly as she could see the animal--the wolf--in him As clearly as she could still see the ue was parched She tried to wet her dry lips and tasted blood "What have they done to you?"

"You" The as spat out at her, full of hatred "What have you done tostep toward her and she scooted away, pushing at the ground with the heels of her shoes, but it was useless In the blink of an eye he had crouched down over her, knocking her onto her elboithout even having to touch her His hands hit the ground on either side of her head

Scarlet gaped up at eyes that now seelow in the dark His ore She could smell blood on hient to her, she couldn’t irowled and lowered his nose to her neck

Sniffing

"I know you don’t want to hurt ainst her jaw His breath caressed her collarbone

"You helpedtear escaped down her cheek

The tips of his hair, wild and ed"

Her heart fluttered like a firefly with athe cla was holding him back He could have killed her already, but he hadn’t

She gulped "You protected me from Ran--it wasn’t so you could kill h my head"

"I know you’re different froaze to the enormous moon over the skyline Reminded herself that this was not a monster This was Wolf, the man who had held her so tenderly on the train The iven her the ID chip to help her escape "You said you never wanted to scare ainst her Scarlet shivered, but forced her body not to shrink away Instead, she gulped and brought her hands up to his face Stroking her thuainst Wolf’s tele his head back just far enough that she could see his eyes His lips curled into a snarl, but she held his gaze

"Stop this, Wolf You’re not one of them anymore"

His broitched, but his resentment seemed to fade His expression held pain and desperation and er--but not for her "He’s in rowl "Scarlet I can’t--"

He looked away, face scrunching