Page 52 of Broken By Her Mate
He didn’t answer, just took off and swerved onto the main road. Laila’s body swayed with each sharp turn. “Tolliver.”
His hands were tight on the steering wheel, and his eyes focused on the road. “Benny sent an alert. He and Francisco had a run-in with a few wolves—none of ours. They attacked and tried to get to the house. It’s safe to say they’re after you.”
Laila’s heart started to pound wildly against her rib cage.
Holy shit, I really am being hunted,she thought miserably. She had hoped that wasn’t the case, but it was obvious now. What did this Jonas Mercer guy want with her? Her racing thoughts then shifted to Tolliver’s friends. From what she learned, the two were junior members of the Black Ops. “Ohmy gosh, Benny and Francisco… are they okay? We should go back and make sure they are.”
Tolliver grunted. “They can hold their own, trust me.”
There was a note of respect in his voice that wasn’t there for just anyone. The junior members must have been quite impressive to have earned Tolliver’s approval so fast. However, that was little comfort to her. She didn’t want anyone getting hurt on her account.
Although she couldn’t see the danger, there was a sense of urgency in the air. But not once did Tolliver seem to panic. His calm demeanor did little to ease her rising anxiety as the car sped down the empty road. Tolliver’s hands were white-knuckled on the wheel, his eyes scanning the landscape like a predator expecting an ambush.
He muttered a curse when a dark figure hurtled from the woods ahead and skidded into the road. Laila gasped and clutched the dashboard as the car slowed slightly and did a complete spin. Despite Tolliver’s expert maneuver, they still weren’t home free because a heavy thud rattled the roof.
Laila let out a surprised shriek as lethal claws plunged through the metal, narrowly missing Tolliver’s shoulder by a hair’s breadth.
“Motherfucker,”Tolliver growled, glancing up.
If Laila hadn’t been too busy freaking out, she would have been amused because Tolliver sounded more annoyed than frightened. Then again, she supposed he was used to that kind of action, and that didn’t sit well with her. He jammed on the brake, and whatever had landed on the roof hurtled forward. It rolled and sprang to its feet. The headlights illuminated a large wolf, its eyes glowing with deadly intent.
Before Tolliver could even shift the car into gear to get them out of there, something rammed into the side of the vehicle, flipping it. Her scream got stuck in her throat as the world spun in a disorienting blur.
She vaguely felt hands on her and then the sound of her seatbelt snapping loose. Tolliver’s hands locked around her waist with an iron grip. Before she could fully process what was happening, she felt herself yanked from the confines of the car. Tolliver’s speed and strength were more than her mind could keep up with, and she had to wonder just how rigorous the Black Ops training was. The windshield shattered as he launched them through it. She barely registered the impact of their bodies hitting the ground because Tolliver’s arms cocooned her, and his body absorbed the brunt of the fall. A sharp grunt escaped him as they rolled across the ground, but his hold on her was unyielding even when they came to a stop.
When she opened her eyes, she saw the car scrunched up between two boulders. It resembled a crushed tin can. Laila’s stomach lurched at the sight of it. Wolf shifters had the gift of super-fast healing, but had they still been in that car, they would have suffered a lot of pain and many broken bones. Who knew what would have happened to her unborn child?
She gazed down at Tolliver with gratitude, glad that one of them was skilled and fast thinking in a time of danger. Worry instantly seeped in because his eyes were closed. “Tolliver? Hey, are you okay?”
“I need a minute,” he groaned as his eyes fluttered open. He looked dazed, and her concern amplified.
“Oh, no, you’re hurt.”
“I might need a doctor after this,” he agreed, with a hint of humor in his voice.
Laila let out a relieved laugh. If he was joking around, it meant he’d be fine. She almost choked on her laugh when she glanced around and saw the three massive wolves that had ambushed their car circling them. “Erm… Tolliver? You know that minute you said you needed? We don’t have that much time.”
He looked around, his eyes much sharper now. He scrambled to his feet and pulled Laila up with him. “They’re likely trying to kill me so they can take you,” he said, shoving her behind him. “We can work with that.”
“What?” she hissed. Clearly, he had hit his head during the fall.
“When they attack me, you run like hell,” he instructed. “Don’t stop until you find Benny and Francisco. They’re around here somewhere.
“I am not leaving you.”
“Laila…”
“No.”
“For the love of the gods, woman. Now is not the time to be combative.”
“Don’t you woman me,” she returned. “I can help you fight.”
No!Her wolf’s shock reverberated through her.You must avoid shifting at all costs.
The reminder hit Laila hard. Elena told her how dangerous shifting during pregnancy was for the baby. But she couldn’t leave Tolliver to take on three murderous shifters. The dilemma had her paralyzed as the wolves crept closer. Tolliver adjusted his stance, placing himself squarely between Laila and their attackers.
“I won’t run,” she said firmly. Even if she couldn’t shift, she still had her strength, and she’d fight by his side. He glanced at her and let out a resigned sigh. It was too late for her to run at that point, anyway.