The Faltered Bond | Book #1 [Werewolf]

Chapter 30 | Escape

I can hardly hold back the barks building in my throat, my tail wagging so fiercely the fur along my sides lifts with the wind.

He's here.

I charge the wall, nearly slamming into it before skidding to a halt. My eyes lock through the narrow hole-just enough to see the flash of pale fur, the piercing shimmer of an icy blue eye.

A sharp whimper escapes Cade, his snout pressing desperately against the opening, as if trying to push through to reach me. His breath fogs the air between us, the soft, guttural sounds of longing and frustration filling the narrow space.

I don't hesitate.

Without thinking, I shift—bones crackling, limbs reshaping. The cold wind lashes at my bare skin, the bark bites into my arms, but I don't care.

I force my arm through the splintered hole, ignoring the sting, reaching out until my fingers sink into the thick warmth of his pelt.

"Cade!" My voice catches between a laugh and a cry. "I'm here-I'm here!"

He presses into my touch, large and trembling. His tongue grazes the top of my head, a desperate, reverent motion, and then his massive head nudges against my palm, as if anchoring both of us in this moment.

"I knew you'd come," I whisper, voice trembling.

His only answer is a low, rumbling whine that vibrates through the wood. For a moment, we just hold there—my hand in his fur, his head pressed against my palm, hearts beating in fragile sync.

But reality crashes back in like ice.

We have to move.

I pull away, my voice sharp with urgency. "Cade. We've got to get the others out of here—Jace, Angel, the pack. I don't know how much time I have before they come back for me—"

CRACK.

A loud slam shakes the wall behind me, splinters flying as Cade rams into the wall. I stagger back in shock, jaw nearly unhinged.

"Cade—!"

But he doesn't stop.

Another bone-jarring thud, his massive form slamming against the trunk, claws scraping wildly at the wood. I hear the hitch in his breath, the pain as he yelps mid-strike, but it doesn't deter him.

A guttural growl erupts from his chest—deeper, darker, more feral than before. He tears at the bark with savage determination, muscles straining, blood smearing across the broken edge as splinters rain down.

I press a hand to the wood, breathless, eyes wide as cracks begin to crawl like veins across its surface.

"Cade... don't kill yourself doing this." My voice is a whisper, hoarse with awe and fear.

Only a growl replies to my words—but it’s enough. A low, guttural sound that tells me everything: Stand back. Let me handle this.

Splinters fly as Cade hurls himself at the wooden wall, claws raking deep grooves into the grain. His massive form slams into it again and again, each impact reverberating through the ground beneath my feet. Dust spills from the cracks above. I press myself against the far corner, heart thundering, barely able to breathe.

Snarls tear from his throat as he lunges again, this time with more force—more fury. The prison groans. Cracks spider along the frame.

And then—
Boom.
The wall shatters.

Wood explodes in a hail of debris as Cade bursts through, a storm of fur, muscle, and fury silhouetted in the dim light.

When he finally pulls himself inside, his paws stagger on the floor, his massive frame trembling with exhaustion. My breath catches, worried he might collapse—but instead, he takes one more step forward and presses his muzzle into my back, gently pulling me against his chest.