𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤

30. "In the midst of darkness, light persists."

I scanned our surroundings to see if we were heading towards anything that would give us the upper hand.

"The river." I pointed out to Gabriel with a panicky edge to my voice. "We can swim over, that could slow them down." Although wolves were comfortable in the water, with a rushing river and high currents, we would have an advantage in our agile human forms.

Gabriel set me on my feet when we got to the river bank, and I quickly followed his lead as we stepped over the rocks along the edge of the river and into the bitter-cold water. Gabriel grabbed my hand, as he pulled me through the undercurrents. His hand was rough and very warm.

The river was fast, and if it wasn't for Gabriel's hold I was sure it would have swept me away in seconds. I was too afraid to look back and instead entirely focused on my footing, but I could hear them behind us, jumping into the water.

My adrenaline kicked in. Shaking with the need to escape, I wanted to move faster despite my exhaustion reaching its peak, but the rushing currents quelled my desperation.

Only when the ground plateaued and the ground squelched beneath our feet did we slow down, and soon we reached the other end of the river.

Gabriel climbed over first, and I waited for him to grab me, but a sudden movement caught my eye.

"Gabriel," I tried to say, to warn him, but it was more of a whimper.

A wolf covered in blood crept through the dense undergrowth. Its eyes were cold and its teeth bared, as it approached us, slowly, and cautiously.

"It's just Castiel." The fear in my voice made him smirk as he pulled me out of the river with one hand.

I fell to my knees, watching Castiel stand between us and the oncoming army of wolves who were struggling to cross through the rushing currents.

I glanced up at the sound of Manuel stepping out from the darkness. He was shirtless and was buttoning up his shorts.

"Alpha, we've got rid of them," Manuel spoke, his eyes flickering down to my shaking figure. "We're waiting for your orders."

Gabriel looked up at the sky with a flare of his nostrils. A storm was brewing, the clouds darkening around us.

"Tell them to clean this mess up when Castiel's done." Gabriel's voice was deep and commanding. "I'm getting her out of here." He stared at me calmly, crossing his arms over his bare chest.

Suddenly, he was crouching down in front of me, cocking his head as his eyes washed over me. "You okay?" His eyes paced between mine.

"I'm okay," I nodded, my mouth dry.

In one swift movement, he leapt to his feet and pulled me up with him. Muscles rippled down his arms, flexed on his bare chest, and tensed under his tight tanned skin.