Liam, Toni Griffin [freda ebook reader .TXT] 📗

tender age of nineteen. Declan wanted to witness his brother's journey into manhood.

Would anyone tell Tommy what happened? Or

would he go the rest of his life without being aware. Would he believe his brother dead or would he think Declan had abandoned him? Declan didn't know which option would be worse.

Silently vowing neither of those things would happen, Declan put on another burst of speed and ran.

He had no idea how long he'd journeyed, but it had to have been several hours. The sounds of pursuit were distant, but still there. He stopped for a moment to rest and catch his breath. Listening intently, he could just make out the echoes of those following him. It sounded like there were only two of them now. More than likely the Alpha had sent his Betas to do his dirty work. Kegan Wallis wouldn't want to be involved in a long drawn out chase through the forest. Plus, he had to get back. What would the pack say if the Alpha and both betas suddenly disappeared?

Deciding two should be easier than three to outrun, Declan took off again. He had no idea in which direction he headed. He hadn't had a great deal of time to visit the area surrounding Cairns so didn't know any of the landmarks, not that he had come across any yet.

Declan stopped every time he found a stream of water, not only to drink, but he also walked through or swam across the cool water in hopes of losing those following him.

The sun had risen and resided high in the sky, meaning he had been running all night and well into the next day. Declan lost count of the number of streams and rivers he had crossed in the forest covered hills. He stopped hearing sounds of pursuit some time ago, but wouldn't stop and rest in case Gregory and Barry were still on his tail. He hoped he'd lost them but didn't want to risk it just yet, so he trudged on.

Fatigue barrelled through him, the adrenaline long since gone. Exhausted and hungry, his paws hurt from travelling for so long and not being able to rest properly, and even with his thick fur coat the constant in-and-out of frigid waterways made him cold; he hadn't had a chance to dry completely which caused the numbing temperature to seep into his skin.

Nothing compared to the concern he felt for his younger brother. Looking at the sky, he would guess the time to be somewhere close to noon. Tommy must be worried sick about the fact he hadn't come home yet. He hoped to Christ Alpha Wallis hadn't gone after his brother.

He didn't really think it a possibility but then again, he was batting a thousand with things he didn't think were possible lately.

Declan stopped for a short break and lapped at the chilly water in the stream. He sat and watched a couple of platypi swimming lazily, wishing he could be just as carefree at the moment. He decided it couldn't hurt to continue on for another hour or so, or at least until he got to a decent sized town and could find out where the hell he'd ended up. Declan pushed his tired and aching body to continue forward.

The only noises Declan heard were the natural ones of a forest. Trees swayed in the breeze, their leaves rustling. The occasional bandicoot and echidna scurried about looking for food. And even the intermittent larger creatures like kangaroos moved about.

Perking up at an echo through the dense trees, Declan stood still and listened. He had never been so happy in his life to hear the steady hum of a motor and the heavy thud of tyres moving over bitumen. Once certain he could pinpoint the location the sound originated, Declan took off in that direction.

Less than five minutes later he came to the edge of the forest and cautiously poked his head around the trees that lined the road. He wasn't stupid, he realised wolves weren't exactly native to the area. He didn't want to startle someone when they were driving at high speeds and cause an accident. Declan looked left and right down the black asphalt, but couldn't see anything in either direction. The lack of signage annoyed him greatly as he really would have loved to know how far he had travelled and where he'd ended up. Not knowing which way would lead to the closest town, Declan decided heading away from where he had been coming from would be his best bet.

Ducking fully back under the canopy of trees, Declan followed the road. The occasional car went flying past, but Declan ignored them, continuing on until he finally looked through the trees and saw a sign.

Atherton 5km Declan breathed a sigh of relief, finally knowing his location. He honestly didn't know if it would be far enough away from Cairns to hide or if he would have to keep moving. Too exhausted to think about it, he decided he needed food and rest before he could make any decisions.

CHAPTER 2

Liam Anderson pulled his beat up old truck into the driveway of his modest three bedroom home and shut off the engine. He couldn't quite shake the odd sensation he'd had for the past year. He felt restless, as if waiting for something to happen but he didn't know what.

As a Beta to Benjamin Taylor, the Panneath Alpha of Australia, Liam's life would never be described as dull.

The Panneath Alpha didn't only have his own pack to run, he also oversaw all the other Alphas in the country. Ben made a great leader and the Australian packs had prospered since he'd come to the position. Liam felt privileged to count him as one of his closest friends. But Liam still felt as though a small part of him remained missing. He wanted, above all else, to find his mate.

The feeling started about a year ago when Jake Richmond, the Beta from the