<b>Chapter </b><b>96</b><b>: </b><b>Night </b><b>Pursult </b><b>and </b><b>Deadly </b><b>Hunt </b>
<b>Chapter </b><b>96</b>: Night Pursuit and Deadly Hunt
<b>(</b>Olivia’s POV)
The ck Bugatti sped along the Northern Territory rural highway, the scenery outside the window receding rapidly. My heart was tightly drawn, my face pale as I gripped the seat belt, my amber eyes wide with <b>fear</b>.
<b>“</b>Con, Alpha Connor, slow down.”
The speedometer needle quivered at dangerous speeds. My wolf Cora whimpered inside me, sensing <b>the </b>reckless pace.
Connor Rivers sat rigid behind the wheel, his jaw tense and the lines of his profile hard. He showed obvious signs of being in a bad mood as he stared ahead, his wolf’s instincts on high alert.
His knuckles were white against the steering wheel. The muscles in his forearms strained beneath his rolled–up sleeves.
Despite not responding directly, Connor gradually decreased his speed, easing my anxiety. The car’s engine
settled into a steadier rumble.
Gazing out the window, I noticed the unfamiliar surroundings. We weren’t heading towards Whisperbrook
Gardens or the Rivers Pack Mansion.
My wolf grew uneasy, sensing something amiss. Thendscape looked wrong, too rural, too isted.
“Con, where are we going?” I asked, my voice tight with concern.
Connor’s ice–blue eyes remained fixed on the road ahead. His jaw worked silently for a moment before he
answered.
“Whisperbrook Gardens has beenpromised. It’s no longer safe for you,” he replied with a cold voice that made my heart sink.
The words hit me like a physical blow. My safe haven, my sanctuary, was no longer mine.
“I’m taking you to a manor outside the city to lie low for a few days,” Connor continued, his tone clipped and professional. “I’lle pick you upter, after I’ve dealt with things.”
pressed him about the distance, worry creeping into my voice. “How far is it?”
“It’s not far,” he assured me curtly. His response felt rehearsed, automatic.
“Someone will be waiting ahead to escort you. The car will be filled with professional Rivers pack enforcers for your protection.”
Concerned, I immediately questioned his ns. The separation felt wrong, dangerous.
“What about you? What are you going to do?”
Connor dismissed my worries with a wave of his hand. “Don’t worry about me, Livvy.”
But I could see the tension in his shoulders. His wolf was as agitated as mine.
The car continued its journey through increasingly deste terrain. Gradually, the city’s towering buildings
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Chapter 96 <b>Night </b><b>Pursuit </b>
<b>gave </b><b>way </b><b>to </b><b>smaller </b><b>houses </b><b>and </b><b>empty </bndscapes.
<b>The </b><b>road </b>was nked by lush greenery, <b>offering </b>a refreshing view. But my wolf <b>remained </b>on <b>edge</b><b>, </b><b>hackles </b><b>raised </b><b>in </b>warning.
<b>Something </b>felt wrong. The speed, the tension radiating from Connor<b>–</b><b>it </b><b>all </b><b>made </b><b>my </b><b>instincts </b>scream danger.
<b>Trees </b>blurred past the windows in dark streaks. The road stretched endlessly ahead, swallowed <b>by </b>shadows. Connor informed me that we would soon be stopping. “A little further ahead, you’ll get out of the <b>car </b><b>with </b>them, Livvy.”
His voice carried finality that made my stomach clench. This felt like goodbye.
I nced back through the rear window, puzzled by the absence of our usual security detail. The <b>road </b>behind us was empty, no protective convoy in sight.
“Aren’t we supposed to have bodyguards with us? I thought we always did.”
Connor’s expression darkened further. His grip on the steering wheel tightened until his knuckles cracked.
“I noticed someone tailing us after leaving the hospital,” he exined in a deep voice that made my stomach clench. “<b>I </b>sped up to lose them.”
The revtion sent ice through my veins. We were being hunted.
“The bodyguards were likely left behind during the pursuit.”
I felt a knot tighten in my stomach, my wolf sensing imminent danger. The istion suddenly felt like a trap.
“Will you be in danger when you go back then?”
Connor’s jaw worked silently. His wolf was fighting for control beneath the surface.
Just then, Connor’s cell phone vibrated against the dashboard. The sound cut through the tension like a
knife.
With the car slowing, he answered the call with one hand. His voice was strained when he spoke.
On the other end, a Rivers pack enforcer spoke urgently. “Alpha Connor, where are you and Luna–to–be Olivia? We lost you.”
The panic in the enforcer’s voice made my blood run cold. Even his own pack couldn’t find us.
Connor began <i>to </i>respond, his voice tight. “I’m at-<b>” </b>
Before he could finish, a loud “Bang!” echoed through the night air. The sound of metal striking metal rang out as a bullet struck the car.
My heart stopped. The world seemed to slow as terror flooded through me.
Simultaneously, a ck Aston Martin appeared in the rearview mirror like a predator emerging from the shadows. Its headlights cut through the darkness behind us.
Connor swerved sharply, his Alpha reflexes kicking in. The car lurched violently to the left.
He narrowly avoided a shot aimed at the tires. The bullet hit the car body instead, <b>the </b>impact reverberating through the frame.
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<i>20 </i>Nught Pursuit
I instinctively cried out, my voice high with fear. “Connor!”
Connor pushed me down with one powerful arm, his body shielding mine. “Livvy, watch out<b>!</b>”
As <b>Connor </b>pushed me down, a bullet grazed above my head. The air discement from the projectile ruffled my hair.
I would have died if not for his quick action. The bullet plerced the passenger seat and struck the windshield, creating a spider web of cracks.
The sound of shattering ss filled the car. Cold wind rushed through the hole<b>, </b>carrying the scent of gunpowder and danger.
Despite Connor’s car being equipped with bulletproof ss, the attacker was using an M82A1 Heavy Sniper Rifle. The military–grade weapon rendered our protection useless.
I huddled in the footwell, trembling with fear. My wolf whimpered inside me, recognizing the scent of death.
I’d narrowly escaped death yet again. The reality of it crashed over me like a wave.
At that moment, I fully grasped Frederick Warner’s murderous intent. He was aplete madman to use heavy weaponry so openly in Northern Territory.
“He’s trying to kill us,” I whispered, my voice barely audible over the wind.
(Connor’s POV)
Faced with the sudden emergency, I remained calm, my Alpha presence filling the car. Every instinct screamed at me to protect my mate.
“They came prepared,” I said, my voice low and urgent. The weight of the situation settled on my shoulders
like lead.
“Livvy, stay down.”
Regret flooded through me like poison. My carelessness had put Olivia in danger again.
My brow furrowed, my ice–blue eyes filled with fury. The rage built inside me, my wolf howling for blood.
I should have anticipated this. I should have brought more protection.
I elerated, the engine roaring as I pushed it to its limits. The car surged forward with desperate speed.
I expertly maneuvered the car to avoid another shot aimed at the driver’s seat. The bullet whistled past my window, missing by inches.
A third shot struck the rearview mirror, shattering it into a thousand pieces. ss rained down on the
dashboard.
Olivia was thrown about by my evasive maneuvers, hitting her head against the door. I heard her sharp intake
of breath.
“I’m sorry, Livvy. Hold on tight.”
Behind us, two cars were in pursuit like wolves hunting prey. The ck Aston Martin and a ck Porsche 918 followed relentlessly.
The passenger in the Porsche 918 was wielding the M82A1 Heavy Sniper Rifle. I could see the barrel protruding from the window.
unapter 96: Night Pursuit.
I slowed slightly<b>, </b>calcting my next move. The Aston Martin pulled alongside us<b>, </b>its driver’s <b>face </b><b>masked </b><b>In </b>shadow.
I suddenly raised my Shadowfang pistol with my right hand while steering with my left. My aim was <b>steady </b>despite the speed.
I fired three rapid shots, striking the driver of the Aston Martin. The bullets found their mark through the side window.
The car veered wildly, its driver slumping over the wheel. It crashed into the guardrail with a thunderous impact, metal screaming against metal.
Sparks flew as the vehicle ground along the barrier before finallying to rest. Steam rose from the crumpled hood.
The Porsche 918 driver slowed down, startled by his partner’s fate. I seized the opportunity like a predator striking.
I fired several shots from my Shadowfang at the pursuing vehicle. The bullets shattered the windshield in a cascade of ss.
The shots found their mark. The Porsche lost control, swerving wildly across the road.
It plunged off the cliff, disappearing into the darkness below. The sound of impact echoed from the ravine.
Olivia remained huddled in the footwell, unaware of the c*****e outside. She only heard the sounds of
crashes and breaking ss.
Her wolf sensed the shift in the fight. The immediate danger had passed.
Finally free from pursuit, I elerated again. My heart pounded as adrenaline coursed through my veins.
After confirming we were safe, I allowed myself to rx slightly. “Okay, Livvy, you can get up now.”
Olivia slowly sat up, her face white with lingering fear. Her amber eyes were wide with shock.
I slowed the car to a reasonable speed, nced at her, and she seemed terrified. Guilt crashed over me like a
wave.
“Was that Frederick Warner himself?” Olivia asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
I shook my head, my jaw still clenched with rage. “He probably wouldn’t get his hands dirty just yet.”
The coward preferred to send others to do his killing. It was the way of exiled wolves.
“The one with the gun was likely Victor Frost, a mercenary sniper he brought from ckmoor Territory,” I exined, my voice hard with anger.
“Someone who can handle that kind of weapon.”
Olivia remained shaken, her body covered in cold sweat. Her wolf was still trembling inside her.
“He really is a madman,” she whispered, her voice hollow with realization.
I felt guilt crushing down on me, heavier than any physical weight. “I’m sorry, Livvy. Because of me, you’ve been put in danger again.”
The words tasted bitter in my mouth. Every time I tried to protect her, she ended up in more danger.
t.
Perhaps, I should seriously consider what Richard Winters had said…