The Lycan King and his Dark Temptation novel Chapter 368

NARRATOR

Aldo hoisted Gordon onto his back like a sack of potatoes, while Tomas carried the remaining crate.

Now, more than ever, they needed to find out exactly what this dangerous magic was. They ran nonstop, communicating mentally the entire time.

No matter what, if they kept going like this, they’d be captured.

“Leave me behind, damn it! Get out of here! If you stay, they’ll take you prisoner too! Warn the Duchy!”

“Shut up, damn it!” Tomas shouted at Gordon. He dropped the crate, placing it at the river’s edge.

This area was deep, the currents strong enough to drag the crate and the injured man away. But they didn’t dare throw themselves in and try to swim across.

"Climb on—quickly! Try to reach the other side and find help, go!" Aldo lowered him from his back.

Gordon could barely stand, but he pushed through.

"No, no, let’s all go—wait!" Gordon protested, realizing their intentions. Aldo and Tomas couldn’t waste time explaining.

"We can take care of ourselves. The crate won’t hold all our weight. Tell our support to meet us at the Alcas Mountains—NOW GO!"

They shoved him into the current, Gordon lying flat over the crate, clinging to the edges for dear life—and his life literally depended on it.

His situation wasn’t safe either—the waters of this river were treacherous and deadly. All they could do was pray that he made it across with the evidence they had fought so hard to obtain.

"I’ll find help!" Gordon shouted, vanishing into the darkness, carried away by the river’s furious currents.

"Aldo, I hear the dogs!"

"We need to throw them off! Run back into the forest!"

With their pursuers right on their heels, the two men darted into the dense shadows of the woods—where they could shift.

Two legs became four.

Their muscular bodies were replaced with swift, powerful wolves, their forms melting into the wild surroundings.

Still, they couldn’t outrun the hounds forever. The pack leading the mounted hunters wouldn’t be so easily fooled.

A massive red-and-white Alpha wolf led the escape, with a smaller, tawny-colored wolf close behind.

They aimed for the snowy mountain pass. It was dangerous, a perilous route filled with predators—but they wouldn’t go in deep.

They just needed to hide long enough for their hunters to give up.

"NO, NO, NO!" Aldo snarled, his wolf’s legs numb from running at full speed.

"Aldo, the pass is blocked! There must have been an avalanche!"

His wolf’s pupils narrowed at the sight of the canyon—completely obstructed by a massive pile of snow and rocks.

They had gambled everything on this route. Now, there were only two choices—move forward or turn back.

Then, in a split second, something flickered in Aldo’s wolf eyes. A sharp beam of light pierced the sky, breaking through the dark clouds above.

He blinked, irritated, his wolf shaking its head—but that motion made him notice something.

Half-hidden behind a large boulder, covered in thick shrubs, there was a shadowy opening.

A gruta—a cave entrance. The moonlight shone directly on it, revealing it at just the right moment. Aldo didn’t hesitate.

He lunged at Tomas, shoving him toward the canyon’s edge with his muzzle.

"Run to that cave before they find us—RUN, TOMAS!" His urgency snapped Tomas into action.

The smaller wolf sprang toward the rocky outcrop, claws scraping against the hard surface, kicking up dust as he leapt over the ledge—then disappeared into the narrow crevice.

Sure enough—there was a path inside. A tight, suffocating tunnel leading deep into the mountains.

Tomas forced his body through, not caring what horrors lurked in the pitch-black depths. The stench of damp earth, rot, and decay assaulted his nose—but he had no choice.

Behind him, Aldo forced his own larger wolf body through the tight opening. Jagged rocks tore into his flanks, leaving bloody scratches along his fur.

He considered shifting back, but there was no time—his only thought was hiding before the riders arrived.

The moment his tail vanished into the cave, their pursuers arrived at the canyon’s end.

"Where are those damn bastards?! Find them! SEARCH EVERYWHERE!"