~Wren~Jade is propped up against the headboard of my bed, flipping through a book. She glances up briefly before closing it and setting it to the side as she watches me closely. I have always tried to hide my emotions and put on a stoic face, and sometimes, I can be successful when the dire need arises, but right now, I can tell I’m failing. My mind reels from the truth that just unfolded itself in my lap. I don’t know how to process the information or what to do with it.“You seem… tense,” Jade says, treading lightly.“We need to leave immediately,” I say, ignoring her, choosing to thrust myself into other problems. There is no time to think about the secrets I know about my mate and can’t share with him. I have no time to waste to get where I need to be before everything comes tumbling down.I move to my closet, pulling out two spare pants, a spare se
Jade and I stare down at Nickolai and Tank, offering them a small victorious wave before we turn our backs. The thought of being out in the open is unsettling, so I move for the tree line to my left, remembering the two rogues who stood in the shadows of these trees after tossing me supplies to help Sebastian. They didn’t have to help, yet they put themselves in danger to give me medicines to help stave off infection. “Do you know where you are going?” Jade asks. “Uh, not really. I’m just kind of relying on instinct here.” I admit, pushing a branch full of leaves from my face. “I thought you knew where we were going.” She says, sounding mildly accusatory. “I know where we are supposed to be. Getting there is something that might be a little difficult.” I admit. She sighs beside me. I assume she is regretting her decision to come along with me now. “And exactl
The world around me seems like a damn right kerfuffle. The child is screaming bloody murder as a fist lands square in my jaw. Tears brim my eyes as I try to gain my bearings. My fingers grab frantically for anything it can cling to. The moment I latch on, I pull the person toward me, hoping to pull them off balance as I draw my legs up. Without clear vision, I plant my feet on what I hope is a torso and not just one leg and I heave, grunting with pained effort as I throw the person off me. A hand grabs mine and yanks me up, placing their hands on my shoulder and spinning me. My vision slowly bleeds back to me through the wetness of my own tears, and I focus on the woman in front of me and the man to her right. To their right lays a dead wolf, its eyes still open and blank. The little boy has dragged himself to a tree further off, covering his face and begging for death. “Which one of you assholes hit me?” I growl. “That would be the tall asshole,” Jade announces beside me, indicatin
~Sebastian~It took all of three minutes for us to eliminate the threat in the cave. Thankfully, we had the wolves outnumbered, seven to five. I didn’t even have time to take one out myself. As it turns out, our allies were tired of being cooped up, and a fight had been exactly what they needed to get their moods turned around.Luna Cynthia had a lot of pent-up rage to take out since her mate’s untimely death and holy shit. Is she scary? I have fought my fair share of rogues or random idiots who dare try to fight with our pack in the past, but never have I come across a woman with so much anger in her. In the calm flickering of the fire, she looks docile, almost innocent as she shrouds herself in silence, listening to the buzz of excitement from the fight. But she is anything but that.“Are all the Thundering Comet pack warriors so weak?” Alpha Kaïs asks, walking back towards us after tossi
I’m suffocating. There are no words, no line for me to cling to in this sea of lies. I try to force my brain to work, telling it that her admission does nothing, means nothing. I have gained nothing and lost nothing, so why am I incapable of uttering a damn word? Nickolai reaches out for me, his hands falling on my shoulders. I can hear the timbre of his voice, but his words sound distant. A rough shake has me sucking in a deep breath for the first time since Luna uttered the words ‘yes’.“Seb, you need to breathe,” Nickolai says, his voice slamming into me like a wall, pulling me back to the world of the living.“I am breathing,” I snarl at him.I’m sitting. I glance around at the floor, my legs bent and angled to sit in the chair across from the Alpha’s desk. Huh, not sure at what point I sank into this chair, but I’m grateful for it now.
I grab extra clothes and shoes for Avi, stuffing them in a separate bag. He came here with nothing and hasn’t been here long enough to acquire anything more than what he was wearing and the pajama items he wore while he slept. Thankfully Nickolai and Avi are similar in build, though the shirts and pants might be a little oversized they will make do considering we aren’t trying to please anyone. I already stored food and water in one of the hummers I intend to steal. Well, borrow. Ok steal, the chances of it making its way back are slim. The door opens behind me and I toss the bag off the bed and stand, waiting for the person to step in completely. The moment I see Tank’s large frame enter and close the door behind him, I scowl. “No knocking?” “I have never knocked before. Why? doing something stupid?” He raises a brow. “Unlikely,” I grumble, t
~Wren~It may sound a little dramatic, but—I am dying. This child looked so small before but now that he is asleep and I’ve been carrying him for hours. He is a damn sight heavier with every step. The sun is up, and yes, we took a break. (ok it was multiple breaks.) But that doesn’t make this trek any easier. We have been so damn lucky in avoiding anyone else thus far, but my back is dripping sweat and Jade has to keep wiping my forehead.“Are we almost there?” I ask her, my voice terse.“Hey man, I volunteered to carry the little pup.”“He didn’t want you to carry him. He wanted me.”Jade sighs and shakes her head and looks back down at the general instructions on the super vague map Avi was using when he was in the territory.“Whatever. Anyway, it looks like we should be there. We are looking for what again?
I yelp and Jade loops her arm with mine, swinging me out of the way and inserting herself into his grasp. She grunts when he yanks her from me, but in a flurry, she sheds her clothes as she shifts into her red wolf. The big guy doesn’t have a moment to correct himself before she latches onto him with her teeth. Sharp pain in my skull draws my attention to the man yanking my hair, and I drop to my knees to avoid the fist flying toward my face. Thankfully, freeing my auburn locks from his grip. I deliver a solid punch to the offender’s genitalia. He drops to the ground, his face red, and I take the moment to pop up and punch him in the nose, his bone-crunching beneath the sheer anger behind it.There isn’t a spare moment to witness the crimson blood I am sure is pouring from his nose before an angered hiss erupts behind me. I spin down to my knees in a wide sweeping motion, taking down someone who I hope isn’t Jade. The deep grunt sends me into a tailspin as I leap onto his chest, wail