Total pages in book: 164
Estimated words: 152666 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 763(@200wpm)___ 611(@250wpm)___ 509(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 152666 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 763(@200wpm)___ 611(@250wpm)___ 509(@300wpm)
“Just in time for the dragons to take me down.”
“Luckily I have an in with one of those dragons. I don’t name-drop for nothing. I can try and pull some strings. You might be sequestered to the castle, watched constantly and in immediate danger from a dragons’ random rage, but join the club, you know? You’re very level-headed and easygoing. I don’t think it’ll be a big problem for you.”
Burt was already at the supply cart in question, and yes, I’d started calling him Burt. First by accident, and then because he got so annoyed and the banter between him and Hadriel about it was so funny. I just couldn’t help myself.
Unlike with Hadriel, Burt had started retaliating with me.
“Hey, Louisa. Ready to make something delicious?” he asked me with a kind smile.
I returned it even though I was having a hard time feeling it through the tension tightening my shoulders. “Always.”
He didn’t immediately return to rummaging through the dwindling stores. “We’re going to make it. We’re wolves—we do better as a pack. This pack, though just a part of the whole, is as strong as they come. We’ll be okay.”
I nodded, my smile now brittle. “I know.”
The pack was definitely strong, but Alexander was a singular sort of person. He was a lone wolf disguised as a team player, willing to sacrifice those around him to get what he wanted. He’d slip through one hole or another in the defenses like sand through the tines of a fork. If he couldn’t, like last time, he’d evade capture and wait until he could. All he needed was a little time and one clear shot, and he’d get to me.
I hoped like hell that was just my fear talking.
The pack helped build several fires. My request to go out and find some wild roots and edible vegetation was denied, which wasn’t surprising, so I lost myself in preparing dinner. Several people brought small kills like rabbit and similar-sized game, walking right past me to hand them to Burt. Only Weston handed me a skinned and cleaned rabbit directly, his gaze piercing, spreading shivers across my body. I wondered how long the claim would last. I didn’t know if it was something specific to our journey, and not wanting anyone to touch the female that had shared his bed. It was clear that alphas did not share.
“You’re going to be a damn fine wolf, madam,” Dante said, sitting near me and using his hands to eat a piece of rabbit. Everyone was given a morsel of the fresh kills, there was not enough to go around for a full meal. “You are clearly very good under pressure.”
“Agreed.” Sixten nodded, the grease smeared along the side of her face shining in the firelight.
“It’s just cooking.” I set my plate down on the dried grass of our camp.
“Eat,” Weston commanded in a low voice, sitting beside me.
I looked away. I wasn’t hungry.
“You need your strength, and for that, you need food.” Weston’s hand settled on my thigh. “Eat.”
I sighed but did as he said, knowing he was right.
“Cooking under pressure is still being good under pressure.” Dante sucked on the tips of his fingers. “And you’re really good under pressure. I think this is your best meal yet.”
I worried it might be my last.
After everyone had eaten and cleaned up, Weston walked me toward a lone individual cot.
“We’ll all be in wolf form tonight,” he explained, watching me as I sat down on the side. “We’ll be sleeping all around you, ready to surge up at a moment’s notice. Nothing will get through us.”
I licked my lips. “Why are you doing this?” I shook my head. “What I mean is, you guys seem like you’re putting yourself in tremendous danger to protect me. Would you be doing this if I was just a prisoner?”
He knelt in front of me. “The truth?” He waited for me to nod. “Yes, we would. We would be trying to take you back to our kingdom, knowing your organization would be trying to steal you away again. It was always going to go down like this. The difference now is we will fight with everything we have to keep you alive rather than ever admit defeat and cut our loses by killing you.”
I gulped, holding his gaze, wanting to ask why things had changed. That had been a harsh truth, though. I didn’t want to hear any more.
Sensing my questions were finished for the moment, he reached forward and placed a palm against my cheek. “Sleep, Little Wolf. Tomorrow we have a day’s ride before we get to the port city. We’ll have one more night there while we load everything onto the ship, and then we’ll be leaving these shores and all its nightmares behind. Two more sleeps and we’ll be done with this place.”