Vivian gave us a look and shrugged before going after them.
“Ungrateful assholes,” Fallon said.
“Yeah,” I said, and wondered how we were going to cross. But I didn’t need to wonder long. Wyatt stood on all fours and barked.
Penelope and I moved out of the way as he jumped back across to our side. He lay down.
“You go first,” I said to Penelope.
She climbed on, but Wyatt didn’t move.
“I think he wants you to climb on as well,” Fallon said.
“Okay.” Nervously, I took a seat behind Penelope. When I was situated, I waited for him to move, but he just growled and barked.
“Are you sure you can carry all three of us?” Fallon asked.
Wyatt barked again.
Fallon climbed on.
Wyatt backed up as far as he could and leaped at the last minute, pushing off on the edge of the opening. I heard myself scream and hung on for dear life. It only lasted a couple of seconds, and Wyatt landed on the other side.
Once we were off his back, Wyatt lay down, looking over the edge of the opening and did a pant whine.
“Is there anything we can do?” Fallon asked. He didn’t seem convinced.
“Yes,” I said, pushing up the sleeves of my sweater. If Oakus hadn’t been with me, I would’ve gotten rid of it like Wyatt did. “Hold my feet. I’ll reach down and get her,” I said, trying not to let my panic show.
“I’m taller,” Fallon said. His face was pale as a white sheet. “And I know I should tell you I’ll do it, but I can’t.” He was physically shaken. Obviously, the man didn’t like rats, and I couldn’t blame him.
“It’s okay. Wyatt, you hold Fallon’s legs. Then, Fallon, you hold Penelope.” I looked at her, and she nodded.
“I’ll hold yours,” she said.
“Alright. Let’s do this.” We got into position, and before I knew it, I was dangling down into a cavern full of vampire rats. It smelled horrible, a combination of mud and blood, and whatever else. It was disgusting. Oakus was still clinging to my side. I was so close to the rats that they noticed me and came closer in interest, but they wouldn’t get off Billie. I clapped my hands and tried shouting, but they didn’t seem to care. If I reached into them to get her, I’d wind up bitten by the vampire rats too. That didn’t seem like a good idea. I was already a disadvantage to the team. Having my blood sucked by a bunch of…
Oakus removed his hold on my side, climbing along my arm until he perched in my hand.
“Get back in my pocket. These things will eat you, too,” I whispered, moving my arm, but my sweater was dangling over my head. A couple of rats climbed on.
“How’s it going down there?” Penelope asked.
“Not great,” I answered truthfully, pulling out of my sweater. What was I going to do?
I had no answers, but suddenly a light began to shine from my hand. It was Oakus. He was lit up like a flashlight. At the light, the rats scurried away, and I could see Billie’s body. It was dirty and bloodied, but at least I could reach her. Oakus jumped onto Billie, and then I got my arms around her. “Pull me up,” I shouted. I didn’t want the others to see my little monster, but it would be worth it to save Billie.
She moaned as we started to lift her.
Oakus kept shining his light until I was nearly at the top of the opening, then he quickly hid behind my hair, and his light vanished.
A bit farther and Billie was out. I turned her onto her back.
“Billie?” I asked, feeling for a pulse. She was breathing. “She’s alive,” I said and sat back, relieved. The blood had all rushed into my head, and I saw spots, but it had to be done.
Fallon and Penelope surrounded her.
“How did you get the rats off her?” Fallon asked, his eyes shining with admiration.
I shrugged, rubbing at my temples. “They just all went away,” I lied. As I spoke, Penelope handed me my sweater. It had come up with Billie. “Thanks,” I put it on.
Wyatt trotted over and began nuzzling at Billie. Her clothes had dozens of holes in them, and he started to lick them.
“That’s right,” Penelope said. “Wolf spit can heal vampire bites,” she said, helping Wyatt find all of the bites. It looked like he was mauling her, but I watched in awe as the punctured skin healed and disappeared.
When he was done, Billie opened her eyes. “What the hell?” She jumped up, her wolf pushing against her frame.
“We saved you, num nuts. Your team left you and took off, but Diana refused to go on until you were safe. Before you get crazy, you should thank her,” Fallon said, running a hand through his hair.
“What he said,” Penelope added. “Plus, you’re okay. Wyatt healed all of your bites.”
Billie’s eyes were wild when she found mine. “Thanks?”
“It was a team effort,” I said, wishing she would stop looking at me.
“Wasn’t there a light?” she asked, looking around. She took several big breaths, absently playing with the holes in her shirt.
I tried to play it cool. Oakus had casually wandered back down and into my pocket. “Not me,” I said.
They were all looking at me like I had to have more to say. Like I had an extra phone or something, but I kept silent. Lying wouldn’t get me anywhere.
“Maybe it was your mutant—I mean monster power,” Fallon said.
I shrugged. That wasn’t a bad guess. He was close. “Maybe.”
Wyatt barked. His way of telling us we needed to stop chatting and move on. He trotted forward. I waited for everyone else. Billie was in front of me, and she paused until I caught up with her. “Thank you, Diana, for rescuing me.”
“It really was a group effort,” I said and smiled.
She returned it. “Friends?”
“I’d like that.”
Chapter Twelve
The next part of the obstacle course was climbing a steep and mountainous rock wall. The black and gray rocks looked savage with sharp edges pointing out at various intervals while other spots had indentations.
Penelope, Billy, and Fallon headed up first. Wyatt paced back and forth. I couldn’t decide whether he was trying to be there in case they fell or if it was because it would be difficult for him to climb in his wolf form. I guessed the latter, but couldn’t be sure.
“Why don’t you shift back?” I asked, knowing it would mean he’d be naked, but only until he reached the top and then he could change into his wolf form again.
Wyatt whined, but he seemed to be thinking about it. Then he nudged me toward the rock wall. I needed to get started, but I wanted to wait for him. We were a team, and that meant leaving no one behind.
Holly, Vivian, and Cohen had reached the top just as we arrived at the bottom. They made obscene gestures before continuing on.
Jerks!
But I was glad they were gone. They weren’t behaving the way a team should, and it irritated the hell out of me. Since their choices were out of my control, I focused on Wyatt.
“Or you can try to climb up in your wolf form. I’ll go after you in case you slip.”
He barked defiantly and nipped at my heels, but I refused to budge.
“At least try,” I said.
He nodded and jumped, his paws clinging to the jagged rocks. At first, it looked a little precarious, but soon enough, he was more than halfway up. He made it look easy, even in wolf form.
I swallowed down my nerves. There were no harnesses or ropes. If I lost my balance and fell, no one would catch me. I tried not to focus on that as I went. After a few minutes, I forgot about how high up I was or that I could fall to my death, and just focused on the next hand and foothold. Soon enough, I was right behind Wyatt. He lifted himself and dug his claw into the rock, but it broke, and he slipped, his back feet stepping on my arm.
Without thinking, I stuck my head under his butt and held him there until he had a hold and began climbing again. Then I continued on, reaching the top pretty quickly after.
“Good job, everyone,” I said, brushing my hands on my pants.
Beyond them were two poles with a sign that read FINISH LINE. We were close, but it surprised me. Before we started the whole thing, it had looked like we would be going deep into the Shade. Apparently not.
As we crossed the finish line, the holographic leaderboard appeared.
I was no longer in last.
A name I didn’t know had taken my spot. Instead, I was ten from the bottom, ahead of Holly, Vivian, and Cohen. The three of them stood off to the side with Logan. Their eyes were down. I glanced back at the leaderboard as the female voice announced where everyone stood. My new ranking was quite a jump from where it had been. Wyatt was in second. It surprised me he wasn’t first. Another name I didn’t know had taken the lead. Penelope was third, and Fallon was fourth. Billie Jean had the fifteenth spot.
My team congratulated each other as we made our way over to Logan.
“Good job, everyone,” Logan said, avoiding eye contact with me. I guessed he expected me to get eaten by vampire rats or worse. “Let’s get you to your rooms.” He led the way, and I expected him to take us back to the Academy. That was wishful thinking. He took us to the biggest tent I'd ever seen. “You’ll sleep here for the night,” he said and walked away before any of us couldn't think to respond.
“Hopefully, there’s some sort of shower in here,” Holly said and was about to go in, but I held her back.
“Let the guys go in first,” I said, feeling my wolf near the surface at Holly’s lack of compassion and just plain rudeness. “That way, Wyatt can shift.” I looked at Wyatt, thinking maybe I was overreacting, and he didn’t care.
In answer to my statement, he barked, and I knew he wanted to get back to his human form, if for no other reason than to chew out the rest of the team.
Holly glanced down. “Fine.”
I held open the tent flap, and Wyatt came forward. His yellow eyes bore into me. It felt like he had a whole lot to say, but couldn’t in his wolf form. “I know,” I said, scratching between his ears.
He leaned into me and licked my cheek.
Surprised, I gasped. Before I could comment, he disappeared inside. Cohen followed without looking at me.
When Fallon reached the opening, he made a face. “Don’t expect me to lick you, but I am grateful for your help today.” He gently punched me in the shoulder.
“It was definitely a team effort,” I said, feeling like a broken record, but mostly feeling silly. I just did what needed to be done.
Once the guys were safely behind the tent, I went over to Penelope.
“I think he likes you,” she whispered.
My heart pounded with excitement and then was immediately tempered. “Who, Fallon? He seems like a nice guy.”
“No, silly. Wyatt. The way he looks at you, even in his wolf form. I’d say there was a blood bond between the two of you.”
“What’s that?”
Her eyes got wide. “I forget you’re new to all of this.” She shook her head. “Basically, it’s when two wolves bond through blood. Usually through biting is how the bonds are accidentally forged. Although some of the old-timey families still go through the blood ceremony to find mates for their offspring.” She made a face. “No, thank you.” Then she looked at me. “Has he bitten you recently. Or vice versa?”
“That’s crazy,” I said, stalling. My heart was pounding erratically in my chest again.
She slapped my arm playfully. “You are bonded, aren’t you?”
“Well, there was a situation, and he did bite me.” I didn’t go into detail. That his wolf had saved me from drowning.
“I knew it. That explains so much.” She bent down and picked up a stick. “He really likes you,” she reiterated.
“I mean, no more than everyone else,” I said, trying to sound casual. Then went over to the other girls. Hanging out near Holly and Vivian was better than talking about blood bonds with Penelope. But her words kept repeating themselves in my mind. Were we bonded?
Penelope wasn’t to be deterred, though. Instead, she brought them into it. “Who here thinks Wyatt likes Diana?”
They all raised their hands.
I felt my face get hot and didn’t know what to say.
“See.” Penelope was about to tell them he bit me when Wyatt appeared. He’d shifted, of course. I thought he might yell at Holly and Vivian for their idiotic choices. He didn’t.
Wyatt wore gray sweats, and his hair was damp. Apparently, there was some sort of shower inside the tent. The idea of a magical shower sounded exciting. But my body was more focused on how hot freaking gorgeous he was, even in baggy clothes. And then there was the fruit he carried—purple grapes.
My stomach growled. Oakus was hungry too. I could tell by the way he dug his nails into my side.
Wyatt noticed how hard I was staring and came over, offering me a grape. I took it and popped it in my mouth. “Thanks,” I said, my mouth singing.
“Here,” he handed me the whole bunch. Then he went over to the firepit and began to stack logs to build a fire.
I took another grape and stuck it in my pocket. Oakus grabbed it and ate it so loud I thought the others would hear, but no one seemed to notice.
The rest of our group helped Wyatt stack the wood, and before long, a fire was raging.
“Are we supposed to hunt?” Vivian asked, wrinkling her pert nose. “Or is there food in the tent?”
Wyatt stabbed the fire with the stick Penelope had picked up. His features were twisted into frustration. He glared at her.
Fallon and Cohen came out one after the other.
Finally, Wyatt spoke up. “There are fruits and veggies and bread in the tent, but if we want meat, it looks like we will have to hunt.” He dropped the stick and crossed his arms. “Cohen, Vivian, and Holly should be the ones to catch us some food. Billie, Penelope, and Diana can get cleaned up while you’re gone.” It wasn’t a question, but a command by the Alpha.
“Fine,” Cohen said.
“I don’t need meat. I’m not going,” Holly said and started for the tent.
Wyatt blocked her path. “Either be part of the team and get us some meat or stay out here with me and wait for the others to get done.” He shrugged. “Either works for me.”
Holly bowed her head in submission. Swallowed and stepped back as fear dashed across her face. “Fine.” She trotted over to Vivian and Cohen. “Let’s get this over with,” she said. Shifted and took off.
Cohen and Vivian did the same, chasing after her.
I glanced at Wyatt, but he was staring into the fire.
Billie started for the tent. Before she went inside, Wyatt stopped her.
“Let Diana and Penelope go first,” he said.
He was bossy. I didn’t like being told what to do or when or how to do it. Forcing myself not to roll my eyes, I went inside. The tent was lavish. Complete with a living room full of couches, chairs, and a coffee table. There was also a dining table filled with fruits and vegetables and different kinds of bread, butter, and spreads. There was also a small kitchen with a refrigerator, sink, and cupboards filled with cutlery and dishes. To the left of the kitchen was a bathroom with a shower. “This is magic,” I said to Penelope to verify.
“Definitely.” She chuckled. “I smell like dirt and sweat, but you should go first. Your bonded one demanded it.” She smirked and picked up an apple, taking an enormous bite.
I made a face. “Billy, go ahead,” I said, sitting in one of the dining chairs.
“But Wyatt—”
“Isn’t the boss of me,” I finished, interrupting her. “I can shower when I’m good and ready. Plus, I wasn’t swarmed by vampire rats. You should get cleaned up first.”
Billie smiled. “Thank you.” She reached the bathroom but didn’t go in. “I’m so sorry for going along with the others, Diana. They were wrong about you.” She went to hug me, but I held up my hands. Her wounds had healed, but her clothes were still covered in dirt
and blood and who knew what else.
“After you’re cleaned up,” I said.
Billie glanced down at herself. “Right.” She took a pair of sweats off a shelf full of them just outside the bathroom. Then picked up a towel and disappeared into the bathroom but didn’t close the door. That was strange until I remembered nudity and shifting kind of went together. Everyone probably learned at a young age that it was natural.
After a few seconds, the water came on.
Penelope didn’t seem fazed. In fact, she sat quietly and finished her apple.
The grapes had been good, but I was still hungry, and so was Oakus. The claws in my side proved it. I picked up a roll and buttered it before shoving half of it in my mouth. Then took a small piece and casually gave it to the monster.
In response, he nuzzled me before taking the bread.
My heart melted for the little guy. He was already part of my family. It didn’t matter that he was from the Shade or that he was supposed to be the enemy. What did matter is that he cared for me, and I cared about him. That was what family meant. At least to me.
Penelope took a roll and buttered it before smothering it in honey.
Fallon asked if he could come in, and we said yes. He focused on eating bread and cheese, an entire red pepper, and two bananas.
As we ate, we were lost in our own thoughts. Mine were on Wyatt. Of course. But I couldn’t help it. I also kept thinking about what Penelope said about the blood bond and what that meant. The whole idea seemed crazy.
After Billie showered, I took my turn. Oakus stood on the edge of the water and fluffed his fur, using the overspray to clean himself. He was beyond adorable, and I found myself loving the little creature more and more every moment.
I didn’t know how magic water worked, but I didn’t want to waste the supply, so I finished quickly, then dressed in a pair of gray sweats, similar to Wyatt’s and everyone else’s. Boring but comfortable. With my hair, I braided it to keep it out of my face. Wyatt said it was all a test, and I wanted to be prepared for whenever the third test started. Penelope went next while Fallon and Billie kept eating. Only Wyatt wasn’t in the tent.
Initiation (Wolf Blood Academy Book 1) Page 10
