“Don’t, Erec,” she warned, throwing him a harsh glare. “Let’s just leave it alone.”
She walked away, back toward the face of the cliff, leaving Erec alone with his thoughts.
He ran a hand over the scratchy stubble along his jaw. Now he just needed to figure out a way to keep Astrid behind and safe while he went to release Henrick and the others. She was going to hate him for this, but whatever it took to keep her alive, he’d do it.
Chapter Seven
The hardness of Erec’s full erection still pressed against Astrid’s inner thigh, but this time, after that mind-blowing kiss, he didn’t pull away. The deep blue of his eyes hypnotized her; they held a primal power as his gaze roamed her face, a hunger she’d never seen before but somehow craved. A man had never looked at her the way Erec did, like he would go through fire to be with her. As if he couldn’t take another breath without having all of her. Right now. Right this second.
She heard the tear of fabric, and when Astrid looked down, she was standing naked in front of him. But for some reason, the cold didn’t touch her. She was blissfully warm, hot even. Her insides were humming with anticipation. A voice in the back of her mind said this wasn’t right; it hadn’t happened this way. A dream. Maybe this was a dream. But she was enjoying the moment so much, she shushed the nagging thoughts. Even if this wasn’t real, she wanted to enjoy it for as long as she could.
But as the awareness of the dream bounced around in her subconscious, the woods began to melt away around her, and the image of Erec grew fuzzy.
Memories floated back to her, too—her back against the rough bark of the pomple tree, Erec’s hands all over her, and the remorse on his face as he walked away. So that meant everything else had been in her head?
Astrid shifted through the haziness. She recalled entering the small, dark cave and waiting for Erec to come to her. She needed to talk to him about what had happened. Tell him that she didn’t regret it. If anything, she wanted to continue where they’d left off, but sitting in the darkness on the pile of animal hides and warm quilts, exhaustion snuck up on her. The last thing she remembered was laying her head down and…
Her eyelids flew open as realization slapped her awake. She’d fallen asleep.
She shot up in the makeshift bed, and her heart plummeted. Erec, Kalle, Bec, Darek, Gunnar, the survivors—how long had she been sleeping? Was it nightfall? Her head whirled, but she leaped to her feet, stumbling from the quilts still tangled around her body. She ripped them away and searched the cave’s small space. A pile of blackened branches, scattered fish bones, and a heap of clothes in the far corner, but no Erec. The whistling wind was the only sound.
Panic sent her pulse into a frenzy. She grabbed her spear and rushed toward the cave’s entrance on shaky legs. Her wolf whined. The return of her animal was usually comforting, but having her now made her breath catch. It meant the day was over.
Outside, pitch blackness greeted her. Her vision sharpened against the dark, and her gaze swept the camp. Only three tents stood near the cliff’s base. The weapons were gone. She didn’t see anyone wandering about.
No! No! No!
They couldn’t have left without her! They wouldn’t! Astrid sprinted over to the first tent and ripped back the flap. Besides two rustled blankets, it was empty. Her stomach twisted.
She dashed to the next one and did the same. Empty, too. And the last tent was exactly the same.
She cursed. They’d left her.
Fury spun inside Astrid with as much power as a hurricane. How could Erec do this to her? She thought he was different. He’d almost convinced her of it. Was their moment in the woods just a way to get her to trust him more, so then he could leave her behind? Her inner wolf reared up, fangs bared. She’d seen shock and anger on Erec’s face when Filip had said she could come along on this trip. He didn’t want her here. Or in any other way.
Astrid growled. She was an idiot.
Sniffing the air, she caught the musky scent of male. It was faint and slowly dissipating, telling her the group must have left at least an hour ago. Left her safe and protected sleeping back at base camp. She gripped her spear tightly. What did he expect her to do? Sit in the cave cross-legged, like a good girl, and wait for them to return?
No way.
She was going to stomp over to where the prisoners were, where she knew Erec and the other men were, and scream at him until she was out of breath. Maybe even give him a good knock on the head with the blunt end of her spear.
She took one step forward before her common sense kicked in. She couldn’t do either of those things. As much as she wanted to prove that she was a valuable member of the pack and could rescue the survivors, showing up unexpectedly could jeopardize their mission. It would put them in danger. The risk was too great. Her anger would have to wait. They would come back, and once they did, that’s when she’d raise hell.
Astrid glanced up at the night sky. Even with the dense clouds hovering around the moon, Vallor still shined bright, pointing the way north. She thought about her parents, about her father, who might be talking to it, trapped in another delusion, and her mother, whom she missed terribly. But, surprisingly, the sorrow trickling into her chest only fed the anger whirling through her. Being protected by others had brought her nothing but hurt. She’d rather get thrown into trouble and fight her way out on her own. Those scars were earned. It wasn’t the same as the pain that came from lies and tricks.
Another guttural growl vibrated up her throat. As soon as he comes back, I’m going to kill him.
A loud snort came from behind the trees, just in front of her, and she froze.
Her first thought was that it was Erec or one of the others, but her wolf slammed against her human barrier, sensing danger. Fear flooded her, and she held out her spear as her feet moved her backward.
The crunching of paws against snow sounded to her right, snapping her attention that way. Her hair stood up on the back of her neck. Two pairs of glowing eyes appeared in the shadows only steps ahead of her. Every time they blinked, the blackness swallowed them up and she would lose sight of them. Until they shined again somewhere else, a little closer.
The scent of wet fur, dirt, and strong musk filled her nose. Wolf smell. A piercing howl rang from above her. Its fluctuating tones told her there was a hunt starting, and something told her she was the prey. Astrid’s gaze flew to the top of the cliff, where she’d found Erec standing the night before. Now a massive brown wolf crouched, its eyes reflecting the moonlight as it licked its lips.
Two in front of her and one above her. And they were surrounding her.
The only chance she had was if she changed. The prickling twinge started at the base of her spine, building for the shift, but even the animal inside her knew there was no time. The beasts had been sizing her up and closing in. If she changed, she’d be completely vulnerable in those few seconds. They’d kill her.
Her wolf snarled in warning.
Run.
…
Erec and the four men waited and waited. They had watched the prisoners, who were still bound by chains and sitting slumped in the cage, from the concealment of the bushes for over an hour now. There had been no shift in the shadows across the clearing, no new scents on the breeze, nothing to indicate a change in their surroundings.
Concern whittled away at Erec’s nerves. None of Jerrick’s men had showed up for their rounds, even on the half hour. Had he missed something? Had they been spotted and a trap awaited them? The possibilities ran wild in Erec’s head. Maybe they had just altered their routine. Of course, the one time he thought he was one step ahead of Jerrick, he was only caught off guard again. The question was, what was he going to do now?
He gazed at the men he was leading, all sitting behind him in the snow. Bec, the oldest of the group, ran his finger along the edge of his axe to test its sharpness. Gunnar and Darek were conversing through slight hand gestures, while Kalle was propped against a tree with his eyes closed
. Every time Kalle’s head dropped from drowsiness, Erec would get a glimpse of the curse’s blue markings scrolled across the base of his neck, hidden by a mass of blond curls.
Erec thought about the one person missing from their group—Astrid—and how he’d left her in the camp. When he went to check on her in the cave, he found her sleeping on his bed, her lips parted, clothes rumpled, and hair disheveled. It made his job easier. He only hoped her exhaustion was enough to keep her dozing for the entire night. He couldn’t have her showing up in the middle of their rescue attempt. It would ruin the only chance they had. He prayed she was smarter than that.
A rush of freezing wind blew past him. Another deep inhale came up with the same scents he’d grown familiar with in the last hour—blood and stale clothing all mixed with the pungent smell of bodily waste. No new smells tickled his nose.
Much like when he’d left them, everyone in the cage was huddled together for warmth. The shifters who had been chained and were stuck in their wolf forms poked their heads out of burrowed holes in the snow, whimpering. Erec’s patience was wearing thin. He didn’t know how much longer he could sit here doing nothing. Stepping out into the open air would be dangerous, but he couldn’t stand watching the men, women, and wolves suffer any longer. It was time he did something.
Erec gestured for his men to stay low and hidden while he rose to his feet. He scanned the trees before stepping around the brush and into the open space.
“Erec?” Henrick pressed his face against the steel bars. His beard was matted with dirt and blood. “You came back?”
“I made you a promise.” Erec walked over to the cage, took Henrick’s outstretched hand, and squeezed it hard. “I wouldn’t abandon you.”
A broad smile split Henrick’s cracked lips. “We never doubted you would,” he muttered, his voice strained. “You are Mikel’s son.”
Erec paused as the words threatened to sink in and dig the hole in the center of his chest deeper than it already was. But like he’d done every time Mikel had claimed him as his kin, he ignored it. Blood didn’t mean family to the old alpha, like it did for Erec. It was one of the reasons he had run when Mikel had offered him the east pack. He didn’t deserve such an honor. The title of alpha should go to someone in Mikel’s family next, or at least someone who had been part of the pack for generations. Not a newcomer. Not an orphan. Now that Mikel was dead, thinking about it again only reopened old wounds, rekindled past disappointments and fear, and he couldn’t afford holding on to those right now. He had a job to do and not very long to do it.
He pressed his lips together and let out a soft whistle. Slowly, Darek and Gunnar emerged in their wolf forms from the dense shrubs, one gray wolf with a white underbelly and one fully black but with touches of silver. Bec had a broad axe in his hands, and Kalle carried a large stone hammer when they stepped forward.
“Darek and Gunnar, do a quick sweep of the area then keep an ear and nose out for the guards. Beck and Kalle, get the other wolves free and do it fast.” Erec pulled out the sword Filip had given him from its sheath on his hip and passed it to Kalle, who handed him his mallet in return. Since Erec’s last attempt at prying the cage’s lock open didn’t work, he was going to have to break it open with brute force. And it was going to be noisy. “We want to get this done and avoid a fight, if we can.”
Darek and Gunnar grunted in agreement before crossing opposite ways and disappearing into the shadows. Kalle and Bec moved toward the wolves that were collared and chained.
“You don’t have to worry about the guards,” Henrick said. “We haven’t seen them since you were last here.”
“What?” Why hadn’t they returned? It was part of their routine. Had they discovered he and Astrid had been there before? But if they had, why didn’t they follow them?
Nothing was making sense. In the back of his head, a voice yelled it was all a trap, but if this was another one of Jerrick’s ambushes, then it would have happened by now. There would be blood painting the snow red and wolves jumping at them from all directions. Instead, Erec was standing in the openness, without a single hint of anyone else around. He sniffed the air again, searching for an unfamiliar wolf’s scent, a whiff of a nearby fire—anything to confirm that Jerrick was nearby, but he only came up empty.
“We heard some commotion just before dawn heading west,” Henrick replied. “W-We think they’ve moved.”
“They left you?” Why spend all this time guarding prisoners and keeping them alive if Jerrick was just going to abandon them? What game was he playing?
Henrick nodded, his face full of dread. “Left us to die.”
“And you said they were heading west?” Erec’s pulse galloped. Going west could only mean one thing. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” Henrick pointed up, and when Erec peered at the sky, there was Vallor staring down at him. “Definitely west.”
Erec cursed under his breath. If Boden’s pack had stayed where they were, Jerrick could have stormed the camp by dawn. As early as that.
He had to hand it to the alpha. Even with Boden’s mind drifting away, he had made the right decision. Erec should have never questioned him. Hopefully Svanna Rock could keep the west-side pack out of Jerrick’s path long enough for them to build up their own forces.
Erec’s mind jumped to Astrid. He’d convinced himself over and over he had done the right thing by not disturbing her and leaving her behind, yet his nerves leaped at the thought of her being alone with Jerrick’s pack on the move.
You’re overreacting. She’s fine.
With both hands, Erec lifted the mallet over his head, the weight testing his muscles, and focused on the metal lock clamped on the cage’s door. Henrick pushed everyone to the back bars and gave Erec a firm nod. He took a deep breath, bent his elbows, and…
A wolf’s howl echoed through the forest.
Erec stiffened as fear bounced from his fingers to the tips of his toes. His wolf perked up, recognizing the reverberating tune. A howl like that was meant for a chase. A hunt of prey.
Another one, louder this time, and a response, and then one more. All coming from behind them, about a mile south of where they were. His heart stopped.
Astrid.
He dropped the hammer, letting it fall behind him with a soft thud.
“Do you think—” When Bec’s head whipped toward Erec, his eyes were wide with panic. “Astrid?”
Terror rushed through Erec’s veins. “Get them free!” he shouted, and in his next breath, he was off running. He sprinted toward the cliff, his mind racing as fast as his legs. Instead of dodging branches, he plowed through them, not caring that the sharp twigs scratched his face and pinched his bare arms. The distance between him and the camp seemed to lengthen, but he didn’t slow. Maybe he’d get back only to discover her still in his bed, peacefully asleep. He prayed he would. And when she finally woke up to find he had left her behind during the rescue, she would scold him and he’d laugh it off. She’d be completely safe, and his worrying would have been for nothing.
He’d give anything for that to be what he found, but when he burst through the forest’s edge and skidded to a stop at the cliff’s face, he was confronted by stillness. The site was completely undisturbed, just like they’d left it.
He rushed to the cave and peered inside. It was dark and empty. Breathing hurt from the run, but Erec forced himself to inhale deep. Astrid’s flowery scent still hovered in the enclosed space. Thankful to have his wolf back, he followed the smell of lilacs tangling with a late-night’s breeze to the tents, across the camp, then to the woods on the opposite side.
Another bone-chilling howl bounced off the trees in front of him. Not too far away.
He dashed toward it. A set of dragging boot prints in the snow confirmed he was on the right track. Then he noticed the three sets of smaller tracks, wolf tracks, following the same path.
The power of the shift surged through him, freeing his animal quicker than usual. He almost couldn’t rip
off his clothes fast enough. One moment, his human feet were flying across the ground, his breaths ragged, and in the next, he was on all fours, his lips peeled back over sharp fangs and skin covered in golden fur. There was no pain this time when his muscles reformed and his bones cracked and realigned. All he could think of was to run. Find her. Faster. Faster.
The erratic thump-thump of his heart matched his every step, and the forest flew past him in a blur of muted grays. The strength of her scent stung his nose. He was getting closer.
He scrambled under a fallen log and barreled through a thorny bush, not even bothering to go around. Hundreds of needle pricks bit into his muzzle.
Faster…
His muscles cried out in protest, but he pushed them even harder. The icy wind whipped against him, making his eyes tear. He’d reach her in time. He had to.
Faster, dammit! Faster!
Chapter Eight
The trees smeared across her peripheral vision as she raced through the forest, but Astrid still wasn’t running fast enough. Hot breath brushed the back of her calves, confirming her fears, and her stomach dropped. The beasts were on her heels, their jaws inches away from her skin. If only she knew this part of the woods better, then maybe she could find a way to throw them off her trail and change into her animal form. But the forest in front of her was thick, dark, and unknown. As much as her wolf hated being on this end of the chase, it looked like the shift would have to wait.
Astrid used her spear to bat away branches as she dashed farther away from the cliff and deeper into the thick woods. As she picked up speed, the brush cracked to her right. Something big plowed through the thicket feet away. A flash of fur through the strips of silvery light made her heart falter. One of the wolves.
Astrid recognized the maneuver, and panic crawled over every inch of her skin. They weren’t just stalking her; they were playing with her, having fun with the hunt.
Twigs snapped on her left, and she gasped at the sharpness of the sound. A huge reddish-brown shadow flew behind the naked trunks. The thundering of paws hitting the frozen snowy ground echoed close by. Another wolf. But she had seen three at the camp. Where was the third?
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