As much as she feared admitting it, he was right. Kaldrek had held his ground, but his strength had been waning. If the pack hadn’t arrived, she’d be dead.
“So they can invade the mind, devour the body, and kill without remorse—if that’s what they choose?” she asked, more to hear it spoken aloud than to be told.
Kaldrek hesitated. “Yes. And there’s a very high chance your friend here is now one of them.”
Evelyne shot to her feet. “No, he is not.”
Kaldrek’s expression darkened. “You don’t know that.”
“And neither do you. They were only feeding on him. I saw it. Nothing passed between them. No shadow, no mental intrusion.”
Kaldrek laughed. “You have no idea what the Noskari are capable of. It happens faster than a breath. No one has ever seen the magic spread. It’s instant. And since they didn’t get to drain him completely, who’s to say one of them didn’t slip inside your friend before vanishing?” He stepped closer. “Weneed to move him. Now.”
“Don’t you eventhinkabout killing him, Kaldrek,” Evelyne snapped.
“He is a potential threat to my pack. I’ll do what is necessary.”
“You will not touch him.” Her hands trembled as she clenched them into fists.
Kaldrek took a slow step forward, and whispered low, “We’ll see.” And then he walked out.
She was done with his arrogance. Frustration boiling over, Evelyne tore through the tent flap and into the biting night air, unwilling to let him walk away unchallenged. “You haven’t even given him a chance to wake up yet, you coward!”
Kaldrek whirled on her. “That’s not how you speak to an alpha,” he growled, baring his teeth. “I’d watch your tongue.”
Evelyne stepped closer, tilting her chin up defiantly. “You are notmyalpha. You are ananimal, and I am a southern lady. You will not touch him, or so help me, I will slit your throat while you sleep.”
His lips curled into a dangerous smirk. “Watchyourself,” he warned, leaning in just enough for his breath to graze her skin. “You keep testing me, and you’ll be on my radar, just like your lover.”
“He’s not my—” She stopped, refusing to take the bait. “You are a wretched excuse for a man.”
He laughed low, but Evelyne didn’t wait for his reply. She turned on her heel and stalked back to Alaric’s tent, fists still clenched at her sides. She didn’t care if he shifted and tore her apart right now. Hedeservedto be spoken to like that. What an entitled brute.
***
“Here.”Someone nudged Evelyne’s shoulder. Morning light streamed into the tent as she blinked awake, still heavy with exhaustion. She had fallen asleep beside Alaric’s cot, keeping watch over him through the night. Rubbing her eyes, she looked up at Heidara, who stood over her, holding her carpet bag along with a larger leather travel pack.
“Get up,” Heidara urged, nudging her again. “We’re leaving in a few minutes.”
Evelyne’s mind jolted back to reality, and the night’s events slammed into her like a tidal wave. She shot up, eyes darting to the cot beside her.
It was empty.
Panic flared in her chest. “Where is he?”
“He’s fine,” Heidara said quickly, her voice gentler this time. “We moved him onto a travois.”
Evelyne narrowed her eyes in confusion.
“It’s a wooden sled we use to carry the injured or extra supplies,” Heidara explained. “Anyway, he’s awake, and…” She paused briefly. “He seems like himself.”
Evelyne released a shaky breath, relief washing over her like a cool breeze. Thank heavens Kaldrek hadn’t killed him in the night—not that she would have put it past him. She was still furious.
Heidara lifted the leather bag in her hands. “I packed your pistol and dagger inside. The rest of your things are in here. You can throw it over your back when we leave.”
Evelyne frowned, still piecing it together. “We? As in, all of us?”
“Yes,” Heidara sighed, rolling her eyes. “Kaldrek didn’t take kindly to being challenged in front of the entire Ironwolf pack. He nearly lost it—but Holden got him to simmer down just long enough for me to convince him not to leave you both behind. We’re heading north as well, so leaving you wouldbe pointless.”
