This troll’s face was a study in perpetual annoyance, with heavy brows that slouched over his large black eyes, giving him a disgruntled expression. His nose was broad and flat like the first troll that Nick had seen. He crossed his arms over his chest and huffed as he stared down the pair behind Nick. His clothing was simple—well-worn leather trousers and a tattered shirt.
“The female wants to put our butts on something. I says we eat them.” The large troll’s voice was a low, gruff tone that rumbled like distant thunder.
“Another note: they’re cannibals,” Kara quickly stated.
“No. Cannibals means you eat your own kind. Humans aren’t their kind.”
“Right, Wadim.” Kara sounded as if she should have realized that.
What the hell was going on? Did these two not realize they were facing off with a magical hoard of creatures that, according to Wadim, no one was even sure if they were in this realm, and that they were talking about eating them? “Why exactly are you two—” He glanced at Zara. “Three discussing this now?” Nick snapped.
“It’s important that we get the facts straight,” Wadim stated, as if Nick should have a clue. “All the trolls I’ve encountered in the human realm, mind you there haven’t been that many, didn’t have such varied and unique features. I mean, sure, you could tell they weren’t human, and some had some strange features. But like Kara and Zara said, it’s as if some of these popped right out of a tree.”
“So you’ve seen the movie?” Kara asked playfully.
“Date night,” Zara offered with a grin.
Nick pinched the bridge of his nose as his wolf grew more frustrated. Why the hell didn’t he get Decebel in this game ofSurvivor? Though he wasn’t sure that Jen would have been any better than his mate. Perhaps they needed to discuss just leaving the females at home with the kids. Nick’s wolf mentally snarled at him“I would advise against suggesting that to our mate.”Nick snorted. As if he would actually do that. He had no desire to be sleeping on the couch.
“Are we’s eating them or nots?” The little troll piped up again, his voice a mix of eagerness and impatience. He bounced slightly on the heels of his large, bare feet, his excitement evident in the way he rubbed his hands together, displaying a childlike enthusiasm. Nick couldn’t help but notice the troll’s fingers—short and stubby with nails caked in dirt, as if he’d just emerged from a frantic play session in the earth.
Though the troll's stature suggested youth, standing just a tad over three feet tall, there was something enigmatic about him. However, it was his eyes that held Nick’s attention—the deep, dark black that sparkled with an ancient wisdom, hinting at experiences far beyond his years. They were the eyes of someone who had seen too much and yet remained delightfully naive, a juxtaposition that both intrigued and puzzled Nick.
In that moment, Nick found it nearly impossible to pin down the creature’s age. The troll seemed to embody the spirit of a child—albeit a disturbing child, bursting with energy and curiosity—yet there lingered a depth in his gaze that spoke of ages past, as if he carried the weight of secrets and stories woven into the very fabric of his being.
“I vote not.” Kara sounded so jovial that Nick couldn’t stop himself from turning to look at the female. Her hand was in the air, raised as if someone had asked a question and she had the right answer. A wide, nervous smile stretched across her face as her eager eyes took in the supernatural beings before her. She appeared ready to burst forth with a myriad of questions, instead of looking rightfully afraid of the pointy-toothed creatures that spoke of eating her as if she was an afternoon snack.
“I second that vote,” Zara added. “Rachel?”
“Agreed,” the she-wolf and healer chimed in.
“Your’s votes don’t count,” the large troll's voice filled the space. “Not the foods decision to be eaten.”
There was rumbled of agreement from the other trolls.
“Well,” Kara responded, “it should be if that food happens to have an opinion. Which I do. And my opinion is that I’m not food.”
“Bloody hell.” Nick growled as he met Wadim’s eyes. At least the historian had the good grace to look a tad sheepish over his fascination. “I’m feeling kind of cold.” He held the other male’s gaze. “I’m thinking a fur coat would be nice right about now.”
Wadim immediately understood what Nick was saying. Thank the Great Luna that he didn’t have to put it in a history book for him to read and wait for him to comprehend it. “I could use some fur.” Wadim nodded. “Gavril, Zara,” Wadim continued. “You feeling a little chilly?”
“I could use a coat,” the other male answered. “Rachel has a nice coat she likes to wear.”
“Coat sounds good,” Zara said.
“I don’t need a coat,” Aphid offered, his voice completely serious. “But I can assist while you put the coats on.”
“Kara.” Nick tried to get her attention, needing her to get on board with the plan. She wasn’t a wolf, so she’d have to ride on the back of Nick when they made a run for it.
“Yeah, kind of busy trying to negotiate not getting eaten.”
“Hate to break it to you, babe, but you’re a crap negotiator. Get on Wadim’s back, now.” Nick didn’t wait for his female to comply. And neither did Wadim or Gavril. He turned and grabbed Kara by the waist and tossed her onto Wadim just as the man phased. She landed on the back of a huge wolf. Her eyes wide in surprise. Zara and Rachel had also phased and were already turning in the opposite direction.
“RUN!” Nick roared before he phased in mid-step. They took off with the group of trolls now at their back. Aphid kept up easily with the wolves, darting around trees and jumping over bushes. Nick hoped that they’d be able to dodge any more trolls hiding in the forest beyond them. He could hear the trolls behind them, their guttural voices mingling with their shouts of outrage, a cacophony of chaos that fueled his determination.
As they raced through the dense forest, Nick’s heart galloped alongside his pounding feet. He glanced back to ensure Kara was securely hunkered down on Wadim’s back. The wild look in her eyes told him she was in a tad bit of shock, but she hadn’t fallen off, and he took that as a good sign. Zara kept pace with her mate, and just behind them were Gavril and Rachel.
As he ran—his eyes peeled for any movement and his wolf’s senses on high alert—chilling thoughts looped through his mind: What the hell were they going to do if the trolls caught them? Should they even bother staying in the troll realm and attempt to speak with them, or should they just call it a day and let Wadim document the whole adventure? He kept running as the questions piled up, frustrated because he knew they needed all the help they could get with Raja. Surely there were some trolls that wouldn’t attempt to eat them and would be willing to listen. Just on the cusp of that thought, a net dropped down over them, and he was rolling as his legs got tangled up. The last thing he saw was a bolt of light and then everything went dark.
