Surprisingly, that truth resonated strongly. Ididwant Rage to be happy. There was still just a tiny bit of me that was pissed he’d kept his identity as my mate secret from me most of first semesterandthat he was a giant jerk every time I saw him. Okay, maybe more than a little bit. Yes, he’d apologized, and I was ready to move on, but it wasn’t wrong that I needed more time to build trust, was it?
We ran for a solid two hours until my eyes burned and my head drooped.
‘Mate tired?’Rage’s wolf asked.‘Need rest?’
Tired? ‘I’m exhausted. Rest would be … amazing.’
It must be well after midnight. The mid-year games seemed like days ago and yet only hours had passed. Regardless, I was dead on my feet.
How could twenty-four hours change so much? Several things made more sense now. Like why my wolf didn’t speak like a cavewoman—I wasn’t fully wolf. And why she usually avoided surging to the front when I was in danger—I was probably way more powerful as a high mage. Or I would be, once I was properly trained. All of the information and crazy reveals swirled around my head until my brain ached. The truth bombs werea lotto take in.
We slowed our pace, and Rage led us to a cave. It smelled clear of any other animals, and I was so grateful for a place to rest my legs that I collapsed onto my belly, panting, the moment we crawled inside. Rage’s wolf spun in two circles before he could find a comfy spot, and then he nuzzled up next to me, his head pointing to the front of the cave.
‘Just an hour of rest,’I said. ‘Then, we need to make a plan to get Honor back.’
My wolf yawned, nodding, and then my eyelids grew droopy. Rage’s wound was no longer weeping but still smelled of blood, and my thoughts went to sweet Honor before sleep finally took me.
We’re coming, buddy. Don’t give up.
* * *
The sun peekedover the horizon, crawling into the cave and banishing the darkness, and my eyelids snapped open to find Rage had just jerked awake as well.
‘How long did we sleep?’I stood, heart pounding as I listened for any of the king’s wolves. I paused to absorb the beauty as the new day bathed the wooded area in golden light. Crazy that just last night was the mid-year games. Last night, Honor was alive. Yesterday, my biggest concern was passing a test so I could stay at Alpha Academy. Now, as long as Declan Midnight was king, I’d never go back.
‘About four or five hours, I’d say.’Rage looked up at the sun as if reading the time from that alone.‘I’m still tired.’
‘Me too.’My stomach growled.‘And hungry.’
Rage stepped out of the cave tentatively, looking both ways and scouting the area before I stepped out next.
Birds chirped and cawed overhead, and beetles crawled through the underbrush. The vegetation and terrain reminded me of the mountains in Montana in the fall—as the foliage turned from verdant green to lush reds and golds. Small rodent scat was everywhere, and my wolf’s stomach rumbled with hunger. Those animals would make a meal haven for our kind.
‘Are we in a pack’s territory?’I asked Rage’s wolf. Even though all the wolves lived on Alpha Island—and since we were off the island we should be okay—there were other shifter species we’d piss off by hunting on their grounds.
He pressed his nose to the ground and inhaled. ‘Weak mages.No shifters.’
Our first bit of luck all freaking day!
We ambled over to a small creek and lapped at the water. Then, after crossing through it, I spotted a rocky overhang. The closer we got, the more it smelled of wild fox. Breakfast.
My tail wagged with the thought.‘Let’s go hunting. I’m hungry.’
‘Mate happy,’Rage’s wolf stated, nuzzling me.
I barked with laughter.‘Yes, I’m happy.’
Even though so much had gone wrong, there were a few things that gave me hope. We had a way to get Honor out of the Realm of the Dead.Sort of. Rage and I were still alive. And my mom and uncle, possibly father, loved me. I saw it in their gazes right before I almost hugged them. After some breakfast, we could plan how to kill Surlama and track down Noble and Justice, who, by now, had hopefully found Honor a body. There were probably a million other things I was forgetting, but I needed food and more sleep.
Each step felt like dragging myself through quicksand, but that overhang and the fox that slept inside was legit calling my name.
‘Wolf!’ Rage shouted. ‘Run!’
I caught the scent of the other male, but fatigue and hunger slowed my reaction. I spun around, and with Rage at my side, we darted out of the clearing, back toward the stream. We ran, but this area was unfamiliar to us. If this was a rogue’s territory, he’d have the advantage. After crossing the brook, I looked back and spotted him, dark fur against the autumn foliage, closing in. That said, he was alone, so the odds were still in our favor.
With my next breath, I scented the air again and my stomach fell.Not alone. There were at least two other wolves nearby, maybe more. How had we not smelled them before now?
‘There are at least three, maybe more. They’ve caught our scent too. Do you still want to try to outrun them?’I asked as we stepped into a clearing.
