Using our imprint, I felt for my mate, weaving my energy into Sawyer as my wolf jogged alongside me. I sensed he was busy and in danger. Spikes of anger, confusion, and fear weaved from him and then seeped into me.
Not a good time to check in…
As we neared the trail of lights that led to the Paladin Village, Rab pulled the horn to his lips and blew two short bursts. Immediately, two short bursts were returned. We came out of the thick trees and my eyes widened at the sight before me. The entire wall of the village was filled with Paladin warriors. Male, female, young, old. They crouched on the edge of the wall wearing blue face paint and menacing scowls. They held daggers, spears, and arrows that gleamed with a sickly green poison tip.
Pride swelled in my chest, and I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face. The Paladin people were like one cohesive unit, ready to defend their land at all costs.
I didn’t know Run … I didn’t even get to know Red, but in a way I felt like I did know them. Through these people I got to know them, and it was going to be an honor to serve as their alpha—assuming that was something I was “found worthy” to do.
As if she heard my thoughts, Astra slipped her hand into mine. “I will prepare the alpha trial ceremony. You will leave at first light to the Dark Woods.”
I’d considered turning myself in to the vampires for half a second but that wasn’t a guarantee to stop the war and it would still leave a huge problem here with no one to fix it. I gulped as nerves filtered through me, but then I saw the fierce determination and courage of the Paladin people crouched on the wall, ready to defend their land and their families, and I swallowed my fear down. “It would be my honor.”
Some things were bigger than you and that was scary. What if I died out in the Dark Woods? What if I took five years to get back here and Sawyer remarried? There were so many what ifs that my head swam, but I focused on the only ones I wanted to. What if I made it in and out quickly, what if I saved an entire race of people and their land? What if I became a worthy alpha of the Paladin people? Those what ifs circled my head all night until I fell asleep.
I wasawoken by the smell of smoke. The scent of sage hit my nostrils, making my eyes fly open. Astra was walking around my room in the guest house fanning the smoke over everything. I inhaled. Something sickeningly sweet and earthy was mixed with the sage. I groaned as the last remnants of sleep left me. Astra ignored me, mumbling prayers lightly under her breath.
“What is that?” I peered at the small gray marble bowl she held. It was still dark out, the sun barely coming up as a faint glow filtered through the curtains.
“Sage and frankincense,” she said quickly before going back to mumbling her prayers.
“Knock, knock.” Rab’s voice came from the hallway, and I held my arms over my braless chest. I was wearing a thin white t-shirt and not ready for company.
“Come in.” I guess it was a party in my bedroom at the butt crack of dawn.
Rab stepped in with Sage right behind him. She wore her hair in a topknot and looked super alert and awake. How long had I slept? By the feel of my heavy skin, it was not long.
Why the hell was everyone so perky?
Sage pointed at Rab’s ass and mouthed,“Yum,”causing me to grin.
I would have to break it to her later that he was married.
“You have two hours until the alpha trial ceremony,” Rab said. “I wanted to take that time to give you some bushcraft skills and local plant knowledge to help you survive in the woods.”
And buzzkill. Way to remind me of my possible impending doom.
But there was some relief at his words. This city girl going off into the woods alone could very much use some knowledge of the land. “Thank you, that would be awesome. I’ll be right out.”
He nodded curtly and turned to leave before stopping. “Eat a big breakfast. You don’t know when you’ll have your next meal.”
Then he left.
You don’t know when you’ll have your next meal! That was the most horrifying thing anyone had ever said to me.
“He’s such an angry ball of yum,” Sage purred as she watched Rab head down the hall and I popped out of bed to get dressed.
“He’s married. Wife is preggo and super cool.”
Sage scowled. “Dammit.”
Astra hissed, and it took me a minute to realize why.
“Don’t cuss,” I told Sage.
My redheaded bestie rolled her eyes, and I couldn’t help but think of Raven in that moment. Raven and Sage would be like two peas in a pod, they were so similar. I hoped she was still safe in the bunker with my parents.
I put on breathable cargo pants and a sports bra, a loose top, and Nike tennis shoes Sage had brought me. My official Dark Woods hiking attire was complete with a bandana around my neck.
