He rolled his eyes. “I’m kidding. Get out of here. She’s fast. She’ll only be maybe thirty seconds behind me. Get to the Dark Woods.”
He was right. It was time to scram. “Thanks for everything,” I told him.
He just pinched his nose shut and waved me away. Ripping off my cuffs, I used my vampire speed to zoom back into camp, where Sage, Walsh, Sawyer, and the baby were waiting.
“Let’s go!” I told them, slipping the cuffs back on.
Sawyer picked up the pack we’d filled with things for Creek and we set off with Sage and Walsh beside us at a brisk jog.
Sawyer looked sideways at me.‘Did he flirt?’
I felt the slight spike of jealously and had to keep the grin off my face.‘He was a perfect gentlemen.’When he wasn’t lusting after my blood, I wanted to add.
‘That would be a first,’Sawyer half chuckled into my mind.
We jogged so fast into the Dark Woods you could almost call it a run. I wanted everyone settled in the cabin before the queen and Luka arrived.
The moment we crossed the threshold of the Dark Woods, Sage whimpered. My eyes snapped to hers and then I followed her gaze.
Fuck.
She’d stepped on a nail! There, on the ground, was a piece of wood with a freakingnailpoking out. The whimper turned into a wail as she pulled her foot up and the nail yanked out of it.
“Holy hell.” Walsh moved to help her, but she put out her hand.
“I told you the woods were cursed!” she snapped at him. “And Idon’tneed your help. I’ve done fine on my own this past year.”
Walsh’s face crumpled into pain, but then he nodded. Okay, that was only slightly awkward. These two were going to have to just have their big fight; otherwise they wouldn’t be able to move on.
Sawyer looked down at Creek, who was fast asleep in his little sling on his chest, and placed a kiss on his forehead. Then he pulled the sling over his head, and holding Creek’s butt, passed him off to Sage. “Here, maybe if you hold him, the … curse or whatever won’t hurt you.”
He was right. We’d discovered this over our time here, and it was a nice gesture even though my son was essentially being used as a shield.
She nodded, taking Creek and limping forward. “Let’s go!” she snapped, angrier than she probably should be. Her now bleeding foot, Walsh, being back here in the killer woods … I think it was all getting to her.
Sawyer and Walsh followed closely at my side as we ventured farther in. The trees were still in the path I remembered when we’d left, a wide, diagonal, five-foot row that led right to the cabin. They hadn’t moved, maybe because I’d shown myself worthy. Whatever the cause, I was grateful. Slipping through the path at a hurried pace, we all stopped when a twig snapped just behind us. Sawyer was bringing up the rear, so when I turned I was the first to see the giant bear a mere two feet from my mate.
“No!” I snapped, walking right up to the bear and slipping off my cuffs quickly. Now that I had dealt with him twice, I had less fear of him. “They are just here for protection, and will be gone soon.Don’tharm them.” I pushed the compulsion power into my words and the bear took a step backward.
‘Whoa,’ Sawyer said through our bond.
“Go on!” I screamed at the bear. We didn’t have time for this.
The bear gave me a long look before he turned, sniffed the ground, and then took off running as I put the cuffs back on.
I spun back around to see Walsh and Sawyer watching me with shocked expressions, while Sage just looked amused.
“I miss the cabin. Come on!” Sage said, and ran with Creek down the rest of the path, limping. The boys shook out of their stupors and followed her. The moment the trees opened up onto the log cabin where I’d spent the last year of my life, I had to swallow down a sob. This cabin had saved my life, my sanity. I had my son here. This was home in a way that was hard to explain.
“Is that it?” Sawyer’s voice held a reverence to it. I’d told him all about the cabin. He knew this place was special to me.
I nodded.
He looked impressed. “It’s cute.”
That brought a smile to my lips, as Sage and I ran giggling to the meadow that held our former home. The tubers she’d been cutting when I’d told her I knew how to get us out of here still lay shriveled on the ground in the same spot.
Slipping into the hut, I looked around and couldn’t help but smile at the familiarity. The clay pots, the rabbit fur pelts, Creek’s bassinet, everything was so heartbreakingly recognizable.
