Suspicion creeps into her tone.“What happened at the lagoon? Evlynne said you went there earlier, but that she hasn’t seen you since you two got back.”
“Nothing happened. I decided to take a walk after we returned to the Dagger.”I play it casual.“I have fire supplies, food, water. I know how to rough it. So you can call off the search party and tell Xavier I’ll see him in the morning.”
I don’t give her a chance to object. I cut the link and address my new friend.
“All right, Prince. We need to find some shelter if we’re spending the night out here. And I swear to God if one of your friends tries to murder me during the night and you don’t wake me up to alert me, I’ll skin you alive and wear your pelt as a hat.”
He glares at me. Or at least I think he does. It could just be his face.
I find a secluded thicket that shields me from the back, so I don’t have to worry about anything sneaking up behind me. I unzip the backpack, but there’s no first-aid kit. I guess Evlynne didn’t anticipateI’d skin my hands and knees like a damn toddler. I pour some water from the canteen on my injuries to clean them, but that’s the best I can do.
I pull out the small box that holds the fire supplies—matches, a lighter, and even some kindling. I just need to gather a few logs. Hopefully the fire keeps any other curious predators away so I can stay alive until dawn breaks.
Ten minutes later, I’ve got a small fire burning and I’m eating dried pork and sipping on my canteen. I give the ridgehowler the rest of the pork, and he gobbles it down. I leave my little nook only to relieve myself in the nearby bushes.
I tip my head up to the star-streaked sky, and a sliver of pain slices into me. I wonder where Cross is right now. Did he desert the Command like he said he would the night at the quarry? Or did he go back, brokenhearted, feeling as numb asIfelt, knowing there was no way forward for us?
The temptation to reach out is so strong. I fight it at first, until finally, weakness overtakes me.
I open a path and follow Cross’s energy signature. I nudge him, inviting him to talk.
I wait.
And wait.
Tears sting my eyes. “Prickhole,” I mumble under my breath.
Prince tilts his head as if to ask,Who?
“My other Wolf,” I tell him. “We broke up because I wouldn’t run away with him, and now he doesn’t want to talk to me anymore.”
Prince keeps staring at me.
“Fine. You’re right. It’s probably too painful for him to make contact right now. You’re fucking right, okay? Just go to sleep.”
I don’t know who I’m even angry at anymore. Sighing, I nestle inside my nook and curl into a ball. I’m surprised when Prince crawls closer to me. Soon he’s coiled up beside me, pressing against my side.
He keeps me warm all night, which is a very good thing because the fire dies just as I’m drifting off. Surprisingly, I sleep like a log.
I wake up to the light pricking my eyelids. The ridgehowler shifts beside me, snuggled close like we’re old friends. When I move, he lifts his head, and I find that eerie yellow stare on me.
“Morning,” I mumble, rubbing the sleep from my face.
At the sound of my voice, his ears twitch. Then he gets up and lunges forward to stretch his back legs. It’s adorable and makes me smile.
I get up, too, packing my stuff. “Well. We made it.”
In response, Prince goes and pees in a bush.
“Nice,” I tell him. “Classy.”
I stretch my own stiff limbs, then throw my backpack on, tuck the knife at my hip, and start walking. It’s two hours later when I break through a clearing that I actually recognize. We’re almost there.
The young wolf follows me all the way to the edge of the path before stopping in his tracks.
I glance over, frowning. For a moment I think he sensed a predator, but then I see him sniffing the air and realize he smellshumans.We’re too close to the Dagger, and he’s no longer my relaxed little buddy as he starts backing away.
I nod in understanding. “Don’t worry, I get it. You have to go. But thank you for the escort.”
