A bar of light lit her up.
The guard was exiting his post to talk to his friends. “Hey did you guys think–”
We all stared at each other for a split second. Surprise on all faces, even in the darkness. The guard began breathing heavily, but doing nothing. His whistle was in his shaking hand.
“Y-you guys can’t–”
I lunged from the platform down onto him as he finally brought his hand up. Pinning it against his body, I brought him into the dirt with me. Rolling over the jagged stones, I maneuvered the whistle from his grip, then once it was loose, wrapped my arm around his neck and began choking him.
His eyes bulged, staring up into our group. Roman locked off the gate on his side and came down to help me. The girls watched us still as statues. The guard’s strength began to wane. I crushed my arm tighter into his neck, I strained harder. He kept kicking, kept fighting. He produced a knife from his pocket and brought it down into my leg. I grunted, biting my lip to not yell, as Roman broke his hand to take it. My wolf inside howled to come out, to tear the man to shreds. I withheld and decided to end things quickly.
I adjusted my position and snapped my arms upward quickly, breaking his neck.
He went slack.
The girls looked at me in horror. I stared at Feyra staring at the body. Slowly, too slowly, she looked up at me.I was a monster now. No longer something she could love.
My heart felt punctured. I’d lost my fated mate.Maybe it would be for the best.
The horses whinnied nervously. We had to get going. The light still spilling over six horses and two women, and now the dead body with us.
There was a whimper.
We all turned in horror at the small boy on the trail watching us.
Chapter 11
FEYRA
Dion slapped my horse’s rear and I shot forward. He whistled a high pitch and the other horses followed me out of the gate. Agatha shrieked, holding onto her horse as we galloped into darkness. I turned in the saddle and watched as Dion and Roman shifted into werewolves. They were large hulking frames, silhouetted by the torches pouring from the village. Men’s screams and the galloping of horses sounded into the night.
They’d been waiting for us.
Both werewolves followed us out into the darkness, all of us blind now. The horses snorted, huffing in fear and neighing in agitation. They continued on, but I couldn’t see what was surrounding us. I couldn’t make out anything in the dark night, the lights had blinded me and the clouds were thick.
Trust me.
Dion’s voice echoed in my mind and I almost fell out of the saddle. The shriekhadescaped my mouth though.
The torches poured from the gate. A constellation of men following as the glints of armor winked passing the threshold of the gate. I was surprised at how well I could see despite the dark. I could see the face of each horse as they poured out. The driven face of each guard pursuing us.
I began looking around, I could make out other shapes. I wondered if it was Dion and Roman, or were they the other wolves they’d spoken of?
Ride!
Dion’s voice sounded again. How was he doing it? Why could I hear it?
I glanced at the chasing horses, each man gritting his teeth as they pursued us. Their lamps bobbed as the horses galloped. But there were definite movements in the dark. Definite shapes closing in. Where had the men gone? Where had–
One of the lights winked out, exploding as it hit the ground and the horse tumbled. In the dying light I saw the form of a wolf.
Then another light winked out.
And another.
Another.
Men began screaming, horses whinnying and crying as wolves took them out one by one. Our horses were just as scared, but they didn’t slow or stop.Somethingwas urging them on.
