Page 76 of Revenant

Clara’s features stay hard for a moment then it bleeds away, fast enough to make me believe I’d imagined it. “Very well. I suppose the holiday isn’t too far away.” Clara caresses the side of Lacey’s face, and she leans into the gentle touch. “We’ll reconvene then. Oh, and it was a pleasure to meet you, Alicent.”

I breathe a massive sigh of relief as Reed opens the front door, silently pushing us all to get the hell out of here. And though I don’t know him very well, I’m immensely grateful for it. I have no idea how this woman knew my name, and something tells me I don’t want to find out.

24: Alicent

“Where the hell is the car?” Naomi’s voice rips through the drizzle the moment we finally step back into the center of town. The mist hangs low, a cold promise of rain that makes the streetlights smear into halos. We fan our eyes left and right, scanning the rows of vehicles, but the black sedan is gone. Naomi’s face collapses into a pout. “Great. This is just great,” she huffs, the words brittle with panic.

Before anyone can answer, Reed clears his throat. “I know a shortcut.”

“I think it would be best to wait,” I say, attempting to sound reasonable. “Maybe he had to circle around.” My voice is quiet against the damp air, and the look on everyone’s faces tells me my suggestion is already dead on arrival.

Naomi’s response is quick and laced in irritation. “You think we should just wait around like sitting ducks? No wonder they didn’t want you going off alone. You’re dumber than a sack of rocks.”

Lacey’s shoulders slump. “Maybe lay off a little?” she offers, clearly trying to calm her friend. Naomi scoffs, but Reed steps in before the argument can spiral. “We have to get moving. Being out in the open is too dangerous.” His words are calm, but there’s an urgency threaded through them that makes us all nod—even though I don’t actually agree. My stomach knots at the thought of leaving the town behind and plunging into the trees.

The forest swallows us as we go in. Daylight filters through the canopy in thin, green slashes, but it feels strange—like we’re all bracing for something. Branches snap underfoot, the sound loud and brittle. Our breathing comes out in ragged bursts; a hike was never on the itinerary. If I’d known we’d be doing this, I would have worn shoes that didn’t make my ankles hate me.

“Are we almost there?” Lacey calls, her steps slowing.

Naomi mutters, “Shortcut my ass,” and I can’t help but agree inwardly. My hands twist together as if I can wring sense out of the situation. I’m about to say we should turn back when a distant snap—different from the brittle twigs—stops us cold.

“What—what was that?” Lacey’s voice is thin; her head jerks from side to side as if the sound might reveal itself.

“Probably just an animal,” Naomi says, but even as she speaks, I can tell she’s trying to convince herself.

Turns out…it is an animal. It’s just not any animal I’ve seen before.

Across the creek, half-hidden in the brush, something stares at me. Piercing blue eyes lock onto mine. Smoke curls from its nostrils, and drool beads at the corners of its mouth. Its lip is curled back, revealing two long, wicked canines that catch the dim light like knives. The creature is a wolf, but unsettling in a way that makes my skin prickle.

Fear claws up my throat and I look to Reed, the architect of this detour, the one who was supposed to keep us safe. He doesn’t look afraid. Not even a flicker. Instead, he moves with a lazy confidence, like a man strolling through a market. He saunters toward the wolf—toward the thing stalking us like its next meal—without so much as glancing at the rest of us.

“Reed,” I call, voice cracking. “What do we—”

“Shut the hell up.” The words are flat, stripped of any trace of the reserved man from only a few hours ago. The Reed that was trusted by the guys, the one that appeared to be on our side, evaporates. “Do you know how annoying it is to listen to you talk all the time? Exhausting and excruciating, to say the least.” His tone is venom wrapped in boredom.

“We have to get out of here,” Lacey whispers, already backing away. Reed’s steps halt when he reaches the wolf and, shockingly, strokes its caramel-colored fur like he’s greeting an old friend.

The wolf’s blues never leave mine.

“But you—you were here to protect us. The guys said—” My words tumble out, frantic.

“As if I would do them any favors. I didn’t choose this—they made me a vampire. I’ve been patiently waiting decades for the chance to strike back.” Reed’s voice is almost amused as he leans down and presses a kiss to the wolf’s head. “So, of course I jumped at the opportunity to come. Can’t say I see what makes you worth all this trouble, Alicent, but there’s been at least one of them at every turn, always by your side. Always…lurking. It’s pathetic.” His words are a slow, deliberate knife.

Naomi and Lacey are already retreating, their backs pressed to the trees. “What does this have to do with us?” Naomi demands, trying to sound braver than she feels.

“Absolutely nothing. You’re both just collateral damage.” Reed’s grin widens into something cruel. Then, as if on cue, more shapes step out from the shadows—an entire pack materializing behind him like a nightmare made flesh. “Lucky for me, it seems Veilcrest has competition. They’re not the only ones with plans for a Calder witch.” He says my last name with disgust, as though it doesn’t deserve to be passed through his lips.

My magic hums under my skin, a living thing that answers to panic and instinct. It thrums impatiently, but I have no control. I’ve never had lessons. The most I’ve managed is to light some fucking candles!

Now the power inside me feels like a caged animal, pacing and scratching at the bars of its cage.

“Do something,” I tell the girls, but they’re huddled behind me, slowly backing away with eyes wide. I turn to move toward them, but a low growl from the pack freezes the three of us in place.

Naomi lashes out—literally—shooting a ball of fire in my direction. I roll, barely avoiding the heat. “What the hell?” I gasp, heart pounding.

“Stay the fuck over there,” Naomi snaps. “If it’s you they want, they can have you. No sweat off my back.” She sends another flare of flame, buying them a few seconds. In that instance, Naomi and Lacey dart into the trees and vanish.

“It’s no use running,” Reed calls, voice carrying. He’s pulling my attention back, and the wolves begin to move with a terrifying, practiced precision. They form a ring, a formation that feels rehearsed, like hunters who have done this many times before.