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Around him, my tongue became sharper, and I didn’t hesitate to let him know how I felt. Maybe it was the adrenaline that still vibrated in my body or the fact that, in kidnapping me, Night had rescued me from Troy, but there was more to my bravery than that. Of course I was afraid of what he could do to me, but deep inside, I knew that Night was someone I could speak my mind to without worrying about violent retaliation. After all, if he’d wanted to kill me, he would have done it already.
I nudged his shoulder, and when I didn’t get a response, I punched his perfect, sun-kissed bicep. I winced at the sharp pain that ignited from my knuckles and spread across my hand. All the while, Night remained statue-still, his attention never wavering from the trees.
I pulled my hair in frustration and moved in front of him. From this angle, his larger, broader body shielded me from the cool spring breeze. He seemed especially large with the moonlight at his back; his dark body cut an impressive figure. But I wasn’t thinking about that. I was thinking about how angry I was and how anxious I was to get home.
“Listen,” I said, jabbing his chest with my finger. “Take. Me. Back. Now.” Each word was another jab to hard muscle.
Finally, Night’s bright green gaze fell onto me, and the rest of my words caught in my throat. The moment his eyes met mine, I remembered the dream I’d had just a few nights before. In it, my back had been pressed against the trunk of a tree, my arms and legs wrapped around the green-eyed stranger’s hard body as he thrust into me over and over again, forcing me to feel pleasure the likes of which I’d never known—
Night’s eyes narrowed, and a low rumble emanated from his chest. I took a couple of steps back, a jolt of fear raising goosebumps on my skin. I knew a warning when I heard one.
“Why don’t you sit back down and shut up,” he said. “I need to listen for my wolves, not some dumb girl who doesn’t know how to be grateful.”
“Grateful?” The fear began to subside, and anger surged in its wake. “I thanked you for the shirt, didn’t I?”
“Not just about the shirt,” he said. “I saved your ass from Troy and whatever fucked up shit he had planned for you tonight.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “You owe me, girl, but you’re lucky that all I’m asking for is your silence.”
My hands balled into fists. “I’m lucky? The girl who was kidnapped from my home only minutes ago, who’s standing here practically naked? You’re saying I’m lucky? When the person who kidnapped me can’t offer even an ounce of sympathy or—or understanding. I owe you?” I shook my head hard enough that my hair freed itself from the collar of Night’s shirt and fell around my shoulders. “Forget this. I ought to just walk myself home.”
He scoffed. “If you’re stupid enough to walk yourself back into the lion’s den, then go on already. Save me the trouble of listening to you nag at me.”
“Fine. I will.” I turned from him in a flurry of indignation and marched into the forest, heading back the way we’d come. From the position of the North Star in the sky, I knew that if I kept heading straight, I ought to find my way back to the Kings’ compound.
But as I pushed my way through the trees, I found the forest much more unforgiving than it’d been when I was draped over Night’s shoulder. The floor, covered in layers of sharp sticks and pine needles and jagged rocks, sliced at my exposed feet. I couldn’t see very well, and I found myself almost running into the thick trunk of a tall tree every few steps. All the while, branches snatched at Night’s shirt, my legs, and my face. All this combined with the fact that my body hadn’t recovered from Troy’s harsh treatment, made the experience ten times worse.
I was exhausted after only ten minutes of trudging through the forest, but my pride and determination didn’t allow me to turn back to Night. Though it was miserable, though I knew I was doomed to miles and miles of this torture, I kept going. I hoped that the activity would keep me from succumbing to my exhaustion.
I tried to think of Mom and of the garden to keep my spirits up. When I get back, I’ll talk to her about leaving with me. After I tell her about what happened with Troy, she’ll understand exactly how unsafe it is with him as Alpha of the Kings. Mom knew everything about the forest, and she knew more about what human cities were like. She’d be able to guide me to safety if only I could get back home in one piece.
I stumbled when a tree root snatched at my feet. I fell into the hard, cool trunk of a tree. As I tried to right myself, howls pierced the night air. A deep fear shook through my bones as I heard the sound of dozens of light footsteps headed my way. Soon, shining eyes emerged from the darkness, followed by large, dark shapes—the hulking forms of the wolves that had burst from the treeline earlier.
My arms wrapped tightly around the tree’s trunk as if I could blend into it simply by holding on as tightly as possible. When the wolves reached me, would they hurt me? Would they kill me? They were closing in fast, and there was nothing I could do to defend myself.
All the rumors said that the Wargs were bloodthirsty, vicious beasts even when they weren’t in their wolf form. Was I about to see that firsthand?
I squeezed my eyes shut as they drew nearer, giving up any hope of making it out of the forest alive.
11
BRYN
Suddenly, a pair of warm arms wrapped around me and lifted me to my feet. I knew it was Night without having to turn around. He held me against his body, his arm firm across my chest. I was sure he could feel the hummingbird beat of my heart against his skin.
The wolves’ steps stopped at the sight of their Alpha. I shivered, my eyes still shut tight as I waited for Night to feed me to his pack. Seconds passed, during which nothing and no one made a sound.
Eventually, I slowly opened my eyes. In front of me, large wolves of various colors had gathered around us. Some had their tongues lolling from their mouths, huffing warm puffs of air in front of them as they caught their breaths. Others had tufts of missing fur and bloody wounds. They had clearly dealt with the worst of the Kings’ pack.
I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. I yelped at the sight of another large man dressed in a long-sleeved black shirt and pants. He walked to Night’s side, chuckling at my reaction before turning to his Alpha. I tried to pretend I wasn’t paying close attention to them as he leaned over to speak into Night’s ear.
From the way he stood, just to the right of and behind his Alpha, I knew that this newcomer had to be Night’s beta. Growing up in a wolf pack, I had picked up on these displays of pack hierarchy. Though I wasn’t allowed to participate in their rituals and activities, I knew how subordinate wolves acted around their Alpha.
As I watched the two men, I realized that the new man was watching me too. He was subtle about his observation, considering me from his periphery. He was handsome, though in a different way from Night. He was almost as tall as his Alpha, but Night had a few inches on him. His face had a boyish charm to it, and his light blond hair and striking brown eyes gave him a kind, mischievous air. The look was heightened when he smiled at me, revealing the dimple in his cheek.
He'd caught me checking him out, but I wasn’t embarrassed. I was instead more distracted by the scars that marred his tan, olive-toned skin. Old wounds were visible at the collar of his shirt and over his hands. He was built for killing and fighting, just like any wolf.
Whatever he whispered into Night’s ear caused my captor to tighten his grip around me, making it more difficult to breathe. I tried to wiggle in his arms to give myself more room, but it didn’t help. The wolves began to shift into their human forms, completely naked.
There were women as part of his team, which surprised me. In the Kings’ pack, women were discouraged from joining patrols or from being put in any position that could get them hurt. All children were taught that women were too valuable to be put at risk, but I had observed female wolves hefting crates of vegetables or dried goods just as easily as any man could. Even Mom could lift or maneuver bookshelves and dressers without needing my help.
