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“Run.”
Chapter32
Caius
Reagan’s primal instinct took over and she bolted. Her feet dug into the soft earth as she passed the throngs of people on the outside of the circle. They tossed petals over her, yelling and hollering with glee.
I stood there smiling, watching her run into the forest, doing my best to hold in a laugh. She was about as coordinated as a baby giraffe.
Styx met my gaze with a smirk, clearly seeing the same thing. She winked, then disappeared backwards into the crowd, heading to her post.
I hadn’t planned on waiting that long before giving chase, and this gave me plenty of leeway. Styx would herd Reagan toward me, and I would take over from there.
Seconds ticked by, my heart pounding in anticipation.
Even knowing it wasn’t real didn’t change the adrenaline rush it created just being there. The beating of the drums. The chant. The fantasy that this could be real.
I began counting down, then took off, following my mate’s tracks. The petals showered me as they had her, and the shouts of joy followed me into the forest. Soon, the spectators would branch out into the woods so they could track us. I only had a small window of time to find her before they would find us.
Keeping a steady pace, I headed toward the meeting spot Styx and I mapped out earlier. It was only a matter of time before Reagan would appear, right on schedule.
Leaning against a tree, I waited, thinking back on our fight for the hundredth time. Replaying it over and over again in my mind.
Wondering what I could have done differently, or if I could have said something else. The disagreement was going to happen no matter what. She didn’t believe in the mate bond. I did. There was no middle ground there.
I want you. Is that not enough?
Even through all the anger, her words lingered, and they gave me hope that we’d be okay. Today I would find out.
Reagan’s anxiety traveled through the bond, reaching me. She was near. Moments later, I spotted her through a copse of trees.
“Shit, shit, shit, shit.” Each word was ground out with huffed breaths. She came to a stop, resting her hands on her knees for a moment of reprieve. Turning in circles, she took in her surroundings.
A twig snapped in the distance, and her eyes widened. Leaves rustled, but in a different direction. She took steps backwards, toward me, not knowing I’d been watching her.
“Oh, c’mon,” she muttered, her eyes shut, and her fists clenched. “Anywhere but here. Just anywhere but here.”
“Teleporting is cheating,” I whispered.
A strangled cry escaped her, and she whirled around, clutching her chest while I stepped out of the shadows.
“For fuck’s sake! You scared the shit out of me. This is awful,” she began, sucking in deep breaths. “Were you hiding in the shadows? That should be cheating, fucking shadow shifter horseshit. I hate this and I?—”
“Shhh.” I placed a finger over her lips, then took her hand and began walking. “We aren’t staying here. Follow me.”
A frown formed between her brows, and she followed with hesitation. “Caius, I can’t do this. I have to get out of here. I?—”
Stopping, I turned to face her. “Trust me. I told you I wouldn’t make you do anything you don’t want to do.”
“Right, but?—”
“Reagan.” She stilled, her mouth open midway through her sentence. “Trust. Me. And be quiet, or people will hear you. We’re almost there.”
Finally listening to me, she obliged my request and silently trailed behind me. When we came to a small clearing, I gestured for her to go ahead of me, and she looked back and forth between me and the space before us. I nudged her forward, then followed behind her.
As we crossed through a cloaking spell, the clearing was no longer empty. Instead, an animal hide had been laid out and a basket of food sat on top.
“What is this?” she asked, turning to me, then checking the surrounding trees.
