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“Eliana!” Kellan yells in my mind. His shouts fade on the wind.
I clutch onto the small handle, my heart racing and my stomach twisting. The cool air stings my eyes. I can’t believe we got the boat.
“Adam, we have to go back,” I say, blinking through the stinging wind. I screech as we hit a wave and fly a few feet into the air.
“We can’t. Look,” he calls, motioning behind us.
Shit. My heart sinks to my knees, leaving me weak. I couldn’t stand even if I wanted to. I watch as a few men stand on the swimming platform of the yacht, forcing Chase, Evander, and Tristan into another motorized raft.
“Let’s get out of the water and hide. We can camouflage the raft and wait it out. We’ll keep an eye out to know which direction they head to go after them later. They wouldn’t want us to risk our lives on their behalf by chasing them without a plan. It’ll make things worse. You know this.” Adam tightens his jaw. “I’d agree with them. You’re the one needing protection. What they plan...” He shakes his head, forcing the thought from his mind.
“Doesn’t mean I have to like it. I was so pissed when Evander came without you and said you were—” I snap my mouth shut, suppressing the memory threatening to break me open.
“I’m sorry, little badass. I wanted to give you time.” Adam steers the boat, heading along the coast without going to shore. I almost ask him to kill the engine and set us adrift for a while.
It doesn’t look like anyone is coming after us in the water, and Kellan and his cruel and disgusting packmates could never swim fast enough to catch up with us.
A part of me aches inside. How could Kellan go along with this? I expected him to help and not just act like an obedient minion. I don’t know much about wolfpacks or how they work, and I don’t think I want to find out. Not now.
“I didn’t need time. I’ve been bitten, Adam. You weren’t until now. I hate thinking about how this could all be for nothing. If that’s the case, I just want to be with the others and you. I want to spend the last of our time just living instead of fighting.” I lick my lips and swallow, tasting the saltiness of the ocean on my mouth. My stomach growls. I try to ignore the discomfort caused by my aching bite wounds.
“Please don’t think like that,” he murmurs, slowing down as we near the rocky shore.
I don’t know exactly how far we are from where we were hiding, but now that I can see the outline of the island bathed in moonlight, it’s far bigger than I realize.
“Eliana? Did you hear me?” Adam asks, scooting close enough to reach for me. I let him guide me closer until our legs rest against each other’s.
I squeeze my eyes shut and nod. “I’m just trying to be real, Adam.”
“So am I. We can’t think as if our lives are over.” Adam cuts the engine, letting us drift toward the beach. He jumps onto one of the black rocks and guides the boat through the surf. No one will follow us by boat in this area. Adam struggles to pull me close enough to where he ties the raft to a low arching palm tree over the still rocky beach.
Offering his hand, Adam helps me from the raft and kicks it a few times, testing to see if it’s stable. He tears down a couple palm fronds and covers the raft the best he can.
“We should stick to the trees. We’ll get a better view of the water and the forest. It looks like those assholes are heading west. You can see a light. They’re camped on shore.” Adam jumps, grabbing onto a lush tree, permeating the area with a floral scent. Thankfully, he drops our previous conversation, drinking in our surroundings with me. The flower blooms remain closed for the night, but I’m sure the morning sun will awaken them and create a breathtaking tropical view.
Dangling his leg down, he waits for me to cling onto him before using his strength to pull me high enough to grab onto me.
“Look, the yacht’s pulling up the anchor. They’re moving.” Adam guides my head, directing me to look in the distance of the glowing yacht. I hadn’t realized how far we traveled, but I’m relieved to see the distance between us.
“Maybe they’ve given up on us.” It’s a stupid thought, but I need to think of something to give me hope. Because right now, I feel despairingly hopeless. How did we go from so many to just me and Adam? What will the packs do with the others? What if they assault and torture them? What if—
“Eliana, hey. Look at me. You’re hyperventilating.” Adam touches my chin, and it takes everything in me to shut down the dark thoughts consuming me.
I gasp a few breaths, my heart feeling as if it’ll collide from my chest and explode across Adam. He cups my cheeks and leans in, trying to fill my view with his handsome face.
“Doc would have you do some refocusing shit, wouldn’t he? The whole sensory thing I’ve read about.” Adam searches my eyes. “But I don’t remember that shit. So I want to play a game. It’s easy. Will you try?”
I open and close my mouth, unable to form my words. I nod the best I can. I hate how my body and mind shut down. It shouldn’t be like this. I’m stronger than this.
“I’m going to ask you one-word answer questions. Answer the best you can without thinking.” Adam smooths his fingers through my wild, damp hair. “Then you can ask me anything you want. Got it?”
“Yes,” I manage to say.
He graces me with a smile that lights his hazel eyes in the silvery moonlight. “Good. Question one...” He taps his finger to his chin. “Favorite color?”
“Blue.” The word barely sounds like a whisper coming from my mouth.
“Mine too.” He gives me a little shake. “What’s your body count?”
