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I gestured my head to the narrow stairway on the left side of the cavern. At the top stood a narrow iron door. “See that door?”
Her gaze slid to where I was gesturing, and she nodded.
“It leads to a balcony. Fliers use it to access the training cavern when they’re outside of the mountain. Go there and shut the door behind you. I’ll collect you when it’s clear.”
To my relief, she didn’t question me.
“Run,” I added as I released her.
Jumping down from the platform we’d been on, I strode toward the middle of the cavern. I knew who was coming before he even stepped through the doors. There was no mistaking that voice, that scent.Zacal and his wolves.
Peering back, I noted where Raine was still climbing the stairs.Faster, I willed her in my mind.Fuck.She’d been sweating all over the place. If Zacal caught her, I wasn’t sure what he’d try to do.I just hoped she was smart enough to stay hidden.
I turned forward again as Zacal strode into the room, an arrogant smirk on his face. His three most loyal wolves were with him. Wolves who had once been loyal to me before all the shit that had gone down.
The moment Zacal spotted me standing in the middle of the room, sadistic delight sparked in his eyes, and I rolled my neck. He wasn’t going to make this easy. He never did. And I welcomed the pain.
~ Raine ~
Mylegsandchestburned by the time I reached the top of the staircase. Swiftly, I pulled the narrow iron door open and stepped through, sighing as frigid mountain air cooled my hot cheeks and a chill breeze teased my unbound hair. My heart leaped at the realization that for the first time since I’d come to this place, I wasoutside.
Closing the door, I squinted against the sunlight that speared from above, my eyes watering. After numerous blinks, I made out the small balcony I stood on, which was carved from a wide rock shelf jutting out of the mountain. An intricate marble railing lined the edge, clearly designed to stop anyone from accidentally falling to their deaths.
I strained my eyes, searching the expanse of blue above, but no flying monsters came swooping down on me.Fliers, Kade had called them.Thank the Goddess monsters sleep during the day.
Stepping forward, I moved to the edge of the balcony and stifled a gasp. Far below at the base of the mountain, rows upon rows of buildings spread before me, rivers of glowing blue winding between the stone houses, like tentacles reaching for the ocean. In the center of it all, silver-tipped stone towers reached into the sky.
I stared, overwhelmed by what I was seeing.Holy Mother Falia, there must be hundreds of thousands of monsters. How am I supposed to find Cara in that?Making my way through the tunnels of the mountain was already a difficult task, but finding her in all that seemed impossible. Clenching my jaw, I forced myself not to think about it.First, escape. You can tackle that problem after.
I turned my attention to the rocky mountainside around the balcony. A thin shelf of rock led off on the right side, connecting to another small balcony further around the mountain. The path was narrow but possibly just large enough that I could shuffle my way along if I was careful.
Wiping my forehead with the back of my hand, I steeled myself and stepped toward the edge of the balcony.Don’t look down. Don’t you fucking dare look down.Resting my palms on the balcony railing, I took a deep breath and mentally prepared myself for what I was about to do. Before I moved forward, a low howl mixed with the wind, and I frowned as I wondered at the sound.You’re up high. It’s just the wind playing tricks.
Dismissing the noise, I lifted my leg and gripped the railing harder. As I was about to hoist myself over another howl rang out, and I paused. The sound was deep, guttural, and so full of agony that my gut tightened, my throat becoming dry.Kade.
I stared at my path to freedom.Don’t you dare turn around. This is your chance. Cara’s chance. Who cares if the monster asshole is in danger? He’s a big boy. He can take care of himself.I chewed the inside of my cheek. I should have been escaping. I came here for Cara. It was all that mattered, but I didn’t move. Another of Kade’s howls cut through the wind, and the bond between us wrapped around me, making my chest squeeze.
Shit.I cursed at myself, my face scrunching in frustration, and spun around, stepping back toward the door. Letting out a heavy breath through my nose, I cracked open the door and peered down into the training cavern.
Kade was crouched, an arm resting on his knee and the other knee on the ground, the muscles of his shoulder pronounced beneath his shirt. A long stripe of black reached across his back, and my brows lowered as I took in the blood.Three males and a female stood around him, each with a weapon brandished in their hand. Their faces were full of so much rage and glee that it made my lip curl.
Get up, Kade. What the hell is going on?
“Stop holding out on us, Kade. We know you have a newblood hiding here somewhere. Her scent is all over the cavern,” said the broadest of the three males, his voice like gravel.“All we want is a taste.” The male was a head shorter than Kade, with copper eyes and brown hair shaved close to his head. A long blade hung at his side, glistening with black blood.Kade’s blood.
I tensed, feeling the adrenaline surge through me.They’re looking for me.I swallowed.Well, good. Kade deserves whatever these monsters have to give. Now move your ass while they’re distracted.My gaze flitted to the edge of the balcony and the rocky shelf that was my chance of escape, but I hesitated.You hate him, remember? The fucker bit you.
Except…he’d also saved me. Even if he thought our lives were linked by whatever the hell the bond was, he’d saved me and hadn’t been cruel. Hehadn’tacted like a monster. And the thought of him being hurt because they were looking for me left a sour taste in my mouth.Come on, Kade, you’re a big badass. You can take those monsters.
I didn’t really know if he could. There were four of them and one of him, and I had no idea what kind of monsters the others were, but Kade was a huge wall of muscle, and from the way he tore around the obstacle course, he was fit as hell.
“There’s no one else here, and we both know you’re more interested in me,” Kade said, his voice already sounding defeated.
I gritted my teeth.No, get up and fight!
“To think you should have been the alpha,” said the short-haired monster who I guessed was the leader. “The strongest wolf alpha of Katakin.” The male scoffed. “A wolf who couldn’t even protect his family.”
Wait, what?I waited for Kade to react, but he didn’t move from his half-kneeling position and kept his head bowed. Another one of the monsters, the female with her dark hair tied in a high bun, snarled and left another stripe of black on his back.
