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I have no doubt she’d stare at me with the same desire if I stripped right now. Though with the way Kinley is looking my way with amusement it’s as though she can read my thoughts, I walk away and close the distance to the window. Pulling back the curtain an inch, I scan the grounds outside.
The rain is coming down in sheets, puddles covering the courtyard, and figures are darting about. But how much longer before they start searching houses? The gates out of the fortress grounds would be heavily manned, so using those to exit are out of the question.
I turn to Kinley, who’s still chatting with Meira, but she lifts her gaze on my approach. “You know why we’re here,” I say.
She nods.
“Why is that?” Meira lifts to her feet as Bardhyl returns, and I look over as he strolls into the room, carrying a pair of black sneakers, too small for him.
The dark pants he wears are plastered to his thick legs, the fabric appearing thin, and it leaves nothing to the imagination. His black, long-sleeved top has a V-neckline and pulls taut across his chest. He pulls at the material, and if there’s one thing I know about Bardhyl, it’s that he loathes constricting clothes and prefers to be in his wolf form. Sure, those were two facts, but it’s like he chose those pants on purpose to display his wares.
I turn back around to Kinley, noting Meira doing a double-take of Bardhyl. I roll my eyes. “Okay, focus.” I grab everyone’s attention, all three staring strangely at me. Hello, who’s wearing tights clinging to his cock? It isn’t me!
“So, are we hiding out here until we go rescue Dušan?” Meira’s voice is full of hope, then she smiles wildly as Bardhyl hands her the sneakers. She’s been running around barefoot, and the big guy is soft when it comes to Meira.
“Thank you.” She wraps herself around him, hugging him, then peers up at him. He leans down and kisses her quickly. My heart beats faster and it has zero to do with jealousy, but everything to do with admiration at how much Meira has tamed the beast in him.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but… “We’re getting out of the settlement now. Homes will be searched soon, and we’ll be no help if we’re imprisoned again.”
The lovebirds pull apart and Meira’s expression falls. “Wait, we can’t leave without Dušan. Can’t we stay here and go back for him later?” She puts her shoes on, tying up the laces.
“I wish we could, but we can’t risk you getting caught. We’ll be back for him, I promise,” I explain.
Begrudgingly, she nods, her mouth tight.
“I have a bag under the sink filled with blankets and water,” Kinley says to Bardhyl. “Go fill it with food from the pantry. Meira, help him. There’s also a fire starter kit and dry kindling and wood to take.”
“What’s going on?” Meira asks.
“We have another way out,” I say. “Go help Bardhyl before we end up with only salt.” He coats it on everything he eats.
I face Kinley as the other two hurry into the kitchen. “You are a blessing.”
“What I am is prepared. Just like you and Bardhyl have been in case a day like today happened.” She smiles, but there’s concern behind her eyes. She knows as well as I do that danger comes in many forms and our Alpha only really trusted a handful of Ash Wolves. He may have given his stepbrother lenience, but he didn’t trust him. Which is why Mad has no clue of our backup escape plan right here under his nose.
“Go quickly before it’s too late,” Kinley says.
I lean in and hug her. I’ve always seen Kinley as my older sister who looked out for me, who told me stories and helped me get through the devastating sorrow after losing my soulmate. “Be careful,” I whisper.
A sudden burst of voices comes from somewhere outside. I break free from Kinley and dart across the room to peel back the curtain a bit. In the courtyard, at least a dozen pack members stand guard as Mad marches toward them. The sight of him makes me curl my hands into fists, fury bleeding through my veins. I shudder with anger and urgency to rush out there and make the asshole pay for what he’s done.
I can’t hear his words, but his arms are waving about, all while it’s pouring rain out there. I’m under no illusion that he won’t be sending out a search party through the settlement to look everywhere. It’s what I would do.
I whip around and say in a quiet voice, “We leave now!”
Darting into the middle of the living room, I roll back the rug spreading over the floorboards and reveal a trap door I’m way too familiar with. I reach down and drag the metal latch free, then wrench up the door.
The gaping mouth of darkness greets me, bringing with it a cold chill. There’s a ladder that goes down into old tunnels that crisscross under this land from ancient times. Dušan had Bardhyl and me work to secure the passage from here and right out into a secret spot in the caves in the woods. Years is what it took, sweat and fucking aching muscles to unblock cave-ins, and now it’s worth all the damn time we spent on it.
“Whoa!” Meira states as she emerges from the kitchen, Bardhyl behind her, a large bag swung over his shoulder. “Is this our way out?” She sounds almost scared.
“Yes, and we need to go now! Hurry up.” Voices from outside escalate as though they’re moving closer.
“The torch,” Kinley reminds me, rolling her wheeled chair forward, ready to drag the rug back over the trap door once we’re gone.
I take a thick, wooden stick hidden near her fireplace and plunge one end covered in cloth and oil into the fire. It takes instantly, an orange blaze flickering and coming to life.
Bardhyl has already jumped into the tunnel, and Meira is on her way down the ladder, and she looks at me with uncertainty, but there are no complaints.
“I’m right behind you, gorgeous,” I assure her.
Though, in truth, I wish I could fly her out of here so she didn’t have to run and hide, but I can’t, so I’ll do the next best thing. Protect her from the fucking demented wolf on our doorstep.
