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I seriously hate this thing.
I was about to risk darting back through to find them, even knowing how dangerous that move was, when Spencer and Briar suddenly stepped through, the portal snapping shut behind them.
I opened my mouth to yell at them for making us worry, but the look of fury on Briar’s face made me back off. She shook her head at my questioning look, marching off towards the trees without a backward glance.
Spencer gave a deep sigh as he shook out his hands, taking in his new surroundings as he adjusted to the subtle differences of this world. I narrowed my eyes at him as I watched him purposefully avoid looking in my sister’s direction, and he glared right back at me when he noticed my expression.
“Yeh, yeh, be nice to your sister or else,” he grumbled.
I laughed. “I wouldn’t be worrying about me, Spence. I’d be much more concerned with the fully trained, pissed off witch that I had to spend the near future with.”
Uncertainty crossed his face as I started following Briar’s trail toward the forest, calling back over my shoulder. “And I would definitely be grovelling at her feet before I had to sleep beside her or eat any food she had prepared.”
I heard Linc and Hawk chuckle as I pushed into the trees, the amused grin falling from my lips as the scents of home suddenly overwhelmed me. It had been months since I’d last been in this forest, and as the familiar scenery surrounded me I realised with a jolt that I could feel my bonds. Faint and stretched thin still, seeing as Noah and Liam weren’t anywhere nearby, but I could finally sense them fully again.
I grabbed a thin branch to support myself as my knees wobbled, a bubble of emotion pushing up my throat as I instinctively reached for the steel threads of the bonds and tugged. I had no idea if they would feel it at this distance, but it was all I could do to let them know I was coming.
A warm hand startled me as it settled gently on my back.
“You ok?” Spencer asked softly, his dark eyes radiating concern.
I nodded, taking a deep breath and standing tall again. He gave me an encouraging smile but was cut off from speaking again as Briar suddenly reappeared.
“Hello?” she snapped. “We have about three hours until sunset and need to be well away from here before then.”
Linc stepped up from behind Spencer and swept his arm forwards in a grand gesture. “Apologies, my lady, please lead on.”
Rolling her eyes at him, Briar spun on her heel and marched off again, leaving us to follow.
I chuckled and tugged at Spencer’s elbow. “Come on, she’s right.”
We walked in silence for a while, the guys taking in the forest with curious eyes as we headed south towards the Pack Lands. I took the opportunity to chat with my sister as we walked, talking about inane things and just enjoying being in each other’s company. The guys trailed a respectful distance behind, just letting us get to know each other again, and I couldn’t deny the warm feeling in my chest as night began to close in.
“Where do you think we should sleep?” Briar murmured.
I gave her a confused look. “What do you mean?”
She darted a look at the guys behind us, clearly not wanting them to hear. I didn’t dare break it to her that their enhanced shifter hearing meant they definitely could.
“If it was just me, I’d find a tree to climb and tie myself to it,” she whispered, her cheeks flushing a little. “But I doubt that’s what you guys had planned.”
I gaped at her a little. “A tree? Uh, why?”
She huffed. “I didn’t feel safe just sleeping on the ground by myself.”
“Weren’t you cold?” Hawk asked gruffly, making Briar’s eyes flare.
I scowled at him. “Do you understand the concept of subtlety? She didn’t need to know that you could hear her.”
He looked at Briar intently as she flushed a deeper red, looking mortified.
“I’m so sorry,” she snapped sarcastically at him. “But some of us didn’t grow up in the wild.”
Hawk shrugged unapologetically. “I’m not judging, kittycat, I’m impressed. Sheathe those claws.”
Briar blinked in surprise, apparently lost for words, and I raised my hands between them. “Ok, how about we just find a clearing big enough that I can start a fire? Then you guys can hunt us down some dinner.”
Linc’s head whipped around to look at me. “Excuse me? You want us to what now?”
