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It’s becoming pretty obvious that Scott isn’t going to let me go after Nicolai, so I’m going to have to make him see that this isn’t up for discussion.
“Look, you’re a lone wolf. You’re used to looking out for yourself, so maybe you’ve forgotten what it’s like to care about others. He’s my pack, my family, and I won’t leave him.”
It’s a low blow, and I see his brows raise in surprise as something shifts across his face. We might have been forming something, a bond that the trials have created, but I just trampled all over it. Once this trial is over, he’s going to go back to being a lone wolf, and I’ll just be someone he once helped out. That hurts, and I know that’s my fault, but Nicolai needs my help. Nicolai, whom I’ve had a crush on since my early teen years, the male who helped protect me and who took part in the trials because he knew I’d need help getting through this.
His arms drop to his sides, and he takes a small step back. Although he’s still within arm’s reach, somehow the distance between us feels like a huge chasm. I should use this moment to turn and run towards Nicolai, yet I can’t seem to move, my eyes locked on Scott’s face. I can’t quite put a name to his expression, but I swear I see disappointment in the tightness of his jaw and around his eyes.
Suddenly, the bond in my chest throbs so hard that it makes me gasp and look around desperately for the source. Following the pull, I look over Scott’s shoulder and see Joel running towards me. My feet are moving before I register it, unable to resist the call of my mate. Our bodies collide hard, and our lips press together hungrily as I slide my hands over his chest, needing to feel him and prove to myself he’s real and still alive.
“You’re alive,” I whisper against his lips, pulling back enough to look into his eyes. I hadn’t realised how much the bond had been weighing on me until I saw him and felt grounded for the first time since the trial started.
Mating bonds are at their strongest when they are first formed. Bad timing or not, ours was formed last night, so being separate for the trial has been… hard. There’s something about this place that mutes my bond, though, and I feel pulled in several directions, so it’s confusing. However, seeing Joel helps clear my mind.
“So are you,” he murmurs, his voice more of a growl, but I’m just about able to make out the words. His eyes suddenly darken, and he pulls back to see my swollen cheek and bruised jaw, snarling viciously. A shudder moves through his whole body, and I watch, transfixed, as he takes a deep, measured breath and steps back. His hands ball into fists at his sides, clenching and unclenching as he attempts to control himself. “You need to get to the centre now,” he orders with no room for argument, his alpha power wrapping around me.
I gesture to Nicolai, who is still holding off Bates and the two other wolves, but I can see that he’s tiring.
“Nicolai—”
Joel cuts me off before I can say anything else, understanding flashing in his eyes. Reaching out, he grabs my shoulder, waiting for me to meet his gaze.
“I know, I’ll go.” For the first time, I realise there’s another wolf behind Joel. My back stiffens over the fact that he managed to get this close without me noticing, but I know my mate wouldn’t have let them close unless he trusted that he wouldn’t hurt me. Examining the newcomer, I find I vaguely recognise him as another of the lone wolves I saw at the naming ceremony. He must be Joel’s partner for the trial.
Turning my attention back to Nicolai, I shift my weight from foot to foot, Joel’s order to run to the middle of the arena making it difficult for me. I hate that he used his alpha power on me, but something swirls inside me, whispering that I could break through it if I truly wanted. That shouldn’t be possible, and I ignore that voice, not wanting to contemplate what that could mean.
Joel turns to Scott while I’m hesitating. “Get her to the beacon.” He doesn’t use his power this time, but the order is pretty clear nonetheless.
“Easier said than done,” Scott mutters and grabs my hand, pulling me away from my mate and out into the open, running in the opposite direction of Nicolai.
“Wait!” I call out, stumbling behind him, but he doesn’t stop. My heart feels like it’s being torn into pieces the farther I get from Nicolai and my mate. I should be helping, but instead I’m running in the other direction. Glancing over my shoulder, I see Joel and the other male start sprinting towards Nicolai and Bates, shifting into their wolf forms. As Scott predicted, other wolves jump from the trees and start to attack them. Joel ishugein wolf form, so he quickly disables two of the wolves without even breaking his stride.
Scott snarls at my slow pace, tugging on my arm to bring my attention back to him. “If we don’t get you to the beacon, you die. End of. Alpha Green will save your friend.”
I know he’s right, but I can’t stop the guilt from eating at me. I feel like I’m being torn in two—stay and help but risk not completing the trial in time and losing my life as a result, or leave them and save myself. My blade of starlight disappears, and Star lopes at my side as I face forward and run with Scott. I focus on pushing all of my energy into my legs. We run faster than we did in the forest, knowing that we’re at a much greater risk out in the open.
I stumble several times, but with nudges from Star, I manage to stay upright, my breath tearing from my throat. The ground finally levels out, and we come to a halt at the edge of the lake. Two competitors are already in the water, swimming towards the small island. Kicking off my shoes, I call Star back into me and don’t let myself think about what I’m about to do. Kneeling on the ground, I slide into the freezing water and grit my teeth against the intense cold.
Scott curses loudly beside me as he does the same. Treading water, he meets my gaze and attempts to force a smile, but it just looks like a pained grimace. “Almost there. Let’s get this over with.”
The freezing water saps my strength, and my teeth chatter, but I nod and take a deep breath, pushing away from the side of the bank. Trying to keep my head above water, I kick my legs as hard as I can, my arms pulling me forward as I swim towards the centre of the lake. Scott keeps pace with me, but after a minute or so, I have to use every ounce of my strength to keep moving. My body is going into shock, so I focus on the island, which is slowly getting closer.
We’re almost there. Only another couple of meters.
Something grabs my foot. I have half a second to cry out before I’m dragged underwater. With my head completely submerged, I’m unable to think, and my breath is stolen from me as freezing pain stabs at my skull. Kicking out of instinct, I connect with something, and my ankle is released. Bursting to the surface, I desperately gasp for breath, but the reprieve is short as I’m grabbed once more and pulled down.
“Laelia!” Scott shouts, his voice muffled as I’m dragged farther into the lake.
There are more small, clawed hands on me that scratch at my skin and clothes, pulling and tearing the fabric. Pain lances through my arms and legs as they bite me with tiny sharp teeth. I have no idea how long I’m underwater for, it’s probably only seconds, but it feels like a lifetime, and my lungs scream for air as I’m dragged deeper and deeper.
My vision starts to darken, and my movements get slower as the bites increase, the water around me turning murky with my blood.
I’m dying.
The presence that resides within me stretches as if awakening from a deep slumber, rising until it fills my whole body. I don’t have the strength to fight against it.This is not how we die, it whispers in my mind, it’s voice full of power. As it takes control of my body, I forget about the cold as warmth fills my every pore and a low, glistening light emits from my skin, illuminating the water around us.
Finally able to see my attackers, I discover a mass of small fanged creatures. No longer than my forearm, they have large, oval heads and huge eyes, making them look almost childlike. The gills in their necks and rows of needle-sharp teeth shatter any illusion of childish innocence however. Instead of protruding ears like us, they have holes in the side of their smooth heads. Their webbed hands end in pointed nails, and below their naked chests they have long, scaled tails. Spikes protrude from the backs of their necks, down along their spines, and continue to the bottom of their tails. They are so small it’s hard to believe they are so strong, however, there are so many of them that escaping is next to impossible.
From the corner of my eye, I see Scott above me, fighting off several of the creatures as he tries to get to me.
