We were trapped. We had nowhere to run. The cloaked man stepped forward, one hand outstretched in a show of surrender, of rcy.
Scarlett had slapped on the cheeks until I woke up, the pain in my shoulder threatening to take under with each breath I took. She was shaking uncontrollably as the man approached us, casting a cold shadow over where Scarlett rested on her knees beside , with the dead wolf on my other side.
I was covered in its blood. I could feel it starting to dry against my skin. I wanted to vomit–I needed to, especially as the man stepped into the cave and grabbed roughly, forcing into a seated position with one hand forcing my elbow into my side. I gritted my teeth against the pain, looking up into his startling pale green eyes. He had a long, jagged scar that ran from his left temple down across his nose and along his right cheek.
He maintained intense eye contact with while he gripped my elbow.
“Do it,” I whispered, tears welling in my eyes.
He said nothing as he slowly turned my wrist into position and then snapped my arm back into my shoulder joint.
Scarlett was holding steady as I cried out, but no noise echoed through the cave. It had been a silent scream, my whole body rippling with agony before a calm numbness settled over my body. My arm didn’t hurt any longer.
The man looked over, his gaze settled on my opposite arm, where my thermal undershirt was shredded and my skin was oozing blood from where the rogue’s claws had pierced my skin.
He glanced at the dead wolf, then reached over and pulled the blade from its ribs.
“This belongs to you,” he said, holding the blade and placing the hilt in my hand.
“Uh, thanks–”
“Gather your belongings,” he said, his voice naturally raspy as he rose to his feet, towering over and Scarlett. “We need to move.”
“Actually,” I said quickly, clearing my throat. “We have sowhere we need to be.”
The man just looked down at , expressionless. Nothing flashed behind his eyes.
“I see,” he said, glancing around the camp where our clothes were still laying out to dry. He settled his gaze at Scarlett, his eyes narrowing. “Are you by chance looking for your son?”
Both of us paled. I gaped up at the man, then turned to Scarlett, whose face was nearly gray with shock.
“I’ll take that as a yes. Five minutes, then we go. I’ll wait.”
Scarlett made a shallow noise in her throat as she helped onto my knees. I waved her away, adrenaline still tearing through my veins and dulling the pain I felt in both arms.
I told myself I was fine, that the pain could wait. I got to my feet and looked down at the wolf for the first ti, my stomach clenching at the puddle of blood soaking in the entrance of the cave.
I glanced up at the cloaked man, finding him staring right at .
“Are you Abel?” I asked, a tremor licking down my spine. He was... terrifying.
“No, I am not. But I’ll take you to him.”
***
The wall was made of wood and stone, solidified with concrete. It wasn’t pretty, not by any ans, and it was tall enough to tower over us and hide any of the buildings beyond as we approached. Rain pelted the tops of our heads, but the storm had passed, now nothing but a thick, black shadow over the incredible, snow-capped mountains in the distance.
I wondered how much ground Scarlett and I had covered over the course of what must have been four days, maybe five.
The cloaked man hadn’t told us his na, but his two wolf companions had shifted back to their human forms when we reached their camp, which hadn’t been far from ours. One of them was nad Ches, and the other was Peter. Neither of them spoke much, but had given Scarlett and food and water, as well as tended to my wounds and set up with a sling for my arm.
The cloaked man had watched us with a careful eye... , especially.
There was a small wooden door along the wall that looked tiny compared to the behemoth that was the wall itself. Compared to the wall around Aeris’s kingdom with its grand golden gates and ivory facade, this looked... violent, like whatever was inside was sothing that should stay there and never be released upon the land.
The door swung open and a few n stepped out, calling out to us. Their voices carried then hushed as they saw Scarlett and looking more than worse for wear.
“Soone get Abel,” the cloaked man said, coming to a stop.
Ches and Peter kept walking, however, pushing us forward toward the door. I looked at Scarlett, seeing the fear behind her eyes.
“It’s okay,” I whispered, praying I was right.
They hadn’t taken our things. They hadn’t gone through our bags or taken my dagger. That was good news, right?
Right?
We crossed the threshold of the wall and I glanced over my shoulder. The cloaked man was gone, like he’d disappeared into thin air.
Scarlett gasped, her brow knitted in confusion. I turned to follow her gaze, my own body relaxing. Beyond the wall was a very neat and tidy village, rows of buildings and cottages made of stone leading up to a wide, square fortress. It was quiet, with no one milling about what looked like market stalls in the center of a wide road leading through the center of the village. Candlelight flickered in the windows, however, with shadows moving behind curtains as people peered out to look at the guests, or captives, or their leader.
“Well, well, well,” ca a booming, honeyed male voice in the distance, followed by an even louder laugh.
I blinked into the gray drizzle, seeing an ashen blond man dressed in fine, blue velvet walking toward us, flanked by n dressed in leathers and hospun similar to what Jared wore daily. “I wasn’t expecting visitors. What a treat.”
Abel stopped short of us, peering at us with a careful, curious eye. His eyes were just as blue as the well-fitting suit he wore, his hair brushed away from his devastatingly handso face. He t my eye, arching his perfect brows.
He was the most handso man I’d ever seen in my entire life. I could readily admit that. But he gave off an air of self-righteousness that imdiately put on alert. His cheeks dimpled as he smiled, looking up and down and chuckling to himself.
“Well, you’ve seen better days I reckon, sweetheart.”
I pursed my lips, willing myself to keep a leash on my smart-ass mouth.
He walked a circle around , closing the distance between us. Sothing caught his eye and he paused, glancing down at my belt where Jared’s dagger was sheathed. He looked into my eyes as he took a step closer, grazing his fingertips over the hilt.
“Friend, or foe?” he whispered into my ear.
I straightened my back. “That depends,” I said firmly, holding my ground. I wouldn’t let this man dominate . “We’re here to collect the boy.”
“Oh?” he chuckled, tapping the hilt of the blade. “On whose orders?”
“On my orders,” I hissed, turning my head to look up into his eyes. “That child belongs to my friend. She is his mother and we are claiming him.”
Abel turned to look at Scarlett more closely, narrowing his eyes as he inspected her face.
“Well I’ll be damned,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest. “You must be his mother–”
“I’m serious, she is his mother. She was a breeder to the Alpha–”
“He’s a spitting image of her,” Abel said sharply, turning to . “It’s eerie, really. No wonder Lock brought you here.”
“Lock?” I asked, furrowing my brow at him.
“The scary-looking man with the scar,” he said, waving his hand over his face. “Scares to death just to look at him. Anyway, you’re just in ti for dinner, co–”
“The boy,” I interrupted, tilting my chin toward the sky. “We’d like to see him.”
“That will be arranged once I know the ransom will be paid–”
“It will be paid,” I cut in.
He flexed his jaw, obviously tiring of my constant interruption.
“My mate will be sending you the ransom once the child is in our possession.”
Abel looked at , his eyes searching mine. His gaze drifted down my body to the knife.
“And who,” he said, taking a step toward again, “is your mate?”
I knew Scarlett was looking at . I could sense her confusion and shock. I held Abel’s gaze, however, flexing my jaw in a show of strength, maybe even defiance.
“Jared Crimson.”
Abel gave an odd look, his teeth bared and tightly clamped shut.
“I was hoping that the bastard was dead, and that’s why you had his blade. Well, this should be interesting. Co, dinner is being served.” He spun on his heel and walked away, his hands tucked behind his back.
I glanced at Scarlett, letting out my breath. “What the hell is going on?” I whispered, but she shook her head, just as shocked as I was.
We took a few gingerly steps forward, shoulder to shoulder.
“How is Jared supposed to pay the ransom? Gage is an Alpha’s son!” Scarlett whimpered, tears welling in her eyes.
“I don’t care!” I hissed. “I’ll do what I have to do–”
“Eliza–”
I turned to face her, my cheeks going ruddy with emotion. I was trying to be angry with her to deflect from the crippling fear and pain threatening to take under. I was in way over my head. I’d just killed a rogue. We’d spent days in the Dark Forest, barely surviving the storm. Now I was in Abel’s territory, and nothing about him was what I was expecting.
His being handso and friendly was more off-putting than if he’d been scarred and terrifying like whoever the hell that Lock character was.
Sothing was up, and I didn’t like it, not one bit.
“I didn’t know that Jared was your mate,” she said softly, her eyes glimring with tears. “Congratulations–”
“We’re not–he sent away, Scarlett.”
I turned away from her and continued to follow the road toward Abel’s fortress, where he was waiting at the front door, occasionally looking down to check his watch.
“They’re going to co after us,” she continued, catching up to . “You have to know that.”
“I know. I’ll deal with that when they get here,” I said, my voice catching as we reached the fortress.
“Welco to my ho,” he said, a charming smile on his face. “I’m looking forward to... getting to know my dear friend’s mate.”
Sothing in his voice made look up at him, seeing the sly smile spread across his mouth.
I glared as he ushered us inside.
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