Page 77 of Wolf's Fate

“Yeah, I know.” I looked back up at the imposing mountain. “It’s just…steeper than I thought it would be.”

I saw him fight the almost-smile, and his eyes held an amusement that warned me that I wouldn’t like what he said next. “It gets steeper before it gets easier.”

“Great. Of course it does,” I grumbled sarcastically. Taking a deep breath, I wondered if the shaking in my legs was adrenaline or fear. A sudden thought popped into my head. “Itdoesget easier, right?”

“Sure.”

It was a lie and we both knew it. Whatever dismay he saw on my face made him reach forward and brush a soft kiss across my lips. “You ready, or do you want to turn back?”

He wasn’t challenging me, but there was something behind his words. It was like he was testing whether I would keep pushing forward—to find out all his secrets if I carried on. Was he hoping that I turned back so he would never have to tell me about his past? After what we did this morning, after all the little kisses and touches since? He was delusional if he thought I was backing down now. Shaking my head, I looked him square in the eye. “I’m not turning back.”

Caleb considered me, seeing more than I probably wanted to share, but he nodded, and it was almost as if it was with approval. He stepped forward, his hand resting lightly on my lower back as he guided us across the road and towards the trail. Even through three layers of clothing, I could feel his touch easily. His hand was steady and firm like him, and as I was beginning to realize, being close to Caleb anchored me. He settled something deep inside me, and even though I didn’t understand it, he made me feel stronger.

The beginning of the path was easy. The trail was relatively flat and clear, but it didn’t take long before the incline started to challenge my legs. Like before when we had climbed to get to Cannon and his pack, the trees grew denser, the canopy above heavier, cutting off most of the sunlight and encasing us in an eerie shadow. Faint sounds from the road traveled to us, but they were being replaced by the sound of dirt being crushed underfoot and the occasional call of birds that nested high in the branches above us.

“You want my story?” Caleb asked suddenly, and I was ashamed that I’d almost forgotten that’s the whole reason we were here.

“Always.”

Caleb glanced at me but kept walking, his steps sure and confident. “So quick to answer,” he murmured.

“It’s why we’re here,” I reminded him and saw his head dip. “We can wait until we’re there if you want.”

But he was shaking his head. “No point, they’re already listening.”

They?Looking around, I felt the anxiety start to bubble in the pit of my stomach as I followed him. I felt a shiver run through me, and it wasn’t from the cold. “What do you mean, they?”

Caleb hesitated, his brow furrowing as though he was considering how much to reveal to me too soon. “The dead live on this mountain,” he said, keeping his voice low. “They’re waiting for me to come back to them.” He glanced at me. “I warned you,” he added almost accusingly.

“Is that why you don’t want to come back here?” I asked, but he shook his head. And I knew what he didn’t want to say. “It’s why you don’t wantmehere.” I swallowed past the sudden lump in my throat, but too bad, Iwashere, and he just had to accept it. “I’m right here, Caleb,” I assured him, like I had before. “I’m going nowhere.” Where did this confidence come from? I didn’t know, but I did know I believed every word of it, and seeing his look, I knew he did too. “Talk to me, I’m listening.”

I watched him as he gritted his teeth, and I waited when hedidn’t answer immediately. Caleb’s gaze was fixed ahead, seeing something that wasn’t visible to me.

“I hate this mountain,” he started, his steps still steady and sure, and I worked hard to keep up with him. “There are ghosts up here. Memories.” He sighed heavily. “So many fucking memories.” His voice was bitter, the pain a strong undercurrent as he spoke. “Memories that are better off left alone. I avoid here because…”

“Some things are easier to bury?”

His head jerked in a sharp nod, and I didn’t push. I knew enough to know how hard it was for him to talk about this, but as we walked the trail, I knew that here, he couldn’t hide from whatever haunted him.

We walked for a while in silence, the incline becoming steeper, and my body started to protest. My legs burned, but I kept moving, refusing to give into my weakness. The path narrowed and the way Caleb led me, it soon disappeared completely, and I had to concentrate on avoiding rocks on the uneven ground. I stumbled more than once, but he was there, catching my arm, steadying me as I struggled onwards.

We came to a small clearing, and Caleb stopped, turning to face me, his eyes dark and unreadable. “We’ll stop here for tonight.”

My body screamed its thanks at the thought of a break, but I was worried stopping meant we wouldn’t go any further at all. “Here? I can keep going,” I told him stubbornly.

His look told me he knew that was a load of bull, and with a sigh, I sank onto a tree stump.

“Drink your water,” he told me, looking around. I watched as his eyes closed. Taking in a deep inhale, he opened them tosee me watching him. “Drink as much as you need. There’s a stream a little further up; you can refill there.”

I almost asked him how he knew but shut my mouth when I realized it was a stupid question.

Caleb dropped my pack. He’d amalgamated both of our belongings earlier, and almost absently, he handed me a sketchbook and my tin of pencils. “Just in case,” he murmured. He pulled out a blanket and then untied my sleeping bag. When I’d asked him where his was, he’d laughed like I was genuinely funny.

“We sleep here?” I guessed, snuggling deeper into my thick jacket, wondering if I would manage to sleep in a place so cold.

“Yes, the next clearing isn’t for a few hours yet, and I would rather do the trek in the daylight.”

He meant he would ratherIdo the trek in the daylight. I was pretty sure Caleb would already be at his packlands if it wasn’t for me. “Okay.” I hesitated. “Thank you.”

---