Page 23 of Her Royal Blood

He had a makeshift shiv made out of a filed piece of metal cot, but one tiny homemade weapon wasn’t going to fend off much.

“Give me the pills and I’ll be ready.” Hawk handed me the bottle and I dry swallowed two pills, preparing myself for the fight ahead.

“The warden’s got everyone ready to stab you in your sleep for extra meals and a double bedroll. He’s offered a cushy office job, good food and a private hut with two mattresses if they can produce your dead body. Those who don’t want to go Crypt Claw can live in luxury here. It doesn’t beat your offer, but it’s easier to kill you when you’re laying there waiting to die.” Hawk looked back at me and just shook his head. “It is hell trying to keep you alive. Do you know why I’m doing it?”

“Out of the goodness of your heart?” I offered him a weak smile trying to bring some levity in.

“Not in your lifetime, my good heart stopped beating the minute I was dumped in this pit of hell.” He rolled his neck, working out the kinks, readying himself. “I’m getting off the rock and your majesty,” he said, mocking. “Is going to give me a better life so that I don’t have to deal with any of this bullshit.”

“I will die by my promise that you will,” I said in earnest.

“You better not fucking die.” And just as he said it a pack of seven men entered the tent. “Showtime brother.”

“You've been holding out, Hawk.” A man covered in dust and dirt with long unruly hair came forward.

“Got him right here for you boys,” Hawk stepped aside as if he was going to leave me open to attack. Under his breath he said “Shift,” so quietly, I hardly heard him.

Just then the two of us shifted into our wolves, using the element of surprise we both attacked the first two in the line. I wasn't going to waste any time. I immediately bit into the neck of the first man and was on top of a second gouging my claws into his eyes when the others shifted into their wolves. In the tight quarters the remaining wolves could get the upper hand so Iraced out of the barracks and ran at top speed through the prison until we reached the open fields beyond the prison compound.

Try and take me down you cowards!My wolf said through the telepathy we shared. Hawk and I both lunged at the wolves coming our way trying to thwart their attack. I rammed into the stomach of one biting his haunches but he got a good chunk of my back. Braving searing pain, battling recovery fatigue and hungry as hell I lifted up onto my back haunches and threw the wolf off of me dislodging him before he tore my flesh.

Without giving him any time to recover I bit into his side and chomped down upon his kidney ripping the chunk out of him that he was not able to get out of me. His blood pulled around him as his eyes hazed over, not dead but definitely dying. Seeing their comrade sprawled out on the ground and knowing that two more laid dead in the barracks the wolves paused for a moment. Hawk and I took their dismay, as a sign of defeat.

Hawk and I both knew battle strategy, knew never to back down. We lunged at the remaining wolves who parted ways to avoid us. Unable to stop our momentum, Hawk and I tumbled over the side of a cliff and into the rapids that separated the women's and men's complexes. I knew from my arrival the stream would only grow into a raging river before it gave way to the roaring waters that would eventually tumble over the mountain in a waterfall that fed into the ocean. Careening down the water we would both be killed if we weren't able to get ourselves to shore. Rescuing ourselves would be harder to do in our wolves, but they were more resilient.

Exhausted and nearly defeated, my mind spun and was unable to focus on our game plan or strategy. We were being tumbled and bucked and catapulted by rocks and jagged edges with the water threatening to swallow us under. All seemed rather bleak and impossible until I saw a low hanging tree.

Get on my back.

I commanded Hawk and he scrambled onto my back digging his claws into me while we rushed over rocks and debris; the water as punishing as blades. I had only one shot at this. I jumped up as soon as the tree came into view. If I missed the branch with the weight of Hawk on my back we were both surely dead. I’d have to lunge with no place to launch from. I tried to gain my footing as Hawk’s claws sunk into my skin. Even for a being as tough as he was, his silence spoke to his mounting fear. We were truly facing the end.

With the last of my dwindling energy I lunged for the tree using all of my might to catapult us from a boulder we were rushing past just under the lowest branch and we were airborne. With my front paws spread wide I grabbed for the branch and made contact, but Hawk slipped down my back and was hanging by his teeth, biting my fur to stay on my back.

We were going back down again. I couldn’t die. I needed to get back to Aria, to Onyx Rah, to all that we were building together. We had to see Polonius’ dead face. She deserved no less from me so I swung with the very last shreds of my energy and lobbed our body weight over to the shore and let go of the tree as Hawk and I fell at an angle landing harshly on the unforgiving earth.

I crawled up from the water’s edge and used my teeth to drag him along with me. We shifted as soon as we were out of the water and collapsed upon the shore.

“I’m never fucking saving you again,” Hawk was barely able to breathe out.

“This one was technically me saving you,” I said as I clamored to catch my breath.

“As soon as I’m free. I never want to see your face again,” Hawk growled as he dragged himself forward.

“When we’re free, I’ll make sure you live like a king and marry a princess.” I followed behind him, with nothing left for the effort.

“Fairy Tales,” is all he said as we continued to pull ourselves away from the shore.

We both eventually passed out under the cover of tangled vines and big leafy plants until the chill of the night brought us out of our stupor. Beyond starving, and frozen to the bone we had to find shelter and make a fire or the elements would accomplish what the prisoners and the raging river couldn’t.

“The snakes are dormant at night,” Hawk said as he pulled himself to his feet. “We need to find a cave and eat berries.” The sound of defeat in his voice wasn’t very encouraging.

I did know about finding food in a forest. I used to forage when I was a child in the woods near our estate and Jarvis often had us go on survival missions. I didn’t know what grew on the Isle of Vitoria, but I could still set a pretty good snare and was able to start a fire with almost any kind of wood.

“You direct us to some sort of shelter and I’ll figure out dinner,” I said, feeling my hunger ravage my stomach.

“Like you could,” he glared at me.

With little strength and our morale plummeting, Hawk did help us find a cave with only the light of the moon to guide us. Upon tucking ourselves into the damp and dark indent under a rock overhang, I left to fulfill my side of the bargain.

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