Page 10 of Blood of the Fallen
Only silence.
Please, be all right.
There was a weak surge inside my mind that let me know he was trying to communicate, but that was all. He was too weak, but he’d heard me, even projected my name back at me. That had to mean he would be fine. I refused to believe otherwise.
The stretcher swung from side to side as we trekked through the forest back toward the pack’s camp. Novuk took turns walking next to Maki and Kall, his wolf features expressing his concern as aptly as his human features would.
It took the better part of three hours to get back. When we arrived, several pack members rushed in our direction and immediately started helping, taking the load of the tired-looking men who had carried us and now setting the stretchers on the ground.
Nirliq, small and fragile, rushed over, pushing through the crowd that surrounded us. She wrung her hands in front of her, appearing mortified as she stared at the ground.
“I’m sorry,” she said in a strangled voice. “I tried to keep my promise, but I couldn’t.”
I shook my head and got on one knee in front of her. “You have nothing to be sorry about,” I said. “You did good.”
Reaching over, I pulled her close and wrapped her in a tight hug. The touch of her tiny, cold hands in the back of my neck startled me, but it didn’t send images of the mass grave flashing into my mind.
“You did good,” I repeated, even though I knew that if Kall died, I would wish Nirliq had kept her promise tonotraise the alarm.
CHAPTER 5
Heatswirledinsidethetent, warming my frozen bones. We had left the more-permanent wigwams behind and had pitched easy-to-take-down tents. They weren’t as comfortable but offered adequate shelter.
Kall and Maki lay on animal pelts, still in their wolf forms. They rested on their sides, legs outstretched toward the pit of embers in the middle of the space. Two more hours had passed since we’d arrived, and neither of the wolves had stirred—not even one bit.
Novuk was standing guard outside the tent flap. He seemed fully recovered now, despite the trek through the woods. His massive size undoubtedly contributed to his amazing strength, one I trusted he was letting his triad mates borrow.
I sat curled up at Kall’s head, watching the embers in the pit smolder. A pot of water hung above it, kept warm. It was ironic to think that only hours ago I’d been burning and nothing but scorching flames had existed. My skin crawled as I stared into the fire, but I forced myself to watch, refusing to let the terror that festered in my heart settle and become permanent. I already had an aversion to people’s touch. I didn’t need to add a new one to the list.
Off to the side, an extra pelt lay on the ground for me, but the thought of sleep didn’t appeal to me at the moment. I was afraid fiery nightmares would come to help the terror sink its claws in and never let me go, so my plan was to stay awake until I’d made sure I’d scared the new demons away.
I hugged my legs and rested my chin on top of my knees. Ila had given me a pair of her leggings along with a matching tunic. She’d been in and out every ten minutes, checking on us, asking if I’d seen any change. She’d left disappointed every time.
A deep growl came from Novuk beyond the door flap.
I tensed.
“Why can’t I enter?” an angry voice demanded.
I recognized it immediately.
Desna—one of the women I would fight for the honor of being the triad’s alpha.
Another growl from Novuk.
“Why can the city rat be in there and not me?”
“Because she’s also recovering,” Ila said, right on time for another checkup.
Desna huffed. “She’s receiving preferential treatment, getting a chance to connect with the triad.”
“You had a chance to connect with them for the past twenty years, Desna,” Ila said. “Have you considered that?”
“That is horse shit. Their triad bond only snapped into place a few months ago.”
“Well, that’s still a few more months than Sheela has had. Besides, that’s not what’s going on here. It’s easier for me to keep an eye on them if they’re in the same place.”
“More horse shit. I will talk to the Chieftess about this.”
