Wolf mate wolf princess.., p.12
Wolf Mate (Wolf Princess Book 3), page 12
We had to act as a team. We needed solidarity.
I tilted my head back and howled.
AAAaaaoooooo
Luna and Remus were the first to join my song. Ashton and Gloria followed next. Ebony tilted her head back and did her best imitation of a wolf howl. Hades released a loud roar.
Ebony grinned. “I guess it’s no secret we’re coming.”
Ashton sniffed and then bolted through the trees. Gloria fell in right behind him.
Ebony changed into her bat. Once again, she and Hades grabbed our packs and flew off into the gray sky. The only good thing was the snow had lightened up. Score one point for our team.
The demon wolves and I leaped through the snow behind Ashton and Gloria. Adrenaline whipped through me. I had three demon wolves on my side now, and my uncle was down to one.
Maybe the tide was finally turning.
Look out, uncle. The Vindicators are coming and we ain’t gonna take no prisoners.
CHAPTER 17
The trek to the mountain was long and hard due to the deep snow. Sometimes it went up to our chests, even mine, and I was twice as big as the other wolves. The sun had set long ago, and we only had the stars to guide us. Somehow, though, Ashton knew exactly where we were going.
Every time I exhaled, I could see my breath. I swear I had icicles on the tips of my fur, but I didn’t stop. No one did. Determination pumped through me, but my pace was getting slower and slower. My muscles ached and screamed for me to stop, but I didn’t give into their complaints.
I wasn’t the only one struggling. Gloria had retreated to the rear, but Nico stayed with her. No one was going to be left behind.
We just kept moving. Ashton set a brutal pace, not even letting us stop for food, but it was probably for the best. Shelter was our number one concern, and the tunnel would protect us from the plummeting temperatures.
My wolf was getting beyond weary. My belly was empty and my poor paws were frozen. I hoped that once we were inside the tunnel, we could light a fire. The only good thing was that my thick fur kept me warm from the cruel wind.
So far we hadn’t been attacked, but I had a sinking feeling it would happen when we reached the tunnel or, worse, were inside it.
Hades and Ebony swirled around us overhead, and they never made a warning cry that they had seen the enemy. That was good.
I had only been here once before, but a stream with a beaver pond was jogging my memory. Other things started to look familiar, too—a twisted pine that was almost completely bent over, a grove of aspens with a huge rock in the middle of them, a deep ravine. We were getting closer.
Finally, Ashton slowed and sniffed around a cliff. He shifted into human form, pressed on a rock, and said something that I couldn’t hear over the blowing wind.
Ebony and Hades landed next to us. I looked around, but there was no sign of the reapers. I hoped Balthazar didn’t have them locked up in some torture chamber.
Ashton said something in a louder voice, but I still couldn’t understand him. He pushed and pushed, his massive shoulders straining, and finally the rocky side of the mountain moved as if by magic. Snow burst inside. He stepped into the darkness and we all slipped in behind him.
“Defenum,” he whispered.
The great door creaked back into place, leaving us in utter darkness. I strained to hear anything, but all I could hear was the wind howling angrily outside in protest that it hadn’t been invited inside.
“Hades, make some fire,” Ebony whispered. “We need to see where we are.”
The Catalan dragon exhaled a puff of fire, lighting up the cave for a few moments. The tunnel seemed to go on forever.
Ebony picked up a rock and put it near us. “Hades, can you please heat the rock?”
He exhaled until the rock glowed red, warming the area around us.
Gloria shifted and quickly put on her black leggings, a thick black sweater, and her boots. She rubbed her hands over the rock. “Oh, this feels so good. I’m still freezing. Even my wolf was succumbing to the cold.”
I shifted back to a human. “Transes.”
Ebony looked at Remus and Luna and smiled. “I almost thought they had left us.”
Ashton shifted back into his human form and grabbed his backpack. “Why didn’t you keep them hidden?”
I pulled on my jeans. “Because I thought I should save the spell for when we really needed it. I’m not sure what it’s going to do to them. I only want to use it when I face pure evil.”
“Good point,” he said.
Nico and Remus curled up next to Luna, who was already sleeping quietly. They were all exhausted and, I’m sure, hungry. As was I.
I wiggled into my thick sweater and then zipped up my coat. “What did Anton’s cook pack for us? We’re all hungry, including Hades and the wolves.”
Ashton unzipped a backpack. “Let’s see what we have.” He pulled out several bags carefully wrapped in white cloth that I had a feeling kept the food fresher than any plastic or foil made in the human world.
I unwrapped the first cloth and smiled. Raw steak. I looked over at my wolves, who all stared at the meat with their tongues hanging out. I laughed. “Relax, there’s enough for all of you.”
I got up and gave Hades one, and then one to each of the wolves.
Ashton rubbed his chin. “How did Anton know we would have an extra wolf?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Because he believes in you,” Ebony said softly. “And I bet if you look closer, there is one more for the last wolf.”
I didn’t answer her. Sometimes all this faith in me was overwhelming. I was getting stronger, but the final test was coming up, and I honestly didn’t know if I had what it would take to free Mateo and the others, and defeat my uncle.
Ashton opened several more of the cloths and put the huge chicken sandwiches on the red-hot stone. The sandwiches were definitely fit for a king. I inhaled the smell of chicken and my stomach growled loudly. “Here, have some cheese and nuts.”
He gave each of us several cheese sticks that we all devoured. He then handed us smaller sacks that were filled with walnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, and cashews. Once the sandwiches were heated, I bit into mine and realized that it had cheddar cheese and pickles as well. I swear it was the best chicken sandwich I had ever eaten.
Gloria yawned. “I’m sorry.”
I chuckled. “Don’t be.” I stretched my arms wide and yawned, too. “You’re not the only one. I think we need to get some much-needed sleep.”
“You rest,” Ashton said. “I’ll stand guard first.”
“Wake me when you can’t keep your eyes open.”
He nodded. “Fair enough.”
I curled up next to my wolves and laid my head on Remus’ soft side. Their snores lulled me to sleep, and for once, I dreamed of nothing, not even Mateo.
Someone shook me hard. “Salem, wake up. It’s morning.” Ashton yawned. “Time to get going.”
I sat up, rubbing my eyes. “Did you get any sleep at all?”
His eyes were bloodshot. “I dozed off and on. You need your rest.”
I clasped his arm. “So do you. You don’t have always to take care of us.”
“I know, but I want to. It’s my job.”
I wanted to argue with him, but knew it would be pointless. Hades’ heated rock had returned to its normal color, and the cold had slipped its freezing fingers into the cave. I shivered. Some daylight was streaming into the cave, but it wasn’t much. The further we went down the tunnel, the darker it would become.
“Cook also sent us a cold breakfast,” Ashton said. “Sliced cheese, hard boiled eggs, and cold bacon. He sent some raw hamburger too for Hades and the wolves. Anton thinks of everything.”
“He is amazing,” I said. “You’re so lucky you got to attend Legacy.” I took a big bite of my cold bacon. “That’s something I’ll never get to do.”
“But you’ll be a queen.”
I gave some of my bacon to Luna, who was lying right next to me. Hades, Remus, and Nico were staring fixedly down the tunnel. I had an uneasy feeling about that. All I could see was darkness, but they must have seen something I couldn’t.
Ashton followed my gaze. “Can you sense what they sense?”
I shook my head. “No. Not as a human.”
“Do you think you should borrow power from them and shift into your wolf?”
“Not yet. Like I said, I want to do that when it’s absolutely necessary.”
Ashton stood up and lugged his backpack over his shoulder. “Got it. Well, time to go.”
Gloria gripped the strap of her backpack tightly. “It’s so dark.”
“It’s going to get darker.” Ashton headed over to Hades. “Pretty soon you won’t be able to see your hand in front of your face, and the tunnel gets narrower and narrower.”
“I remember,” I said. “Not looking forward to it.”
“Shouldn’t we use some kind of light just to see where we’re going?” Gloria said.
Ashton glanced over his shoulder. “No. It was bad enough that we had Hades heat up the stone till it glowed. There could be something down there waiting for us.”
“That’s why we should use a light,” she protested.
Ashton turned and faced her. “Gloria, if someone is in the cave with us, they already know we’re here.”
Her face paled, and she bit her lip.
“Gee, that’s comforting.” Ebony tossed her bag over her shoulder. “Okay, let’s get this over with.”
Ashton stepped in front of Hades and my wolves. “Let me go first.”
I held up my hand. “Wait. Do you really think something’s waiting down there for us?”
He exhaled slowly. “Yeah, I do. Twice last night I thought I saw an orange light, but then it quickly went out. I wasn’t sure if it was my imagination or if something was there.”
I stared at my three wolves. “Nico, Luna, Remus.” They looked over to me. “Ready for the Petriendo Spell?”
Nico looked at me curiously, but Remus and Luna wagged their tails.
“So now you’re going to use it?” Ashton’s eyebrow quirked as if to tell me I was being wishy-washy with the use of the spell.
“You didn’t mention earlier that you saw a light. It could be Faas.”
He looked back down the tunnel and then scowled. “My sentiments exactly.”
It made me feel like a teenage girl, always changing her outfits just to impress some dumb guy, but I quickly took everything off again and then placed it all in my backpack.
Ashton bent down and picked it up.
“Thank you.” I put my hands on Remus’ and Nico’s heads and laid my cheek on Luna’s back. “Petriendo.”
I arched my back as the demon wolves’ power rushed through me, strengthening me and making me bigger and bulkier. I quickly shifted into my wolf and I realized I was much bigger than any of them.
“It’s so weird that the wolves disappear,” Gloria said.
I looked back at Ashton, Ebony, Hades, and Gloria. This was our final trek before we reached Iredale Palace, and I didn’t want to lose any of them. I had to protect them.
Ashton went to get in front of my wolves and me, but I immediately nudged him out of the way, refusing to let him pass.
He glared and swiped my tail. “Salem, what are you doing? I’m supposed to lead.”
Protecting your ass. What do you think?
Remus led us down the tunnel, and just as Ashton had said, the walls began to close in and darkness fell over us.
But then something happened that I didn’t expect.
My heart quickened. I could see in the dark. I had never been able to do that before. Was it because I had added Nico? Were there other things I could do now as well?
Our footsteps padded softly down the tunnel as we kept going deeper and deeper into the darkness. Shadows danced at the edges of the tunnel. Even with my new eyes, I couldn’t tell if there was something there, or if my eyes were playing tricks on me.
But then I caught a scent.
Something metallic.
Blood.
CHAPTER 18
My hackles stood straight up and I snarled. Remus, Nico, and Luna growled and flattened their ears way back.
Hades released a low roar behind me. He must have sensed the blood, too.
But it wasn’t just blood.
There was a wild fear.
The walls were too narrow for me to move past my wolves. We had no choice but to go forward. There was no retreat.
Remus slowly crept on. I could see over his head, but couldn’t make out the shadows moving about. They were at least five or six of them.
Hummp Humpf Humpf
What was that? With every step we took, the muffled sound got louder and louder, the smell of blood stronger and stronger.
Cool air rushed over me and I realized that the walls of the tunnel had widened.
Suddenly, the lanterns hanging in the tunnel turned on, giving off a soft glow. I hissed at what I saw.
A blond, blue-eyed woman was smiling at me. Her hair was almost down to her elbows. She stood with her legs shoulder width apart. “Well, well, well.” She clapped. “I finally get to meet the missing wolf princess.” She put her palm on her chest. “I was a princess once, too. I’m Kara.”
Gunnar’s sister? I had heard of her. She had the ability to read minds, even compel people to do things against their will.
She ran an appraising look over me and pulled out her sword. “Hmm…you are a gigantic wolf. I can see why Calvin fears you.”
Seriously? Calvin was afraid of me?
Her brows furrowed. “Strange. For some reason, I can’t read your mind. Using some powerful mojo, are you?”
Interesting. Somehow, being in wolf form protected me from her magic. Or was it my Unseelie blood?
She looked behind me. “Where are your demon wolves? All I see is the rubble.”
Remus, Luna, and Nico were fanned out in front of her. Even more interesting.
Right in front of you, bitch.
She tapped her sword on her palm. “Calvin is going to be so disappointed.” She stepped back and fear flashed in her eyes as she scanned the space in front of her. “Wait. Are the wolves here? Are they invisible?”
Ashton laughed. “I wouldn’t make any sudden moves if I were you.”
“Because I have something I propose to trade with you in exchange for the wolves.”
I didn’t like the sound of that.
Ashton gritted his teeth. “What?”
Kara looked over her shoulder. “Bring him in, boys.”
Hmmmf Hmmmf Hmmmf
Two burly men dragged Gunnar out of the darkness, each holding an arm. He was half naked and gagged. His white hair was tangled. Ugly black and blue welts and red lash marks covered every inch of his body.
I growled and pulled back my upper lip. Tears welled in my eyes and my heart broke for him. If he looked like that, what had happened to Mateo?
“No,” Ebony wailed behind us. Her dragon horns shot out of her head.
Ashton drew his sword. “How could you do that to him? He’s your brother.”
Kara’s eyes widened. “Me? I didn’t do this. This is all Calvin.”
“But why?” Ebony’s voice was strained.
“Why, Your Majesty?” Her mocking tone made my hackles bristle. The bitch was pushing her luck.
Kara pinched her brother’s cheek roughly. “Because the idiot wouldn’t form an alliance with him, that’s why.”
“And you would?” Ashton sneered.
Kara glared. “I’d do anything, and I mean anything, to get out of the Hollows.”
Ashton brushed past me with his sword drawn. “Even sell your soul to the devil?”
“You don’t know what it’s like there.” Her voice cracked and a flash of agony glistened in her eyes.
I almost felt sorry for her.
Almost.
“But I do.” Rusty, holding his scythe, appeared with a flash on the other side of her.
Kara jerked away from him. “Stay away from me.” She whirled around. “Where’s Stefan?”
Rusty shrugged. “Meeting with the big bosses. They’re having a special pow-wow all about you.”
She licked her lips nervously. “Why?”
“Dunno. I wasn’t invited.” Rusty stepped toward her and narrowed his eyes. “You’ve been a naughty, naught, naughty stuck-up bitch. Someone wants to see you and your ape-man back behind bars.”
“I’ll freeze you if you come any further.”
“Sorry, Sweet Cakes,” Rusty said. “I’ve got new armor. Your freezing stunt won’t work on me.”
“You’re lying,” she spat. She held out her palm. “Silenetus.”
Snow swirled around Rusty, but he just flicked a snowflake with his fingers. “See? New badge of honor, bitch.”
She edged closer to a tall, bulky, dark-haired guy with cool, pearly-green eyes. “How can this be?”
Rusty shrugged. “Believe it or not, I can thank the Archangel Michael. For once in his life, he wasn’t a prick.”
Julie flashed next to Rusty and glared. “You shouldn’t call him that, or he’s going to lift the armor right back off your butt.” She held her scythe in one hand. “Kara, wow…I see you’ve been hanging out with the wrong crowd again.”
The dark-haired goon stepped in front of Kara protectively. “Stay away from her.”
Rusty cocked his eyebrow. “Or what, Killian? You’re going back to Funkytown, too.”
Killian narrowed his eyes. “We didn’t ask to be let out.”
“No, you didn’t.” Julie agreed. “But you didn’t decline the offer either.”
“Oh, what? You thought we’d say no? We don’t want to stay and rot in the Hollows, you stupid bitch.”
Julie gasped.
Rusty lunged and put the tip of his scythe under Killian’s chin, forcing him to tilt his head back. “Never talk to her like that again. Apologize right now or die.”
