But I couldn’t move. I stood frozen, staring at the boy.
And Grandfather ordered the kill squad to finish the job.
They took their time. The three big, experienced hunters toyed with him, chased him around the clearing, sometimes almost letting him get away before leaping in front of him and shoving him back into the circle. They started with nonlethal hits, grabbing an ankle or a wrist, slowly tearing chunks out of him until he was bloodied and broken, staggering between them.
Finally, he fell. There was nothing left in him, and the kill squad looked furious that their toy was now broken. Wick, the biggest and the meanest, fell on him and ripped his throat out.
Grandfather told me that if I’d had the strength to kill that boy, none of it would have happened. So, I learned to kill. Swiftly, cleanly, and with mercy.
As I charge through the woods, my paws drumming on the soil and the fresh mountain air searing my lungs, the bloodlust and rage rise in me, swallowing all my doubt.
I know I can take on ten wolves the size of Wick. I have experience and power—and the ability to kill in milliseconds with no conscience or care.
Thank you, Grandfather, for this gift.
Finally, I have a use for it.
Suddenly, I realize I’ve been running up the mountain for a long time, and I can’t detect Lexa’s scent. Cursing myself for a goddamn fucking fool, I turn back down the mountain,desperately searching for it again. The trail was faint to start with, and now it’s impossible to find.
Back to the lake. Start again. I can’t afford to waste this time—they could be killing her right now!
Even though that’s my worst fear, I don’t think it’s likely. I know they’ll want her alive, even if it means bringing the entirety of Cyan Lock down on their heads.
Those fuckers have no idea what’s coming for them.
As I trot back towards the house, I hear raised voices, and the tang of lots of pissed-off wolves reaches my nose. I shift mid-run and hurry into the courtyard to find it full of people.
“Kit!” Kate yells, throwing her arms around me. “Thank God you’re back. Where is Lexa?”
“Not with me, obviously,” I snap. “I lost the trail.”
“We’ll help,” Cade offers, emerging from the crowd. “Everyone’s here. We got you, bro. Just tell us where to start.”
I look around and see Mabel, Xavier, and Cass. Lexa’s other friend, Misha, is here. Even Derrik and Jones step forward, ready to fight.
“I called everyone I could think of,” Susan says, standing at the edge of the crowd. “And they all came.”
The sudden sound of tires spitting stones out on the drive makes us all run. We come charging into the circular front garden to see Galen’s truck pulling up out front.
“Kit,” he says, jumping out and grabbing my hand. “We’re here. What can we do?”
Clara jumps out of the truck, and so does Galen’s sister Winnie and a couple of others from his council. I’m so overwhelmed for a moment, I don’t know what to say.
Then, there is a high, mad laugh from the far trees. I turn around slowly to see a wiry old wolf standing at the edge of the forest, coughing on its own mirth like a hyena.
“Tell me where she is, you mad fuck!” I scream, taking long, slow steps towards the old wolf. “I will snap you to pieces like old twigs if you don’t tell me where she is!”
“Oh, I’ll tell ya,” the old man chuckles, shifting to reveal his skeletal, ancient human shape. “But only you, Alpha Kit. Not the others.”
Growls break out all around me as my friends show him exactly what they think of that idea.
He shrugs. “He comes alone, or she dies. That’s the rules.”
“What’s going to stop us from following you?” Cass asks, her voice firm as if she’s talking to a toddler.
He cackles. “These hills are full of eyes, sweet thing. We’ll know. We've been setting this up for some time. Did you really think our alpha would let his princess get away?”
A shudder runs through me as I remember Lexa telling me not to call her that.
