“Because Johan’s never broken our laws before,” Lucius said, rolling his eyes. “This whole thing is reckless.”
“I’ve set up sentries around the entire camp. But I needed one of us out there as a matter of principle. Since Jase isn’t running the Villrenna tonight, and his shadows cover moreground than any of us. He was the best choice. Unless you’d like to trade places with him?” Nico raised an eyebrow.
Lucius clenched his jaw, but said nothing.
“That’s what I thought,” Nico said before turning to Jase, “If you’re supposed to be on sentry duty, you’re doing a piss-poor job of it.”
“I need a word with Michaela.”
Before I could respond, his shadows wrapped around my wrist. A cold caress that solidified into steel, yanking me forward. I stumbled to keep up, dragged in Jase’s wake as he strode away from the others.
“What are you doing? You could have asked to talk to me, and I would’ve said yes!” I pulled against the dark form holding me in an iron grip. He didn’t answer, just kept walking, only stopping to face me once we reached the edge of the encampment.
“Stay away from the river tonight. Head east on your run,” he barked, his shadow slipping from my wrist.
“What? Why?”
“Don’t ask questions. Just be a good girl and do what I say.”
I stood there, wringing my hands. Was this it? Was this all our bond would ever be? A few curt words and the aching memory of how he’d taken my body in ways that now left me starving for his touch. His steely gaze softened slightly as I stayed silent, unmoving.
“There are males out there who wouldn’t think twice about snagging a little thing like you. Tonight, you’re fair game. And I don’t want to have to clean up after my brothers if they kill someone over it.”
I clung to the seemingly small gesture, the like it meant more than it should. A small spark of hope flared in my chest. I knew it was foolish to pine after someone who didn’t want you in return, at least not in the way I wanted him to. Not when I had threeothers openly vying for my affection. But I couldn’t help it. And I cursed the damn fated bond that tethered me to him.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said quietly. “Why aren’t you running in tonight’s chase?”
“Trust me—you wouldn’t want me out there,” he grumbled, turning away from me and stalking off into the forest without another word.
Fallon was unusually quiet.She pulled me aside when it came time to prepare for the run, deftly securing the ties on the wrapped skirt that barely covered my ass without so much as a word or sass remark.
“What’s wrong? Is it the outfit?” I asked, glancing down at the small swath of suede stretched across my breasts.
“No, the outfit’s perfect,” she said.
“I think if I run too fast, it might fall off. Is this really what everyone else is wearing?”
“It’s not that. I just… have a bad feeling.”
“Really? Have you told Nico?”
“No.” She sighed. “I think I’m just getting more sensitive in my older years. We’re in a fight for the realm, Mic. The idea that any of us are safe is merely a comforting fantasy to get us through another day.” She gave me a half-hearted smile, her fingers adjusting the beaded straps over my shoulders. “This is just the beginning. The worst of it is yet to come. So enjoy the night. Who knows how many we have left before the fantasy ends?”
Fallon led me outside. The frigid night air hit my exposed skin, sending a violent shiver through my bones. The adrenaline in my veins was the only thing keeping me upright. The males stood blindfolded before the central fire, bare chests rising with slow, deliberate breaths. Runes were painted across their skin inbold strokes. They waited without a word, every muscle coiled in anticipation for the chase to start.
The soft percussion of drum beats began to rise. A slow, steady rhythm that buzzed through the ground beneath my feet. With Fallon’s urging, I joined the line of females forming before the males.
“What exactly are we doing?” I whispered to the female behind me.
“So they can scent us,” she whispered back, offering no further explanation.
Nico, Luca, and Lucius stood together at the end of the line. Their faces were stoic, arms crossed over their bare chests—unmoving—until I passed by. Their nostrils flared. Luca grinned, elbowing Nico as he shifted from one foot to the next.
“Don’t make it easy on us,” Luca said. “You better run when the horn sounds.”
Amos ambled into the clearing, staff in one hand and his usual flask in the other. He stretched his broad shoulders like a man preparing for a fight as everyone around him fell silent. Raising his drink in salute, he took a long swig, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and smiled like the deviant he was.
“Ah, my fine, wild creatures! Here we stand, ready to remind the realm that life is a chase, a feast, and a fine excuse to run half-naked through the woods!” he said with a hearty chuckle as he gestured toward the sky, his eyes gleaming with mischief.
