ASHER/ GAEL
ASHER
It wasn’t long before reality hit me. We couldn’t stay in the cabin forever, even though I wanted more moments like the ones with Gael, like when we watched the stars.
Donovan’s voice still echoed in my mind, a mix of anger, pleading, and disappointment.
We needed to move on. Convincing Gael wasn’t as easy as I’d hoped.
He leaned against the rickety table, his arms crossed, frowning as I laid out my reasoning.
“Staying here isn’t an option,” I argued. “It’s only a matter of time before they find us. The longer we stay in one place, the more predictable we become.”
Gael’s brow furrowed. “This cabin is defensible. I’d hear anyone coming long before they reached us.”
“That’s not the point.” I ran a hand through my hair, trying to keep my voice calm. “You’re fast, Gael, but you’re not invincible. And I’m not at full strength yet. If they come, and they will, we won’t stand a chance.”
His eyes softened for a moment, his posture relaxing just slightly.
“You’re still healing, Asher. Moving around constantly will only slow that process,” Gael said.
“I’d rather slow it than stop it altogether because I got us cornered in a damn cabin,” I snapped, then immediately regretted my tone.
I sighed, scrubbing a hand over my face. “Look, I know you feel like this place is safe, but it’s not forever,” I told him.
Gael studied me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, with a resigned sigh, he straightened.
“Fine. We’ll leave tomorrow night,” Gael said.
“Tonight,” I corrected.
A flicker of irritation crossed his face, but he didn’t argue.
Instead, he turned and began gathering his things with a practiced efficiency. I exhaled, relieved but wary.
Finally, we left the cabin. Gael moved ahead of me, his steps fluid, almost soundless.
In contrast, every movement I made felt clumsy and loud. A bull crashing through undergrowth.
My leg throbbed, the ache a reminder that I wasn’t at full strength yet, no matter how hard I tried to push through it.
“You were right,” Gael murmured, his voice low as his eyes scanned the trees. “I hear movement in the distance. The hunters are nearby. How are you faring?”
He didn’t look back at me, but his shoulders were tense, coiled like a spring. Gael knew I was struggling, and it pissed me off more than I wanted to admit.
“I’m fine,” I ground out, even though my lungs were burning and each step sent a jolt of pain through my thigh.
Gael didn’t respond, but I caught the slight twitch of his jaw. He didn’t believe me. I didn’t believe me.
A twig snapped to our left. Both of us froze. Gael’s head whipped around, his eyes narrowing into slits.
I clenched my fists, my muscles locking up as adrenaline surged through me. The forest fell deathly quiet, the kind of silence that screamed trap.
“They found us,” Gael hissed. “We need to?—”
A sharp crack split the air, followed by the hiss of a bullet splintering bark inches from my shoulder.
“Move!” Gael roared.
