Chapter 230

When we are deep into the forest, Caleb stops running. Turning toward me, he gently pushes me into the shadow of a tree. Reaching down, he grabs fistfuls of mud and rising again, begins to cover my arms in the muck.

“Caleb?” I ask.

“To disguise your scent,” he tells me. “Help me. Here.”

He passes over some of the mud and I begin to rub it into my exposed skin. Caleb takes extra time covering my neck and behind my ears. He works softly on my face, apologizing as he lightly presses the dirt to my forehead, cheeks and nose.

I’m not angry. I understand. Whatever keeps me safe is what I will go along with. For both our sakes.

When I’m more or less covered with a sheet of mud, I feel sticky and disgusting, but I don’t complain at all.

Caleb almost seems pained by what he has to say next, and hesitates.

“I hate to leave you here,” he says. Panic makes my eyes wide, and he quickly corrects, “Only for a moment. The mud will help cover your scent, by mine, as Alpha king, is too distinctive. I will be the one to lead them straight to us.”

“But Caleb…” I’m not fond of being left alone in the forest, especially when surrounded by wolves who want me dead. Caleb, I can tell, is also not fond of this plan, if his tightening expression is anything to go by.

“I must leave a few different false trails for the other wolves to follow,” he says. “If you stay hidden. Here.” He leads me to the base of the tree. There’s a hollow crevice here, curled into the trunk near the roots. It’s big enough for me to hide within. “Do not move, or make a sound. I will be back as soon as I am able.”

I don’t want him to leave me, but I understand why it’s necessary. For my sake, he is trying to minimize the bloodshed. I cannot be angry about that now. If I’m going to survive this, I know I need to do exactly as Caleb commands without question.

So I let myself be guided into the hollow of the tree, where I curl up, hugging my knees to my chin.

Caleb’s pained look remains as he moves some branches to help disguise my location. Then, without another word, he dashes into the forest.

Fear and adrenaline fill my veins, yet I force myself very still – as still and quiet as I’ve ever been – as I listen to the sounds of the forest, and the howls of wolves that seem uncomfortably close.

Caleb. Please hurry.

As Samuel paces, Bethany firmly believes that he has forgotten all about her presence. He doesn’t look at her again. Doesn’t even glance in her direction. Instead, he just keeps pacing, back and forth, back and forth, occasionally breaking just to shout some profanity before he starts pacing again.

Anger is bubbling up inside of him. It’s clear in the snarl on his lips and the curl of his hands into fists as he walks.

When they hear footsteps on the stairs, he stops and faces the door. A moment later, one of the rebels leads Gladys into the room.

Gladys walks proudly to the center of the room, her cane clanking on the floor with each step. In front of Samuel, she pauses.

For a moment, she and Samuel glare at each other. Then, Samuel speaks, his voice barely constraining his anger.

“You organized a Hunt, with Harper as the hunted.”

“Yes, I did,” Gladys says, unapologetic.

Samuel’s eye twitches. “You had no right!”

“I had every right,” Gladys says, raising her voice as he does. “You’ve lost your way, Samuel. You’ve been so focused on this girl, that you have forgotten about your promises to the rebellion. As leader of the rebellion, your attention should be on the kingdom itself.”

“You dare try to tell me how to lead?” Samuel snaps. “I’m the only reason that we’ve been able to come this far!”

“Perhaps,” Gladys says, not denying it. “But in those moments, your desire for that consort was ever a secondary matter. Now, she has become your main priority. You are entirely losing focus on what matters for the rebellion.”

Samuel shakes his head. “You have no idea what you are talking about. I am thinking of the future. With Harper at my side, I will be able to rule more effectively.”

“She doesn’t want you,” Gladys says. “She is the King’s consort, not yours. I fear her consistent rejection is driving you to madness.”

“That’s no way to talk to me,” Samuel growls.

“You aren’t King yet,” Gladys says, pushing ever forwards. “If you ever want to be one, you need to forget about that girl.”

“Is that why you are trying to kill her?” Samuel demands, stepping closer to Gladys. He stands tall, towering over the older woman, but Gladys’s expression and composure do not change. She is entirely unimpressed.

“By removing her, I am completing a service for the entire rebellion,” she says. “She is a distraction, Samuel. You need to forget her and focus on the kingdom and its future.”

Samuel glowers at Gladys so hard that even the other soldiers in the room start to tense, like they too aren’t sure what is about to happen.

Bethany keeps herself very still, not wanting to draw any of that ire onto herself.

Only Gladys seems calm as can be, her face calm, though Bethany notices the way her grip tightens around the head of her cane.

Something is about to happen. The air is thick with it. Bethany just hopes whatever it is, she’ll be left out of it.

I sit very quiet and still in the hollow of the tree, careful not to even breathe too loudly.

The howls of the wolves are coming closer. I can hear them in all directions. I can only pray that they are following Caleb’s false trails and will not find me here.

Yet, as the minutes pass by, my heart thundering loudly in my chest, I hear the wolf howls come nearer and nearer – until finally, I hear the rustle of the brush nearby.

It can’t be Caleb. He would make his presence known, and I’d almost be able to sense if it was him, I’m sure. Caleb and I are very in tune with one another. I don’t have a wolf of my own to boost my own senses, but with Caleb, I almost have a sixth sense. I feel safe when he’s around.

I do not feel safe right now.

I take a deep breath and hold it, right as an unknown wolf comes out from the brush. His nose is to the ground. He’s scenting at the mud where Caleb and I covered me.

He’s not a big wolf, likely not an Alpha, and nowhere near Caleb’s size. Yet, without a protector, it wouldn’t take a big wolf to kill me and earn the prize of the hunt.

Even small wolves have sharp teeth and more strength than I do. I don’t even have my dagger to defend myself right now.

Shrinking back into the hollow, I let my heart cry out the words my mouth cannot say.

It cries… Caleb!