Chapter 2

Zora’s POV

Beyond the now obliterated doors of the tomb was a stone staircase that led directly up out of the dark and to the outdoors. And it really was the outdoors. As we ascended the stairs, Neo and I found ourselves in the middle of a field.

Rocks were scattered here and there among the tall grasses, some small, some as large as boulders. The field was mostly surrounded by trees, except for one direction which seemed to drop in a sheer cliff, with an ocean beyond.

No roads. No people. No landmarks. No hints of where we might be.

Glancing behind us, with the way the tomb descended, it was almost entirely invisible unless someone was right on top of it. There were no signs or words of remembrance.

There wasn’t even a path through the grass to the tomb, making me think that no one had been out here in a long time.

If this tomb was not build to preserve a memory, then it seemed as if Neo had been locked away to be intentionally forgotten. Or hidden.

The mystery around him only became stranger.

“Does any of this look familiar?” I asked him, because I didn’t have a clue where we were. Other than not walking off the cliff, I had no idea which way we should go.

“No,” Neo said, frowning.

“Well,” I said, sucking in a breath. “When you don’t know where you’re going, any direction will get you there.”

“I will follow you,” Neo said, and made it sound like a sacred vow.

Maybe it was just the way he talked. He always sounded so precise, almost regal. I wondered who he was really. For now, he was simply my Neo.

“This way,” I said, and walked away from the cliff, toward the trees. Neo stayed dutifully to my side, only slightly behind me, following my lead. “Maybe keep your eyes open. You must have been brought here at some point. Maybe you will see something that will trigger a memory for you.”

“I will,” he said.

“No luck yet?”

“No.”

When we approached the tree line, I was annoyed that there didn’t seem to be any clear path. The underbrush was overgrown and would be a real pain to wade through. I glanced to the left and to the right, but it was no better.

“I’ll go first,” he said, “and clear a path for you.”

“Don’t do anything dangerous,” I said.

“I won’t,” he promised sincerely, then started forward through the brush, carving a path with his body. I followed in his wake, continually in awe of him and the ease of which he made these difficult tasks.

I couldn’t stop thinking about how he destroyed that door. The same door I had pushed on. The one of wood and iron, he had made seem like it had been only cardboard and tape.

His strength was otherworldly. He must have been one of the strongest werewolves to ever live.

“Does this forest ring any bells for you?” I called out, after a while. “Remember anything?”

“No,” he said.

We continued on for hours, before I started to feel tired. Neo was soldiering on, like he could have walked forever, but I needed a break, especially without any food or water.

“Wait,” I said. “I need to sit a minute.”

He stopped at once and faced me. His gaze slid down my body, inspecting me.

I suppressed a shiver.

“Are you well?” he asked.

“Just tired.”

He tilted his head ever so slightly. “I could carry you.”

“No, no.” I held my hands up at once, stopping him as he stepped closer, already ready to scoop me up. Lifting my hands was a mistake though, because they landed flat on his chest. He stopped, but we looked at each other.

Neither of us moved. Even my breath felt intrusive.

Slowly, his gaze lifted up to top of my head. “You have a leaf in your hair…” Reaching a hand up, he gently plucked it out and flicked it away. Then he brushed my hair back, behind my ear.

My heart hammered against my ribcage. My wolf practically purred at his attention.

No. This couldn’t be right. Neo couldn’t be my fifth mate. He didn’t even know who he was.

Yet…

My entire being ached to be closer to him, to build the bond between us. To kiss him. To make him my own.

Gods, maybe I was losing my mind.

“Neo…” I whispered.

He just kept staring back. His gaze was probing, like he could see down inside of me, straight to the soul he might have held a piece of. Could he feel this too?

I opened my mouth, about to ask –

The sky opened first, and suddenly rain fell. The tree branches and leaves blocked some of the water, but it still poured down on us. I lifted my arms to shield myself, but it was quickly far too late. I was soaked through.

“We have to find shelter!” I told him.

Neo straightened. He glanced around like the all water wasn’t bothering him at all. “This way,” he said and held out his hand. I took it, and together, with him leading, we dashed through the forest. He purposefully moved in a serpentine pattern, dodging the worst of the brush – for my benefit, I was certain.

Eventually, in the distance, I saw a small clearing with a small log cabin nestled behind a patch of grass.

Neo led me there, then pushed through the door, gentler with this door than the last.

I panicked, worried we were about to burst in on someone. We should have knocked first!

But the cabin was dark with cobwebs in the corners and dust over the flat surfaces. Not only did it seem abandoned, but like it had been abandoned for some time.

Fortunately, though, the building had been well constructed, with only a couple of leaks of rain through the ceiling. I went into the kitchen and collected pans to catch the dripping water.

Neo moved toward a fireplace. Fortunately, there was a stack of wood inside, safe from the rain, right beside. Grabbing some of the wood, Neo piled them into the fireplace.

I started searching the drawers for a match. My heart ached, wishing Kairos was here. His magick could have easily started a fire to keep us warm. Then we could have held onto each other and –

Kairos wasn’t here. I needed to focus.

While I searched, Neo found some pieces of flint and steel, and clicking, them together, started the fire on his own. The flame sparked off some old kindling and grew and grew.

Abandoning my search for a match, I moved toward him.

With the light of the fire, the room illuminated, revealing several furs draped over chairs and a bed in the far corner of the small, single room cabin. I grabbed one of the furs and moved toward the fire.

Neo grabbed another fur and spread it on the floor. “Here,” he said. “Rest here near the fire.”

I did, my weary wet body drawn toward the fire, yet just as I sat, my stomach released an embarrassing gurgle.

Neo started. “What was that?”

“Sorry,” I said, my cheeks burning. “I’m just hungry…”

Neo nodded. “That makes sense. I will find you food.”

“And for yourself,” I told him.

He didn’t reply to that as he turned and, to my surprise, dashed out of the cabin. I had thought he would only search the cabinets for some old canned goods, not go back out into the storm! But he was already gone by the time I had thought to protest.

He was strong though, so he was likely capable. Rather than worry, I looked at the fire and turned my condemnation inward.

I should have listened to Valentin. I should have been more careful. If I had…

I wouldn’t have saved Neo. No. I couldn’t go back and change things, even if I had that ability. Not without leaving Neo behind, which was something I had promised not to do.

My mistakes had led me here, but now I had to make the most of it.

Only a few minutes later, Neo returned with a pair of dead rabbits. “I hope this will do,” he said.

“You caught those so quickly?”

“Yes.”

He brought them over. As he prepared them for cooking, I said, “You must have a very capable wolf.”

He shrugged, noncommittally.

“Have you tried shifting yet?” I asked.

He looked up at me. “Shifting?”

“Into your wolf form.”

He frowned. “No.”

He caught this game without shifting? “Can you hear your wolf? Do they talk to you?”

“How would I know?” he asked.

“They are like a voice in your head. Reach out, and they should answer.”

He closed his eyes, and I waited patiently. But after a moment, he opened them again.

“Nothing,” he said. “I only hear silence.”