Forsaken by the one person who was supposed to love her unconditionally, Red must brave the magic and monsters of the Wylds to find her true place in the world.
*****
Plague...
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Sebastian wanted nothing more than to shred the black wolf's jugular and feel hot, salty blood spurt into the back of his throat. He almost lost all control when Red finally turned away from the dark-haired giant, who dropped the lovestruck act in favour of a broad smirk in the blink of an eye. It wasn't Red's back that Hunter's eyes trained on as she walked away, and the insult incensed him to the point of seeing crimson. She was so much more than that --
The black wolf yelped as Sebastian's teeth ground tighter in reflex, drawing a sharp look from Red.
"I think Bradon's learned his lesson," she said with a little sniff, pawing at her tear-streaked cheeks with one hand. The other clutched her new leather pouch, pulling the drawstring tight enough to cut into the back of her neck.
For a brief, blinding instant, all Sebastian felt was rage. It used to be his arrowhead that she turned to for comfort, but he hadn't seen her wear it since she first stepped into Gretchen's cottage. He couldn't really blame her, as it had almost gotten her killed, but to see it replaced...
The leather pouch was too vivid a reminder of how he'd failed her, how her heart condition had gone unnoticed in all the time they'd spent travelling together. How many days had he kept the secret of the lycans on their trail by omission? How many days had he denied her the opportunity to access the life-saving medicine Hunter possessed, even if the bastard only carried it for his own gain? Red could have died because of his weakness, his pathetic insecurity and fear that he'd ruin whatever lay between them by opening his Goddess-damned mouth. The thought of losing her --
His thoughts stopped in their tracks, anger unravelling into despair when he realised his jealousy was unfounded. Red wasn't his to lose; Hunter had made that perfectly clear when he took her in his arms, seizing in an instant what Sebastian had barely even dared to hope for in all their time together. And while the smug, grey-eyed bastard had plunged the knife into Sebastian's chest with that kiss, it was Red's answering words that had gutted him.
I feel it too.
"Sebastian?" Red's voice filtered through the daze of his thoughts, her pale face swimming into his vision. "You can let go now."
The black wolf was twitching spasmodically beneath him. Sebastian realised with a start that he'd cut off its airflow. Slowly, reluctantly, he eased his death grip and let the broken creature slump to the ground. It was difficult to ignore his instincts after relying on them for so long, but the concern in Red's eyes grounded him. Even now, after all he'd learned, he didn't want to disappointment her.
"Are you okay?" she asked, scanning his body for cuts and scrapes.
Sebastian was suddenly glad he couldn't answer. He had no idea what he would have said if he was human. He bowed his head in silent offering, refusing to meet her gaze.
