The Wolf Queen (The Queen's Slave, Book 2)

Thirty Four: Rabids

"I won't take no for an answer. I either go with you, or you don't go." Behind her eyes a darkness seethed.

My heart ached at knowing the power she faced, the painful reminder that I could not help her fight this fight, was crippling. So instead I smiled at her low words and reached my palm towards her face, cupping her cheek. Her beautiful eyes closed as she leaned into my hand, breathing in deep. I already knew she'd follow me and wouldn't have dreamed of leaving her behind. As her long lashes flicked open I breathed a sigh of relief to see the bright gold clear of shadow.

Growing determined, I turned my attention to the deadwood forest and heightened my eyesight along with my range of smell. Immediately colors grew brighter and scents more prominent. My head whipped to the side when that same movement flashed by again, a white blur. Taking off, I scrambled up the nearest tree and immediately ran across it's largest limb, my bow and quiver slapping against my back. Elizabeth snarled as I sailed through the air, landing a little harder than I meant to, the crack of wood ringing in the air. Adrenaline fueling my moments, I leapt to a different limb as the one I had just been standing on crashed loudly to the ground, narrowly missing my mate's head.

Her chin tipped up to catch my gaze, a muscle jumping in her jaw and her eyes burning with frustration.

I grinned sheepishly and blew her a kiss, resuming my chase. I had forgotten how much I craved the feeling of being weightless as I leapt from limb to limb, every muscle working overdrive, the gap between me and my prey growing thinner and thinner. My lungs expanded as I heaved for breath. The tree line was rapidly coming to an end and with baited breath I tucked my body into a ball, summersaulting off of the thick branch, air rushing past my face.

I wasn't surprised when her body caught mine mid-air, twisting so that she took the brunt of the fall instead of me. I landed on her with a hard thump, immediately erupting into laughter so boisterous that tears fled down my cheeks. Her body jostled mine as she expressed her own mirth, lessoning the stress of recent events. When Elizabeth's strong hands wrapped around my waist my legs echoed her, wrapping around her hips. At the feeling of her I completely forgot the whole reason I had started this chase in the first place. So I kissed her instead, her mouth curled into a smile against mine, her fangs lethally sharp around my tongue. My fingers found the buttons in her shirt when she unexpectedly stilled my movements, her awareness sharpening to the forestry around us, alerting me to a third presence.

Rising calmly to my feet, I straightened my clothing and my crown, surveying the looming darkness as Elizabeth's kindred spirit stepped up beside me, her eyes as black as her hair. I was slightly embarrassed at having been caught so unaware of my surroundings, so I fixed my gaze on the trees. My eyesight burned as I struggled to make out the shadows and sounds surrounding us to no avail.

Sensing my distress, she rose her hand to eye level, snapping her fingers.

"Allow me, lux mea semita."

White flame flickered over the top of her pointer and index fingers as she whispered words in a strange language. I had been meaning to ask her what it meant but hadn't had the time. As the small clearing we were in was flooded with light, I gasped at the horrifying sight awaiting me. An extremely emaciated child hid in the dry brush, skin stretched sickeningly tight over his ribs and collarbones. His tattered clothing did nothing to hide his horrid condition. He watched me with unnerving intensity as I sunk to the ground, slowly reaching a hand out.

"It's okay." I soothed, checking the parts of him that I could see for injuries. "Are you hurt?"

"How interesting." Kore murmured beside me, her curious words trailing after me as the child shook his head and crept closer, now nearly twenty feet away.