That was the night I slipped up. Gathering her in my arms, I tucked her into bed and slid into the other side. She curled into me without protest. I savored every minute that I could touch her, kiss her cheeks and lips. I slept well that night, even though the door was unlocked. It didn’t hit me until morning that someone could’ve entered and seen us.
I didn’t slip up after that.
I started hanging with Aspen and some of the trainees, when they weren’t hunting. They invited me to go to the lake or watch TV in the living room. I often forgot my new friends were werewolves. If only coach knew what I was doing. Even Peter would flip. Don’t tell me you believe everything they’ve taught you? I started thinking about Aspen’s words again. It was weird, questioning things you’ve been taught all your life. Otherworlders were always, well, Otherworlders before coming here. You keep watch on them, you chase and tag them; you don’t go swimming or laugh at The Simpsons with them.
When the gang was out hunting, I braved the care center. Under Fawn’s eye, Hawthorn left his siblings and came to visit me. He became my best buddy outside of the boys. I taught him to play baseball and he taught me to draw, or at least he tried. He was the little brother I never had. Unfortunately, his presence made me miss my sister.
The hourglass drained to its last bit of sand. I knew my time with the wolves was limited. One morning I got up and saw Ilume drawing a red line on her calendar. Her birthday was so close. I wouldn’t stay and watch her marry Rex. I couldn’t even think about it. It made me so crazy I considered killing him. He was injured, weak from the venom. Now was my best chance.
But I wasn’t like that. Training hadn’t taught us to kill—just injure or persuade. PIU’s government teams might’ve done it differently (I didn’t really know), but Fugleman taught us that killing was a last resort. The only time I’d killed something besides a house fly was during the trapper attack, and once when Leo was almost eaten by a basilisk.
As I watched the days get marked off on her calendar, I began to wonder why I stayed. Had I hoped that if I stayed long enough, she would change her mind and dump Rex?
Things got bad at the end of the week, and I went from being a social butterfly to a recluse. Ilume moved me out of her room, down with Aspen. When I saw some of her things being taken to Rex’s room, it was my turn to disappear for the day. I stayed near the lake, throwing rocks and large objects. I carved twigs into spears, which I proceeded to stab into anything that resembled Rex’s head.
I’d thought a few kisses and close moments with Ilume were okay, that I’d recover from losing her. What a stupid, stupid thought. The idea of losing her made me ill. The woman still had no off switch, and she’d ignited a fire in me that only burned brighter when we were together.
There had to be some way to help her. I had one week. There had to be something I could do or say to stop her from marrying Rex.
The window squeaked as it slid open. Stepping over the city of peanut spiders, I used the tub’s edge as a footstool, hoisting myself outside. The crickets chirped and the frogs were singing somewhere near the creek.
I lay back, staring at the stars. It was way past midnight, but the house felt stuffy, claustrophobic. My mind wouldn’t shut off. I couldn’t close out the images of silver dresses and orchids and streamers. I’d spent the last twenty-four hours trying to think of what to say to Ilume, who had been sucked into wedding planning today.
Ilume, I would say. Your whole life has been dedicated to this pack, and I get that, but you can’t go on like this and expect to be happy. If you take Rex as your mate, things will only get worse. I could make you happy. I have way more to offer you than—
I cocked my head. My Finder senses had picked up on sounds.
“You can’t expect them to stay away much longer,” someone said.
I sat up, peering over the roof. Three darkly-dressed figures were leaving the house, heading into the forest. They carried an array of objects that glinted silver in the light.
“I don’t expect them to,” muttered another. If his voice didn’t give him away, his limp did. It was Rex. He’d been up and around the past couple days. The antibiotics were working well (damn it). “What do you think we’ve been doing this for? I have few doubts that they’re planning an ambush as we speak.”
“Rex, this is still a bad idea.” I recognized the first voice now, the southern accent. Fox. “What if one of our own gets stuck in one of—”
“Our pack doesn’t go near the borders, Fox, you know that,” Rex hissed. “And if they do we’ll keep them away. None of us can afford a real battle right now. The next time any of their mutts come sneaking through our territory, they’ll be in for a deadly surprise.”
Fox made an annoyed sound. The third werewolf, Adonis’ replacement, cleared his throat, but didn’t comment. I listened until they were almost out of range, then I tip-toed across the roof. I had to crawl over Ilume’s balcony. For a moment I gave in to my worries. I peered through the French doors.
She’d accidentally left her lamp on, her book kicked to the edge of the bed. I could see her perfectly: she was sleeping. Oh, hell. She looked like a zombie, dark circles under her eyes. Through her nightgown I could see her hip bone protruding. She was losing weight, which she really couldn’t afford.
Hang in there, baby. I slid over to the other side of the balcony. This was my chance. If Rex was up to something else she didn’t approve of and I found evidence, maybe she would finally give up on him.
Climbing down an old maple tree, I dropped to the ground. The crew’s voices were inaudible now, but I could smell them. I followed their scent into the woods, surprised at how well I could see. Dawn must be close.
The wolves took a path unknown to me. It twisted and dropped and turned like some kind of obstacle course. There were muddy, hidden spots that I slipped in a couple times. I wished I had shoes instead of socks on. The wolves’ footsteps sounded ahead. Nobody spoke now, which made it hard to estimate their distance. Twice I dropped back, just in case.
It seemed like hours before they stopped. I heard the clinking sound of metal as Rex gave instructions. I veered off the trail into the bushes. Creeping up behind a patch of ferns, I crouched, watching.
The trees thinned where his gang was working. A green-gold field spread out behind them, the mountains brightened by the rising sun. Yards of rope beside cases of metal darts sat under the trees. Something shiny peeked out from a pile of leaves. As the new Adonis kicked them aside, he pulled up three shovels.
What the heck were they doing?
Fox went into the woods, stone-faced, and pulled up a piece of netting from the ground. I stretched up just enough to see him tacking the net over a giant hole off the trail.
Oh.
They were booby-trapping the place. It made perfect sense—how do you fight an enemy you don’t want to confront? You set up traps for them. But wait. I had seen Rex doing this before the trapper attack, before the loss of the hunters. That morning I had seen him outside the kitchen window—this had to be what he was doing.
So he didn’t want to confront the Jackals, period. What a coward. I’ve got to tell Ilume. Traps weren’t just a danger to the enemy; they were a danger to her wolves as well. Slowly, I backed away from the ferns. I headed back to the trail, about to make a sprint for it.
Something wrapped around my ankle. I gasped as my leg was jerked into the air, flipping me head over heels. There wasn’t even time to grab onto something. I found myself staring at the ground far below, dangling from a tree.
“Well, well, now.” Rex came limping into view. He flashed me an impish grin. “I thought I smelled a follower. I was just saying to Fox the other day how we really needed a lab rat to test these things, make sure they worked. I guess that’s one less problem to worry about.”
“You’re a wuss, Rex,” I sn
arled, pissed that I didn’t see this coming. “What kind of alpha male makes traps to fight his battles? Afraid of getting creamed by somebody?”
That wiped the smile off his face. Pulling out a pocket knife, he sliced my rope. I twisted before crashing to the ground. The wind knocked out of me, I didn’t have time to scramble away. A hand grabbed my shirt, hoisting me to my feet. I saw Rex’s scowl just before his fist came up. His claws came out. He slashed me across the jaw, sending me back to the ground.
He wiped his claws on his jeans. “You really shouldn’t insult those that you’re no match for. From day one I knew you’d be a problem. Ilume doesn’t take to humans. She never has, even during her few months as a worker.”
“Afraid of—a little competition?” I stammered, slowly pushing off the ground. The world spun, turning colors. My face was pulsing, burning. I tasted blood in my mouth.
He chuckled. “Competition. You can’t be serious.”
I cried out as he jammed his heel into my back. Grabbing a handful of my hair, he pulled me up to meet his gaze. His eyes were feral, unmistakably the eyes of an Otherworlder, of a predator.
“I know why you saved her during the spider attack, why you didn’t take off running the second you were unsupervised,” he said. “So let me make this clear: in just a few short days, Ilume will be my mate. Forever. I meant what I said: few mortals that cross my path live, especially your kind. You did pretty good, using my woman to get around me. Not anymore. Fox.” Rex let go of my hair. “Will you bring me the—”
Just before he stood up, I socked him. My fist collided with his nose, causing a loud, crunching sound. Rex howled, hands over his face, stumbling away. His bodyguards hesitated, in shock. I took my chance. Still dizzy, I jumped up, tearing down the path.
Ragged breathing came behind me. Two pairs of feet were in pursuit, chasing me down the rollercoaster trail. I’d have gone off into the gully, climbed a tree or found a hiding spot, but who knew how far the traps went?
My head started to clear. The world stopped wobbling. I hit a straight shot, picking up the pace.
A piece of twine flew past my eyes. I was yanked backward, the blue thread twisting around my waist, flattening my arms to my sides. Rex, blood dripping out of his nose, finished off the ends with a triple knot. I tried to kick him. He caught my foot and twisted it sideways. I screamed, feeling the bones crack.
“Rex, stop!” Fox appeared, hands waving. “He’s just a human! You can’t kill him! What is Ilume going to say—”
“Shut up, old man,” Rex barked. “Or you can hang with him! And this is between us three; the Jackals got him while he was wandering where he shouldn’t be. End of story. Now, bind him up with the good rope and hang him in the field. He’ll draw Raven’s wolves in like flies.”
Rex let go of my rope. I crumbled. I lie on the ground again, dizzy and out of breath. My foot was pounding and fire-hot, like someone shoved hot coals into my skin. The awful heat traveled up my calf. I gritted my teeth. It wouldn’t go away. If anything, it got worse by the minute.
Fox didn’t move. He held Rex’s gaze. Rex’s muscles rounded, his eyes narrow. Finally, Fox grabbed me up and slung me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. I didn’t fight him. What was the point when I couldn’t even run?
Fox gathered some rope from their work site then walked into the meadow. He climbed up a lone willow tree, stringing a line down the trunk. Instead of making a noose, like I figured he would, he just tied the back of my rope to the end. I swayed a few feet off the ground. His face looked sallow as he backed away. The old man seemed older all of a sudden, gray. I wanted to hate him, but I couldn’t. Not quite. I knew he was just doing as the bastard said. If he didn’t, he’d get killed, too.
“I’m sorry, kid,” he muttered, shaking his head. “I never thought I’d see the day that I hung a kid out as bait. I don’t know whether it’d be better to snap your neck now or let them,” he trailed off.
“It’s okay.” My voice trembled. I should’ve been brave, told him to just do it now, save me the agony of being torn limb from limb. I couldn’t bring myself to say it. “Just go.”
“He wasn’t always this psychotic, you know. A human, a Finder, killed his father. It does things to your head—”
“I really don’t give a shit.” I grimaced. If I had my daggers or my revolver from home, I’d have killed Rex for this. To hell with what Hunters High would think of me. Rex wasn’t the only one without a father.
Fox stared at me a minute, then turned away.
“Fox?” I called. He glanced back. “Do me a favor, will you?”
“What?”
I swallowed. “If I don’t come . . . tell Ilume . . . tell her I love her. All right?”
Fox blinked, and then nodded. With that, he was gone, jogging back into the woods.
I was alone.
The ropes were cutting into my skin. Every time I squirmed they dug in deeper. Lupine’s bite mark on my arm had been half healed, but split open again. Blood seeped through the twine, staining my ties. Escape was impossible. Even if by some miracle I did make it down, what was I supposed to do? Limp back to the mansion? No. Rex would surely be monitoring this area now, and if he caught me again he’d kill me himself. If I hadn’t been of use, I’d be dead now. Body stuffed in one of his trenches.
I hung there for hours, listening to the sound of hammering and low voices. When it stopped, I knew the jerks had left, headed back home. I wondered if their traps were finished, set, and how many more of them there were.
The sun was just above the mountains when the storm clouds formed. In minutes cold droplets hit my head. I began to shiver uncontrollably. Maybe hypothermia would get me before the Jackals did.
Stick it out, Jared. Ilume will notice you’re gone. She’ll come looking for you. But Ilume had barely talked to me since I’d moved into Aspen’s room. Maybe she was forgetting about me. Besides, I didn’t want her coming out here to the border. What if she got hurt by one of Rex’s traps?
Hot tears mixed with the rain on my face. I kicked out at the air, angry, and feeling more hopeless than that first day I arrived, when I’d been dragged out of my cage. Ilume had been there to save me then.
The depression sank in with the cold. It wasn’t long before circulation left my hands and thighs. I wished that I’d never followed her. I wished I’d have let her go that first night she passed Peter and me at Whirlwind. I wished that I was still the shallow guy who hooked up with nymphs and thought love was dead.
And then, as the day dragged on, I didn’t wish for any of that at all.
I just wished it was me, not Fox, telling Ilume I was in love with her.
Chapter Twenty-eight—Ilume
Seven days. I stared at the calendar on my wall. Seven days until my birthday. Seven days until I took Rex as my mate.
How could it be that soon?
I peered around my bare room. My dresser had been removed and put in Rex’s room. My nightstand had been moved in beside his bed. God, I’m going to have to share a bed with him. That frightened me the most. What if he wanted pups right away? I didn’t even know if I wanted pups. I wasn’t maternal, or calm and nurturing. And I hated the idea of him coming too close to me.
I went out to the balcony, needing air. I leaned over the railing, inhaling. Exhaling. Breathe, Ilume. You can do this. You have to do this for the pack. A chill went up my neck. What if when Rex and I stood together under the full moon, I froze? Gagged? Transitioned and ran off into the night, never to be seen again? This marriage was making me crazy. It was ridiculous. Where had my tough skin gone?
It went with Jared. Jared’s dog pads peeked out from under my bed. I’d hid them, afraid Fox or Shadow might take them while moving my stuff. With Jared in Aspen’s room now, they reminded me of him, as did his blanket—which I’d stuck
under my sheets. His smell still clung to the fabric. It helped me sleep at night.
I wanted him so much, which was why he needed to leave this week before my birthday. If I saw his face among the crowd, I would never be able to say yes to Rex. I would go bolting off. Already I pictured the event in my head, me in the silver dress standing with Rex under a moonlit arch of orchids. I would look out to the crowd, see Jared’s heartbroken face and drop the white bouquet. Leaping off the stage, I’d transition, run to him in the crowd. He’d jump on my back. His hands would bury into my fur, and we’d bound off into the night. I’d wake in Gram’s den with him at my side, Rex an old, distant nightmare.
I slumped down against the railing.
The French doors squeaked. Mom stepped outside, coming to join me. “Hey,” she greeted.
“Um, hey,” I said, raising an eyebrow. Mom didn’t usually come in my room. She’d stopped checking on me when I was fourteen and insisted I could take care of myself.
She eased herself down beside me, sitting crisscross, focusing on the forest. “I’m worried about you,” she whispered. “You’re turning into a wraith, Lume. Ever since you came back you’ve looked sicker every day, like the life’s draining out of you.”
“What do you mean?”
She eyed me dubiously. “Why him, Lume?”
“Oh, jeez, you’re not seriously asking me that. Because I have to, Mom! Do you really see him running this pack alone?”
“I wasn’t talking about Rex.”
I scratched my head, puzzled. “Well, who are you talking about then?”
I received a sarcastic look. “You know very well who I’m talking about. I see the way you watch him, and I hear things. He and Hawthorn sit on the patio outside the care center and he talks of you like you’re a queen.”
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