Page 90 of Sawyer

Go easy on yourself. It was a rock wall.

A forty-five-degree rock wall, so at least I didn’t have to climb it with spikes or a rope, and I didn’t fall down, so I’m considering it a win.

Putting my water bottle back, I glance over the ledge, seeing just how far we’ve come. We are only two hours into this, and I can still see our SUV, yet I feel like I’ve been traveling for miles.

As I look down, my head swims because we are up so high.

“Come on.” Rumor presses a hand to my back and gives me a quick kiss on my forehead. He once again takes the lead. Sin and Bryn are behind me, probably to catch me if I fall, which is a high possibility at this point. I’m not going to lie, my legs already feel like jelly.

It looks like we can walk along a path made by deer or other four-legged creatures, only Rumor doesn’t take the winding path. He chooses violence and heads straight up.

Evil, vicious man.

As I follow behind him, I imagine him tripping a few times and falling face-first into the earth. Do I giggle as I climb? Fucking right I do. There was a path, and he chose not to take it.

He holds up a hand and crouches.

Not understanding military hand gestures, I continue to stand until Sin pushes on my shoulders and I crouch. Rumor creeps toward the peak of the small hill we just traversed. I’m the only one making any noise, but hopefully, anything out here will just think I’m another woodland creature.

Channel a chipmunk, Sawyer. Think small, dainty, and quiet.

I creep up beside Rumor and peer over a small ledge. It takes my eyes a moment to focus, so when I see a small, flickering light, my first thought is that it’s a ghost!

I’m wrong, of course, because when my eyes focus, I see a campfire with a couple of men sitting around it. Bare branches and bushes hide their faces.

Sin and Bryn creep up beside us.

I didn’t anticipate anyone to be out here. I lift up a little, making sure my camera gets them, only for Rumor to push me back down.

Handsy man.

Rumor looks at the three of us and presses a finger to his lips, signaling for us to stay quiet, then he holds up three fingers and points at the fire.

I only saw two men, but I trust Rumor.

Ever so slowly, we make our way around the campfire. I wonder if we will crash it, but Rumor gets closer, skirting the edges of their makeshift camp.

It looks like they have been out here a while. There are dirt tracks all around the fire and three chairs. It seems like the other guy is fast asleep in his sleeping bag.

The other two are deep in conversation, and that’s when I realize what Rumor is planning—eavesdropping.

At a disadvantage because of my inferior hearing, I really have to strain to hear the men. It isn’t until we are fifty feet away and the scent of charcoal burns my nose that I can hear them.

“How long do you think we’ll be stuck out here?” one man gripes. I squint through the bush in front of me, trying to determine his designation. I know he’s not an alpha, delta, nor gamma, and he’s obviously not an omega, so that only leaves a beta, because a mage would have had traps set up.

“I don’t know, man.” The other guy heaves out a dramatic breath. The sound of liquid sloshing makes me think these two are mostly drunk. “I can’t wait for my off time. I have plans to see my family up north.”

“Any special ladies?” The other guy sounds like a creeper.

“Yeah, I have two women I’m considering,” he answers.

“Two?” the other man scoffs. “You don’t need a pack. You’re a beta.”

“Ever get your dick sucked by two bitches?”

I roll my eyes so hard, it creates an ache in my head. I poke Rumor to get him to keep moving, but he just shakes his head at me.

I guess we are going to listen to this bullshit for a little longer. It’s a good thing I sweated so much that I don’t have to pee.

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