Page 52 of Villainous Fate

The bonus, I have my compass, so we can get started right away. I pull it out and point in the direction we need to start, taking point as we enter the trial. Just as I turn the corner and begin down the crudely made path between trees, a gunshot rings out, causing me to drop and turn instinctively.

As I take in my team, I see the guard reholstering his weapon as he leans over Deacon's body.

“Rodriguez sends his regards.” Then, he turns to Finn, who stands sheltered behind the closest tree, “It’s silver, by the way, so you might want to get that treated if you don’t want him to die.” With his statement completed, they jump back into the truck and peel off onto the main road before I can even attempt to follow them.

Fuck.

“Where is he hit?” I ask as I move to assess the damage. “Deacon, where are you hit?” I nearly shout the second time, knocking Finn out of his shock.

“Calf, hit the bone. It’s still in there. I can’t shift until you dig it out,” he stammers out, his breathing labored.

Finn digs into his pack, producing our med kit and retrieving gauze, bandages, alcohol, and some tweezers that look too small to be helpful. He pours the alcohol onto the hole in the back of Deacon’s leg without warning or apology before rinsing his hands as well, and I find a leather strap that Deacon can bite down on.

“This is going to hurt, but I'll get it as quickly as I can,” Finn says before plunging his finger into the hole in search of the bullet.

Deacon cries out, and I attempt to hold him steady so Finn can work. Deacon’s eyes have gone completely orange as his wolf pushes for control.

“Not yet. We need it out.” I grind out, pushing some command into my voice, knowing it probably won’t be enough to convince him but trying anyway.

“Found it!” Finn shouts, his face still pinched as he tries to grip it through the blood pouring out. “Just a second, I think I, Yeah, Got it,” he finishes producing it from Deacon’s leg.

Quickly, I remove his bag from his back and roll him over, unzipping his jacket to get it off before his wolf shreds it in his transition. Finn tosses the bullet and begins unlacing his boots to get them free, just as Deacon’s wolf takes over.

We both jump back, not wanting to appear threatening when Deacon’s more logical side is no longer in control.

Seeing his wolf in person has me taking an extra step back. The rumors involving Deacon have been going around since he was Awakened, and they don't do him justice. Most shifter wolves stand about four feet tall and weigh about 300 lbs. Deacon’s, though, is closer to five feet and is wider than my human frame.

Fucking Legend.

I’ve never seen a wolf that large, and when his fire eyes swing over to us, my breath catches, knowing he could kill us both at this moment.

Calm down, big guy…

Recognition flashes in his eyes, and I let the air out of my lungs.

“You gotta shift back. We have to get moving, and we can’t carry all of your stuff,” I say, keeping my voice light and my hands where he can see them. Before I can make another statement, Deacon’s human form appears where his wolf stood.

Finn tosses him a pair of sweatpants and a shirt from the clothing bag, and I hand him back his jacket.

“How does it feel?” Finn asks as Deacon tests his leg by placing his weight on it.

“I’ll be fine. I’ll have to shift again tonight, but we need to get moving. We’ve lost our lead.”

“I’m guessing that was the point. He never wanted us to have the advantage in the first place,” I finish, a growl escaping my throat.

After cleaning up the area, we grab our bags and head off in the direction we had started. Deacon took the lead, and we went at his pace since his leg was still healing. His limp was subtle, but I could see the toll the wound was taking.

After another half hour, the maze opens, and we have the choice to go right, left, or continue straight. We re-read the original instructions and head right.

Over the next five hours, we find our red markers and follow the path toward the center of the maze, all the while wondering if the other teams are headed to the center as well and wondering if the first team there will have access to every item.

If that's the case, Stickman will have made damn sure that our path was the most difficult in any way possible.

We break at noon to eat. Deacon pulls out portions of our stored food for each of us to consume. None of us talk during the meal, knowing that noise is never helpful and we have a long way to go to get where we need to be. The leadership that designed this challenge intended for the first team to return on day three in front of the Alphas. So there is no way we don't have a full day ahead of us before we find our item.

What the hell are we retrieving anyway?

Once Deacon finishes his food, he excuses himself to shift a few times to fully mend his leg now that we have the time. He knows he has slowed our progress over the last few hours, and the additional pain has only made his strength diminish.

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