Page 63 of The Cursed Kingdom

He sucks his cheeks into his mouth, his eyes cutting to the forest beyond us before he nods and moves to collect our bags.I climb to my feet and gesture for the human to change into her dry clothing, which she doesn’t hesitate to do.

I begin to strip, wanting to already be in my animal form when the shifters inevitably approach.

Kie collects the medical supplies I used before throwing both our bags over his shoulders and grabbing my discarded clothing. His are still soaked, but there isn’t time for him to remove and wring them out.

The human dresses nearby, her gaze nervously darting into the forest. She must sense our urgency.

“You may need to climb and bring her up a tree,” I tell Kie. “I’ll tell you when.”

Shifters can’t climb in their animal forms, at least not well. If we’re attacked, the human needs to be up high. She’s too easy to kill, and Kie and I can’t protect her and ourselves simultaneously. Getting her out of the way is our best bet.

“I can climb myself,” she says, tugging on the thick shirt she wears over her short-sleeve black one.

It smells, and I’m going to make her clean it at our next water stop.

I finish stripping and shift into my animal form. Stopping at the river was risky. This area is too populated, and we’re still in the heart of shifter territory. The trolls are less of a threat, and we should’ve waited until we were in their lands before stopping to bathe and drink.

It was our original plan, and we should’ve stuck with it.

The human finishes dressing and secures her backpack over her shoulders. For once, she doesn’t put up a fit when Kie touches her. He wraps an arm around her waist, supporting most of her weight so she doesn’t trip as we maneuver through the darkened forest. The sun fully set while we were bathing her.

The scent of shifter is more potent in my animal form, and I crouch low as I scan the woods. The shifters are coming from the south, coincidentally the direction we need to go.

Traul River travels north to south, but it’s not safe to walk along it. Too many shifters rely on the freshwater it provides, and there’s too high a risk of us stumbling upon others.

I hesitate for a brief moment before leading us southwest. It’ll lead us away from the river and hopefully allow us to sneak around the shifters. The human’s blood is saturated in this particular spot, so there’s a good chance they’ll come directly here.

They’ll inevitably double back and follow us once they realize we’re gone, but I hope to put significant distance between us before then. The human’s blood covers the scents of Kie and me, and I’m counting on the shifters not caring to stalk down some random human. It’s a lot of work for such little payoff.

Chapter Twenty-Four

ABBY

I HATE THE feeling of Kie’s arm around me, but it’s a small price to pay to not be eaten alive.

Mason stalks ahead, his bulking animal form weaving effortlessly through the trees. He’ll occasionally disappear altogether, but he almost always reappears within a few minutes. I get excited when he vanishes—hoping maybe he’ll be attacked and killed while he’s alone—and my stomach roils with disappointment when he inevitably returns.

I don’t think my heart can take much more disappointment today.

It still pounds when I recall how Mason and Kie stripped and forced me into the river, and my mind keeps replaying the horrifying moment despite my best attempts to stay focused. These two men were able to control me so easily, and while Mason appeared to feel guilty for a brief moment, it didn’t last.

There’s no way the faeries know what their princes are truly like—especially Kie. They speak so highly of him, giving him heaping praise he doesn’t deserve. I’m disgusted.

Mason weaves in front of us, his powerful legs propelling him forward before he turns to Kie and waves his giant head tothe left. He’s been doing this for the past thirty minutes, jerking his head in the direction he wants us to walk.

Kie tightens his grip on my waist, practically carrying me.

He’s soaking wet, dampening my sweatshirt in all the places he’s pressed against me. I hate to admit it’s doing a good job cooling my overheated skin. I’m nervous, scared of what will happen if the shifters find us, and those nerves are making me sweat.

Mason guides us forward a few more feet before disappearing into the woods again. I try to track his movements, but even when he’s in my line of sight, it’s hard to spot him. It’s terrifying how stealthy such a large animal can be.

It’s unnatural.

My legs shake, and my knees threaten to lock up with every step, but I force myself to continue moving. As much as I hate Kie touching me, I must admit he’s the only reason I’m still upright.

Mason was absurdly rough with my knees, and they’re struggling with the near-constant battering. I turn, peering at Kie from the corner of my eye.

“Have you heard of delysum?” I blurt out.

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