Page 139 of Deadwood
I nearly wanted to laugh. “I don’t get much of a choice in anything, Lander. I’m just told what to do and expected to do it with no complaint.”
“I’ll talk to them, then.” He sounded so sure, like he could persuade them to jump off a cliff if he wanted.
“Have at it.” Humor laced my tone. If he was successful in convincing them to call off the wedding, that’d mean I wouldn’t have to make a choice between the marriage or allowing Paxon to get me out of it. I’d be free from all of it. Maybe not my life, but the arrangement I had been forced into. And that was a start.
“Do you think that guard truly abandoned his post that night?” I asked, referring back to the beginning of the trip.
With a glance his way, I noticed his creased forehead, a pondering expression taking over his face. “It’s possible.”
I heard what he didn’t say. “But?”
“But…not likely. If he did, your father would have him hunted down and executed. All the guards are aware of the consequences.”
I gnawed on my bottom lip, getting my next question out before I could talk myself out of it. “What that guard said about our arrangement... Do you think this is all for something else?”
He looked at me as the small breeze rustled the leaves around his horse’s hooves. “What else would it be for?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Some petty, royal drama, maybe?”
He snorted. “If it’s because of drama between our parents, let them settle it however they see fit. Getting involved in that can be messy.”
“That must be why you’re so reluctant to act a prince, then,” I teased.
Lander shot a smile at me from his horse, but as he opened his mouth to reply, he was cut off by a low growl. Then, a beast nearly equal in size to my horse pounced from behind him, and I screamed.
CHAPTER 43
AURIA
Ahorned wolf with teeth larger than any dagger clamped down on Lander’s horse’s neck as he made a sad attempt to dodge the attack. Blood spurted in all directions as the horse let out a strangled whinny, and at the sight, my horse spooked. She reared, front legs flailing in the air with wide, frantic eyes as another wolf with horns larger than the first cleared the thick brush. My heart threatened to pound out of my chest, but quickly ceased beating at all as I slipped from the saddle, free-falling to the ground.
The air punched from my lungs as I landed on my back, my ass taking the brunt of the impact. I had no time to register the pain that bloomed through my body as a third wolf appeared, while the second darted after the gray horse as she attempted to run. Her coat was splotched with masses of red as she took off into the trees, and the wolf easily lost interest in the chase, instead turning on me.
While the first wolf laid into the other horse, Lander aborted, having no choice before the stallion pinned him as he fell.
“Lander!” I shouted right as one of the wolves bounded toward him.
He spun just in time, unsheathing his dagger in the same movement, but one look at the tiny blade and I knew it wouldn’t be enough to fend off the beasts. The wolves were massive, almost taller than us, with paws that dug into the earth.
Drool fell in thick globs, puddling in the soil as the wolf lunged, teeth bared in his direction. I didn’t have time to watch Lander defend himself as the other set eyes on me, yellow teeth a contrast to its black fur. The animal had eyes as gold as the sun. The sight would have been beautiful had the predator not been trying to eat me.
I slowly pushed myself to a stand, ignoring the way my hip twinged as I held my weight. I needed a better advantage. I had no weapon. No defense. I searched the ground hurriedly, looking for anything I could use to fend it off. Finally, my eyes landed on a rock at least five times the size of my hand. Almost like the wolf knew what I was planning, it snapped its massive jaw, spit flying in my direction. With no other options, I dived at the same time it did, my hands landing hard on the rock as my lungs were once again deprived of air. My knees dug into the earth as I scrambled to get leverage on the stone. With no time to dig it from the dirt, I flipped onto my back. One of the wolf’s paws immediately pinned my arm to the ground.
With my other hand on the rock, I grappled with the rough surface, finally getting it free. I used all my force to heft it up, striking the wolf right as it chomped inches from my face. Then Lander yelled, the sound full of pain and frustration. A snarl tore through the air at the same time, but I couldn’t look. Death was knocking, and I had no time.
The wolf standing above me shook its head from the hit, its large, slightly curled horns swinging back and forth with the movement, narrowly avoiding stabbing me in the process. It quickly recuperated, returning to baring its teeth in my face. I tried to pull my arm out from under its massive paw, but I couldn’t get it free. If I couldn’t get out from under it, I’d be dead in seconds.
The beast was too heavy, using all its weight to keep me pinned down. Its nostrils flared as its tongue darted out to lap across long fangs. Right as I thought I might have made an ounce of progress, my arm popped, and I bit down on a scream. My shoulder roared, flames enveloping every sense in my body.
But it wasn’t fire. I wasn’t burnt.
It was just my shoulder dislocating. Breathe.
But pain always clouded my senses. Brought my mind back to the hurt I knew too well. I couldn’t go to that dark place now. I needed to survive.
Lander yelled out again as claws dug into my skin, likely ripping the thin layer. A feeling like water cascaded over my arm, but it wasn’t water. It was blood.Myblood.
The wolf made a noise like I would’ve never thought imaginable, and I realized it was done playing with its food. Its enormous mouth opened, and I looked straight into the jaws of death itself. I opened my mouth to scream, but as its teeth clamped down on the spot between my shoulder and neck, no noise came out. My ears rang, my entire body on fire. Maybe it was a flame, and the wolf was the harbinger of all pain. Every bad sensation ever felt was brought to the surface by the beast, my skin buzzing with the desire to go numb.
