Page 20 of Broken Fate
“Death is a constant companion for us. My people are good people. They make light of everything so that the darkness doesn’t swallow us. Don’t try to take that from them. They’ve fought hard for what little we have. Okay?”
I nodded slowly, trying not to stare at him. Cold as his gaze might be, the thick jaw, powerful cheeks, and weather-beaten skin were an attractive combo. He wasn’t a child, wasn’t a fresh adult. He was aman, and I was taking notice whether I wanted to or not.
“Okay,” I managed to say at last, “but … whoareyou people?”
“I’m Kiel,” he said, introducing himself, then pointing at the woman, who seemed to be the second-ranking member of the group. Her hard exterior, in attitude and musculature, matched his so well they could have been related. “That’s Andi.”
The auburn-haired woman nodded.
“And I believe you know Clive,” Kiel added with a gesture.
I gave my best friend a long, measured look. Clive looked away, unable to meet my gaze.
“I thought I did,” I said so quietly only Kiel heard. He glanced down at me. For a second, something soft and understanding flickered in the depths of his eyes.
“Is that enough for now?” he asked. “We have a long way to travel, and Arcadus won’t simply sit back and let us get away. His men will be in pursuit, and word will go out to the other towns. The roads will soon be covered in patrols, which will slow our progress. The farther we can go tonight before we rest, the better. With some luck, we may even escape his cordon.”
“Yes, thank you,” I said, grateful to have some of my questions answered.
Unfortunately, it also raised more. Who and what were Kiel, Andy, and the others? Why had they rescued me, and what was the next part of their plan? Running forever wasn’t appealing, although still being alive was a big positive in my books.
Clive shifted into his wolf, a huge tawny furred beast, and loped off after the rest of the group without looking at me. I watched him go while Kiel shifted beside me, his wolf a perfect shade of midnight, with shoulders that came up to mine. He was the biggest wolf I’d ever seen, looming over even Clive. He looked me up and down with his yellow wolf eyes, then trotted off, leaving me alone.
Sensing what was to come, my wolf pawed at my mind, eager to be let out and run once more under the stars.
“Yeah, don’t worry, we’re going,” I assured her, though my eyes were fixed on a yellowish-brown wolf as it disappeared into the darkness ahead.
What have you been hiding from me, Clive?
Just how long had he been a part of this group of whatever they were? It was quite clear he and Kiel had known each otherbeforetonight. So any fantasy where Clive had somehow found the mercenaries—if that was what they were—and somehow convinced them to rescue me was out of the question. The way he wielded a sword showed that much. As far as I’d known, Clive had never touched a sword in his life!
Knowing that he’d lied to me, that he’d hidden a part of his life from me, hurt. It cut me like the very blade he’d used with such skill to help rescue me.
But what stabbed deep was the other half of the question.
Why did you lie to me, Clive? Why didn’t you trust me?
I had no answers.
With a sigh, I fell to all fours as gray fur sprouted everywhere, and my wolf howled with joy under the now waning moon.
At least one of us was happy.
Chapter Eleven
We ran south along the shores of Lake Arcadia before crossing the Arcad River and passing into Helisson territory. Although there were no signs of pursuit that I could see, Kiel drove us on relentlessly through the night, the next morning, and into the afternoon.
I hadn’t seen a road since our one and only rest break. Since then, it had been forests and fields, meadows, and even a swim down a minor tributary river of the Arcad River. Although, as a wolf, I could have run wherever I wanted, I’d never done quite that much exploration of the wilderness.
How the hell did Kiel know where we were? I’d been thoroughly lost since sometime during our river swim. All around me was foreign territory. The toweringfilmoretrees of my home were replaced by grassy plains unsuitable for growing. There was little soil, the bedrock just below the surface. Rocky outcroppings were everywhere.
As the sun strengthened and we began to pant from the added heat, Kielfinallyslowed his pace. I staggered and flopped over, my left flank heaving toward the sky and back. The others trotted past, none of them giving me a friendly look as they did so. Clive didn’t even look at me, still keeping his distance as he’d been doing. Out of fear or shame, I wasn’t sure.
“Get up,” Kiel said, surprising me by having shifted without my notice.
I looked up—right at his cock as he stood over me.
Damn. Nice.
