Page 101 of The Lands Defying
I skid to a stop when I reach the first pile of wood, but that doesn’t have my attention. That doesn’t have my eyes fixed on it.
The gray wolf in front of me, on the other side of the gathering, does.
“K-Kade?” I call, noting the darker blue eyes and silver bleeding around them. No, not Kade. I stop, my hand reaching out toward him in the air. “Axis,” I whisper, “It’s okay.” I move over the broken benches slowly, wood scraping into me, but I don’t care.
I watch as the wolf’s eyes turn wary, and then flicker to pain. His coat is covered in a little blood, and he’s filthy. He lifts a paw and takes a step back and I hold the sob in my throat that wants to burst out of me. I don’t know why he’s here, how he’s here, but it doesn’t matter, he came home.
“Kade,” I whimper, climbing over another pile of broken benches.
The wolf steps forward, his paws hesitant, but then more sure of himself, and I hear Josh suck in a breath behind me, finally catching up and seeing Kade.
“Carzan,” Josh mutters, shock in his voice.
“Kade,”I try to say down the link, and instantly have the shocking reminder that it’s no longer there.
I continue to move carelessly toward him, but slowly slipping and being stabbed by wooded pieces. The pain is nothing when bits scrape against my hands, as I move pieces out of the way to get to him. Nor do I care when a particularly sharp one pierces through my skin at my shin.
Kade’s movements seem just as rushed, looking around for the best way to get to me, a whine in his throat that brings tears streaming down my face.
“I’m coming, I’m coming,” I cry, and Runa whines inside of me, agreeing with my need to reach him. Of needing to be near him.
We’re so close, just a few feet away when a voice shouts through the open air, stopping us in our tracks.
“Rhea!” Darius calls, and my breath halts, my whole body locking up as Kade’s head turns toward the sound, his ears flicking up, on high alert.
No…no!
Kade starts moving backwards, moving away from me.
“No, no Kade. It’s fine,” I tell him in a rush. “It’s fine. You are safe. A lot has changed… everything has changed. He’s not your enemy,” I babble, but he’s not listening, he keeps moving further away. “Shit, Kade. Don’t. Please.”
But he does. He turns and sprints out of the gathering while I climb over the wood faster, hauling pieces away from me and not caring where they land. I shove what’s left of the benches away, growling at them like it will make them move until finally, I’m on the other side.
“Rhea, wait,” Josh shouts behind me, trying to follow me.
“He can’t run away, Josh. I need to get to him. Stop Darius from following me. He’s scared of him.”
“Little wolf, don’t you move,” Darius growls out from somewhere behind me, but I’m already moving.
Already running again.
Twenty Seven
Rhea
Runa gives me a boost the best that she can to chase after Kade, sprinting along the dirt path. I call my power to my feet, trying to get it to give me anything that is left, but there is nothing.
Just my determination and desperation.
Kade is here, he is home.
It doesn’t matter why, or how. I just need to get to him, make sure he’s okay, to keep him safe.
I don’t take in the other ruined cabins. I don’t take in more destroyed furniture that’s thrown onto the ground as I pass home after home. I faintly hear the others chasing after me and I pick up speed.
I just need to get to Kade.
It’s been so long since I last set eyes on him, so long since I held him. And with that is the reminder of the last time I saw him. Of the hurtful words he spewed at me, then cutting the link and refusing to come with me.
