Page 363 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha
But when I remembered my dream, I realized I knew exactly where the battle would take place. If only I knew where the gorge was.
“Dawn, Cat,” I looked from one to the other. “Do you know these caves well?”
“I do,” Cat said.
Dawn nodded.
“Is there a path that leads to the base of a gorge?”
Again, Dawn nodded as Cat said, “Yeah, there should be. If Dawn knows about it, too, then between the two of us, I’m sure we can lead you there.”
“Hold on, hold on.” Kai separated from the other fighters to approach us. “Shouldn’t we be taking you back to get some medical attention, Bryn?”
“I’m okay, Kai. I’m not bleeding or anything.”
He frowned. “Well, it won’t be long before they start to look for this wolf. Why in the world would you want to go back into these caves?”
“I don’t know if I have the time to explain, but I’m positive that Troy will lead Night and the others there.” I paused. My mother had shown me the gorge from the top of a cliff. Why would she show me from that point of view? Was it just to give me an overview of the battle, or was there a reason I needed to be above it? “Is there a way to get to the top of the cliff overlooking the gorge?”
Cat shook her head.
“Actually,” Dawn said gently, “I think there is.”
“You’re positive?” I asked.
“Yes. My family used to pick the chives that grow there.”
“I need you to take me there right now.”
“Bryn.” Kai shook his head. “Alpha Night would kill me if he knew I wasn’t taking you to safety.”
My temper surged. “Night won’t bealiveto get mad at either of us if we don’t get to where I need to go.”
“Can’t you just tell us where we need to go?”
“No. I need to be there.”
He heaved a sigh, then grumbled something about how pregnant women shouldn’t be on their feet so much as I was. He was right, of course. If Damon, Mom, or Violet saw me right now, they’d throw a fit to end all fits. But I could handle it. Sure, my back ached and my thighs pulsed from all the activity, but I pushed through the discomfort. My body hadn’t given up on me yet, and I couldn’t risk losing Night.
I mentally promised each of them that I would not only rest after this but wouldn’t leave my bed until after the baby was born. I looked at Dawn, who was trying—and failing—not to look scandalized by the way I spoke to Kai.
I patted the burly, frustrated man on the arm. “Don’t worry, I’ll have you and the other fighters around to keep me safe. Dawn, if you’re ready, lead the way.”
“Okay.” She glanced at Kai again, then took the lead. Cat was close behind her, and Kai nodded at his men to follow. He and I were at the rear, and I was sure it was so he could keep an eye on me.
Being in the caves again wasn’t a wonderful experience. Nothing good happened in them. Without Trish or Tavi, we had no idea of the guards’ routines, but when we encountered them, Kai and his men made quick work of them. The third time we had to deal with a group of Troy’s men, a few escaped.
Kai cursed under his breath. In all likelihood, they’d go tell Troy that I was escaping, but I was banking on the hope that there would be too much for Troy to focus on for him to properly delegate. The man might have gotten the better of us a couple of times, but he wasn’t good at thinking on his feet. Every time his plans had gone wrong had proven that.
We trudged on at a steady pace. The flat ground allowed me to keep up with the others, but after a while, the terrain turned into an incline. It was harder and harder for me to make the trek up, and the others were getting farther ahead of me. But I couldn’t afford to take a break. The sky was darkening by the minute.
“Bryn, I could carry you for this portion,” Kai said.
After a moment of hesitation, I realized that was the best course of action. “Okay.”
He scooped me into his arms. He was an older wolf, but he had no trouble carrying my heavily pregnant body up the incline and catching up with the others. It was a bit strange to be carried like this by someone other than Night. In my mate’s arms, I felt like a princess. In Kai’s, I felt more like a child.
“Thanks,” I muttered.
