Page 62 of Wolf Queen Ruin
“Yes.”I cleared my throat.Nodded.Acted as though that moment hadn’t just triggered a steady ache between my legs.“Let’s.”
We continued on, moving deeper into the Wolf Queen’s territory while periodically glancing back to ensure our pursuers remained delayed.
As we walked, I forced my brain to focus on my surroundings, not on Damien’s powerful strides, the sure way he held the machete to help clear our path, how his large hands might feel as they glide over my naked skin to my wet, needy—
Stop.Rewind.Store that idea in the bean bank and focus on the deadly jungle, Luna!
I blew out a silent exhale, but not silent enough for Damien because he glanced over.Quickly, I schooled my expression.
“So this Wasting,” I blurted as we navigated a particularly dense section of undergrowth.“Can you tell me about it?I’ve never heard of it.”
His shoulders tensed beneath his shirt.“Few have.It affects perhaps one vampire in a million.”His voice remained controlled, but I caught the faint tremor beneath the words.“It begins with diminished regenerative capabilities and progresses until the vampire can no longer heal at all.Eventually, the body begins to decay while the consciousness remains intact.”
I winced.“That sounds…”
“Horrific,” he said, pushing aside a heavy vine.“A true immortal death.Consciousness trapped in a deteriorating shell that cannot die.”He paused, his profile sharp against the dappled light.“I’ve watched him suffer for months.He tries to hide the worst, but I can see it consuming him day by day.”
The raw pain in his voice resonated with something deep inside me—the helplessness of watching someone you love slip away while you stand by, powerless.
“And conventional vampire medicine can’t help?”I asked gently.
He shook his head once.“Nothing has worked.The Shadow Fang is our last hope.”
“But you believe it can cure him.”
“Elliot found reference to it in texts dating back to the Wolf Queen’s era.”His voice took on an edge of determination.“The Shadow Fang was supposedly created as a weapon against vampires, but what can destroy can also restore under the right circumstances.”
“Selene mentioned the cost of using it.That it might be too great.”I swallowed thickly.
He shook his head, his lips thinning with resolve.“Elliot gave me everything.A new life when I should have died, knowledge when I was lost, purpose when I had none.”His voice dropped lower.“There is no cost too great.”
“Yeah,” I said quietly, thinking of Aria and Jade.“Same.”
His admission felt significant, but I sensed he wasn’t telling me everything.The weight of his unspoken thoughts hung between us as heavy as the jungle air.
At another shout from behind, Damien glanced over his shoulder.“And now we have competing interests.”
“Competing for what specifically, do you think?Money?Healing?Bragging rights?”
Damien’s expression tightened.“The Shadow Fang represents more than a cure.In vampire politics, possession of such an artifact would give a significant advantage.”He hesitated, choosing his next words carefully.“Some would use it for healing, others for power.The political ramifications are…significant.”
Such careful phrasing.What was he not saying?
We lapsed into silence as the jungle grew denser, the vegetation taking on increasingly unusual characteristics.Flowers with metallic petals that chimed softly when brushed.Vines that seemed to withdraw from Damien’s touch while reaching toward mine.The boundary between natural and supernatural was blurring the deeper we traveled into the Wolf Queen’s domain.
By early afternoon, we’d covered significant ground, but the oppressive heat and humidity wore me down.Damien, despite needing no temperature regulation, looked increasingly strained, every step requiring visible concentration.
“We should check our backtrail again,” I said as an excuse to rest.
We found a suitable vantage point beneath the gnarled roots of an enormous strangler fig.While Damien surveyed our path with the binoculars, I pulled out the map marked with the crypt’s supposed location.We were less than a day’s journey from our goal, assuming the terrain remained passable and no unexpected obstacles arose.
Given our luck so far, we might get there in a month.
“They’ve triggered the third trap,” Damien said.“The female nearly fell into the sinkhole.They’re proceeding with much greater caution now.”
His tone carried satisfaction that bordered on smug.
“Nice.That buys us a few hours at least.”I traced our remaining route on the map.“If we push hard, we might reach the outer perimeter of the crypt by nightfall.”
