Page 90 of Wolf Queen Ruin
“Voices.”He scanned the dense foliage around us.“Southeast, approximately half a mile.Moving in coordinated formation.Eight of them at least.”
“Shit.They must’ve split up.”
Damien’s expression darkened.“We need to alter our course.There’s a river tributary north of here.Water will mask our trail and slow them down.”
Yeah, I wasn’t a big fan of that idea.The change in direction meant denser vegetation and more difficult terrain, not to mention all the dangerous animals that liked to gather around rivers.
But the alternative was worse.
Damien pushed forward with unnatural grace through the undergrowth, occasionally pausing to listen for pursuit.With each stop, he positioned himself so that his body formed a shield between me and the direction of potential threats, a subtle but consistent pattern I couldn’t help noticing.
“They’re changing direction,” he said after one such pause, his jaw tightening.“Following our trail.”
“They must have the thaumic resonator with them to track us so easily.”
Damien made a doubtful noise in the back of his throat.“This group has dogs from the sound of it.”
“Oh.Good.How far to the river?”
“Less than a mile, but the terrain drops sharply near the water.”His gaze lingered on my face.“Can you manage it?”
“Guess we’ll find out,” I said, despite the doubt weaving through me.
Damien pressed on.The jungle thinned slightly as he neared the tributary, allowing glimpses of muddy water through the trees.Relief surged but sputtered out when I saw the steep embankment Damien had warned about—a treacherous slope of loose earth and exposed roots dropping nearly thirty feet to the water below.
“That’s our way down?”I asked.“Can you fly like a bat, Mr.Renaissance?”
“No,” Damien said, already scanning for the safest path.“And I’m not sure I can carry you safely on that unstable surface.I’ll go first and secure positions.”
He set me down and began his descent with that infuriating vampire grace, using roots and tree trunks as anchor points.I watched his technique, mapping my own path before following with considerably less elegance.
Halfway down, a root I’d put one hundred percent of my faith in gave way beneath my weight, sending me sliding uncontrolled down the muddy slope.I clawed desperately for purchase, my fingernails tearing as they raked through dirt and vegetation.
Damien appeared right below me with supernatural speed, his body positioned to absorb my impact, arms outstretched.But momentum carried us both the remaining distance in a tangle of limbs and curses.
We landed hard at the water’s edge, mud splattering in all directions.Pain lanced through my right ankle.Not broken, definitely sprained.
Fuck.
Damien disentangled himself, scanning for immediate threats before turning his attention to me.“You’re hurt.”
“Yeah, but the good news,” I said through gritted teeth as I examined my mud-covered leg, “is that rain-forest mud is good for the skin, so I’ve heard.”
“The bad news is that fall created enough noise to alert every predator within half a mile.Human or otherwise,” Damien countered, gently peeling down my sock to reveal my already swelling ankle.
He started to take off my boot, too, but I grabbed his wrists.
“That’s far enough,” I blurted.“I have…camel toes.I don’t want you to see.”
“Okay…” He fixed me with a strange look and then continued probing my ankle, leaving my boot on.“Sprained, possibly torn ligaments.You can’t put weight on this, Luna.”
“Watch me.”I struggled to stand despite the sharp protest from my injured joint.
Stubbornness got me upright, but the first step sent me pitching forward.Only Damien’s quick reflexes prevented another face-plant.His arm wrapped around my waist with possessive strength.
“Damn it.I hate being a liability.”
“You’re not a liability,” he said, his voice dropping to a fierce, low register that vibrated through me.“You’re irreplaceable.”
