Page 60 of Wolf Queen Ruin
Whose carefully constructed walls occasionally revealed glimpses of something much more complex beneath.
It was a dangerous realization, in more ways than one.
Chapter eighteen
Luna
Somethingwaswrong.
I woke suddenly, every instinct on high alert before my conscious mind could identify the threat.Dawn was just breaking, the jungle filling with its usual morning chorus of birds and howler monkeys.Damien stood at the edge of our small camp, his body a dark silhouette against the emerging light, coiled tension evident in every line of his frame.
“What happened?”I whispered, sliding silently from my sleeping bag.
“We both fell asleep.”His voice carried a dangerous edge.“Someone came while we slept.Curious, considering the perimeter alarms.”
I followed his gaze to the thin tripwire he’d set the night before, which was still intact and undisturbed.Whoever had approached our camp had either known about our precautions or had serious skills.
After pulling on my boots, I moved to examine the surrounding area.Just beyond the natural boundary of our sheltered campsite, I found what I was looking for—a partial footprint pressed into the soft earth where the morning dew had settled.The print was deep at the heel, suggesting someone had paused there, watching us while we slept.
“Professional,” I murmured as Damien appeared silently beside me.“Military or paramilitary training.See how they distributed their weight to minimize tracks?”
His nostrils flared slightly as he crouched beside me, his fingers hovering over the impression without touching it.
“There were at least three,” he said, his voice dropping to a register that raised goose bumps along my arms.“One female, two males.The woman wears an unusual perfume…sandalwood and something synthetic.”
I raised an eyebrow.“Show-off.”
The corner of his mouth ticked upward.“Just observant.”His gaze swept the surrounding jungle.“They didn’t attack while we were vulnerable.”
“No need to hurt us if we’ll lead them straight to the crypt.”I continued my examination of the area.
Then I saw it, partially concealed beneath a fallen leaf—a cigarette butt with a distinctive gold band.I crouched to examine it without touching it.
“Shit,” I breathed.
Damien moved closer, his shoulder brushing mine as he leaned in.“You recognize it.”
“Yeah.”I grimaced.“Marcel.He has a thing for custom-made Russian cigarettes with gold filters.I found that out during a recovery job in Tunisia.Double-crossed me and left me in a collapsing tomb.I made it out; his reputation didn’t.”
Something dangerous flashed in Damien’s eyes, another glimpse of the predator that lurked beneath his civilized exterior.“If I would’ve known that he’s responsible for putting you in danger previously, I would have had a more serious conversation with him at the masquerade ball.”
The casual way he said it, coupled with the cold fury in his eyes, sent a delicious shiver down my spine.
“Yeah, well, I was too high on moonpeaches for story time,” I said with a tight smile.“But right now, we need to focus on the fact that if Marcel’s here, it’s with serious backing.He doesn’t move without guaranteed profit, which means someone’s paying him very well to follow us.”
“At least he’s on the side of those who want us alive.”Damien straightened, scanning the tree line with renewed intensity.“At least for now.”
“We need to delay them.Buy enough time to reach the crypt first.”I began packing our gear.
“What do you suggest?”
I considered our options as we eliminated traces of our camp and then smiled grimly.“They want to follow our trail?Let’s give them one they’ll wish they never found.”
For the next hour, we worked to prepare a series of unpleasant surprises for our pursuers.I’d spent enough time in various jungles to know which plants caused skin reactions, which mudbanks concealed deeper sinkholes, and how to redirect natural animal paths to intersect with human ones.
“These vines secrete an oil that causes temporary but intense skin irritation,” I said, arranging a lattice across a narrow section of trail.“Not deadly, but really uncomfortable.Marcel’s mercs will need to stop and treat it or risk debilitating discomfort.”
Damien watched, a gleam of appreciation in his eyes.“Physical and psychological warfare.They’ll become increasingly cautious, slowing their progress.”He moved beside me, his hands swift and sure as he added his own modifications to my trap.“If we place it here instead, they’ll be forced to step exactly…here.”
