Page 91 of Wolf Queen Ruin
His eyes blazed with an intensity that suggested he wasn’t just talking about our mission anymore.
Warmth unfurled in my chest, but the next second stopped it cold.
Barking echoed from the top of the embankment, followed by shouts in Spanish.
“We’re out of options,” Damien growled, the sound rumbling from deep in his chest.“Into the water.Now.”
“That’s a terrible idea,” I hissed right back, eyeing the water.“You do realize this region has crocodiles, water snakes, and parasites that would make a vampire cringe?”
“All preferable to Marcel’s mercenaries or losing the Shadow Fang,” he replied, his expression hardening.“The current will carry us downstream, and water will mask both our scents.We can lose them.”
Damn it, he was right, but that didn’t make the idea any more appealing.With his support, I hobbled to the water’s edge, scanning the murky surface for telltale ripples that might indicate lurking predators.
“Stay close to me,” Damien commanded, guiding me into the warm, opaque water.“If anything approaches, I’ll sense it before you can see it.”
The tributary was mercifully shallow near the banks, allowing me to keep my feet on the muddy bottom while the water reached just below my chest.Damien moved ahead, creating a path through the floating vegetation.I followed, wincing each time my injured ankle brushed against anything.
Above us, part of Marcel’s team reached the embankment.Dogs strained at their leashes, barking frantically.Someone shouted orders, someone not Marcel, and the distinctive metallic sounds of weapons being readied echoed across the water.
“Down,” Damien gritted out, pulling me against his chest and lower until only our faces remained above water.
His body curved around mine, a living-dead shield.
A shot rang out.The bullet struck water just inches to our right.Not a warning.Not an attempt to flush us out.
That was a kill shot.
But I thought Marcel wanted us alive.
These must not be Marcel’s mercs.
Fuck.We couldn’t catch a single break.
“Move with the current,” Damien said tightly, his mouth close to my ear.“Stay submerged as much as possible.Surface only to breathe.”
I nodded, sucking in a deep breath before allowing him to guide me fully underwater.The Shadow Fang piece pulsed against my chest, in rhythm with my frantic heartbeat.
Damien’s hand gripped mine, pulling me along as the current strengthened, carrying us downstream.His grip was unbreakable, an anchor in the murky chaos.
We surfaced briefly between overhanging trees, just long enough for me to gasp for air before submerging again.I didn’t dare open my eyes for fear of what I might see.And for fear that a parasite might absorb my entire eyeball.
We continued for what felt like hours—surface, breathe, submerge, drift.Each cycle became more difficult as my fatigue compounded the physical strain.During one surface interval, I gasped for breath so hard that I thought I might pass out.
Damien’s eyes narrowed over my head, scanning the shoreline with focused intensity.Without warning, he pulled me toward the far bank where the vegetation grew thick enough to provide cover.
“We’re done with the water,” he said, his tone brooking no argument.
I glanced back, leaning against a tree to catch my breath, and did a double take.
We had company of the crocodile variety.Two eyed us from the water, steadily swimming closer.
My heart launched into my throat.“Go, go, go!”
Damien swept me up in his arms and went, his body coiling with supernatural strength before unleashing it in a blur of motion.The crocodiles didn’t stand a chance of following.
The tributary had carried us a decent distance from our pursuers, though the occasional distant bark suggested the dogs still tracked us along the shoreline.
The steady rhythm of Damien’s movement was almost hypnotic, lulling me into a drowsy state despite my best efforts to remain alert.I caught glimpses of his face above me—stern, focused, but with a softness in his eyes whenever they landed on mine.
