Page 42 of Of Wolves and Wives

“This way,” I tell Lyra.

She follows me without question or hesitation this time. Together we chase the sweet scent of fresh air until we step into a large cavern. Across from us is a waterfall, taking up the whole wall of the cave and feeding into a large pool of water. Steam rises from the surface, making its way up to the hole in the ceiling that let in the moonlight.

“I’m thirsty,” Lyra says.

Without waiting for my response, she moves toward the water. I hesitate for a breath before joining her. Dipping my hands into the water, I sigh as the coolness pools around my wrists. I cup my hands and bring the water to my lips. It’s crisp and refreshing.

“Don’t drink too much.”

Lyra glances at me before saying, “I wasn’t. But I’m exhausted. Should we stay here?”

I glance around before giving her a nod. I’m not sure what lies at the end of the other tunnel. It’s been a long day, and I’m just as wiped as I’m sure she is. Still, deep down, I know that if I were alone, I’d push on.

“We should. If nothing else, we have water. We can continue on in the morning.”

She doesn’t waste a moment in finding a patch of moss to snuggle down in. I watch her for a moment, still crouched next to the water. In a matter of minutes, she’s snoring softly. It looks like I’m taking the first watch. Smiling to myself, I glance about the cavern. Thanks to the moss that covers most of it and the breeze, it’s dimly lit. Better than the complete darkness of the tunnels. I can almost relax here.

Leaning back, I stare up at the moon and stars that are just barely visible. My mind wanders as the hours slip by. An echo of a stone hitting more stone startles me. Sitting up, I glance about the cavern. The hairs on my arms stand on end as I realize there’s a chance that we aren’t alone. That we’ve been found. I tense as I barely dare to breathe, let alone wake Lyra.

After several minutes, when the cavern remains still, I stand. I’m careful as I inch my way toward the tunnel. I need to know if we’re still alone or if one of the wolves has found us. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to stop them from reporting back to the Grey Prince, but I have to do something other than just sitting there. Just as I reach the tunnel, a small red fox emerges from the shadows.

I freeze, watching as it moves through the shadows without seeming to notice me. The fox trots toward the pool, stopping to take a sip just as Lyra and I did earlier. Watching it, I realize that the fox must have come from somewhere. There’s a way out of the mountain that the fox knows.

Being as quiet as possible, I make my way to Lyra’s side. With a hand over her mouth, I wake her. Her eyes widen as she startles awake. I press a finger to my lips before nodding toward the fox. Slowly, she turns to see. The fox has curled up by the edge of the pond, unaware of our presence. I’m careful to remove my hand slowly from her mouth. She nods, her eyes locked on the fox.

Then she sneezes. In a flash, the fox is up and darting back the way it came. I let out a curse as I grab Lyra’s hand. She lets out a small whimper as I drag her to her feet and then across the cavern in my pursuit of the fox. We can’t let it escape without showing us the way out. I’m not risking being unable to find the exit on our own.

The fox darts down a damp tunnel, the rocks slick from water and moss. Our feet slip and slide as we move, making the going harder than before. Curses slip from my lips as the fox gains more distance between us. Desperation is the only thing that keeps me moving forward, pushing me to drag Lyra despite her tears and pleads to stop. Thankfully, the glowing moss gives me a trail to follow when the fox disappears into the darkness.

Just as I’m about to give up, to admit that this was a bad idea, I see a gap ahead. Moonlight pooling on the rocks. We’ve made it. Relief washes over me as I drop Lyra’s hand.

“There,” I tell her, pointing.

All she does is nod as I shove her ahead of me. She pushes past me as she heads toward the exit, and I move to follow her. When she reaches it, she pauses, turning to make sure I’m following. I give her a nod that has her turning to peer out into the darkness of the night. A sharp scream escapes her a second before the earth rumbles. Rocks begin to clatter to the ground around me.

“Run.”

But she doesn’t move, her eyes locking with mine as more rocks tumble down upon our heads. Lyra moves toward me just in time as a large boulder crashing to a stop, blocking the exit and sealing us into the cave.

28

Pierce

“Idiot,” I grumble.

Rykker says nothing at my side as we dig through the rocks. Our movements are frantic as we rush to reach the women. They were so close. Yet, the fool at my side managed to frighten the one in his wolf form. I told him to shift back. Had, perhaps we wouldn’t have to be digging them out, hoping that they’re unhurt.

“At least I can shift,” Rykker grumbles. “You should be grateful I even allowed you to tag along.”

“Gratefulness has nothing to do with it. Luck wasn’t what caused me to run into you, either. Before you start on that. There are two pregnant women. If the stars keep them alive, they’ll need two men to carry them back.”

Rykker says nothing to this. We continue digging at the rocks, my heart beating harder than ever in my heart. I fear what we will find once we’ve cleared the rocks. Will she be alive? I have to hold onto the hope that she is. Finally, we have the exit cleared. Only, there’s no Rose.

The other woman is. Scrapped and crying, but alive. Her eyes are wide as she stares at us, her hands trembling. Past her is a tunnel, leading deeper into the mountain. I frown as I stare at it. It’s clear that it’s too narrow for Rykker or me to slip through. Staring at it, I curse the universe for placing this before me.

“Shift,” Rykker says.

I turn to him, ready to argue. Until I realize he’s right. My wolf form is smaller, or at least my half-wolf form. For the first time in my life, my half shifts don’t feel like a curse. Instead, a blessing. I’ll be able to fit through there and find Rose.

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