Page 77 of Reckless Wolf

Was he telling the truth about what lay west? Or would I be walking to my death?

And if I continued on this path, Joey was sure to tell Jesse and his scouts where he’d seen me. I had no choice but to change my course of direction.

I guess I was headed toward the sea now.

Chapter31

Atlas

Overheated, thirsty, and anxious, I paced in front of Jesse’s compound in my wolf form for over an hour, sniffing the air for any indication that Bianca had been there.

I had spent the night tearing through Covale City, touching base with anyone who might have heard from or seen Bianca, but there was no news.

Turmoil rocked my soul as I envisioned the worst. Bianca injured, lost, and terrified. Bianca captured by Jesse again and subjected to unspeakable acts, calling out for me where I couldn’t get to her.

It made me insane.

She must have crossed the wall. It was the only explanation. If not, someone in Covale City would have seen her. One of my people would have reported it.

But Forny was a different place altogether. Here, I didn’t have the same resources as I did in my town, and the only way to search for Bianca was on the ground.

As dawn broke, I found myself back at the compound, listening to the chatter of the guards, lurking as inconspicuously as I could in the wasteland. It wasn’t easy. A hulking gray wolf easily stood out among the brown desert land, and I was spotted more than once.

“I know you’re out there, Atlas!” Jesse yelled later in the morning. “Go home!”

I released a snarl but didn’t step forward from my spot. I was out of other options. My concern for Bianca lay in the fact that Jesse would take her, and if he did, this is where he would bring her.

“Are you looking for your whore? I hear she left you,” Jesse added in a chirpy tone.

Now I did jump out, teeth bared, but of course, Jesse remained in the confines of his compound. He peeked through the gate with a grin, his face still battered from the beating I’d given him.

“I guess you’re just not as good of a lover as you thought you were, huh?”

I shifted back into my human form, ready to face my enemy.

“I’m good enough that I don’t need to kidnap women for them to be with me,” I replied evenly.

Jesse lost his cocky grin. “I’ll get her back because she belongs to me, fair and square. If you care about my great-grandfather’s empire, you’ll return the other one, too.”

I sneered, baring my gums in contempt.

“Your great-grandfather whored his empire away until there was almost nothing left, you mewling quim,” I spat. “If I hadn’t intervened when I did, you wouldn’t even have the properties you do now. Show a modicum of gratitude.”

“The only one I see in a sorry state is you!” Jesse jeered, but even as he spoke, I could see he was losing his cool.

“Your bloodline is tainted, spoiled, ruined,” I informed him bluntly. “It’s a blessing that it ends with you.”

“You stole the twins from me!” Jesse screamed, stomping his foot petulantly. “And now you’ll be sorry!”

“We shall see,” I retorted, shifting back again, and turning away with a flick of my tail.

I’d had enough of the compound’s stench. Bianca clearly was not there and hadn’t been all night. But how far could she have gotten? She didn’t have much money or anywhere to go. She had to be on foot. I would find her.

* * *

I calledout Petyr and Virgil to Forny, causing Sage to have a fit.

“Absolutely not! We are hemorrhaging staff everywhere because of the fires! I need them here!”

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