Page 53 of Rain of Shadows and Endings

Fuck this. Wolves can’t climb trees. If she had to spend the night clinging to a branch, then that’s what she’d do.

She raced forward, the bag slipping from her grasp as she ran, but she didn’t care. There wasn’t time to stop. She slipped on the earth still wet from the storm last night, mud splattering as she stepped in puddles. Most of the trees here were pine trees, but she didn’t register the stinging cuts she got from the needles as she raced among them. The first climbable tree she found, she started making her way up. How high could wolves jump? Four feet? Five feet? Six?

She went higher and higher until she was at least halfway up the giant tree just as two huge black wolves leapt from a clearing. She didn’t know wolves could be that big, but they looked like they could jump higher than six feet. Orange eyes glowed as if they were embers. They prowled to the base of the tree she was in, and one stood up on its hind legs, placing its huge front paws on the trunk. It tipped its head back and howled to the ever darkening sky. The wolf beside it began circling the tree, joining its brother in the chorus.

How many more were they calling to join them? How long would they stay here trying to reach her? Would they eventually give up?

The sound of branches breaking and thundering paws had her trembling as she tried to climb higher. Weapons. A weapon of some sort would have been a good idea to bring with her.

Difficult. Impulsive. Reckless.

She cried out as her foot slipped, her torso scraping along the bark and pulling her from her spiral of thoughts. Clinging to the branch she was grasping, she pulled herself back up until she was resting against the trunk.

The thundering of paws slowed and then ceased, and Tessa held her breath. Had they decided not to come after all? But the two wolves still paced around the base of her tree, yipping and pawing at the trunk. The sound of more twigs snapping had her whipping her head in the direction of the sound.

But it wasn’t wolves that emerged from between a cluster of trees. It was a massive black horse. It hadn’t been paws but thundering hooves. The wolves at the base of the tree ran to the horse then back to the tree, barking in excitement. The black horse and the wolves weren’t what held her attention though. It was the male on the back of the horse who was looking up at her with the rage of a thousand angry spirits from the depths of the Pits.

Theon brought his horse to a halt as another equally gigantic horse emerged from the opposite direction. Luka sat astride this horse, and when his eyes locked on Tessa, they seemed to glow faintly.

Theon gave a sharp whistle as he slid off the horse. The two wolves immediately quieted and sat at the base of the tree.

He reached into a bag tied to his saddle, and as he approached the wolves, he passed them each some type of meat. The wolves instantly tore into their rewards, soft snarling drifting up to her. Finally, he brought those emerald green eyes back to hers. She already couldn’t move, but now she couldn’t breathe either. The bond was having a fit in her chest, practically yanking her out of the tree to get to him.

“There are far scarier things in these woods than my hounds,” his smooth voice crooned, carrying up to her.

“You don’t scare me, Theon,” Tessa retorted, grateful her voice didn’t waiver because she was fucking terrified.

“I really, really should, beautiful,” he answered, a cruel smile twisting on his lips. Darkness began to coil and swarm around his feet, creeping over the ground like a dense fog. It stood out starkly, even amongst the dimming light of dusk.

Theon lifted his palms, and Tessa’s eyes widened as the darkness slithered from him like snakes. Shadows darker than night twisted and wound their way up the tree to her. She tried to scramble away from them, but where was she going to go? She was up a fucking tree.

Such a stupid move. Who traps themselves in a tree?

Someone reckless and impulsive. That’s who.

The darkness wrapped itself around her waist before it suddenly jerked, wrenching her from the branch and suspending her fifteen feet from the ground. Tessa screamed as he held her there, Theon staring up at her with a satisfied smirk on his mouth. His wolves, having finished their treats, sat obediently at his side, and in that moment, all she could see was the God of Endings himself looking up at her. She saw everything his bloodline entailed. Power and death exuded from him in waves. And darkness. So much darkness.

As if the floor had been pulled from beneath her, Tessa was plunging to the forest floor. Another scream ripped from her throat, but she was yanked to a halt and placed on her feet by the shadows that clung to her waist. The wolves were on their feet, low growls sounding, but Theon strode purposefully forward. She backed up until she bumped into the tree she’d climbed. He didn’t slow, coming right up to her and forcing her to tilt her head back to look up at him. What was he going to do to her?

“Are you physically hurt anywhere?” he asked, his tone formal and authoritative. His hands came to her face, where he tilted her head from side-to-side, before systematically working his way down her body. He didn’t wait for her to answer, healing any scrapes and bruises he found as he went.

When he was satisfied she was fine, he gripped her elbow, hauling her over to his massive horse. With a flick of his fingers, his darkness again wrapped around her, and she gasped at the contact as she was lifted from her feet and onto the back of the horse. Theon hoisted himself into the saddle behind her, reaching around her to grip the reins. Tessa didn’t know what to do or how to sit. She’d never been on a horse before.

As if he suddenly realized this, Theon spoke low into her ear. “Relax and sit back into me, Tessa. We have quite a ride ahead of us, and you will be incredibly uncomfortable if you sit like that the entire time.”

His arm snaked around her waist where the darkness had been, and he tugged her back into the cradle of his hips. She couldn’t hold in the soft moan that fell from her lips as pleasure darted up her spine. Without thinking, she pressed back into him even more, her back flush against his chest.

“My thoughts precisely,” he murmured, his lips brushing the shell of her ear. “But this discussion will be had when we are back in our rooms.”

Tessa stiffened at the implications of those words as Theon urged the horse into motion. Her hands flew forward, grasping the saddle horn to keep herself steady, despite his arm wrapped tightly around her. She’d like to think he wouldn’t let her fall off the horse, but the one time she’d let herself trust him, he’d shoved her beneath a table.

Theon whistled sharply, and the wolves fell into step beside the horse, staying close to their master’s side. Luka came to ride beside them, and they worked the horses into a steady trot.

They rode for over two hours, covering the same distance that had taken her an entire afternoon and into the evening to traverse. All of that work and effort for nothing, and despite trying to relax into Theon, she was tense against him. He was warm though…

No.

That feeling was the damn bond.

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