Page 70 of A Mysterious Slave for the Lycan Prince

*FINN*

Marcel and Freya descend surprisingly fast… almost suspiciously fast. Sometimes I can hear rocks rolling a bit, a sign that Marcel is perhaps hurrying too much. I can hear the voices of my friends down there. They sound worried. Eventually, the rope loosens, and Marcel links me that they arrived safely.

However, the strong wind tells me that there was a reason for him to hurry the way he did.What’s going on?I link him.

Freya told me that the blizzard is approaching faster than she thought it would,Marcel links me. Then our connection breaks off, and I can feel Freya coming through.

Finn,she says, clearly trying not to sound panicked, but her nerves are coming through her tone.Ten minutes, at best!

Alright.I take a deep breath.Thank you for letting me know! I’ll try to be fast.

She is fucking amazing, I think, for being able to analyze the weather like she does.

“We need to be fast,” I tell my remaining friends. “The fucking blizzard is approaching faster than we thought, as if we don’t have enough problems already. We can’t descend with a storm around us, and we have no place to hide up here. So, down we go!”

“Leave me behind.” Anthony breathes out. “There is not enough time for all four of us to get down, and I’m just dead weight now.”

“No, take Anthony with you!” Henry begs. “And leave me up here.”

“What are you talking about?” I huff.

“I’m such an embarrassment to my family’s name,” Henry tells me; his expression is stoic, but I can hear the tremble in his voice. “Just leave me behind. You know I’d be the one they miss the least.”

To my surprise, Elodie pushes past me and slaps him hard, leaving a visible handprint on his face. “Don’t say that,” she blurts out. “You might be thick-headed and stubborn, but you are our friend!”

“But—”

Before they can continue, I interrupt them. “Elodie is right; we won’t leave you behind. If you say it again, I will be the one to slap you, and you certainly don’t want that. There is no time for this.” I look at Elodie. “Elodie, you’ll go with Henry. Just be fast. I will make sure to come right behind you with Anthony. It’s tricky and dangerous, but it's the only way to get there in time.”

“You want us to descend at the same time?” Anthony asks breathlessly, gasping in pain. “That’s crazy!”

“We’re doing it. End of discussion,” I say, already securing the rope around Henry to make him go first. I look at him insistently, noting how he looks tired and sad. “Henry,” I say with emphasis. “You are not an embarrassment.” I look at him. “I know that your father loves the both of you and always thinks about you. He sent you on this mission to help you improve as an alpha. He wanted you to realize that you could do it. This is not a punishment. This is a really important mission. Do you think your father would have let you join if you weren’t capable?”

He looks at me, a bit flustered, then he shrugs.

Well, that’s good enough for now.

“And now I need you to pull yourself together and make sure to lead us down there safely. Elodie will be right behind you, and then your brother and me.” I pause while fixing the rope around Anthony and me before attaching the end of it to the stable rock again. “I’m putting our lives in your hands. You can do it.”

Henry seems to waver for a moment, then he nods. I take a deep breath; Anthony is heavier and needs a lot of support from me to do this. I’ve made sure to secure him against my back so that I can carry his weight.

Henry sets the pace for us, and I try to follow him, calling out to him occasionally to move a bit slower or to go faster again. Anthony tries his best to support his weight.

“We’re almost there,” I mutter to him. “Just hang in there, man. What would I do without the spoiled twins?”

He snorts, groaning a bit in pain. “Thank you, Finn,” he mutters.

“What for?”

“I know we were quite shitty at the beginning, but you kept on top of our attitude and gave us a real chance.” He pauses while I carefully maneuver us downwards. “I know that Henry can be a bit thickheaded, but he’s a good guy. Thanks for not allowing him to stay behind.”

I’m shocked he even considered I would do this. “I’d never allow him to sacrifice himself,” I tell him quietly, wondering why the twins are showing this self-deprecating behavior. “What’s all that talk about leaving someone behind? I know I gave Henry a piece of my mind twice, but he is still a friend. You’re like younger brothers to me. Why would I leave you behind?”

Anthony’s fingers around the rope shiver slightly. “Later,” he presses out.

The impending snowstorm sends more and more snow towards us, thick snowflakes covering our sight already. The wind is picking up its speed too. This is not good. We are still in the middle of this stupid cliff face.

Henry,I link him.I need you to take a fall now, or we’ll get stuck in the storm.

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