addresses, dipping his head respectfully as he comes to stand in front of me. I roll my eyes and kick my leg out toward him, wondering if now is an appropriate time to kick his ass.
He knows how I feel about him using that title, even though I am Alpha of Eridian.
His light gray eyes twinkle as he looks at me, knowing full well he’s annoying the shit out of me. I know he’s just trying to ease my mind about going into The Deadlands. He knows me better than anyone else. But seriously, only Josh would irritate me on a day when we have important things to do.
I look him over and see he’s ready to go, dressed in dark combat gear with blades sheathed at his hips and his dark-blond hair in the usual bun, keeping it out of his face. The rest of the guys behind him are dressed in camouflage, waiting for my instructions to set off.
I stand up, tightening my ponytail and blowing out a breath. It’s time to put our plan into action. I just hope Edwards’ help is at the meeting point with our girl, and hopefully alone. Sometimes we get stuck waiting for them to arrive if they’ve been delayed by the creatures dwelling in The Deadlands. Other times, it’s a battle for us to get to them. Either way, we will know when we get there.
“We went over the plan last night, so we know what we need to do, but let’s go over it one last time. Axel and Finn, you’re staying where we port in to keep it clear for when we need to port back home. Josh, Taylor, Seb, you’re with me to collect Sarah. Colten and Hudson, you’ve got our backs and keep an eye out for any trouble. Any questions?” I ask, looking at each of them.
“I doubt there will be any problems, but stay sharp and alert. There has been more activity in The Deadlands than usual,” Taylor, the male that trained us all, tells us. They nod in acknowledgement, a seriousness coming over their faces.
Taylor is a six-foot one, coffee haired, amber eyed powerhouse that moves fast and strikes hard when needed. He’s trained us to be the best fighters we can be and expects nothing in return. I’m thankful he came here. We barely even knew how to hold a blade until he came along.
My gaze moves to Josh as I pinch my bottom lip between my fingers. “Is everything in place for while we’re gone?” Leaving Eridian always makes me nervous. It’s my responsibility to ensure everyone’s safety. I know they’re in good hands and that they’ll be well protected, but with the news of more Rogures being seen throughout Vrohkaria, and having more activity than normal in The Deadlands, my mind whirls over every single security measure we have in place.
“Everything is set and prepared,” Josh replies, shaking his head slightly as he adds, “Kade is still out hunting.”
From the look on his face, Josh is clearly fed up with Kade being out all the time just as much as I am. I sigh. Kade’s battle for dominance with his wolf, Axis, is not going well. It’s been nearly three days since he shifted and went into the forest surrounding our home.
With Kade being new to having his wolf, he’s struggling to separate himself from Axis. We all go through it when we get our wolves. You’re expected to be out of control for a year or longer, but sometimes the battle for dominance is lost, and the wolf takes over. If that happens, you lose control of yourself completely until you either win and gain control back, or someone else controls you. Kade’s wolf is strong, and I fear that him spending more time in the forest than at home is not helping him gain the hold he needs to take control of his wolf.
I might need to speak to Solvier to see if he can offer any advice on how to help him. Either way, Kade is about to have pissed off Josh on his ass. But even more unfortunate for him, when we catch him, he’ll have to deal with me first.
“Okay, let’s get going then. I want to be back in time for dinner, guys. In and out,” I say as cheerfully as I can muster. With the pack’s safety and Kade plaguing my mind, along with the look Josh threw my way, it’s safe to say my cheerfulness falls flat.
We walk out of the gathering heading west, cutting in between the cabins and into the forest. We’re quiet as we walk, lost in our own thoughts as we prepare to enter The Deadlands. It’s always dangerous, but this is what we do.
Sticks snap under our feet, the sound echoing along the wind with the melody of the birds. The tree branches sway gently above us, casting flashes of light onto the rich ground. It doesn’t take long before we come to a stop in front of the lilk trees that circle our home, separating us from the thick dense forest beyond it. I look up, admiring the pastel pink and orange petals flowing to their own dance in the breeze. The scent of sweetness and earth hits my senses, and I breathe deep, allowing it to calm me.
The others are silent as they wait for me, knowing this is my usual routine before I leave. I move forward, pressing a hand to the ivory bark, feeling the smooth wood beneath my palm. Closing my eyes, I send a silent thank you to them for protecting me and my family. My pack. For giving us a safe haven to just be and live and have a chance to find some sort of peace. My eyes spring open when I feel a slight tingle on my palm, a subtle acknowledgement of my feelings being conveyed. I smile, rubbing my thumb over the bark, just once, before I drop my hand and step back.
“All good?” an amused voice asks. I turn to the right, looking slightly up at the owner of the male voice.
“Of course, just giving my thanks.” I grin at Sebastian, knowing he’s the most impatient out of us all. He’s also the tallest, which makes me feel like a squirrel standing next to him. Do squirrels climb into the lilk trees? I’ve never seen one.
“Earth to Rhea.” He snaps his fingers in front of my face, and I blink up at him. “Do you have to do this every time we venture away from home?” He wiggles his dark eyebrows at me. “I can think of a better way to pass the time.”
I shrug, ignoring his last statement and my internal question about squirrels, focusing on his tawny eyes. “I don’t want Eridian to think I’m ungrateful, it’s not a big deal. Anyway, Solvier always said the land appreciates it.”
“Solvier,” Hudson mutters, and I look over at him. “I’ve not seen him once in all the years I’ve been here. He’s a goddamn ghost.”
“No, he’s not,” Colten snickers, coming to stand next to him and elbowing him in the side. “He’s just picky about who he thinks is worthy of his time.”
“You little shit,” Hudson growls, grabbing the younger man by the shoulder. No doubt ready for another round of ‘who taps out first.’
“Alright, alright,” I say, coming between them and putting my hands on their chests. “You guys can beat each other to a pulp later, after we’ve returned safe and sound.”
“Let’s get going. We don’t want to be in The Deadlands when the sun goes down,” Taylor says, walking through the lilk trees and out of the protective circle.
I follow, feeling a rush of magic flow over me as I step through the invisible barrier and into the unprotected forest. It feels like cobwebs being removed from my body in one smooth glide, pulling me at the last second before it finally releases. I freaked out the first time I felt it, but now, I embrace the feeling when I exit and enter our home.
We walk a meter apart from each other and stay alert to our surroundings. The forest of Eridian can be just as dangerous as The Deadlands. The last thing we need is a bulcar or a family of bora to come for us, or worse yet, a pack of Rogures.
Thankfully, we haven’t seen any rogures for some time now.
We walk for a while, remaining silent and communicating with our eyes and hand signals. The only person with us here that I have a blood link with is Josh, so we communicate internally anything we see, then let the others know.
Taylor stays slightly in front of the rest of us. He was out here last night to pave a quiet path to the base of the cliffs, so we let him guide us, trusting him to get us there. His steps are light and soft on the ground, missing sticks and leaves to ensure he doesn’t make a sound. We follow his lead.
We don’t usually stay this quiet when we’re in the forest, but we do not want any unexpected attacks slowing us down when we have somewhere we need to be. Especially since we don’t know what will be waiting for us when we port into The Deadlands. We can’t risk delaying our arrival.
Coming up to the forest tree line, we pause, staying hidden within the trees. Scanning the start of the barren earth before me, I look up to search the top of the cliffs that surround Eridian, encasing us in its valley. The path toward the top is steep and uneven, with many jagged surfaces that could cut you in two. With no signs of any danger, we head for the base and begin our ascent. It takes a little over an hour to climb to the top. With our wolves helping us from within, we managed to gain only superficial cuts.
Heaving myself over the top, I stand and look ahead. A shiver runs down my spine at seeing the top of the dark, dead trees that decay but never crumble. Twisted and thin, the branches intertwine around each other, always connecting to the other trees around it. The trunks of the trees are deeply rooted into the dry earth. No one knows how deep down they go, and I’ve never seen one uprooted or toppled over in all these years. Mind you, I don’t go into The Deadlands unless I have to.
Taylor takes out the port stone from his pack. Small and square, that little gray stone is powerful enough to travel all of us to the location we set. He looks over at us, checking to see if we’re ready to go. At our nods, we step forward. I put my hand on his shoulder, and the others come around us to do the same. As long as you are connected to the stone by touching it directly or touching a person connected to it, you can port with them to the same location.
A buzzing sensation fills my ears and I close my eyes as a breeze-like caress touches me, but that soon turns into the feeling of being compressed, making the air leave my lungs in a rush. It only lasts a few seconds, but it’s always extremely uncomfortable.
I open my eyes when the feeling disappears and quickly move my hand from Taylor to grab the blade at my hip. We all stand back-to-back, looking throughout The Deadlands, opening our senses to any unexpected creatures that may be lurking nearby.
The ground is dry, the darkened earth littered with broken sticks and stones that we try to avoid as we move around slowly, checking for danger. The small clearing we ported into shows no signs of any life form aside from us, and I relax my hold on the blade.
I turn and see Taylor give the port stone to Axel for safekeeping. He pockets it and takes up a defensive stance. Port stones can only port you twice before the power inside runs out, and it either needs to recharge or be thrown out.
Finn steps up beside Axel, keeping an eye on our surroundings, as the rest of us start to move forward to meet with Edward’s help and the girl. The others stay back, protecting the area to make sure we can reach them when we are ready to go home. Hudson and Colten trail behind us, keeping a reasonable distance to protect our backs, as Josh, Taylor, Seb and I keep moving forward on silent feet.
The Deadlands are eerie, dark and gloomy, with enough space between the trees for us to pass through easily. You can’t see the sky here. Even with the dark twisted branches having no leaves or flowers, they intertwine so tightly together above our heads that they leave no space for light to filter in between. The enhanced vision from our wolves and the greenish glow of the weeping liquid from the trees are the only reasons we can see in here.
A cloaked figure appears in the distance after we’ve walked a little while, holding a limp form at their side next to a large rock. We slow instinctively as we approach, the blade in my hand twitching as I clench my fingers tighter around it. The hooded figure turns our way as we get closer and bows their head subtly in recognition. They look back down to the form they are holding, shaking them slightly until I hear a small, soft groan.
“Sarah, help is here. Wake up now,” the male voice urges, standing her up as best he can.
Sarah. This is the girl we came to save. I feel the group relax, and I look at Taylor with a nod. He stays still with Sebastian as Josh and I walk the distance left between us and them.
The man is still struggling to hold the girl upright when I move forward slowly and look down at her face, eyeing the male for any sudden movements. Delicate but bruised, Sarah looks to be in her early twenties.
Sheathing my blade at my hip, I reach a hand out to grab her arm gently, helping the male steady her on her feet. She whimpers quietly before opening her eyes slightly. Bloodshot eyes meet mine, and then widen as I feel her body tense beneath my hand.
“You’re okay,” I whisper gently, stroking my thumb on her arm. “Edward sent me.” Tears fill her eyes, and she visibly relaxes, taking a breath and releasing it slowly.
Until her eyes land on Josh.
She screams, thrashing in the male’s arms, freeing herself from our grips and staggering back on weak legs. “Stay away,” she orders shakily, putting a hand out in front of her as she steps backwards. Her dark hair is a mess of curls around her face as her panicked eyes flutter around from left to right.
“We’re not going to hurt you,” I tell her calmly, showing my hands in a gesture that is the ‘I’m harmless’ signal. “Josh, stay back,” I say down the link.
I could sense him creeping forward to the right of me, trying to get around the back of her without her noticing. But she does, her eyes constantly tracking his every move.
“She’s going to bolt, Rhea,” he murmurs back to me.
The Deadlands are no place for Sarah to run around blindly and alone.
“Sarah, Edward sent us to bring you to our home, in Eridian. We have been waiting for you to arrive here so we can take you there. You trust Edward, yes? Edward trusts us. We only want to help.”
She looks at me and then back at Josh, until finally her eyes meet the male who brought her here. “D-did you set me up?” Sarah trembles while she backs away further from us. “You said you would take me to someone who would help me.”
“No, of course not. They are here to help,” the male assures her.
“Then why is he here?” She points a trembling finger at Josh. “You told me a female ran the settlement. If that was true, he wouldn’t be here.”
“I came to ensure you and my Alpha get back home safely,” Josh tells her, looking her over with a curiosity I hadn’t seen from him before. “I won’t hurt you.”
“We must go Sarah, it’s not safe to be still for too long in The Deadlands. I run the settlement, it’s our home. Josh and some others came with me to keep us all safe and bring us back. The Deadlands are dangerous. This is for your safety as well as ours.”
She looks at all of us, shaking her head and continuing to back away. The cloaked male removes his hood, walking toward her as his light eyes plead with her to listen. “It’s alright, Sarah–”
Snap.
My head flies to the left where I spot a shadow moving through the trees. The darkness of the forest makes it impossible for me to see clearly what it is, but something is there.
I hear another snap, then a growl.
I stay still, breathing slowly as I carefully reach for the blade at my hip. I flick my eyes over the trees, scanning them to try and determine where the creature is. I move my left foot, turning my body at a snail’s pace so I can face whatever it is head on.
“Josh, you’re going to have to grab Sarah when this thing comes at us. Take her and go to Axel and Finn. The guys will help you,” I order him as I prepare myself.
“I’ll grab her, don’t worry. Just be careful,” he replies through the link, shifting slightly to get ready to run and grab Sarah by any means necessary.
I sense the male to my right, thankfully he is staying as still as us, knowing there is danger. I caught a glance of his face when he removed his hood. The dark, three dots within the upside down triangle in the center of forehead stood out against his pale skin, letting me know he’s an omega. Which means by nature, he’s not a fighter.
A deep, long growl sounds before me as the creature suddenly lunges out from between the trees. Its scaly skin is dark as night, and it’s coming straight for me.
Sarah screams, the shrill sound echoing around the space before I head for the creature.
We collide, slamming against each other and falling to the ground in a tangle of limbs. The bora lands on top of me, and I bring my blade up, striking deep in its shoulder. The bora shrieks, its jaw gaping open with the sound. Sharp, pointed teeth come for my face, and I move to the side, barely escaping them. I elbow the temple on its narrowed face, stunning it, while I lift my hips and buck it off of me, dragging the blade down its shoulder as it falls to the side. I roll away, coming to a stand. I steady my stance and bend my knees slightly, ready for the next attack as it gets to its feet and shakes its head. Blood pours from its shoulder, and it’s limping from the injury made when my blade sliced down its leg. Its head lowers and a menacing growl passes through its mouth. I growl right back.
The bora looks young. The sharp jagged spikes on its tail are smaller than a fully mature bora. With the realization that it’s just a babe, I have to wonder where the mother is.
I glance around quickly and realize that the others have got away and are headed back to Axel and Finn.
The bora lunges again, its strong hind legs making it a powerful one. I turn my body at the last second to avoid being hit. I bring my blade up, slicing along its side as it rushes past me. I spin to see it land on the ground, its legs folding underneath itself from its injuries. The young bora gets unsteadily to its feet and lifts its head back, letting out a screeching wail.
I cringe, covering my ears with my hands while stepping back to create more distance between us. The sound stops suddenly, and the bora’s bone-colored eyes stare at me, waiting. Growls erupt around me, and I freeze. Shit. Its mother and family were closer than I realized.
Time to go. Now!
I pivot and run at full speed straight ahead, dashing through the dead trees and jumping over large rocks. I check my surroundings as I run, making sure the boras are all still behind me. The last thing I need is for them to ambush me from all sides. A ragged branch slices deep across the top of my arm and I hiss at the sharp pain, feeling blood trickle down. I keep going, not needing to look behind me to know they’re gaining on me. I can hear their panting breaths and growls getting closer.
Damn they’re fast.
“We’re ready to port. Where are you?” Josh asks me down the link.
“Oh, you know, just having a little race with a family of bora,” I snark at him, trying to concentrate on not falling on my ass.
“Rhea, I don’t think now is the time to get cute.” Cute? The cheeky fucker. “Are you coming to where we are to port, or do you want us to come for you?”
I push forward. “Have you got Sarah?”
“Yes, and the omega. Sarah passed out after a little chase, and I grabbed her. She’s fine. It will probably be easier to get her to Eridian while she’s unconscious anyway.”
“Okay, I’ll be there shortly,” I tell him. “Get ready to port straight away.”
Sprinting in between a narrow gap in the middle of two trees, I make a wide turn to loop back on myself. Heavy breathing reaches my ears from behind me, a second before a mouth is about to clamp onto my ankle. I spin around, sending my foot out with the turn and colliding with the side of the mouth that’s trying to bite me.
The momentum sends me crashing against a tree, the rough bark digging into my hands as I stop myself from face planting it. Ignoring the pain, I push myself off, and carry on looping back around toward Josh.
Still hearing the sounds of the bora chasing after me, I pull in some extra speed from my wolf, allowing me to soar across the dry, forest floor. My wolf is resistant at first, but an extra nudge from me has her releasing some of her strength into me.
Rounding another cluster of dead trees, I see Josh and the guys waiting for me, all touching one another, ready to port. My breathing comes in fast pants, and my legs feel like a newborn deer as I sprint directly to them.
An older bora suddenly jumps through the trees ahead of me from the side, its spiked tail high, ready to meet me head on. I curl my hand around the hilt of my blade so it’s pointing toward the ground, ready to defend myself. A flash of steel catches my eye as it flies in front of me. I follow its path as it hits its target, right in the side of the bora’s head. It comes to a sudden halt, sliding across the ground in front of me. Dead. I’m glad Seb has good aim.
As I leap over the dead bora, I see the orbs of its essence start to float upwards from its body, heading toward the thick tree branches above, casting a warm white glow.
“Hurry, Rhea!” Taylor demands, bringing my focus to him as he looks behind me. The rest of the family of bora come into sight, charging straight for us.
I sprint the last few steps and reach for the hand Taylor holds out for me. Once our hands connect, and I hear the shattering wails of the bora, grieving the loss of one of their own, as we port out of The Deadlands to safety.
