Aspen pops up first with a sly, secret grin that has a flush heating my skin. But my mirrored smile vanishes when Raven stands on the platform with a glower.
"We can't stay here. Her old wolf pack is circling and they'll find us unless we keep moving."
"But it's getting late." I rake a hand through my hair and wonder if it's sticking up from Dex giving me oral sex. Something I can't stop thinking about and my pussy is still pulsing with aftershocks of my orgasm.
"It's a chance we have to take." Raven grabs his pack and throws it over his shoulder. "If we stay quiet and stick together, we can hopefully use the lingering skunk smell to hide our scents from the lost ones as well."
I give a curt nod because we don't have a choice. Either wait here for sunrise and Casey's posse or take a chance running through the woods with the lost ones nearby. And Casey won't expect us to be moving at night with the dangers of the feral wolves.
There's nothing I can do to help, not even a scrap of something is left on the wooden platform for me to not even a scrap of something is left on the wooden platform for me to carry. My stomach knots, but I ignore it, following Raven and the others down the tree.
Raven is quiet and I can't help but notice how he watches me. His gaze is hungry, his mouth is pressed shut, his muscles bunching with tension.
When we stop for a break, he looks away when I catch him staring and I wonder if it's because he knows I was voyeuristic with Aspen and nearly had sex with Dex. I wonder if he's waiting for me to tell him what I think.
"We need to keep moving," Raven grunts, standing up.
The idea of getting to safety as soon as possible burns through me. I feel like the darkening sky hides dozens of eyes staring at us.
It's slow going in the dark. Decaying leaves cover the ground my worn-out sneakers slip. I grab Dex's shirt to keep from falling on my ass.
He pauses, his hand on my wrist. "You okay?"
"That was close," I say when my heart settles down.
The outline of his big hand cover mine. "This way." His hiss of breath sends a shiver over me.
He keeps his hand on mine as
he guides me further along in the
darkness. Must be using his wolf-sight
to see his way like Aspen and Raven
cause all I see is blackness. One more
thing that my wolf could help me with if she'd let me do a partial shift. But nope, she's more stubborn than I am. The air around us grows thicker. My heart is beating hard and fast, making it difficult to draw in a deep breath.
"What's going on?" I ask.
Dex's hand in mine tightens slightly and he stills. Then I see them. The stumbling humans with guns and stinking of whiskey. We duck down in the underbrush as they march past, shining flashlights to show their way. Panic rises in my throat and everything about this feels wrong. Like we're sitting ducks out here.
My fingers tighten around Dex's hand and he gives me a little squeeze.
For what feels like forever, the hunters move out of sight and sound.
"They're gone," Aspen whispers after a long moment.
Dex tuas me to my feet and we Dex tugs me to my feet and we slip through the forest, but my legs are shaking from the hours of walking we've done and that now we have to be wary of hunters out here. No wonder my pack thought this was a fitting punishment for me. They probably didn't think I'd last the first night.
"Faster, Jessica," Raven glances back at me and Dex. "If they catch up to us, they'll kill us."
"They'll be too drunk to see us," Aspen says as though trying to lighten the mood.
"More than enough time to aim and fire before they realize they're shooting at humans," Dex says. "Not that they care."
"I know," Raven growls. "Their instincts will tell them we aren't like them and they'll shoot first and ask questions later."
"We need to run if they spot us," Dex says and my heart beats even faster.
Raven looks at me. "Think you could coax your wolf out if it came to that?"
I shake my head because my wolf wouldn't let me shift even to save my life. She's already proven that many
times in the last couple of days even.
"There's no choice," Raven's shoulders tense. "If we go on, they could spot us. We can't risk it. We go around the long way."
I grip Dex's hand, tight and unrelenting.
After miles of walking through the night, I find myself leaning into Dex's side. His arm wraps around my back and he's half carrying me.
"Here, I'll hold you-"
"No." I don't want to be a burden. If they can travel all night than so can I.
I stifle a yawn, my steps growing sluggish but Dex honors my request of not carrying me like I'm some helpless baby. Though it feels like this night will never end.
"How much further?" I can't stop myself from asking.
"We have to get to the lake then we can head north again." Raven shakes his head like I'm silly for asking.
"Are you sure?" I ask, leaning deeper into Dex's side and this time, my yawn comes full force. "What if
this is a witch's trap or something? And we'll walk until we die."
Raven glowers at me, but Aspen laughs. "Hang in there, Jessica. We've just a few more hours to reach the lake."
I debate picking up a stone and hurling it at Raven's head. I'm sweaty, tired, and exhausted. If the pack showed up with a shower and a bed, I'd sell my soul to them.
My head leans against Dex's chest and I let my eyes close for just a moment.
I nearly sigh in relief at the sun lighting the horizon. But I can hardly keep my eyes open and Aspen jogs up to me and Dex.
"I'll carry her the rest of the way."
Dex nods and I gasp as I'm hoisted from Dex's arms into Aspen's.
"Wait," I say, trying to pry my eyes open again. "How long have I been asleep?"
"Don't worry about it." Aspen chuckles. "But you've been drooling on Dex's shirt for about three hours."
I suck in a breath and my eyes fly open. "I don't drool."
"Tell yourself whatever you want to make yourself feel better"