Page 55

Nadia

We herd the girls carefully out of the cavern and then out of the cave, Cole shifting back into his wolf and nipping gently at heels when any of our charges get distracted or fall behind.

I walk in front with the light, glancing behind me often to ensure that they’re okay – trying to get a head count –

But they move so much . I can’t be sure, getting a conflicting count of fourteen or fifteen girls.

I sigh and give up on it eventually, figuring that I can count when we’re out and safe.

Relief fills me when we’re out in the night air, but when Cole shifts back into his usual body, his face is still stern, worried.

“I want to get out of here,” he murmurs. “Even if they’re convinced we’re not a trap, I’m not convinced they’re not.”

“Cole,” I say, my hand passively reaching to pass over a little girl’s hair as she presses herself close to my body, hugging my leg. “How could you assume –“

“Not that they’re setting the trap,” Cole murmurs, looking around, scanning horizons. “That they’re the bait.”

My stomach sinks as I realize he might be right.

Cole lets out a sharp growl, drawing all eyes to him. Even I stand straight.

“I need straight lines,” he says, all bossy, pointing at the ground in front of him. But to my shock, they all turn to me.

“As he says,” I say, gesturing to the ground, fighting a smile. “Two lines, please.”

The girls quickly form up, apparently used to this kind of order.

They even arrange themselves by height. My eyes move quickly over the two lines, seeing that it’s clearly fourteen of them, all between the ages of about four and twelve.

My heart swells already with love for them – these little girls who have been through so much –

But still, I wonder where the younger ones are. And the older ones. Where are the rest? Surely, this cannot be it.

“All right,” Cole says, crossing his arms and looking over them. “We’re going to move fast, and I don’t want any playing around.”

As one, they nod.

“This will go faster if you can shift,” he says. “How many of you can shift?”

As one nearly all raise their hands, except for one little one, whose chin drops.

“That’s Janine,” the one in charge says – Diana, she told me, when I asked her name. Diana looks over at the little girl who hangs her head, standing in the middle of her line. “She hasn’t been well lately. She’s too sick to shift right now.”

I clench my teeth, moving quickly to Janine’s side and dropping to one knee in front of her as I hear her sniff.

“Hey, that’s okay,” I say, opening my arms to her.

The pretty, dark-haired little girl steps forward, letting me fold her up into a hug.

“We’ll get you feeling better soon, Janine. We’ve got you now.”

She nods, pressing her face to my shoulder as I stand, lifting her up in my arms. “Can we carry her?” I ask, hoping desperately that Cole says yes.

“Yeah, sure,” Cole says, looking us over. Then he turns back to the rest of the girls. “All right, now everyone is going to shift and we’re going to run together – one pack. Two barks mean you need to stop, and then we all stop right away. No funny business, no side trips. Am I understood?”

“Yes!” they all cry out, nodding, smiles breaking out on their faces.

“And me and you get the luxury of just going along for the ride,” I whisper to Janine. She lifts her head and gives me a little smile.

“Sandwiches?” she whispers.

“Yup,” I say, laughing a little and nodding to her. “Sandwiches real soon.”

“All right!” Cole says, nodding to the girls. “Now shift! Anyone who misbehaves will displease their new Goddess, which will not be good.”

I grin at the sight of thirteen little girls suddenly shifting before me, turning into thirteen of the cutest little puppy wolves I’ve ever seen. I laugh as they all start to gambol about, all different colors, snarling playfully and nipping at each other in their excitement.

“Well, lady?” Cole says, turning to smirk at me. “You’ve got your little tiny wolf pack. Ready to mount up?”

“Yes, I think I am,” I say, grinning at my Prince – my tamed Alpha, who we both know is no such thing.

He dips into a low, courtly bow and then shifts so that he appears as his wolf, lowered before me so I can climb on up.

I laugh, putting Janine up on Cole’s shoulders first and then climbing on after her.

I arrange Janine’s little hands so that they cling to his fur and then wrap my arms around her, taking my own grip.

Cole rises to his full height, letting out a loud bark that has all the pups swarming around him. Then he lurches beneath us, Janine crying out with excitement, and me laughing as Cole takes off into the night, the puppies all following behind.

We run for about thirty minutes, I think – but even after that relatively short time, I can see that the pups are flagging – weak, exhausted, starving.

Cole barks twice and slows, allowing the pups to catch up as he moves into the shadows of a cliffside, well protected from sight.

When we’re all tucked in, he lowers himself to the ground.

I help Janine climb down and then follow after her, looking curiously up at Cole as he shifts back.

“Think we’re far enough away?” I whisper.

“As far as we’re going to get,” he murmurs. “They’re flagging. They need food and water.” He looks carefully around, sniffing the air. “I think we’re okay for now. I haven’t sensed anyone near all night.”

I nod, trusting him to know far better than I would.

“Let’s get the sandwiches out,” Cole murmurs, lifting his chin toward the backpack.

I do as he says, moving deeper into the shadows and settling back against the cliffside before shifting the bag to the ground. I kneel beside it, instructing the girls to sit in a circle around me. They quickly oblige, and I can almost see them salivating as I start to take the sandwiches out.

I exhale slowly, shaking my head, because I thought Cole was nuts when he packed eight sandwiches and as many bottles of water. But now it doesn’t seem like it’s enough.

“More than they’ve had in days, probably,” he murmurs, sitting slightly behind me, his back pressed up against the rock.

I turn, offering a bottle of water to him. He holds up a hand, shaking his head. “Let them have it.”

“Cole, you’ve been running all night.”

He grins at me and just shakes his head. “I’ll be fine. There’s water at camp.”

“You dare defy your Goddess?” the lead girl says, looking incredulous at Cole like this is a great blasphemy.

He just laughs, moving his eyes to the girl and shrugging. “Goddess is wrong on this one. The water is for you .”

I sigh, not liking that he’s being so selfless when he’s doing so much work.

But I pass the bottles around, starting to break the sandwiches in half and passing them around too.

I watch the girls as they begin to eagerly eat and drink, noting that they are very fair with each other, all ensuring that everyone gets enough.

But I reach out a hand, stopping Diana as she leans towards Janine and tears her meager bit of sandwich in half, offering it to the smaller girl. “No,” I say, holding Diana’s gaze. “That’s for you. We’re not far from our camp, and there’s more food there.”

Diana’s eyes go wide. “ More food?”

“Yup,” I say, smiling at her. “All you can eat. We’re going to take care of you now. I promise.”

Diana’s face falls slack at the promise of abundance. But when tears line her eyes, she looks away and starts to quietly eat her dinner, I think not wanting me to see.

As the girls quickly consume their meal, I move back to sit with Cole against the rock, leaning close against his side, pretending not to notice the arm he slips around my back. “What do we do next?” I whisper.

“I don’t know,” he says, shaking his head, glancing up at the sky. “Dawn will be in a few hours. I think we need to see what’s more important for them right now – rest or getting back to camp.”

We wait, letting the girls finish up, but even as they do, the answer becomes apparent. Immediately, little girl eyes start to droop, yawns stretching mouths as their exhausted bodies begin to process what is likely the first good meal they’ve had in days.

Janine comes close, snuggling against my side. The other girls do as well, most shifting into their puppy forms. I gasp, glancing up at Cole. “Is that…normal?”

He nods, smiling softly around at them. “They’ll be warmer. Probably more comfortable too.”

I can’t help but coo at how cute it is, all the little puppy wolves curling up against us.

When my legs and sides fill up, they start to turn to Cole, pressing themselves tight against him as well.

In the end, only little Janine stays in her human body, already slumped against my side and breathing evenly.

My arm tightens around her, hope swelling in my chest.

Because this is…precisely why I came here to the North. To help . And there’s no denying that these girls need help and that I can give it to them.

“You did good, Nadi,” Cole murmurs. I turn my face to him as he strokes a hand over my hair.

“Thank you,” I whisper, my eyes filling up with tears. “For believing me. For going with me.”

He shakes his head. “I’m sorry for doubting you.”

“Stop that,” I whisper, frowning at him. “My plan was…insane.”

He shrugs. “I’ve seen crazier. I should have listened from the start, and I’m glad I gave in. This was…amazing, Nadia – and it was all you.”

I laugh a little, a tear starting its way down my cheek. “I mean, you helped .”

Cole smiles at me, so warm and loving that I can’t help it.

I lean toward him, tilting my chin up. Just the tiniest baby snarl sounds in Cole’s chest as he closes the distance, pressing his mouth to mine, his lips moving slowly in a simple kiss that breaks after a moment.

He looks down into my eyes as heat rushes through me – heat, and wonder, and confusion, and… happiness.

“You rest too,” he murmurs, taking a deep breath and resting his chin on my hair when I allow myself to lean against his chest.

“Okay,” I whisper. “I’ll just…rest my eyes. For a minute.”

He hums his agreement and I let my eyelids fall shut, wondering how something so simple can be…so damn perfect.