Page 16

CHAPTER 16

L ia

It was still early, and it was quiet outside as I moved around the cabin. My fingers worked quickly, stuffing supplies into the worn canvas of my pack—dried meat, a small water flask, extra socks, and a coil of thin rope I had swiped from one of the supply tents.

I wasn’t stupid; I knew what I was doing was dangerous, reckless even. I also knew that sitting back and waiting while Silas, Rowan, and Varek went off to deal with those nightmare creatures wasn’t an option for me.

Silas thought he could just leave me behind like I was some fragile little thing, like I didn’t know how to fight, how to survive. I knew that he thought he was protecting me, but I had spent most of my life protecting myself.

I slung the pack over my shoulders and pulled my long coat tighter before slipping out of the cabin and heading straight for Kendra’s.

The inside of her cabin was dim, the embers in the hearth barely glowing. She was sitting on her cot, running a whetstone over the edge of a long, vicious-looking blade when I stepped inside.

Kendra barely glanced up. “Thought I’d see you before you ran off to do something stupid.”

I sighed, kicking the door shut behind me. “I’m following them.”

She finally looked at me, a knowing expression drawing her brows up. “You do realize Silas is going to lose his shit when he finds out, right?”

I shrugged, trying to look unconcerned. “He’ll forgive me.”

Kendra snorted. “Yeah, he will. Eventually…”

I ignored the way my stomach lurched at the insinuation in her tone. I definitely wasn’t thinking about the way his voice had gone all deep and dark when he had threatened to punish me if I didn’t listen. I certainly wasn’t thinking about how much trouble I was going to be in when he found out I’d followed him anyway.

So instead, I lifted my chin. “I can handle myself.”

Kendra studied me for a long moment, then sighed. “Fine.” She stood, stepping over to the small wooden table where her weapons lay. “At least take this, then.”

She picked up a knife and turned it over in her hands before passing it to me.

I blinked. The blade was beautiful—sleek and curved, with a blackened steel edge and a hilt wrapped in dark leather. It was balanced, light enough to be quick, but sturdy enough to kill.

I met her gaze. “Kendra…”

She shook her head. “Just be careful, okay?”

I swallowed hard, nodding. “I will.”

I turned, slipping back out into the cold, my boots silent on the packed earth as I moved toward the edge of camp. As I neared the tree line, a shadow moved.

I froze.

“Going somewhere?”

I cursed under my breath.

Jax.

He stepped out from behind one of the supply crates, arms crossed over his chest, his eyes sparkling with way too much amusement.

I exhaled through my nose. “Why are you here?”

Jax grinned. “Keeping an eye on you. Alpha’s orders.”

Of course, Silas had assigned a babysitter.

I forced a smile. “You don’t have to do that. I was just going for a walk.”

Jax raised an eyebrow. “Uh-huh. And I’m supposed to believe you just happen to be taking a leisurely walk with a pack full of supplies and a knife strapped to your thigh?”

Shit.

I huffed, tilting my head. “You could just let me go, you know.”

Jax smirked. “And have Silas rip my throat out? No, thanks.”

I frowned.

Because now? Now I had a real problem, and I had to figure out a way to fix it.

* * *

Jax was annoyingly good at his job.

For the last few hours, he had been trailing me through camp, sticking close, but pretending like he wasn’t shadowing my every move. He leaned casually against trees, chatted with passing wolves, acted like he wasn’t watching me, but I knew he was, of course.

He was watching and waiting for me to try something. Smart guy.

I gritted my teeth, adjusting the pack on my shoulder as I headed toward the storage tents, hoping maybe I could slip through one of the back exits.

No such luck.

Jax was there, leaning against a wooden post, arms crossed, watching me with that infuriating smirk.

“What’cha up to?” he drawled, tilting his head.

I exhaled slowly, forcing a smile. “Nothing. Just looking for something.”

Jax grinned. “Sure, you were.”

Damn it.

I turned away, heading toward the training grounds instead, pretending I wasn’t irritated, wasn’t planning anything. I moved through the different sections of camp, stopping by the mess hall, the weapons tent, the main supply shed, but everywhere I went, Jax followed.

It was almost admirable how persistent he was. And so annoying.

By mid-afternoon, I was done playing nice.

I had one last idea.

The wolves had dug out a diversion of a small stream so that the water ran through the edge of camp, mostly for washing up. The area was lined with thick brush, old trees bending over the water, their roots tangled in the dirt.

It was the perfect place to lose someone.

I strolled toward it, slowing my steps, pretending I was just out for a stroll. I crouched near the water to rinse my hands, listening carefully to Jax’s movements behind me.

He wasn’t directly on my heels anymore; he had given me space, likely assuming I wasn’t going to run while kneeling in the mud.

Rookie mistake.

I moved fast, kicking up dirt as I darted toward the trees. I ducked low, slipping between the thick underbrush, moving silently as I weaved my way deeper into the shadows. The moment I broke from sight, I pressed myself against a tree, holding my breath.

I just listened.

Jax swore somewhere behind me. I heard the thud of his boots hitting the ground as he moved toward where I had been seconds ago.

Then silence.

I smiled. Slowly, carefully, I slid further into the trees, making my way toward the outer perimeter. The moment I was sure Jax had lost my trail, I didn’t waste a second.

Moving swiftly and silently, I circled wide around the camp, keeping to the tree line where the branches grew thick and the underbrush was dense enough to keep me hidden. There was no wind so I hoped they wouldn’t be able to catch my scent. The damp scent of earth and pine filled my lungs as I breathed in slow, measured intervals, careful not to disturb the twigs and fallen leaves underfoot.

Silas thought I couldn’t handle myself out here.

That was his first mistake.

I had spent years learning how to move unseen, how to slip past patrols, how to track without leaving a trail of my own. The city had been a different kind of jungle—concrete and shadow, predators lurking around every corner—but out here was something else entirely.

This was my terrain, my home.

I crouched near a fallen log, my fingers brushing against the cool, packed earth. I scanned the ground, looking for disturbances, and spotted what I was looking for. There were heavy, deep imprints of boots pressing into the dirt, partially covered by shifting leaves, but still fresh.

Silas.

I knew his stride, the way he moved, how he shifted his weight. He walked like he was carrying something heavier than just supplies. Like he carried the weight of the world itself.

Rowan’s tracks were beside his—longer strides, lighter steps, more controlled. Varek’s were even lighter, the bastard moving with the effortless grace of someone who never second-guessed his own steps, never had to worry about being caught.

They were heading south, toward the caves.

I let out a slow breath, my pulse calming. Silas might have thought he was protecting me by leaving me behind, but he had underestimated me. I was better than he thought, faster and smarter than he gave me credit for.

With one last glance over my shoulder to make sure no one had followed, I straightened, adjusted the weight of my pack, and slipped into the trees, my steps quick, my movements silent.

I wasn’t just following them.

I was catching up .