Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 121924 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121924 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Grass crunching.
Even through the moaning of the wind—which wasn’t quite as violent now—I heard hesitant footfalls approaching my tent.
My breathing briefly stopped as I tensed, instantly snapping to full alertness. Still lying on my side, I slowly slid my hand beneath my pillow and located my blade.
My nape prickling, I listened intently. Could it be an animal? One of the beasts that called the moorlands its home?
There were no stomps of paws. No prick of claws. No rough bestial breaths.
A scrape of leather on dry earth.
My jaw went hard. No, it wasn’t an animal, I realized, my pulse quickening. The heavy tread coming up behind me was made by boots.
Gripping the handle of my blade tight, I pulled it out from under the woolen sheet. My heart jumped as a fumble came from right outside my tent. Someone was close. Too close.
And the tent collapsed on top of me.
CHAPTER EIGHT
I instinctively rolled aside fast, but heat blazed along my upper arm as the canvas above me tore. Something had stabbed through it. And cut me.
A knife.
The hell? Anger and fear clashed inside me, fighting for supremacy.
Seeing the shadow hovering above my tent, I lashed out without hesitation; stabbing upwards through the canvas and slamming the blade into an arm.
A sharp male cry rang out as the offending knife fell to my bedding. I yanked back my own blade and held it close to my chest. Even though the shadow staggered backwards, I shuffled further away from him.
Barks filled the air, coming closer and closer. And then I saw three new shadows leap on my attacker. A loud thump sounded as he hit the ground hard, and then more male cries mingled with the snarls and growls of the dogs.
Relief dragging a shaky breath from my lungs, I slithered out of the collapsed tent just as people began to pop their heads out of their own. Ignoring the cold lashes of the wind, I turned to see Klemens splayed out on the ground, several Laelaps biting into his limbs.
I felt my hand spasm around the handle of my knife as an angry flush heated my face. Oh, the rat bastard.
I gritted my teeth, my muscles quivering. Not with fear, not with cold, not with shock. With fury.
Honest to Gods, I wanted to kick him. Stomp on him. Spit on him. Jam my blade right in his eye.
Instead, I fisted my free hand so tight my nails painfully stabbed into my palms. My temper wasn’t easily triggered, but when something set it off? Yeah, I wanted to burn a motherfucker.
The force of the wind suddenly turned wild … or maybe it had never calmed to begin with; maybe I’d just gotten accustomed to the violent sound of it … but I didn’t feel the chill anymore. The rage flooding me was so scorching hot that it seemed to heat me from the inside out.
Hearing footfalls, I half-turned to see Talon and Ajax heading over.
“What happened here?” demanded Ajax.
Talon took in the scene—my slashed tent, the gash on my arm, the male on the ground, the growling Laelaps—and his face darkened in a way that was plain scary.
Just then, Jelani jogged over. “Shit, you okay, Anara?” His eyes went to my injured arm, and his expression hardened.
“It’s not that bad,” I gritted out, shoving away the hair that was whipping my face, courtesy of the wind.
“Not the point,” Jelani clipped.
Talon let out a high-pitched double-whistle that sliced through the air and caused the dogs to back up. But they kept their attention pinned on Klemens, baring their teeth.
Covered in bites, a shaking Klemens remained on the ground. He shrunk in on himself as Talon prowled closer, his expression like thunder.
“You tried to kill a fellow candidate?” asked Ajax, his face tight. “Tried to kill her while she slept?”
“It was an accident,” Klemens claimed, pain coating every word.
I felt my brows fly up at the idiotic defense. His knife just happened to accidentally cut through my tent and slash my arm? Really?
Talon shot him a look of such contempt he flinched.
“I … I fell,” Klemens insisted. “I was holding my knife at the time and—” He cut off as Talon slashed a hand through the air, staring at him through cold, disgusted eyes.
Jelani gently tugged on my wrist. “Come on, let’s go get that wound seen to.”
I resisted, busy glaring at Klemens. I could hear blood rushing in my ears. Could feel adrenaline racing through my system. Could—
“You don’t want to bleed freely out here, Anara,” Jelani persisted. “The smell will attract all kinds of beasts.”
Okay, he had a point there. Drawing in a steadying breath that did nothing to calm me, I let Jelani lead me away.
“You know what, Talon?” asked Ajax behind me, a cruel note to his tone. “I think we should let the dogs drag Klemens further into the Pines. He’ll make a nice snack for one of the creatures here.”