With a breath, I remind myself to stop thinking about it. Letting my thoughts spiral won’t get me anywhere. I need to act unaffected, like the other guards. I need to pretend like I’m a loyal servant to Prince Grey. The woman, she should’ve known better than to show herself, than to launch herself at Aric. Still, I hate the way that I can’t shake the memory of her warm fingers on mine as she tried to free herself.
Maybe this will be the year that we are given the choice of a human female this year. If by some miracle this happens, I’ll choose her. Then the guilt will stop eating me alive. She won’t face the same fate as the others if she’s mine. No, I’ll ensure that.
“You’re grinning like an idiot,” Heath comments as I join him.
“Just thinking about choosing a human for myself.”
Heath frowns at this, “You know that’ll never happen.”
“It might. This could be the year that the Grey Prince finally rewards us for bringing him a female strong enough to bear his heir.”
“Your reward would be his leftovers, you know this. He would never allow even those closest to him to chose for themselves. Let alone a lowly guard like yourself.”
Heath’s words aren’t sharp, just a reminder of where we fall in the pecking order. I know it’s a long shot that I’ll ever be given a female. Definitely not before the Grey Prince finally gets the heir he’s so desperate for. Something that I know many won’t allow to ever happen.
My guilt returns triple-fold this time. The countless women in the cart have nothing but a grim future ahead of them. If they’re lucky, they’ll be discarded by the prince. Gifted to his loyal followers, who will still use them but not as brutally. They might even survive the birth.
“Where’s Rykker?” Heath asks.
I snort before replying, “Do you really need to ask?”
Heath lets out a sigh. We both know that we’ll find Rykker in his wolf form, lurking just outside the city. He won’t set foot inside the human world. Getting him to shift to his human form is enough of a battle. I know Heath won’t say anything. The other guards won’t notice his absence. He’ll join us the moment we leave this hellhole behind. But he’ll keep his distance. He always does when he’s in his wolf form. Doesn’t want to scare the horses or the people.
“One of these days, he’ll realize the gift it is to spend time in both forms,” Heath mutters.
“Doubtful.”
Heath shakes his head before glancing back at the cart, “We’re almost done here.”
“Think the prince will be content with them?”
“Unlikely, but we aren’t miracle workers. The humans are getting better at hiding away their females when we come.”
I nod before muttering, “Good.”
7
Rose
Shock stuns me as I find myself tossed into the cart with the other women. They pay me no mind as they plead and wail. Some try reaching through the bars of our prison. I’m not sure what they hope to achieve by doing that, other than annoying the wolves that have captured us. Shaking the surprise from me, I make my way toward the back of the cart.
Just as I drag myself to my feet, the cart jerks forward. The wails of the other woman intensify as we rumble through the streets. Guards walk next to the cart as though their presence alone is enough to keep anyone from coming for those in the cart. I doubt anyone without a death wish would even consider it. It’s known that once the wolves sink their claws into you, you're as good as dead.
Fear nearly chokes me as I shove my way toward the front of the cart. The others let me by with little more than a glare. Their eager to press their faces to the iron, to catch one last glimpse of the city as they hope for some miracle to save them. I know better than to hope for that. There’s no one coming for me. No one coming for any of us. Even the most foolish family wouldn’t dare interfere with the Choosing.
No, I know that if I plan to make it out of this alive, I have to be patient. I have to rely on myself, as I always have. Which, honestly, is fine by me. There will be a chance for me to get free before we reach whatever hell is our destination. I’ll take it without hesitation. I’m not sure what will happen to me once they realize that they’ve chosen the wrong type of female, and I don’t want to stick around and find out. Either I’ll make my escape at night or during a break to relieve our bladders.
With a plan forming, I wait. It’s not long before the cobblestones of the city give way to the dirt paths leading away from it. Watching the gray buildings disappear, I realize this is the first time in my life that I’ve left the city. I wish it were under better circumstances. Maybe this is the universe telling me that it’s time to leave the known behind. I know there are other larger cities around. Perhaps once I escape the wolves, I can make my way to one of them and start fresh.
“Please,” one of the women cries, her voice rising above the rest. “I need to relieve myself.”
I don’t expect the wolves to listen to the women’s pleas and cries. So, I’m not surprised when her cry lands on deaf ears. The others have quieted, their wails now just soft sniffling, and some whispered pleads to let them be. Our cart is jostled along the road without a care to us. I realize as the afternoon slips into evening that they have no intention of letting us leave the cage.
As the cart slows, the women perk up. I stay in my spot, wary of what is to happen. The guards press skins of water and loaves of bread through the cage. Then we’re left alone. I can hear their laughter and talking as they set about making their tents. The women around me are quiet as they eat.
“They mean to leave us in here?” one asks.
“Surely, not.”