I reach out for her hand, squeezing it as my eyes go back to the window. We sit together as the sun finally begins to slip away from the sky. Just as dark purples and deep reds paint the sky does, the door to our newest prison open. Ms. Thompson appears in the doorway, looking down her nose at us. She sneers as she steps into the room, motioning to us to stand. Behind her, I spy guards filling the hallway. Ensuring that we don’t get any ideas to run from here, I’m sure.
“The time has come,” Ms. Thompson says.
We all lean forward, eager and anxious to hear what tonight holds for us. Her smirk grows as she turns her back to us. My anger warms me as I brush off my skirts. It doesn’t matter what she would have said. I am confident that tonight has been designed to break us once and for all. It doesn’t matter that I have no intentions of shattering for these wolves. They have nothing that will break me down. There’s nothing out there that can break someone that’s already been broken too many times to pull themselves back together. My only concern is to keep Lyra safe.
She squeezes my hand, and we’re led from the room. Guards surround us as we move through the quiet castle halls. As we near the courtyard, I can hear the shouts and claps from the crowd I’ve watched grown all day. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that every wolf within the kingdom has found a way to be here tonight.
Stepping into the evening night, my eyes take in the now empty courtyard. The walls of the castle are packed with spectators. Thick iron gates have been dropped to keep us within the courtyard, I note. Turning, I watch as Ms. Thompson and the guards' retreat. We’re completely alone in the courtyard while the audience yells taunts down to us. I stare at the sky, waiting.
It’s not until the last of the red has disappeared that the audience quiets. Darkness slips in around the castle as torches are lit. Still, the courtyard remains empty. A loud cheer erupts just as a trumpet announces the arrival of the Grey Prince. Turning to face the castle, I watch as he strolls into the courtyard. At his back are the men he’s given mates to. No one else steps foot into the courtyard. I note that there’s now an odd number of women to men as I stand among the Chosen. What this means, I don’t want to know.
I move closer to Lyra, tucking her into my side. The men spread out as they approach. Even from where I stand, I can see the excitement and hunger in their eyes. I note that they are dressed in similar dark tunics and tight dark pants. As though they plan to go hunting, I realize with horror. That’s when it dawns that the Hunt is quite literally just that. A hunt for the men to claim the woman.
Turning my back to them, I glance back toward the iron gate. Then is when I note that a large blood moon has risen. Of course. I close my eyes and force my nerves down. None of that matters. I lie to myself. I can still outsmart them in order to keep Lyra safe.
“Stay at my side,” I whisper to her.
Another trumpet sounds as the Grey Prince steps forward. I have to twist my neck to watch him. He lifts a lazy hand to the audience, a smile on his lips as they cheer. Slowly, silence falls as he nods. His grin is genuine as he reaches us. He’s just feet away, his eyes never leaving his people, but I know he’s aware of each of us.
“Let the Hunt begin,” he says, dropping his hand to his side.
23
Rose
That is all the warning we get. Behind us, the men begin to shift. Gone are the towering guards in their hunting gear. Now, large beasts prowl toward us. Several women scream a few burst into tears as they stumble away. I stand my ground. The grinding of metal tells me that the gate has been lifted. We are free, I realize, to leave the courtyard before we’re taken by these creatures.
Tugging Lyra, I head for the gates. Approaching them, I realize that they’ve only lifted a few feet off the ground. Enough for the wolves to move under. If we crawl, we can make our way out into the trees that lie beyond. My heart races as paws pound the cobblestone of the courtyard. This isn’t the freedom that I hoped for. We are only allowed to leave so they can chase us down and drag us back.
“Hurry,” I hiss at Lyra.
She nods, her eyes wide and her face paler than I’ve ever seen it. We reach the gates and fling ourselves onto our stomachs. Next to us, Ember and Evie are already nearly through. Ember helps Lyra under as I pause to glance back at the wolves. They should have pounced by now. But they haven’t. They’re waiting for us to leave the courtyard. Dragging my eyes to the dark trees that sway in a gentle wind, I wonder what horrors await us in the trees. There must be some reason the wolves push us toward the forest. I’m not about to stick around and find out, though. Beyond the trees lies the freedom from these beasts.
Lyra makes it through before I do, reaching out to grab my hand as the other two jump to their feet. Ember doesn’t hesitate as they rush toward the trees, but Olivia pauses to glance back at us. I see an apology in her eyes as she debates staying with us before darting forward. Lyra frowns as the other two abandon us for the woods.
I pull myself under the gate. Lyra helps me stand, offering her hand as we take off toward the trees. A curse escapes my lips as I stare at the line of trees. We have no choice but to dive into them. Ignoring the growls behind me, I pause. The others race past us without pausing. They dive into the false security of the trees until only Lyra and I are standing next to the gates.
“We need to move,” Lyra says.
I nod but don’t move. In the trees, we might be able to hide ourselves. I’m sure the others intend to do that in order to survive. I can only hope they have some sense to do that. Running right now won’t get them very far. Unfortunately, it’s the only thing I can come up with as we move.
We make it down the hill, but Lyra trips. Another woman races past us, her screams whisked past us in the wind. I curse as I spin to pull Lyra up. We’re losing time as she gingerly pulls herself back to her feet. She winces, and I fight back the urge to curse. Now is not the time for her to injure herself. Not with the wolves just behind us.
“I’m fine,” she lies.
I don’t have the luxury of refusing to believe her lies. Instead, I drag her away from the hill. My heart pounds as we near the first tree. Darkness swallows the rest of the trees, and no matter how hard I squint, I can’t make much out. I have no choice but to enter the trees and hope for the best. One of the others, Abigail, I think, rushes past me. She’s the last to enter the trees, and the moment she’s gone from view, a symphony of howls fills the air. The sound sends chills racing down my back.
Tensing, I turn back toward the castle. I can just make out the torches that light the castle from where I stand, several trees into the forest. From my spot, I can hear the gate being raised further before the pounding of paws on earth. Lyra makes a strangled sound at my side as she moves closer to me. We’re being hunted.
The thought horrifies me as I glance down at Lyra. I can hear the panicked cries of the other women not far from where we stand. In their terror, they aren’t quite as they run. I flinch as I listen to twigs snapping and leaves rustling under their feet. It’s not much of a hunt if the prey is too frightened to think straight. I’m sure that their fear will send them scurrying up into the trees. I can only hope that they have some sense to escape the fate of the wolves. I’m not sure what the wolves will do to us if they catch us, and I don’t want to find out.
“We need to move,” I tell Lyra. “Fast and as quiet as possible. We need to find a tree or something that we can hide in. Let the wolves track the others, then we can make a break for it.”
Lyra nods. Her grip on my hand is tight, and I have to hope that she has what it takes to survive the next few hours. Things will only get worse. The wolves have yet to make it to the trees. I get the sense that they plan to toy with us, give us a false sense of security to make things more entertaining. Then, once we’ve relaxed, they’ll pounce. I won’t let myself, or Lyra, fall for it.
“There,” I say.
Together, we take off toward a large oak tree. It towers above the pines around it, and I hope it’s enough to get us far off the ground. Out of reach of the wolves is all I’m asking for. Howls begin to fill the air, and Lyra stumbles.