“Let go of me!” I grit out, throwing my elbow back, my funny bone tingling up my arm and into my fingers as I hit something solid. The hand on my neck releases me and I stumble forward into the wall, whipping around, ready to fight. I stop, blinking as I look at Hayes, who frowns at me and rubs his solar plexus. “Ouch,” He says, looking unimpressed. “All of that so-called training and you went with an elbow jab?”An amused laugh bubbles up my chest as I allow my body to go lax and lean onto the rock surface for support. The cool stones soothe my aching muscles from my falling and I sigh heavily.”Forgive me, but I’m not in the mood for any verbal sparring at the moment.” I huff out, my stomach pinching and churning violently as I lean forward, hands on my knees.”What the hell were you thinking, running off like that?” He asks, but for once, his words aren’t demanding or condescending.”I was tracking.” I say, turning my head to look up at him from my bent over position.”Looked more like you were falling.” He says with a grunt.I don’t have the energy to fight with him. Going from the high of tracking to near death and then to the scare of being attacked does something to the nerves I can’t quite explain.My heart is in my throat still, the bile burning the back of my throat as I try to bring my blood pressure back to normal. Hell, fighting that damn dragon felt way less taxing.”Ezrah is close.” I whisper, standing up again before hunching back over and hurling out the acid that had settled in my throat and around the bitter taste buds around my tongue.My muscles contract painfully, tugging at my injuries and making me groan in near agony. I have now fallen off two cliffs since starting this mission. If this starts to become a habit, I may have to send myself home. If I had a home to go back to.”What do you mean?” Hayes asks, his body going rigid as he steps in closer to me. I slide my forearm over my mouth, cleaning it as I swallow roughly.”I caught the scent of the egg, and then when I looked closer I could see signs they went this way-“”Are you sure?” he asks, his voice low as he reaches out and takes my chin between his thumb and forefinger, forcing me to meet his intense questioning eyes.”Of course I am sure.” I tell him, trying to struggle away from his touch, the sparks flooding through me and calming the painful storm of my wounds.”Look at me, Kyra.” He says seriously, moving his face closer. “Say it again.””Ezrah is near. I bet my life on it.” I say, making sure to say my words clearly so he doesn’t question it again. “He is over that cliff and I was trying too-“”That’s what I thought you said.” He mumbles, dropping his hand before he turns away, a flash of confliction on his face.”Why do you not seem excited?” I ask, hating how much it disappoints me to not please him with my work. Isn’t this what he wanted for so long?”Why did you rush off on your own?” He asks, his words soft before he turns and glares at me. I stutter under his look. A small shrug the only thing I can think to do to answer him.”I- uh-wasn’t thinking about it. What it came down to is I picked up the scent, and I followed to verify. That’s what I have always done in the past with Tyler.” I try to explain, but a sinister smile takes over his lips as he clicks his tongue. “Sorry to disappoint you, but I am not your ex-mate. He is dead” His words have a bite to them that makes my brows furrow. His mood seems to shift faster than the wind in a raging storm, and his words feel like a punch to the gut. “I know that. There is no way I could ever confuse the two of you.” I snap at him. “What I mean is, this is how I was trained. This is what I do, Hayes. I track, I follow and then I report and we proceed from there. In a sense, I am a spy.” “Kyra, you left without so much as a look back. Nisha thought you went crazy and freaked out.” He says, a glimmer of guilt in his eyes.”Definitely crazy, but I wasn’t freaking out.” I say as a sound rustles over my head, distracting me.A rock tumbles from above us and Hayes snaps his head up, his reflexes moving quicker than mine as he grabs me, tugging me into his chest before he spins us to the right, just under a small ledge.My back presses into the rocks, his body glued to mine, his chin touching my hair. My stomach, once revolting, now calms and butterflies emerge, dancing amidst a field of a love they want so desperately to live freely in. “Hayes,” I whisper, my lips barely moving. His chest vibrates softly, sending a shockwave through my body.”Hush,” he utters and I press my lips together, closing my eyes as I try to keep tears from forming.It feels so nice, so peaceful, so…safe, in his embrace, and that is a feeling I haven’t felt in a long damn time. My lycan is preening and my heart rate climbs with every second he stays in my space. “Please,” I try to whisper, but my voice breaks.I can feel him move, a slight cool breeze coming between where his chin was pressed into my hair, but I can’t bring myself to look. I am wrapped in his scent, in the dream of what could be if only we weren’t so broken. “Please what, Kyra?” he asks. “Are you hurting?”His voice is still so soft, like he actually cares and doesn’t want to be heard.”Why are we hiding?” I ask him, trying to lean forward and look around the rock.”Someone is above us,” He whispers, placing his hand on the side of my head, his body pressing harder into mine. “They can not see us, but if you keep talking, they may hear us.”I can feel the heat of his breath on my ear, tickling the loose hairs that twirl about my neck and lobe.Seconds bleed into minutes and the air seems to grow thicker with each breath.”He is gone,” I murmur, unable to withstand a second more of being this close to him. I shouldn’t crave this or enjoy it. He isn’t the Hayes I knew, and he isn’t someone I can afford to love anymore.Especially when he can’t feel thisbond, the one that draws me in andleaves me vulnerable in every damn way. The second he feels it, I will reject him and we can both be on our way. I just have to hope he doesn’t recognize it during a crucial moment of this mission.Ever so slowly, he takes a step back, his eyes meeting mine with a fierce look before he takes another step away, leaning to the side and looking up. I watch as he wipes his hands on his jeans and clears his throat. “We should get back to the others.” He says.I scrunch my nose and tilt my head, knowing the words he said but not understanding his suggestion.”Why would we go the wrong way?” I ask him, “Ezrah is that way.”I point up the cliff side as if he doesn’t know, but clearly the knowledge must have escaped him to suggest we go the opposite way. He nods and rolls his eyes.”Yeah, I am aware, but we came with a group and we need to have them traveling in the right direction.””Or you go back and get them and I will continue on.””Over my dead fucking body,” He growls, getting in my face. My eyes grow wide as I take one step away from him.”This is why I am here,” I remind him, and he shakes his head in disbelief.”You still need to do things my way.” He says, reaching down and grabbing me by the wrist. “If you are fast, we won’t lose Ezrah’s trail. I suggest we get moving.” “Unless it rains.” I huff but follow along, breaking into a run when he does. He holds onto my arm for too long, and once we hit the tree line, I shake myself loose.”It would have to rain really damn hard to wash away a trail so fresh. As an expert tracker, you should know that.” He says, kicking his speed up.He is right. It would take a rain pretty hard for hours to muddle my ability to follow Ezrah or even locate him now. Hayes weaves through the path I took, ducking under branches and looking back to ensure I am still behind him.By the time we make it back, Dean,Nisha, and Koda are waiting anxiously. The moment they see Hayes, they seem to relax, breathing easier as their shoulders drop. Dean drags a hand over his face before I feel a heated gazer. When I look to the left, Nisha’s angry eyes meet mine as she tuts and clicks her tongue, looking away. The moment she opens her mouth for a smartass comment, a loud, earth shattering sound breaks free that makes me jump in alarm. “What the hell.” Koda says, looking at her shocked and she glares at him.”It wasn’t-“There is a brief flash before lightning cracks through the air, the buzz of electricity bringing to life the clouds that rumble and, after a moment, release their wrath. I groan, throwing my head back, cold hard drops of water hammering into my heated skin. Then I roll my head over and scowl at Hayes, my eyes harrowing in sheer annoyance. “Fuck,” He mutters. Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ ƒindηʘvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.”I really hate you right now,” I grumble.
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