“The Rooks?”
“No,” Hector wheezed, bending over and sucking in heavy breaths. “Silver Wolves.”
“Shit,” I spat. “Do you think Queen Ingrid lied to us about what she told them?”
“I don’t know.” Grae shook his head, turning back to Hector. “Where have they taken them?”
“I heard her screaming,” he rasped, his eyes wide and haunted. “They were headed west toward the other side of town. I think they’re still here looking for us.”
“We need to get back to the wagon and get our weapons,” I said, already moving toward the crumbled entryway. “We’re going to have to kill them.”
Hector and Grae’s footsteps halted.
“You know it’s true.” I whirled on them. “They took Sadie! If they return without us, they will be killed for failing. If they return with us, we will be killed. Do you see any other way?”
The two of them looked at each other, knowing I spoke the truth.
“I know it’s your pack—”
“This is our pack now,” Hector cut in. “Sadie and I chose you, Calla.” He stepped in front of me, stalling my movement. “Which is why you should stay behind.”
“Absolutely not,” I scoffed, shoving him to the side.
They followed me into the rain.
“You’re the future queen,” Hector shouted, darting after me. “You’re the future for all of us. Let Grae and me go.”
I whirled back at him, pointing my finger into his face. “Firstly, Grae is my mate and if he is killed, I die, too,” I shouted, watching Hector retreat a step at the force of my words. “Secondly, Sadie pledged her sword to me and I refuse to sit back when I know I could fight. This is the queen I’m going to be, Hector. This is the future you signed up for. Get used to it.”
I felt the claiming in those words—a sudden clarity of who I was, of who I wanted to be. I was going to be at the front of the pack, not hiding behind it. I would lead with my kingdom, not rule over them. Splashing through the sodden streets, I dashed back toward the wagon. This was what I wanted out of life, and I was finally stubborn enough to take it.
We stormed into the wagon and toward the bunks, not stopping as the others stared at us. I grabbed my dagger, riffling in my pack for my belt.
“Esh,” Malou cursed, looking us up and down.
“What is going on?” Ora rose from the couch. “Is everyone okay?”
“We can handle it,” Hector said, strapping a belt of knives to his thigh.
Within seconds we were all armed to the teeth, our glinting weapons strapped to our sodden clothes.
“Sadie, Navin, are they okay?” Ora asked, eyeing the fire in our eyes.
“They will be,” I said with quiet menace.
“Where are they?” Malou asked. “Where are you going?”
“Look,” Grae said, climbing down the ladder. “There are things about us we can’t tell you and—”
“Things?” Malou cocked her head. “Besides you lot being Wolves, you mean?”
We all froze at the casualness of her tone.
“Mal,” Ora chastised, giving Malou a stern look.
My eyebrows shot up as I looked between Malou, Mina, and Ora. “You knew?”
“Of course we knew.” Mina snorted. “We know Wolves when we see them.”
My mouth opened and closed as I blinked at them.
Ora gave me a grin and shrugged. “We suspected when we first met you and, of course, your bruises disappearing after you snuck off that day. That was clearly Wolf magic.” They glanced at Grae. “Also, Grae, or Graham, as you introduced yourself and just as quickly forgot.” They rolled their eyes as if we had all instantly forgotten the name. “Someone with a similar name and an eerie likeness to the Damrienn prince?”
“We’re not dumb,” Malou said, concluding the thought for Ora. She unfolded a piece of paper from her pocket and laid it on the table. “We found this tacked up outside the stables today, confirming our suspicions.”
I stared at Grae’s likeness on the yellowing paper and up to the words: WANTED. Graemon Claudius. Traitor to the crown of Damrienn.
“You saw this and you let us stay?” I asked quizzically.
“How many times must we tell you? People find Galen den’ Mora for all sorts of reasons. In truth, it has a knack for finding those in need,” Ora said. “I suspected you needed a safe place and so we provided it.”