Chapter Nineteen
AURELIA
The hike to my guys’ latest attempt to get past my iron walls seems to go on forever. I assumed we were returning to the hot springs, but when we bypassed Maia during the race for the furthest edges of the valley, I realized belatedly that I had inexplicably returned to where it all began.
Little Bear.
Honestly, I never thought I’d see it again. I’m not sure what emotions I expected to feel now that I’m back, but I realize a little alarmingly that it doesn’t seem as scary as it once did.
Tyler and I had stood on a cliff once that gave a view of the entire wilds, along with the other peaks, and I remember feeling terrified of being lost in all of it.
“Are we near the crash?” I ask.
Thorin shakes his head and points in the direction I believe is east. “The fuselage is about a day’s hike that way. The tail was found near the pass between Maia and Little Bear.” Thorin looks over his shoulder to meet my gaze. “It was at the bottom of the river.”
I guess that explains why Tyler and I never found it and why we nearly died countless times searching in vain.
We hike for another hour before Khalil leads us into what appears to be a cave on the outside but is actually a tunnel.
Inside, there’s a shallow stream of water cutting through the middle and leaving only narrow, slightly elevated paths on either side.
It only takes us a couple of minutes to reach the other end of the tunnel.
A blue bird flies by when we step out, but it’s the sound of rushing water filling my ears that causes a prickle of excitement to spear through me.
The sound gets louder the farther away from the tunnel we travel. Wherever they’re taking me, I hope we get there soon because my feet are killing me.
“Are you ready for this?” Zeke whispers in my ear when we seemingly reach the end of the path we’re traveling. I barely resist the urge to jump out of my skin at his sudden and unexpected proximity. His body is a furnace, making the sun a laughingstock.
Thorin doesn’t wait for a response and pulls back the dense foliage overhanging the path.
I gasp when the calm turquoise pool at the bottom of a waterfall at least a hundred feet wide and fifty feet high comes into view.
Water cascades over the many ledges in the bedrock of the steep cliff, adding to the striking visual the scene makes.
“Holy fuck, that’s beautiful,” I say as I gape at the hidden oasis my guys brought me to. “Wait… Why didn’t Tyler and I come across this when we were looking for the tail?”
“Because we’re on the opposite side of the mountain.”
“Really? How the hell did we get here so fast then?”
“Because we know where we’re going, including the shortcut that shaves half a day,” Zeke answers smugly.
I stare at his profile since I’m pretty sure that was a dig at my former bodyguard, but I choose to ignore it because I didn’t want to risk the headache pondering all the reasons why Zeke would be jealous of Tyler. It’s not like he wants me. Or at the very least, he doesn’t want to want me.
Feeling my temples throb, I let go of the train of thought.
Eager to dip inside the gorgeous pool, I look around for a way down, but I don’t see a clear path. “How do we get down there?”
“This way.” Thorin takes my elbow and leads me off the path and into the trees until we come across another rocky path on the side of the cliff. When we reach the bottom, I drop my pack and bow and quickly unclip the straps of my overalls before shimmying out of the denim.
I only stop long enough to apply sunscreen to my chest, legs, and arms.
“I’m not one to photograph every moment of my life, but right now, I’m really wishing I had a camera,” I say as I look around.
“No need. We’ll bring you back here as often as you need to keep the memory alive, songbird.”
I not sure about often since the trek to get here was brutal, but I appreciate the offer.
I tiptoe to the edge of the water where I stop to eye it warily. “There aren’t snakes in there, are there? This really seems like the kind of place where snakes go to snack on tourists.”
“Probably,” Thorin answers. “Although, I doubt any of them are venomous.”
“Um…”
Seeing my hesitation, Thorin scoops me up and starts walking into the water. “Come on, songbird. I won’t let you get eaten.”
“From your lips to God’s ears.”
“I’m pretty sure God tuned us out a long time ago, songbird.”
I snort but then flinch when the water gets deeper and laps against my skin. I decide a moment later that I’m being ridiculous. The guys wouldn’t have brought me here if there was even the smallest chance of me getting hurt, so when Thorin lets me go, I don’t panic.
“Thank you for bringing me here,” I coo as I turn to face him in the waist-deep water and slide my hands up and down his remarkable chest. “The only thing that can make this day better is an inflatable and a couple of cocktails.”
He smiles. “Can’t help you there.” Thorin swims away and then disappears under the water. He reappears a minute later near the falls.
I startle a little when Khalil and Zeke race past me, and I follow in their wake, stopping only after a few feet to tread water and watch to see who wins. I realize only after Zeke passes Thorin first and Khalil slaps the water that they were using Thorin as the finish line.
Zeke and Thorin race next, and I stay where I am, knowing that they are racing to reach me first.
About thirty feet from me, they both dive beneath the water and out of sight, and I hold my breath until Zeke bursts out of the water first, directly in front of me. It looks like he’s getting ready to say something when his eyes widen and he’s yanked under again.
There’s a lot of splashing, grunts, and growls while he and Khalil wrestle for dominance.
Rolling my eyes, I swim over to the rocky outcropping on the side and climb onto the rocks, surprised to find the surface smooth.
I sit on the edge and wring my hair out, glad that I at least braided the front last night.
Still, I’m not looking forward to wrestling with it later when I wash it, but that’s future me’s problem.
After a few minutes, Thorin swims over while Khalil and Zeke leave the pool.
I watch—but more like drool—as he plants his hands on the rock and hauls himself out of the water.
“Are you hungry?” he asks once he’s standing and dripping water next to me.
“Starving.”
Thorin holds out his hand and pulls me to my feet. We climb down the rocks and skirt the edges of the pool until we reach our packs and the fire Khalil is building. It’s too warm for one, so I assume they’re planning to catch our lunch.
Too hungry to wait, I open my pack and peruse the snacks Khalil packed for me.
I do a little happy dance when I spot the Oreos tucked inside.
Snatching the pack open, I pluck one from the tray and look around.
“Where is Zeke?” I ask when I realize we’re one short.
I feel like a thirst bucket, but I’m also feeling too good to care.
Thorin wordlessly points, and my heart drops when I spot a figure walking along the exposed rock in the middle like a median dividing opposing lanes of traffic in a street. “What’s he doing?”
“Jumping.”
“What?” The Oreos tumble from my lap when I stand abruptly. “He can’t! What if he hits the side? What if it’s too high?”
“He won’t, and it’s not.”
“You don’t know that. Get him down from there!”
Thorin looks up at the cliff. “Sorry, wolf. No can do.”
I spin around just in time to see Zeke sprinting toward the edge.
At the last moment, he leaps in a wide arc that just barely clears the sharp ledges jutting out of the falls and waiting to break his body in half and splatter him in a crimson display of carnage.
I watch with my heart in my throat as he speeds toward the pool like a bullet and then tucks his arms and legs at the last moment before plunging beneath the surface.
He made it.
It does nothing to calm the angry beast howling inside of me as Zeke swims for the shore, so I storm to the edge of the water to give him a piece of my mind.
“Easy,” Thorin says as he drops what he’s doing and follows. I ignore him.
Zeke walks out of the water with a grin that drops when I plant my hands on his chest and shove him back. “Are you crazy?”
“What’s your problem, princesa?”
“Don’t you princess me. What the hell was that?”
“What?” He grins again, making his dimples appear as water drips from his dark hair. “You didn’t enjoy that?”
“What do you think, you gigantic ass? Does it look like I enjoyed watching you scare me to death?”
Zeke laughs, and as much as I enjoy the sound, I want to punch him for not taking my worry seriously. “That’s too bad because I’m about to do it again.”
“Oh, no the fuck you’re not.”
Zeke gives Thorin and Khalil a dry look over my shoulder and turns away to head back up the path that takes him to the top of the cliff. I find myself following, cursing him out the whole way. “Zeke, I’m serious. Don’t you dare.”
“Why do you care?” he tosses back without any venom. He sounds like he’s genuinely curious.
“Why don’t you care?” I retort. “That was incredibly reckless. And stupid.”
“It was fun.”
“Not for me!”
Zeke gives me a blank look, but his tone is even more devoid of emotion. “Unlike Seth, my world doesn’t revolve around you, princess.”
“Well, maybe it should since I’m the only with any sense around here.”
I’m so racked with worry I don’t even catch on to the ruse until it’s too late. It doesn’t even occur to me that Zeke is leading me up the cliff to get me alone until we’re standing at the top and he quickly takes my hand.
“I’ve been wondering all day how I was going to get you away from them.”
Okay, now I’m confused. “Why would you need to get me away?”
Zeke huffs in frustration. “Because my brothers are overbearing, meddling bastards, and it’s impossible to talk to you or even get near you without them hovering.”