Chapter 14
RAANA
Raana was certain that if she traveled one more inch, she would die.
She wasn’t sure where she’d ended up on the other side of the Wall, only that she was so far deep into the forest she could no longer see the barrier that separated the Wilds from the outside world.
Shaking violently from where she’d collapsed amidst the mud and leaves, she brought her hands to her face, unaware of where the cuts on them had come from, the wounds not healing as her body struggled to keep up with her injuries.
By now, she was all out of tears. And for now, she was all out of fight, too. She wanted to sleep. Needed to sleep and escape whatever this new reality was. What she’d just done…
Those two wolves had to be carrion now. There was no way they’d survive, and she wasn’t sure Adrien would ever forgive her for it. It terrified her that she’d do it again. Anything to ensure he was safe. But now, he was at the mercy of the one person she trusted the least.
Adrien would need to explain all of this to his father—her escape, the dead guards. It had to have been a test, him telling his son of his plans for her. A test to see where his loyalty lay, if he’d confess secrets—and he’d failed.
The Alpha never made mistakes; Raana had learned that much.
No action was taken without intention. No word spoken that he did not expect to reach the wrong ears.
Whether she was under his control or not, he wanted her to know his suspicions about Kai.
Wanted her to know about the dark moon, about how Raana, on that day of chaos, would be capable of killing him.
As if he’d known she, too, had figured out that Kai was different and powerful in ways a wolf should not be.
Raana didn’t even react to the soft touch on her back. Hadn’t even heard the incoming footsteps.
“You did well, child,” Nerissa cooed, and the praise made Raana sick. “You will forget him in time, as he will forget you.”
Raana bit down on her tongue so hard she tasted blood. Adrien forgetting her would be a mercy.
Nerissa began speaking, though it wasn’t to her. Raana couldn’t even get herself to turn to look; her muscles were liquid, yet her bones were lead. An order to pick her up was followed by a grunt that sounded like a human, a man.
Strong arms hooked beneath Raana’s knees and back, and her teeth rattled as she roughly fell into a broad chest. She cracked open her eyes briefly to catch a flash of coppery hair and amber bloodshot eyes.
Eyes that didn’t glance at her once. Eyes that appeared vacant—dead.
She didn’t recognize him at all. Dante and Sandrine were nowhere to be found. Neither were any bak.
Raana winced as Nerissa came into view, running a pointed nail over the skin of the man’s neck, across his throat, a mockery of a lover’s caress that ended where Raana swore she saw faint scarring by his collarbone.
Though the man’s eyes were distant, his face twitched, and he squeezed Raana gently.
She could’ve sworn he did it twice more, as if trying to get her attention. But still, his features were blank.
She remembered exactly what Nerissa’s greatest gifts were—potions and mind control. Had this man been one of her victims?
Raana’s throat was so dry she couldn’t swallow. She’d once wondered at Nerissa’s power, and now she feared it could be used on her.
“What now?” she asked, the words raw.
Nerissa stepped forward and brushed back a curl that had matted to Raana’s face. “Now, you rest. We have much to do, but we can start tomorrow. It won’t be long until the moon is dark, and we will be ready for when the story begins again for a final time.”
Raana felt her eyelids becoming heavy as Nerissa gently moved her thumb over her forehead. The conduits on her fingers were warm against her skin, and Raana had been far too weak to throw out any resistance or build any mental walls. Her breathing slowed. “How—how… do you know… about the moon?”
Before exhaustion claimed her, Raana caught Nerissa’s smile. “There’s someone you need to meet.”