Marked (The Coldest Fae Book 3) by Katerina Martinez (novel24 .txt) 📗

approaching. As the seconds ticked into minutes, the vast ordeal that lay ahead of us started to come into focus.

We had to scan the camp, search for the fastest route out, and figure out how we all get from our tents to the circle at the top of the hill without being stopped, all before sundown tonight. It seemed like an impossible task, and getting caught probably meant death, but the alternative was worse. Staying here meant being put through another series of grueling training and tasks that would only end one way; in my having to kill someone.

That was something I wasn’t prepared to do, and already reason enough for us to leave. But leaving also meant not having to contend every waking moment with the memory of my mother and father. The longer I stayed here, the more I would want to know, and that was a dangerous prospect all on its own.

Not because I was scared of what I might find out, but because if I learned too much, I might not want to leave.

“I have to tell the Prince,” I said, keeping my voice low. “He has to know what we’re planning—maybe he can help.”

Mira rolled her eyes. “He’ll probably want to take over the entire operation.”

“Men,” Mel put in with a groan.

“I won’t let him. This is our plan, and out here, he’s not the Prince anymore. He’s just Cillian.”

Mel grinned. “Are you gonna tell him that? Or is that just your little secret you’ll keep to yourself?”

I cocked an eyebrow, returning the grin. “I already did tell him.”

“And you made it out in one piece. I’m impressed.”

Nodding, I was about to step out of the bed when I realized I was still naked under here. “Uh… did either of you bring—”

Mel reached over to the side and tossed my clothes over to me. “Way ahead of you,” she said.

After getting changed, I headed to the entrance of the tent and glanced outside, Toross was nearby, probably waiting for the other girls to exit so he could come in and talk to me. Mira had agreed to distract him while I slipped out, giving me a chance to watch her work.

She’d been reluctant to do it at first, but as soon as she saw him, that perfect mask of hers came up and she easily captured his attention. I couldn’t hear exactly what she was saying, but it sounded like was asking about the moon children, about the camp. With those big, violet eyes and a little strand of her hair twirled around her fingers, she’d not only grabbed his attention, she’d also easily kept it.

A little too easily.

Wait a second.

“Is she flirting with him?!” I hissed at Mel.

“I don’t know how she flirts, but… I think so,” she said.

“She can’t do that; that’s my uncle!”

“Don’t worry about her—now’s your chance, go!”

“Hey wait—!”

Mel practically pushed me out of the tent. As soon as I staggered into the open, I ducked off to the side and started moving quickly towards where they were keeping the Prince. I kept my eyes low, tried not to make eye contact with anyone, but I was easy enough to spot, and it made sense, now. They must’ve all known who I was, who my mother was.

It wasn’t just that I had the mark of the white wolf—I was the daughter of an old Alpha, and that kind of put things into perspective.

All the more reason to get out of here.

I reached the Prince’s tent in a hurry, stopping to scan the area nearby for signs that I’d been spotted coming here. The place was quiet, there didn’t appear to be anyone around. Gullie pressed herself against the back of my hand again, becoming a tattoo on my skin, and then I pulled the curtain aside to step through—only to have a hand thrust out and grab my neck.

The Prince pulled me into the tent and squeezed his fingers around my throat. And as I stared into his eyes, pure horror filling me, I knew; it wasn’t him in there right now, but his brother.

Radulf.

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

 

 

“Let me go!” I croaked.

“You,” he hissed, his voice coming through like a gargle, “You, you, you would bring us to this wretched place surrounded by these filthy dogs.”

I struggled with his hands, trying to work them off my neck, but he was stronger than I was, even with my strange new gifts. “Cillian,” I said, “Please… come back.”

“He can’t hear you,” Radulf said, his hand closing even more tightly around my throat. “And now that I have you in my grasp, do you really think I’m going to let go of him even for an instant?”

Radulf pushed me to the ground and dropped on top of me, wrapping his other hand around my neck. I tried to speak, but it was impossible. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t talk, could barely think. He was trying to kill me; he was going to kill me if I didn’t do something about this before I passed out. The only thing I could think to do was shapeshift.

But it worked.

The sudden change in the dimensions of my neck meant his hands weren’t pressing so tightly against my windpipe anymore. That gave me an opportunity to press my large hind legs into his stomach and push him away from me with all the force I could muster.

It was enough.

Radulf toppled back, staggered, and fell to the ground. I straightened myself out quickly and lunged at him before he could stand, shoving him back down with a powerful shoulder-charge. When Radulf tried to stand again, I snarled at him and flashed my fangs. I knew just how big I was in this form, and even he wasn’t totally immune to the threat I posed.

“You want to fight me?” I growled, “Make your move, and I’ll make sure you regret it.”

“Hurt me,” Radulf snarled, “And you hurt him. I don’t think you dare.”

“Try me.”

Radulf went to stand, and I snapped into