escaping on a moment’s notice. Even she’d learnt that lesson.
Cathen shoved the clothing Varor had provided him in the leather bag. “I will transform into Shunu and you shall ride . ”
It wasn’t a question. He didn’t have time for her to ponder the options they didn’t have. She had yet to master her Shunu abilities and was cold in wolf form. The best solution was given to her.
She nodded, grabbed the coat and bag, opened the door and headed out the back.
With each stride behind her, man became beast without pause in his step. Light and fur coated his skin as his hands and legs became paws.
“ East to the ocean, ”Cathen informed the other Shunu.
“ That leaves a pretty big target. Can you be more specific? ” Varor glanced back at him.
Not if he didn’t have to. What if this were all a ploy to gain their trust and capture Alexia?
“ Venezia, Italy. ” She spoke telepathically to both of them.
Did she know speaking to someone not of their pack through the souls’ link was forbidden? “ Alexia ,” Cathen scolded her on their private pathway.
She didn’t even turn to him. “ The man cannot help us if he doesn’t know where we are headed. Besides, you could take him out no problem, but I’ve sensed nothing dark or sinister in their past. His sister is going to die to save my life. ”
He hadn’t wanted her to know that. It didn’t matter if she’d overheard them talking, or her abilities had revealed the sister’s actions to her. She’d carry more guilt for what Tyra had done, pushing her farther from his arms.
“ I know what this means to our race. If they catch me and create more monsters with my abilities, they will exterminate Shunus once and for all. I won’t let that happen, either, Cathen. The pack is my family too, you know .” She looped the strap of the bag over her shoulder.
Cathen pulled up next to her, and she mounted his back, holding onto his fur. She placed one leg on each side of him.
“ We have two options, a difficult trek through wilderness, which is much shorter, or we can stay by the roadways. But they are patrolled, ” Varor explained to him.
“ The direct route it is. ” The Nazis would probably anticipate this move if they figured out where they were going. As long as Varor wasn’t out to betray them, they could keep Alexia out of Gestapo hands.
Varor nodded his snout and sprinted off.
Cathen followed close behind.
A gunshot went off. A wretched cry sent the birds into the sky. One of the birds told him the enemy had taken Tyra, but rather than be tortured, she’d gone for one of the soldier’s weapons and the other had shot her.
“ You should tell him that his sister did not suffer. It will ease his heart’s burden, ” Alexia instructed him.
Death and pain found little comfort in facts. Part of him was bothered at how she could show compassion for others and yet he could not reach her heart. Did she hate him? And if so, which of his actions had earned this distaste from her? Could she really blame him for struggling with cordiality after she’d paired with VanWolf? Maybe it was because he hadn’t fought for her. Another reason might be that he had not let her return to VanWolf on the train. His hands were tied. Just as she had her values, Shunus lived by different beliefs. He needed to figure out where their values merged. If he didn’t find a way into her heart by the time they reached the pack, he would hold to his promise to her and free her.
Dense woods surrounded them. The altitude grew higher. Alexia clutched him, cold from the frigid thin air. Her thoughts drifted to their reunion with the pack. Their sorrow could be felt even over this distance.
Rejoining them would be bittersweet for them both.
Chapter 11
Alexia’s body hurt from the cold and lack of moving her limbs. Cathen and Varor grew tired. Even in their peak physical conditions the thin air this high from sea level wore on their bodies.
“ Can we stop
Cathen shoved the clothing Varor had provided him in the leather bag. “I will transform into Shunu and you shall ride . ”
It wasn’t a question. He didn’t have time for her to ponder the options they didn’t have. She had yet to master her Shunu abilities and was cold in wolf form. The best solution was given to her.
She nodded, grabbed the coat and bag, opened the door and headed out the back.
With each stride behind her, man became beast without pause in his step. Light and fur coated his skin as his hands and legs became paws.
“ East to the ocean, ”Cathen informed the other Shunu.
“ That leaves a pretty big target. Can you be more specific? ” Varor glanced back at him.
Not if he didn’t have to. What if this were all a ploy to gain their trust and capture Alexia?
“ Venezia, Italy. ” She spoke telepathically to both of them.
Did she know speaking to someone not of their pack through the souls’ link was forbidden? “ Alexia ,” Cathen scolded her on their private pathway.
She didn’t even turn to him. “ The man cannot help us if he doesn’t know where we are headed. Besides, you could take him out no problem, but I’ve sensed nothing dark or sinister in their past. His sister is going to die to save my life. ”
He hadn’t wanted her to know that. It didn’t matter if she’d overheard them talking, or her abilities had revealed the sister’s actions to her. She’d carry more guilt for what Tyra had done, pushing her farther from his arms.
“ I know what this means to our race. If they catch me and create more monsters with my abilities, they will exterminate Shunus once and for all. I won’t let that happen, either, Cathen. The pack is my family too, you know .” She looped the strap of the bag over her shoulder.
Cathen pulled up next to her, and she mounted his back, holding onto his fur. She placed one leg on each side of him.
“ We have two options, a difficult trek through wilderness, which is much shorter, or we can stay by the roadways. But they are patrolled, ” Varor explained to him.
“ The direct route it is. ” The Nazis would probably anticipate this move if they figured out where they were going. As long as Varor wasn’t out to betray them, they could keep Alexia out of Gestapo hands.
Varor nodded his snout and sprinted off.
Cathen followed close behind.
A gunshot went off. A wretched cry sent the birds into the sky. One of the birds told him the enemy had taken Tyra, but rather than be tortured, she’d gone for one of the soldier’s weapons and the other had shot her.
“ You should tell him that his sister did not suffer. It will ease his heart’s burden, ” Alexia instructed him.
Death and pain found little comfort in facts. Part of him was bothered at how she could show compassion for others and yet he could not reach her heart. Did she hate him? And if so, which of his actions had earned this distaste from her? Could she really blame him for struggling with cordiality after she’d paired with VanWolf? Maybe it was because he hadn’t fought for her. Another reason might be that he had not let her return to VanWolf on the train. His hands were tied. Just as she had her values, Shunus lived by different beliefs. He needed to figure out where their values merged. If he didn’t find a way into her heart by the time they reached the pack, he would hold to his promise to her and free her.
Dense woods surrounded them. The altitude grew higher. Alexia clutched him, cold from the frigid thin air. Her thoughts drifted to their reunion with the pack. Their sorrow could be felt even over this distance.
Rejoining them would be bittersweet for them both.
Chapter 11
Alexia’s body hurt from the cold and lack of moving her limbs. Cathen and Varor grew tired. Even in their peak physical conditions the thin air this high from sea level wore on their bodies.
“ Can we stop
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