Before it scented me, I hit from the left and Stalker struck from the right. Our blades sank true, and it died instantly, falling atop its kill. Reaction set in, then. I had been so afraid I’d find Fade. Here. Now. And I couldn’t stand the damage.
Stalker put his hands on my shoulders—and for a moment, his pale eyes blazed with the power of what he felt for me. The reflected heat warmed me where I hadn’t even known I was cold. Then his golden, spiky lashes swept down, veiling his thoughts. I shouldn’t let this boy comfort me when I’d rejected him. Weakness made me selfish, but I didn’t resist when he pulled me against him. I had a fleeting moment to wonder where he’d learned basic gentleness; when we first met him, he had been all attitude and snarling instinct.
He soothed me with slow strokes on my back. As long as it’s only this, I told myself, it’s all right. I shouldn’t raise his hopes, but while my breathing steadied, I stood quiet. Then I stepped away with a murmur of thanks.
“Let’s get back,” he said without looking at me.
I’d hurt him. In that moment, I hated myself. I didn’t deserve Fade or Stalker. They only wanted me because I was different, because I used my knives with expertise and I didn’t ordinarily cling or look to them to solve my problems. Normal girls weren’t like me. Mrs. James had made that abundantly clear during school … and I would never be able to go back down below where I felt like I fit. The enclaves were gone, and sorrow weighed on me like a bag of stones.
In camp, the other two were stirring. They were fixing breakfast when we arrived, just more cold camp fare. As he took a bite, Ellis made some joke about me sneaking off with Stalker, but his eyes held a covetous light.
Miles stared with an ugly, speculative look. “I thought you had a soft spot for the dark one. Aren’t we risking life and limb for your pretty boy?”
“For Frank Wilson too.” But they both knew I wouldn’t have insisted on going after Frank. Not if he, alone, had been taken. With apologies to his sister, who had been friendly to me, I wouldn’t wager my life for Frank. Miles turned away with a sneer, dismissing my halfhearted words.
Trouble stirred. These two wouldn’t wait much longer. They didn’t care about rescuing either of our men, and we were far enough into the woods for them to strike. Stalker and I ate in silence and then packed up. By tacit agreement we didn’t mention the Freak we’d killed.
Miles found the trail through sheer luck. He stumbled into the undergrowth to empty his bladder. There, he found signs of a serious scuffle. It might have been the bobcat, but I didn’t think so. The way the earth was churned made me think it had been Fade and Frank, fighting for their lives. He wouldn’t give up, either. He’s trying to get back to me. The thought offered the only brightness I could summon in this situation. I put aside the warmth that flooded me when Stalker wrapped his arms around me. Anyone would make me feel the same desperate gratitude, even Longshot, who was too old to be interested in breeding with a girl my age.
I hadn’t slept well the night before, expecting at any minute for Freaks to attack; the one we’d found nearby only underscored the danger. That rifle shot echoed in my ears. It was unwise, certainly, to get rattled. More than ever, I needed to keep my wits about me. Otherwise, the odds of making it back to the outpost alive, let alone finding Fade, were slim.
Stalker followed Ellis to see what he could learn from the marks on the ground, and I went with them. It didn’t reveal any particular truth to my eyes, but I waited with poorly concealed impatience for his verdict. If the Freaks were injured—first by the bobcat and now by Frank and Fade—they couldn’t be moving too fast. We could catch up to them if we put on some speed.
He finally concluded his study. “Four or five participants in the fight. Two were incapacitated and hauled off. You can see where the footprints in the earth sink deeper. They headed this way.”
“Lead on,” Ellis said. “I’m more’n ready for some killin’.”
Miles said nothing, still watching me with the look that made me feel dirty all the way down to the bone. I resisted the impulse to scrub my hands along my arms. He couldn’t see my scars, but I touched them for reassurance. I wasn’t an easy mark; if he tried, he would find me ready for a fight. With some effort, I held his gaze until he broke eye contact and fell in behind Ellis, leaving me with rear guard again—the way I preferred it.
The day passed in silence and occasional pauses for hard tack and water. I chafed at the need for rest, but we had to be ready for a fight. That meant leaving ourselves something in reserve. With each step, my hope grew. I’d find Fade soon.
That afternoon, everything went wrong.
We stumbled out of the wood into a Freak hunting party, six strong, rested, and well fed. The tallest one screamed, and they ran at us with yellow teeth bared. The number wouldn’t have been overwhelming, if Miles hadn’t turned on me with his rifle, whipped his arm around my throat, nearly overpowering me with his stench, and then dragged me back toward the trees. I kicked and fought as much as I dared, determined not to leave Stalker to face the Freaks alone, equally determined not to let this filth hurt me.
“Keep it up,” he snarled at me. “This gun’s got a hair trigger, and I’ll spatter your brain if you’re not careful, puss. It doesn’t have to be like that. I can be real nice to you if you let me.”
In the distance, I heard the sounds of battle. Ellis’s rifle went off twice, and then silence. Stalker called out to me, but his voice got softer, the farther we moved away. If Ellis managed to take out one or two, Stalker could finish the rest. I hoped. Please be all right. To make matters worse, Miles churned up the earth as he hauled me, so if any of those Freaks survived, they would have no trouble tracking us, just as we had been following Fade and Frank.
“I didn’t think even a worm like you would betray his friends,” I spat. “Ellis needed you in that fight. Instead you chose to turn on me.”
He wedged the barrel of his gun more firmly against me. “It was perfect. For once you weren’t even looking at me. My best chance to strike.” His voice went dreamy. “I’m going to break you down, puss. I’ll spend days on it. And then when you start liking it, start liking me, I’ll cut out your pretty red heart. When I make it back to the outpost, I’m gonna be sad to report your loss … and that of your friends. But I’ll get credit for trying, a bona fide hero.”