The Alpha's Prize

un

head under the surface of the wat

w days it has been,

k, letting the dappled light shift over my fac

er Pack now,

ng me though. I n

ul for the easy terrain. The lush forest floor has sl

r away as possible, and although I'm t

nburnt skin is irrelevant. No distan

ey

reath catchin

n as I slowly turn toward the origi

ned eyes. She looks more fearful of me than I her. Her ha

she says uneasily, trying to force some confide

tative step. Th

uscle and tone. And yet, the true fear at the sight of me al

urt my progress immensely, and

ergence of another figure appearing

I could do with that, to track through here elusivel

me, I'd be lucky to get out of here with m

eak to the law of these lands," he growls, the

milar to mine, although it's alte

d, any excuse

ite - a trait my mother gifted me. Now it's a curse, considering i

pinned back b

me?" the girl a

nd after a moment of tense

exchang

ot me, his stance and impressive statur

fingers don't so much as tremble from

to us again and I will s

the girl adm

sister, considering they share a sharp, stunning facial

p back. "Are you

ce, and the girl's lips quirk

e. Which way

he can decipher where I came from. He probably could

ou came,"

s trampled from my footsteps. I can't backtr

.." I say

keep this information in their confidence, and if they really are the au

u must do so further down the border," Kaan explai

rifying sight, I may ha

et me through me?

brother. "Come on Kaan, s

horisation, cannot be harmless," he tells her

although she can't be much younger tha

arm. I'm only passing through

and we will consider letting

substantial enough to offer them. And with that arrow pointed straight a

t..." I

looking to see if she would be upset if he shot m

't let th

s I turn, dashin

e hardly as desperate as I am, as I jump over fallen logs, pushi

anish, until something hits me in the back, and I go flying forward, l

sho

om the wound, the pain so overwhelming I

rough the grass, dragging the

eens and mellow browns melting into one before da