BEN'S POV
We'd been walking for hours. Carrie stayed at the back of the group, keeping her head down as she walked.
Dante stayed in front of her, he too was lost in thought, and they didn't speak, much to my relief.
Seeing them, laughing the way they did, The way he looked at her, it took everything in me not to rip out his throat as they came up from their swim.
Carrie couldn't see it. She was infuriating. Blind, gorgeous and fucking infuriating.
The sun was beginning to sink, and we were still walking uphill, near the rocky mountains. A nipping breeze blew against us every now and again, and I wondered if Carrie was cold.
Her chocolate waves were blowing into light tangles across her face when the wind blew and I tried to see if she was shivering, but I was too far in front of her.
We kept walking, only stopping when the stars sprung
RENT'S POV"Where the hell are they?" I demanded, pacing up and down the cave.My two guards looked at each other, then back at me, then shrugged.I rolled my eyes, it looked like they had rehearsed it."It's been too long, I want you to track them."Dante scrambled up beside me, rolling his eyes, "you're being paranoid.""I didn't ask for your input pretty boy."Dante shook his head, breathing out angrily as he looked away from me.We walked out of the cave, my men began putting their skills to use, leading us up to a dark and deserted Forrest."There was a struggle" Bently, my eldest guard said.I nodded looking around the scuff marks and footprints."They were taken." Said my other guard, Bradly.I ran a hand through my hair, panic rising in my blood."What?" Asked Dante, now co
CARRIE'S POV!we were still flying. It felt like I had been the air for hours. Ben and I had tried to fight the creatures but to no avail. There were just too many. They were tall creatures, with the long rubbery legs of chickens and gigantic dust grey and black wings.One of the creatures was currently holding onto my forearms as it flew over the mountains below us.Ben was being transported in the same sort of way a few meters behind while the rest of the creatures flew around me in a flock formation.Blood was dripping down my cheeks were one of the creatures had scratched me during the fight in the forest and my arms were beginning to hurt where the creature's claws wrapped around my skin.Finally, the gaping entrance of a cave showed itself in the distance. The cave was at the very top of a high, as in look down and you'll be sick high, as in fall and you'll die high cliff.
BEN'S POV!I sighed and a ran a hand through my hair. Carrie wasn't supposed to find out like this. I wanted to tell her slowly, ease her into it. Now, she was absolutely fuming."Yes, I'm a prince. The firstborn males of the alpha's of the three biggest packs every twenty years are technically royalty."Carrie let a puff of disbelief, "so what? All the eldest children of these alphas have some huge battle to decide the new alpha king?"chewed nervously on my lip, "basically, yeah."Carre growled, "did you ever plan on telling me? Or was that thought not able to make it through your thick head?"I sighed, that sharp tongue of hers never failed."I was going to tell you, I just didn't really know-how."She scoffed and I took a step forward in my cell holding onto the bars, and trying to make out her silhouette in the darkness of the cell across
CARRIE'S POV"How did you even get up here?" I asked while Dante clicked the lock on my cell open."Would you believe me if I said buzz lightyear lent a hand?"I raised an eyebrow, "no."Dante sighed, "that would be cool though.""I rolled my eyes and tried to help pull at my lock from the inside."Buzz Lightyear? How old are you six?""And a half." Replied Dante instantlyBen rolled his eyes, huffed and moved Dante over, taking the metal clip Dante had brought to pick the locks from him.Ben's hands, warm and strong, gently lifted mine off the lock. He met my eyes and I stepped back dumbly, looking away. Ben picked my lock in seconds."So, buzz lightyear aside, how the hell did you find us? And what's your escape plan?"Dante grinned and pulled two round pink powdery sweets
Bonolo helps us set up camp as she explained what had happened. Rent, his guards, and Dante had tracked us as far as they could before she had teleported to their rescue, bringing a plan in the form of volant sweets.They had argued for at least ten minutes on who should actually use a Valant sweet and get into the cave to save Ben and me until eventually,Dante won Ching Chong Cha. Rent was still not thrilled that he didn't get to go, and muttered about how he was probably a better flyer.Once the fire was made, and the camp was settled, Bonolo and I walked a little away from the others to talk."I can't thank you enough Bonolo, I don't really know why it is you're helping us. But I'm so glad you are."Bonolo's beautiful dimpled face warmed into a smile."It's my pleasure, Carrie. I am happy you are safe."I gripped her hand, "this isn't the first
"We're going in circles.""No, we aren't.""Considering I'm seeing that stick for the sixth time now. I'd like to say, yes the fuck we are.""Oh, well maybe that's the stick that's been shoved up your,""Boys!" I yelled.Ben and Dante turned to me, they had been bickering for ages. My feet were aching and we weren't any closer to finding the stone cup. Rent stepped forward."Dante, if you don't know what you're doing my alpha is going to blow you up."Dante turned to Rent, his fists clenched."What do you want from me Rent? It's not like there's a handbook on how to be a fucking Valderian. I have no idea what I'm doing."The boys continued to bicker, Bonolo watched them, looking tired and I glanced about our surroundings.A heavy stone ledge rose to our left. The surface widened and narrowed unevenly, creating
BEN'S POV!!!!"Carrie, babe, is there any way you could have the sudden urge to not make us plummet to our deaths?"Carrie looked back at Dante and rolled her eyes. "Don't be so dramatic."The chocolatey haired beauty turned back to the narrow crumbly slab of rock that acted as a bridge over a huge, deep chasm. On the other side was a cave, looking dark and ominous."Are you sure about this Carrie?"She turned to Rent and sighed,"look, you don't have to come with me, I don't even know where I am going at this point. I'll be right back. You lot can stay here if you like."My wolf growled viciously in my head. Like hell, she was going alone."Not a fucking chance." I snarled.Her eyes snapped to mine for a split second, looking agonized and warm, then they flicked away."Come, don't come, I don't mind, we're ju
DANTE'S POV!!!It was nightfall, and still, the group had barely spoken. We set up camp in a clearing, the stone cup was nestled tightly in Rent's satchel. Some of us were prepping tents, others repacking backpacks, while the rest sat and watched the fire.My eyes trailedCarrie as she stood, "I'm going to get more firewood."It wasn't a bad excuse, almost everyone was either too busy bustling around, or too lost in thought to really notice. It had been a long day.She began walking away, her chocolate waves looking black in the darkness.Fifteen minutes later I followed, tracking her right to end of the woods, on the bank of a deep round pound. Lilly pads lay in the water, the shiny white Lilly flowers floated next to them, glowing in the moonlight.She stood silently her head tilted to the sky. Dry pine cracked
I sat on the edge of my bed, trying hard to focus my mind. While both boys were barely on speaking terms, they were both in firm agreement that they would find a way for me to back out of the tournament. I wasn't optimistic.My mind was still racing, it made no sense, what was the queen gaining with me as a competitor? I had a feeling, a gut feeling, this Tornment would end up being a lot more than just a competition. Something darker, deeper and far more important was going on. And I intended to find out what.
For the next half hour, we were too busy sorting through what's been happening, for Ben to yell at Dante and me for making contact. I knew it would come later though. Right now, both boys were furious at mefor keeping the recent attacks on me a secret.Ben called for a handmaiden, and under his orders she got off every scrap of makeup on my body, revealing dozens of nasty wounds, scrapes, and bruises.
I woke up in the bedroom Ben had offered me the day he put the crest on my palm."Bet you never thought you'd sleep in that bed."My eyes snap to my left, Ben is watching rain patter onto the balcony through the glass window in the french doors.
BEN'S POV!!!!!!"This is ridiculous.""I don't care.""Ben!"
I fell onto my bed, gripping my bleeding side. Goblins. They had attacked the house, and they weren't the first. Someone had leaked my location, all kinds of creatures were attacking throughout the week, trying to recapture the "Future Valderian Queen."Rent had called, he still hadn't gotten a confession from his guards. The mole on our team was still unknown.
The alpha gave me the prophecy, but I knew the others were waiting. So I stuffed it into my pocket, and stumbled out to the car, knowing my face was as white as a sheet. Everyone bustled, saying goodbye, and getting into the right cars. I came face to face with Rent, and immediately my eyes welled with tears."Oh Carrie," he breathed fondly, pulling me warmly into his arms, "
BEN'S POVEverything began to happen very quickly. It took us another night and another day before we reached the border.Carrie kept a space between us that was way too big to be natural. Her face was a constant flat stone plate. Her usually sparking eyes, dull and walled over. I'd never seen t
CARRIE'S POVI cried until pale light splattered across the dark sky. I knew Ben wasn't going to change his mind about this. It was over. My sister had lost her fiance, and it was my fault.Ben set out a breakfast of pheasant cooked for my benefit on a small fire. He said nothing, I didn't touch the food, he didn't push me to, and we ignored my red-rimmed eyes.
BEN'S POVTwo days. Two days of walking and camping. But I barely noticed. Time melted, waving around us like soft silk.Carrie's link was still open, her contentment warmed my body, her happiness swirling in my chest.Her chocolate hair was thrown up into a