Chapter 55: A Fractured Trust Anna POV

"Why are you truly helping me?" My words cut through the quiet night. It was harsh and mean. The words had been building in my head for hours, ever since we left the last opening and went deeper into the pitch-black forest.

Max didn't stop, but he moved more slowly. Being unwilling was clear from the way his wide shoulders tensed up under his torn shirt and his fingers squeezed together at his sides. When he looked back at me, some of his face was hidden by the darkness.

He asked, "What do you mean?" in a quiet voice.

I sped up to keep up with him because I wouldn't let him avoid the subject. I answered, "You've been putting everything on the line for me," and my voice was shaking with anger and mistrust. "Running for your life after leaving your group and not following Oliver's orders." Is it your intention for me to believe that you are acting with pure intentions?"

He came to a quick stop, and I almost ran into him. His eyes pierced mine with such intensity that I gasped as he turned to face me.

His voice was rough and low as he said, "I don't expect you to believe anything. But I'm the reason you're still alive. That ought to be important."

"That isn't a response," I retorted. My heart was racing, and I wasn't sure if it was due to fear or anger. Perhaps both. "Lucas, what are you not telling me? What makes you so worried about my fate?"

His mouth clenched, and I briefly believed he might tell me. Then, however, he shook his head and looked down.

He stepped past me and whispered, "Not here. We can't spend too much time in one place."

Following him but staying a few steps behind, I resentfully remarked, "Convenient." I had a heavy feeling in my chest, as if I were carrying the burden of all the questions he would not answer.

As the trees pressed closer together and their limbs entwined overhead to create a dense canopy that blotted out the moonlight, the forest appeared to shut in on us. I got chills every time I heard the leaves rustle or a twig snap.

I hated this. The sprint. The concealment. The ongoing worry that Oliver's warriors would find us and take us back at any time. More than anything, though, I loathed not knowing if the person I was entrusting with my life was saving me or putting me in danger.

"Lucas," I began, trying to speak steadily. "At the very least, let me know where we're going if you won't explain why you're doing this."

Without turning around, he said, "Somewhere safe."

I laughed without fun. "Safe? Do you no longer even understand what that means? Because I don’t. Nightshade was meant to be safe, and look how it worked out."

He paused once more, and this time, his face was a mixture of rage and another emotion that I couldn't quite recognize.

"Do you believe I desired this?" His voice rose as he said it. "Do you think that in order to save someone who doesn't even trust me, I planned to lose everything I've ever known?"

"So why?" I moved closer and asked, "What made you do it? Lucas, I vow I'll leave now if you don't tell me the truth."

His chest heaved as if he were involved in an internal conflict as he gazed at me. I refused to give up and stood my ground. But before he could speak, the tight silence between us was broken by a howl in the distance.

My heart leapt into my throat, and I stepped toward Lucas out of reflex. It was a faint but clear sound. They were drawing nearer.

"We must relocate," Lucas stated, his tone suddenly solemn. He took hold of my arm and dragged me forward, the new threat overshadowing his previous anger.

"What is your estimate of the number?" Trying to keep up with his big steps, I inquired.

With grimness, he mumbled, "Enough. We won't stand a chance if they find us."

The crunch of leaves beneath our feet and the beating of my heart in my ears were the only sounds we heard as we ran. The cries returned, closer this time, and I became extremely alarmed.

"Lucas," I whispered, barely raising my voice above a whisper. "What if we get caught?"

He gave me a stern look. "They won't. Not if we continue to move."

I wished I believed him, but the fear strengthened its grip on my chest like a vice every second. My lungs were screaming for air, and my legs were burning, but I made myself continue. There was no stopping.

The trees in the forest started to give way to a stony slope that dropped to a little valley. Lucas stopped at the brink and looked down.

He gestured for me to follow him, saying, "We'll cross here. They will be slowed down."

"What if we fall?" I questioned, looking down at the sheer drop with a mix of wonder and fear.

He smiled wryly at me. "I suppose we'll have more serious issues after that."

He began descending the slope before I could protest, moving with such confidence that it appeared effortless. I inhaled heavily before continuing, keeping my hands on the sharp rocks for support. I felt myself falling several times due to the uneven and slippery ground, but Lucas was always there to keep me upright.

My legs were shaking by the time we got to the bottom, and the rough stone had left my hands raw. Lucas pulled me along the tiny trail that meandered through the ravine before I had a chance to recover. We had the impression that we were entering the mouth of a huge beast because of the high, angular walls and the deep shadows they cast.

"Do you think they'll come down here and follow us?" My words reverberated off the stone walls as I asked.

"They could," Lucas admitted. "However, they will need time to find the trail. And we'll be long gone by then."

I wanted to believe him, but skepticism was like a whisper in the back of my head that got louder with each step.

I noticed that I was observing him more intently as we walked, looking for any sign that he could be concealing something. The way his gaze darted about, looking at the darkness. His hand was always close to the knife at his belt. He was tense, and it only stoked my fears.

I broke the quiet by saying, "Lucas. I must know the truth. Now is the time to tell me if there's something you're hiding from me."

He raked a hand through his hair and groaned. "Anna, I—"

He interrupted with a low growl, stopping us both in our tracks. As I turned to face the voice, my blood froze. A pair of bright eyes gazed back at us from the darkness, followed by more and more.

"Run," Lucas ordered in a deadly calm voice.

However, the first wolf lunged before we could move.