Chapter 194 The Chase Begins

    bLeslie’s /bPOV

    :

    31

    Finished

    I chewed the fish in my hand without expression. The salty, fishy taste spread across my tongue -nd enough to make me frown.

    Carris had picked it up near the shore and cooked it over a fire he started with friction. A few dry leaves were the only “ting,” and there wasn’t even a hint of seasoning.

    The longer I chewed, the more it tasted like the bitterness of survival–there was nothing delicious about it.

    “I could kill for the roasted squab from that old French ce in the capital,” I muttered inwardly to Asphodel. “With a ss of top–shelf white wine… now that’s a real meal.”

    i“/iiShut /iiup/ii, /iiLeslie/ii,/i” my wolf replied, his voice weak but still as haughty as ever. “iYou’re /iigetting /iiprotein/i. iThat’s /iiall /iithat /iimatters/i. A iqueen /iidoesn’t /iicopse /iiin /iithe /iiwild/i.i” /i

    Carris, gnawing on his own fish, looked up at me and grinned like a fool.

    “If you don’t want yours, I’ll take it,” he said, reaching for the meat in my hand.

    I instinctively pulled back and shot him a re like a wolf guarding its food, too tired to deal with his dumb grin.

    He edged closer and offered, “If you’re bored, throw on some beastkin rags and I’ll take you to look around the vige.”

    I shook my head immediately, a chill shooting down my spine.

    “Bored? Not that bored. Just hearing the word ‘beastkin‘ makes my skin crawl.” As if I’d ever put on those filthy hides.

    Not a chance.

    I looked up. The sky was a spotless blue, the sea breeze crisp and pleasant.

    But I couldn’t enjoy any of it. Every day out here was a mix of danger and dread. When the hell was this nightmare going to end?

    Just as I was sinking deeper into that gloom, a low rumble echoed across the sea.

    My heart skipped.

    I bolted upright and rushed to a high ridge of rock, squinting at the ocean.

    Chapter 194 The Chase Begins

    :

    A ck speck on the water grew steadilyrger, engine roar rolling louder by the second.

    Excitement surged through me. I waved and screamed, “Help! Over here!”

    But before I could celebrate, Carris yanked me down and dragged me away.

    His voice turned icy. “Run! Sea Demons!”

    Finished

    Sea Demons—one of the world’s most notorious pirate crews. A gang of exiled criminals from every race, each one worse than thest.

    My blood went cold.

    Heart pounding like a war drum, I turned and ran with him.

    “Where are we running to?” I panted, not daring to slow down.

    “Where do you jungle!”

    think?” he shot back, almostughing from sheer disbelief. “Deeper into the

    “The jungle?” My voice cracked. “Isn’t that where the beastkin are?”

    “They’re saintspared to Sea Demons!” he snapped.

    I faltered for half a second–he wasn’t wrong–then pushed forward, bracing myself.

    We sprinted headlong into the jungle. The wind shed at my face, cold and biting.

    My lungs felt ready to explode, but I didn’t stop for even a second.

    Behind us came the chaos of footfalls, whoopingughter, and the sharp whine of arrows whistling through the air.

    One zipped so close it grazed my sleeve.

    I caught a sh of violet shimmer on the metal tip.

    “Damn it–Wolf’s Bane,”

    A toxin designed to cripple a werewolf’s regeneration. If one of those hit a vital organ, even an Alpha wouldn’t survive.

    This wasn’t a chase–it was a bloody hunt, and I was the prey.

    Terror swelled in my chest, every nerve on fire.

    Suddenly, my foot slipped.

    Chapter 194 The Chase Begins

    b31 /b

    Finished

    I crashed to the ground, knee smashing into a jagged stone. Pain exploded up my leg–I could swear something cracked.

    Gritting my teeth, I bit back a cry, face pale and dripping with cold sweat.

    Carris nced back and moved to lift me.

    I shoved him off and pushed myself up with trembling arms, forcing out a strained smile. “Save your strength. I can still run.”

    He gave me a hard look, then nodded and grabbed my arm to keep going.

    That leg was done for. Every step stabbed like needles through bone. But I ran. Teeth clenched, vision swimming, sweat streaming down my face.

    Behind us, the shouting drew closer. Arrows shrieked past, too close, too fast.

    Then I saw it–smoke rising in the distance.

    The beastkin vige.

    Carris and I locked eyes. Without a word, we curved around toward the back of the settlement and ducked behind a massive tree.

    iThump/ii! /i

    The sharp crack of a bolt snapping through the air made my pulse spike.

    The beastkin had noticed. I heard their shouting–panicked, foreign words barked over the noise. They grabbed clubs and stone axes, yelling warnings I couldn’t understand.

    The Sea Demons cursed in response. More bolts fired. The air stank of gunpowder.

    Carris pressed a finger to his lips, urging silence, eyes locked on the perimeter with rare tension.

    Footsteps thundered through the brush. Branches snapped.

    The beastkin’s roars grew more frenzied. The Sea Demons weren’t backing off either.

    Tension rose like a live wire, seconds from snapping.

    I clenched my fists.

    My heart pounded like a war drum.

    A brutal, three–way bloodbath was about to erupt–and we were right in the middle of it.

    Chapter 194 The Chase Begins

    b31 /b

    Finished

    I crashed to the ground, knee smashing into a jagged stone. Pain exploded up my leg–I could swear something cracked.

    Gritting my teeth, I bit back a cry, face pale and dripping with cold sweat.

    Carris nced back and moved to lift me.

    I shoved him off and pushed myself up with trembling arms, forcing out a strained smile. “Save your strength. I can still run.”

    He gave me a hard look, then nodded and grabbed my arm to keep going.

    That leg was done for. Every step stabbed like needles through bone. But I ran. Teeth clenched, vision swimming, sweat streaming down my face.

    Behind us,

    the shouting drew closer. Arrows shrieked past, too close, too fast.

    Then I saw it–smoke rising in the distance.

    The beastkin vige.

    Carris and I locked eyes. Without a word, we curved around toward the back of the settlement and ducked behind a massive tree.

    iThump/ii! /i

    The sharp crack of a bolt snapping through the air made my pulse spike.

    The beastkin had noticed. I heard their shouting–panicked, foreign words barked over the noise. They grabbed clubs and stone axes, yelling warnings I couldn’t understand.

    The Sea Demons cursed in response. More bolts fired. The air stank of gunpowder.

    Carris pressed a finger to his lips, urging silence, eyes locked on the perimeter with rare tension.

    Footsteps thundered through the brush. Branches snapped.

    The beastkin’s roars grew more frenzied. The Sea Demons weren’t backing off either.

    Tension rose like a live wire, seconds from snapping.

    I clenched my fists.

    My heart pounded like a war drum.

    A brutal, three–way bloodbath was about to erupt–and we were right in the middle of it.

    Burn in the Alpha Princess’s Wrath