If it weren’t for the fact that the game was deadly serious and the forest was dark and lonely, Violet would have rejected Roman’s help outright and risked it all on her own. Because the gods help her, she was mortified right now!
She knew Roman had scented her arousal. There was no hiding that from a werewolf. Although he didn’t say a word or give any outward indication that he noticed, Violet had no doubt he must have savored every bit of her discomfort.
Roman must be exhilarated inside of him for ruffling her. To make it worse, he would probably bring it up and not let her hear the end of it the next time they met under more favorable conditions.
Lightning slashed across the sky, illuminating the forest in a brief, blinding flash before plunging them back into blackness. With her sight reduced to near nothing, Violet had to rely on her hearing instead.
Thanks to that, every snap of a twig and rustling leaf, distant howl, or subtle shift in the air put her on edge. And right now, the only sound she focused on was Roman moving.
"Get on my back," he said, crouching low.
"What?" She was sure she had misheard him.
Roman explained to her, "I have a location in mind, but we need to go deeper into the Silver Glade. No one would expect you to go that far, and even if they do, they’ll never anticipate that you’d actually stay there. We’ll be alone, and you can take ten minutes to rest and restore your body heat. Nothing more, nothing less."
Ten minutes alone with Roman? Violet didn’t know how to feel about that. Moreover, they were going deeper into the silver glade, was that even a wise decision?
"And what if we get lost?" she asked warily.
Roman chuckled, the sound warm and lazy, as if the very idea was amusing. "Miss Purple," he drawled, his voice sliding over her like silk. Violet swore that ridiculous nickname sounded a hundred times more sinful coming from his lips.
Get a grip, girl!
She was already in a dire situation with this hunt, this was not the time to be getting distracted by Roman freaking Draven!
"Are you even listening to me?" Roman’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
"What?" she blurted.
Roman smirked, knowingly. "Where did that pretty little head of yours go? Never mind. Listen, I roam this forest in my animal form every night. Trust me, nobody knows every inch of these woods better than I do. I’m practically the forest god at this point."
Yeah, a naked forest god.
Thank the stars it was too dark to see much, because her brain did not need to be providing visuals right now.
"Fine," Violet muttered at last, lowering herself toward him.
She reached blindly in the dark, her fingers grazing warm, solid muscle as Roman leaned back, allowing her to climb onto his back. His skin was burning hot—almost too hot—but the moment she settled against him, she realized just how frozen she had been.
Roman rose to his full height, lifting her as if she weighed nothing.
"Hold on tight," Roman warned, and then, he ran.
Violet braced herself before they were hurtling through the forest at a mind-numbing speed. The wind lashed against her skin, cold and biting, but Roman’s heat was like a furnace beneath her. At first, she was rigid, her grip on his shoulders tentative, but as they moved, she instinctively clung tighter, pressing herself into the solid warmth.
Though the forest remained pitch black, the sensation of moving so quickly in the dark was exhilarating. She could not believe how effortlessly Roman navigated without light, but it made her realize just how powerful wolves were.
Roman never slowed down, his steps eerily silent even at this insane pace. For a moment, Violet allowed herself to enjoy the ride, letting the rhythm of his movement lull her into a sense of security.
But just as she was beginning to relax, Roman came to a sudden stop, his entire body going rigid beneath her.
Her pulse spiked at once. "What is—"
"Don’t talk. Hold your breath," he commanded, his voice sharper than intended.
Something in his tone made her obey without question. Without panicking. Her lungs burned as she forced herself to stay silent, and remain still.
Then there was a rustle not far from where they stood. Violet’s fingers dug into Roman’s skin as she realized what was happening.
One of the wolves was nearby, searching for her. The creature was maybe fifteen meters away, sniffing the air, trying to catch her scent. But it was struggling with Roman having masked her trail. But even at that, if it got any closer, it would surely find them.
Tension coiled in Roman’s muscles as he poised to react. He wouldn’t let the wolf get too close.
Then Violet heard Roman make strange sounds in his throat right before the wolf’s head whipped towards them.
A sudden, shrill caw pierced the air. It was immediately followed by another. Then another.
Violet felt it rather than saw it, the moment Roman’s ability reached out and commanded the crows roosting in the trees.
A whole murder of crows exploded from the treetops above, diving at the wolf in a chaotic frenzy. The beast yelped, snapping its jaws at the attacking birds as they clawed and pecked, overwhelming it completely. The wolf had no choice but to retreat, vanishing into the darkness.
The second it was gone, Roman resumed running, carrying her through the forest without breaking a sweat. Minutes later, they arrived at their destination.
"We’re here," he announced.
Violet, still clinging to his back, squinted into the darkness. "What is ’here’?"
As if answering her prayers, lightning cracked through the sky, lighting up their surroundings for the briefest moment.
It was a tree house perched high in the branches.
"Whoa," Violet breathed, eyes wide. "Whose treehouse is that?"
"Mine," Roman said, and for the first time, there was something almost boyish in his voice, as if he was excited to share this secret with her.
Violet turned her head to look at him, suspicion in her voice. "Why do you have a treehouse in the middle of the forest?"
Although Violet immediately realized how stupid the question was. Just like Alaric and his lab, it seemed like these Alphas all had their own secret sanctuaries.
"I told you, I’m not like the others," Roman replied. "My powers require me to let my animal side out at night. Sometimes I’m too tired to go back to the dormitory, so I stay here. Other times...I just need to be alone."
For the first time, Violet saw something human in Roman, something beyond the cocky playboy she had always pegged him as. It didn’t make her trust him, but it did make her distaste waver. Mind you — just a little.
Roman turned his head, catching her in the trap of his glowing green eyes.
"Hold on tight now, honey," he purred. "We wouldn’t want you falling and breaking your neck from this height. That wouldn’t be a pretty sight."
Violet clutched him so tightly she was probably choking him, but Roman didn’t seem to mind.
It was only then, as her mind replayed his words that it hit her.
We wouldn’t want you to fall.
We?
Her stomach dropped. Who else was here?