A Wolf's Tale (Book #4) Storm Of Vengeance

Chapter 15

The so-called "short journey" that Hidden had mentioned was far from short.

It was beginning to take long.

Way too long.

Misty's paws were starting to ache miserably to the point that she was beginning to feel numb to it. Her legs and shoulders somehow managed to keep her up and walking despite the pain shooting through them. Deep down, she wanted to curl up and sleep forever. But her heart was set on putting things right. Her drive and determination kept her veins alive with fire.

Cayden padded along next to her. The usually arrogant gleam in his eyes had dulled to a smoking coal. A shadow seemed to cast over his face as they continued on, stopping only when necessary, sleeping once in a great while, and eating only when their bellies snarled with hunger.

It's been a month.

Misty flicked an ear in irritation. Had the haggard old wolf tricked them into this journey? Was she secretly plotting with Samara against Misty and the millions of other wolves that have suffered?

Then, Misty thought of the flashbacks that Hidden had summoned before her eyes. She could not deny that her heart shattered into innumerable pieces watching the ones closest to her die so gruesomely. Their screams and bloodied bodies haunted her. The past was catching up to her once more, and she was afraid that she wouldn't be able to control herself if it didn't stop.

"Stop." Cayden's dry voice broke her thoughts.

Misty wondered if she had been thinking out loud until Cayden slumped down heavily, his figure sagging in exhaustion.

"I just need to rest for a moment." He rasped.

Misty almost protested. But her body won over her mind and she flopped down before she could even snap at him to keep moving.

The two of them were resting on a cliff face. They constantly had to find another detour or push the huge rocks out of their way. The wind swirled and whistled up, throwing them off balance and causing them to press against the wall of rock that followed them on the right side. The dropoff was only about the size of one stride from the wall. One slip, one clumsy movement, and they would fall to their deaths.

Misty panted. She flexed and released the muscles in her body, biting back a gasp as she noted just how sore and worn down she was.

"I'm not as young as I once was." Cayden murmured, eyeing the edge of the cliff with wary eyes.

Misty grunted in response and tried to trace a safe path ahead. Much further beyond where they were sitting, a huge boulder sat in the middle of the path with a fallen tree slung on the other side of it, attached to the ground only by its roots.

Misty followed the tree's shape with hopeful eyes, seeing if it would hold them so they could climb out of this canyon of death. Her heart sank when she saw the center of the tree cracked and splintered. So much for trying to climb out.

Cayden followed her gaze. His eyes flickered uncertainly. "How will we get around that?"

Misty let out a breath. "We have to climb over it."

"What?" Cayden demanded, fixing his attention on her. "You can't be serious."

"I am." She looked up and down the boulder. "We can't walk across the tree. And there is no other way except to go over it."

"Misty." Cayden sat up, a sigh leaving his lips. "Is it worth risking our lives for this?"

The she-wolf fixed him with a dangerous glare. "What do you mean?"