The woods smelled of wet earth and impending death.
We stumbled away from the burning wreckage of the jet. The rain was freezing, plastering my clothes to my skin, but Kael was burning up.
He leaned heavily on me, his massive arm draped over my shoulders. His breathing was ragged.
"Leave me," Kael growled, his voice a low rumble in his chest. "I’m slowing you down. They are tracking the blood."
"I don't leave my mate," I snapped. "Shut up and walk."
We found a derelict hunting cabin a mile deep in the timberline. It was barely standing, the door hanging off its hinges, but it was dry.
I kicked the door open and dragged Kael inside. I pushed him onto the dusty floorboards.
"Dorian," I ordered. "Watch the perimeter. If anything moves, kill it."
Dorian nodded, clutching his ri
