Chapter 98: Episode 098: Going Back
Oh, how timely.
She grabbed the smooth stone ledge and pulled herself out of the steaming water. The hot tropical air hit her wet skin. She did not bother to grab the large white towel. She ran dripping wet across the smooth wooden floor of the balcony.
She pushed the glass doors open and rushed right into the bedroom.
The two babies were still sleeping perfectly in the middle of the giant woven bed. Theron had his thumb securely in his mouth. The tiny snow leopard cub was curled into a tight grey ball right against his side. They looked peaceful. They had no idea that three highly dangerous warlords were currently ripping the continent apart.
Rue moved fast. She didn’t have time to mourn her ruined vacation.
She stripped the wet black bikini off her shivering body. She grabbed her Northern travel clothes from the floor. She pulled the thick woollen tunic over her head. She shoved her legs into the stiff leather pants. She wrapped her fur-lined cloak tightly around her small shoulders.
She grabbed the small leather travel bag. She shoved the glass baby bottles inside. She packed the specialised carnivore formula she bought from the system. She made sure the lid was screwed on tight.
"System," Rue commanded quietly. "Take me back."
The blue screen hovered right over the bed.
[Transporting Host to previous location. Please secure all passengers.]
Rue leaned over the mattress. She gathered the sleeping babies into her arms. She kept Theron pressed tightly against her chest. She scooped the fuzzy snow leopard up with her other hand, tucking the tiny cub securely inside the thick folds of her fur cloak. The cub let out a tiny, sleepy squeak but didn’t wake up.
"I’m ready," Rue said.
A blinding flash of bright blue light swallowed the beautiful tropical room.
The hot, sweet-smelling air vanished. The soft bubbling of the hot springs disappeared.
A brutal, freezing wind slammed directly into her face.
Rue gasped loudly. The sudden temperature drop was shocking. She stood in the deep snow of the dark pine forest. Tall, ancient trees blocked out the pale winter sun. The shadows were long and terrifying.
Her rabbit’s body hated the cold. Her long silver-white ears instantly flattened against her skull to conserve heat. Her nose twitched rapidly, processing the sharp scent of wet pine needles and freezing dirt.
Before she could even take a single step through the snow, a headache exploded right behind her eyes.
It wasn’t a physical pain. It was a noise.
Her mates were using the mind-link.
Where are you?
The voice belonged to Caius. It echoed directly inside her skull. The Serpent Alpha didn’t sound calm. He didn’t sound calculating. He sounded unhinged. The cold, still predator was gone. The sheer volume of his panic made her teeth ache.
Little Bunny. Answer me right now.
Rue squeezed her pink eyes shut. She held the babies tighter against her chest.
She didn’t answer him. She kept her face blank. She refused to engage with the yelling inside her own head.
Then the second voice ripped through her mind.
RUE!
Knox roared through the mental connection. Rue recoiled. The giant black panther sounded like he was currently destroying a mountain.
I swear to the gods, if someone took you, I will burn the entire Convergence to the ground. Give me a location. Tell me what you see!
They were demanding her exact location. They were losing their minds. The mate bond tied them all together, and they could feel her sudden disappearance from the North. They probably felt the distance when the system took her to the tropical springs. Now they felt her back in the freezing snow. The sudden shifts were driving their animal instincts totally crazy.
It’s not even a phone call and it’s working from this distance?!
Rue stood perfectly still in the dark forest. The thick snow soaked straight through her boots. She wiggled her freezing toes. She was soft and fragile, and standing in a winter storm was not good for her health.
She didn’t respond to the yelling in her head. She just mentally blocked them out. She focused on the physical world right in front of her.
She heard a loud snap.
A tree branch broke somewhere in the dark woods.
Rue’s nose twitched frantically. She smelled it immediately. It wasn’t the scent of a feral rogue wolf. It wasn’t the smell of a bear. It was the sharp scent of winter and pure Alpha dominance.
Axel found her first.
The giant wolf broke through the tree line. He didn’t look like a calm, calculating king. He looked like a wild animal. His unusual black and white hair was messy. His winter coat was covered in thick, wet snow. His chest heaved violently with every single breath he took.
His icy blue eyes were totally wild. He scanned the dark forest frantically until his gaze finally locked onto her small, silver-white figure.
Axel didn’t say a word. He didn’t ask her where she went.
He just rushed toward her.
He moved with terrifying speed. His boots crunched loudly through the deep snow. He crossed the clearing in less than two seconds.
Rue froze. Her body locked up. Her prey instincts screamed at her to run away from the charging apex predator. But she couldn’t run. She was holding two babies. She just stood there, her ears pressed totally flat against her head in pure fear.
Axel didn’t attack her. He didn’t yell.
He pulled her directly into a crushing hug.
He wrapped his giant arms around her. He engulfed her fragile body, along with Theron and the hidden snow leopard cub. The physical impact of his giant frame actually knocked the breath right out of her lungs.
He buried his cold face deep into the crook of her neck. He was shaking. The terrifying Alpha King of the North was actually trembling against her skin.
He breathed in her scent like it was the only thing keeping him alive. His heart hammered violently against her arm. It was beating fast.
Rue stood stiff in his embrace. She was trapped against his broad chest.
She didn’t hug him back. She didn’t know what to do with his intense reaction. She tried to rationalise his behaviour. She tried to tell herself it was just a pack instinct. He was just checking on his travelling companions. But the way he held her felt too personal.
The mind-link in her head was still chaotic. Caius was still demanding a location. Knox was still roaring threats.
Rue ignored them all. She just focused on the warm weight of the wolf holding her together in the freezing snow.
Axel slowly pulled his face away from her neck. He didn’t let go of her waist. He looked down at her blank, unbothered expression. He let out a long, shaky breath that created a thick cloud of white steam in the freezing air.
"I am so glad you are fine, little rabbit."
The next moment, the little cub, suddenly thrown off guard by the stranger’s action, paws at Axel.