to keep my voice strong. "Then I'll buy some hiking boots, a couple of granola bars, maybe one of those nice glass water bottles encased in pink plastic, and hike toward the cairn."
Blake snorts and looks at me over his shoulder. "You'll get stopped by a patrol."
I nod. "Yeah, that's what I'm counting on. And I'll sweet-talk them like you wouldn't believe, and get them to bring me to Aurion."
Blake can't help but smile. "And you think he'll be happy to talk to you then, if you're dragged in by a patrol?"
I give him an innocent shrug. "He doesn't sound like a generally happy person to begin with. So I don't think it would really make that big a difference, would it?"
Blake laughs and shakes his head. "Well, you're clearly determined."
"I am." I take a step forward. "Look, I'm not trying to write a hit piece. I don't want to blow shit up just for the sake of drama. I want to get the real story. I want to understand what happened. Why Alexander is risking so much. And depending on what I discover, I'll write the story that fits the facts. Or - hell. Maybe I won't write a story. I don't know. But soon a horde of other journalists will be coming here to get the story if I don't. And they may be less scrupulous. Or they might be looking for a sensational tabloid feature. The very least I can promise is that I'll be respectful."
Blake's eyes are bestial. Inhuman. He stares at me as if I'm prey and he's a predator, about to leap and drag me down. There's a moment where I'm actually afraid, and then he sighs and nods.
"Very well. We can head out in half an hour. It'll take about an hour of hiking to get you to the cairn. Then? Well. You're on your own."
I sigh and almost collapse into the armchair. "Thank you! Thank you so much."
"One thing," says Blake. "You're not the first person to ask me this. A man by the name of Allan has been in town for two days, asking similar questions."
My eyes go wide. "A reporter?"
Blake nods. "Not a pleasant individual. I turned him down point blank. Just thought you should know."
Oh, crap . I thought I was at the front of the pack. Instead, it looks like I'm trailing second. "Thanks. For telling me."
"Don't thank me," says Blake. "You might regret all this once you meet Aurion."
I gulp. "He can't be that bad, can he?"
Blake just stares at me, his eyes gleaming, and then snorts and steps out. I sit down to wait and realize my hands are trembling. I clench them and look out the window. Alexander. Where are you? What secrets are you hiding? I wish he was here. And with a start, I realize it's not because I want to ask him questions. It's simply because I'd like to step into his arms and have him hug me real tight.
Chapter 7
Good lord, this hike is heaven and hell. Heaven in that I get to scramble the whole way behind Blake, who oh-so-courteously refrains from turning into a wolf, meaning that I get to ogle his ass for an hour and a half as we hike into the hills. Hell, in that this body of mine has been carefully engineered to excel at watching movies and munching cookies, not trekking across the wilds. I'll be the first to admit I'm a hot mess. Sweating, gasping, pausing with a hand on a tree to sway and suck down a little more water.
Each time Blake turns around patiently to wait for me and raise an inquiring eyebrow. I make a dismissive face and give him a thumbs-up. No way am I going to try to speak right now. Then, way before I'm actually ready, I nod so as to appear tough, and he turns and on we go. Up and up, over fallen logs, across ledges, up leafy slopes, higher and higher into the hills.
Damn. The things I'll do for a story.
I don't notice any patrols, but at one point I ask Blake if they're out there, and he nods. "My pack gets patrol duty once a week. We're being watched, but that's OK. Nobody's going to mess with us as long as I'm leading you in. Just stay close and you'll be fine." His eyes gleam with humor, but I still don't want to imagine myself out
Blake snorts and looks at me over his shoulder. "You'll get stopped by a patrol."
I nod. "Yeah, that's what I'm counting on. And I'll sweet-talk them like you wouldn't believe, and get them to bring me to Aurion."
Blake can't help but smile. "And you think he'll be happy to talk to you then, if you're dragged in by a patrol?"
I give him an innocent shrug. "He doesn't sound like a generally happy person to begin with. So I don't think it would really make that big a difference, would it?"
Blake laughs and shakes his head. "Well, you're clearly determined."
"I am." I take a step forward. "Look, I'm not trying to write a hit piece. I don't want to blow shit up just for the sake of drama. I want to get the real story. I want to understand what happened. Why Alexander is risking so much. And depending on what I discover, I'll write the story that fits the facts. Or - hell. Maybe I won't write a story. I don't know. But soon a horde of other journalists will be coming here to get the story if I don't. And they may be less scrupulous. Or they might be looking for a sensational tabloid feature. The very least I can promise is that I'll be respectful."
Blake's eyes are bestial. Inhuman. He stares at me as if I'm prey and he's a predator, about to leap and drag me down. There's a moment where I'm actually afraid, and then he sighs and nods.
"Very well. We can head out in half an hour. It'll take about an hour of hiking to get you to the cairn. Then? Well. You're on your own."
I sigh and almost collapse into the armchair. "Thank you! Thank you so much."
"One thing," says Blake. "You're not the first person to ask me this. A man by the name of Allan has been in town for two days, asking similar questions."
My eyes go wide. "A reporter?"
Blake nods. "Not a pleasant individual. I turned him down point blank. Just thought you should know."
Oh, crap . I thought I was at the front of the pack. Instead, it looks like I'm trailing second. "Thanks. For telling me."
"Don't thank me," says Blake. "You might regret all this once you meet Aurion."
I gulp. "He can't be that bad, can he?"
Blake just stares at me, his eyes gleaming, and then snorts and steps out. I sit down to wait and realize my hands are trembling. I clench them and look out the window. Alexander. Where are you? What secrets are you hiding? I wish he was here. And with a start, I realize it's not because I want to ask him questions. It's simply because I'd like to step into his arms and have him hug me real tight.
Chapter 7
Good lord, this hike is heaven and hell. Heaven in that I get to scramble the whole way behind Blake, who oh-so-courteously refrains from turning into a wolf, meaning that I get to ogle his ass for an hour and a half as we hike into the hills. Hell, in that this body of mine has been carefully engineered to excel at watching movies and munching cookies, not trekking across the wilds. I'll be the first to admit I'm a hot mess. Sweating, gasping, pausing with a hand on a tree to sway and suck down a little more water.
Each time Blake turns around patiently to wait for me and raise an inquiring eyebrow. I make a dismissive face and give him a thumbs-up. No way am I going to try to speak right now. Then, way before I'm actually ready, I nod so as to appear tough, and he turns and on we go. Up and up, over fallen logs, across ledges, up leafy slopes, higher and higher into the hills.
Damn. The things I'll do for a story.
I don't notice any patrols, but at one point I ask Blake if they're out there, and he nods. "My pack gets patrol duty once a week. We're being watched, but that's OK. Nobody's going to mess with us as long as I'm leading you in. Just stay close and you'll be fine." His eyes gleam with humor, but I still don't want to imagine myself out
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