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Then again, although tough and strong, Dane was not a particularly large wolf I supposed it could have also been a Northstone sent by Brucella to try to catch us

Noondered whether we ht up into these trees Although I had been awake each night before this one, truthfully I had not been paying asus Victoria was too much of a distraction to my senses, both when she ake and when she was asleep My focus was usually on her in some way or another

We could have very well been stalked each night by one wolf or another I should not have expected anything less froht to the back offor Victoria and helping her out too "Let’s return to camp"

Victoria

Shortly after Bastien and I returned to camp, the Bonereavers left to recruit their final wolves, while ere left to fetch ours

We set off to the two reathered everyone After this, we headed straight to Rock Hall--about three hours away froed froed ius and Brucella led our crowd to a tunnel entrance in the foothills Bastien hung back with h before we followed Echoes of footsteps thundered all around us as we ently as we traveled deeper into the ed into an immense cavern that resembled an auditorium It was packed to the brim with stone chairs and benches, and there were balconies above us where eventorches sent shadows dancing against the walls

"The Bonereavers have arrived already," Bastien muttered

"How do you--?" I followed his gaze uphere a group of five athered in one of the balconies "Where are the rest?"

Bastien shrugged "Probably retreated to their chambers to rest while they wait for the re to find out what Bastien meant by chambers Whileback to admire the auditorium, Bastien and I crossed the vast hall and entered another tunnel at the opposite end of it Doors were cut into the rocky walls on either side of us, so far all of them closed--probably already occupied by the Bonereavers But as we traveled deeper, we began to find eht which was ajar Its hinges groaned as Bastien pushed it open It was empty, in every sense of the word It was just a bare cha

As we stepped inside, our feet sent dust billowing up fro it’s been since sorim "It could be centuries for all we know," he muttered

Whatever the case, it would have to do I was used to sleeping on a branch, after all I couldn’t iine that this would be any more unco, anyway," Bastien went on "I’ht or tomorroill have decided on a course of action and will have left this place on our way to the hunters’ lair"

I sed at the thought I hated to io if the wolves really did launch a full-on attack What if the est tribes wiped out… and Bastien

Having still not coate, I also wondered what role I would play in all of this There was no machinery here for me to use, and I was just a weak huhts were roa, Bastien reached for my hand and squeezed it Then he offeredhis throat, he said, "We ought to focus on one day at a tireed upon tihtfall Thatas Rock Hall’s accoh chambers to house them all This only put more pressure on us to come up with a solution quickly so we could leave this place--which wasn’t a bad thing I feared that braould break out in thewithin such close proxist ourselves was the last thing we needed at a time like this

After the final wolves had entered the ius had been waiting outside, counting the packs as they arrived toalong the corridors outside, yelling for everyone ished to have a say about the destiny of our country to gather in thein the eht that she would be ainst me while I was a wolf And now I decided to stay as a wolf for theIf anybody dared make a snap at Victoria, I would be better equipped to defend her I was so very tempted to leave her behind in the chamber, but that also was not safe I did not trust anyone here Not even Sergius I did not wish to let her out of ht for a moment

And so I knelt for Victoria to climb onto my back Then I left the chaers sliding through the fur at the back of my neck