The Hunt

Chapter 38

Cole seemed to find humour in my teasing, looking down at me and rolling his eyes as he walked me in the direction of the bonfire.

The sun had fully set now, and the wind was getting a little harsher, causing me to wrap my arms around myself despite the fact that I was wearing my thick coat.

What was with the weather by the beach? Was it ever warm? I was growing sick of the cold.

"Are you sure you can't join everyone for a bit?" I asked Cole and he sighed, shaking his head.

"I have a lot to do. Rowan, who trains our fighters, and I are coming up with a contingency plan, and we need to go through everything and all of the risks," Cole told me, and I nodded in understanding.

I felt guilty going off partying while he missed out on it in order to try and keep the pack safe, but, I knew that the best thing I could do was act as normal as possible for everyone. I wouldn't be much help planning anything anyway, and the pack needed to see me calm and relaxed so they wouldn't panic.

Cole wanted me to gain the trust of them too, and socialising would be the best way to do so. I was just hoping they wouldn't look down on me for joining them instead of helping Cole.

We rounded the corner, the end of the beach where the bonfire was being held coming into view, the flickering blob of light from the bonfire burning brightly in the distance, easy to spot in the dark.

I was hoping Amara and Tirus would already be there. I didn't know who I was supposed to talk to if they weren't.

Mingling wasn't my strong point.

"Have you got the evacuation planned?" I questioned quietly, curiosity getting the better of me.

If I was going to be evacuated, I would like to know where we were going and how long it would take. I wanted to mentally prepare myself, although, I wasn't all that happy about being sent away, and I thought about coming up with some sort of plan to convince Cole to let me stay.

Cole hummed, scratching at his chin and gazing down at me, arching his brows.

It seemed he didn't like me asking too many questions.

"Rowan and I are sorting out the details tonight."

"How long will the journey be?" I pressed, clamping my mouth shut when I heard Cole's chest rumble slightly, letting me know he was growing frustrated with my questioning.

"I don't know, Reya," he sighed, softening his tone purposely. "It depends how long it takes for people to walk. We have quite a few elderly wolves."

I furrowed my brows at my mate. He had a car didn't he? I had ridden in it when I first arrived at the pack.

Although, it occurred to me that I hadn't actually seen it since then. Nobody here seemed to have one.

I knew for a fact I didn't imagine it.

"What about your car?" I asked, and Cole chuckled.

"I borrowed that from a nearby pack when I heard that Saskia had gone out of bounds. I returned it the next day."

"Oh," I muttered. "Well, would they let you use it again? You would be able to evacuate people much more easily with it."

I smiled, slightly proud of myself with my suggestion, Cole instantly shaking his head, making me frown as we stepped onto the beach.

My feet sank into the soft sand, the sound of the crashing waves hitting the rocks causing my heart to pick up slightly, remembering how I had been a victim to them.