“Anytime,” Sara said, offering me a sad smile. “And if you need a place to live once this is over—”

“We’ll welcome you with open arms,” John finished for her as he shook Rage’s hand.

“Maybe after Rage takes me to Hawaii. He owes me a vacay,” I said with a grin. Like Kaja and her sisters, these people were gold—total opposites of the shady occupants of Dark Row and the current alpha king.

First things first, we had to get Honor back. Then, we could think about the future.

“Thanks,” Rage told him, and we exited the log-style home.

Sadie and Audrey each carried a pack and now approached a small shed near the gate. They ducked inside, and when they emerged, they carried a small canoe.

“We’ll say we’re traders bringing goods to the island. We have two bear furs, and winter is coming.” Audrey patted her pack and nodded toward Sadie’s.

Rage nodded. “Good plan. Say the queen ordered them. Tell the guard to say, ‘A penny for a dry noodle.’ Then, my mother will corroborate your story.”

They both looked a little surprised. Maybe because of the strange saying. Maybe because he’d called the queen his mother and, earlier, he’d called the king his uncle. I don’t think many people on the outside of Shifter Island knew what went down, that his uncle swooped in and married his sister-in-law, not a day after his brother died.

Shady. He got the crown, a beautiful wife, and four heirs overnight. Just what any alpha would want.

“And we’ll see you get payment for the furs,” I added, suddenly worried what they would do come winter without them.

With that, Sadie waved at someone in the guard tower, and the gate grated opened. Then we started our trek through the sparse woods. After every few yards, one of the girls sprayed the special deodorizing spray so we couldn’t be tracked. After a few hours, we stepped onto a well-worn path leading down from the mountains. As we descended, the foliage changed. The pines fought for space amongst the cedars, and the sound of water pounding against the rocks below crescendoed.

Audrey and Sadie led us around the next bend, balancing the canoe overhead, and one of them said, “Watch your step here. The path gets pretty narrow.”

I followed them, practically hugging the solid stone to my right as I rounded the corner. Below, the surf crashed against dark stone, sending sprays of white up into the blue sky. I swallowed hard and, glancing back over my shoulder, spotted another path leading down to a large, rocky overhang. Just looking over the stone ledge made my hands and the soles of my feet tingle. Narrow: aka fall-to-your-death-if-you’re-not-careful. I was 87.3% sure this wasn’t the way we’d come. “Is this the path you guys always use?”

“No,” Sadie said over her shoulder just before leaving the narrow cliff behind and stepping into the safety of the thick trees. “But it’s the fastest to get us to a dock that leads to Alpha Island.”

“That is a long way down,” Rage muttered after peeking over the ledge behind me as I hurried to the safety of the forest. “I’d rather be in my wolf form if we have to do that again.”

Though I’d rather not have to do it again. Ever. Wolves weren’t meant for flying.

The path disappeared into the woods again, and the underbrush was much denser at this lower elevation.

As we reached the edge of the thick woods, smoke hung in the air, and pieces of ash floated in on the breeze. I frowned. We’d been walking just over two hours on foot, so maybe four or five miles. I was totally lost but…

“Are we near Dark Row?”

Audrey nodded, but before she could speak, Rage answered.

“Dark Row stretches about ten miles along the coastline of the magic lands. When we come from the main dock at Alpha Island, we land on the south side of it.”

“And we’re now near the tip of the east side,” Sadie said. Her gaze flicked up to Rage, and she added, “Just a heads up, it was Shifter Island until your uncle took over. You should think about that.”

I ducked my chin, embarrassed on behalf of my mate. Through our bond, I could feel Rage’s sentiments echoing my own.

“Noted,” Rage offered back to her.

We continued our journey until we hovered just inside the tree line, and I raised my gaze, up past the edge of the forest, and gasped. Destruction stretched as far as I could see, which wasn’t far given the air quality. The ground still smoldered, and glowing embers gave the thick blanket of smoke and ash an eerie glow. Bits of charred rubble jutted up from the ground like broken, rotting teeth. The king burned it all?

Why?

“Let’s hope that most of the king’s guards are gone now,” Audrey muttered as she and Sadie set the canoe down. “We’ll spray you, and then the two of you can carry the canoe through town over your head. If we see anyone, let us do the talking.”

Smart. The canoe would practically cover our faces, and the spray would mask our scent.

Audrey turned to us. “Lift your arms and hold your breath.”

We did as she asked and then were promptly engulfed in an oily mist of the scent-clearing spray. After it settled on our skin, we backed up and took a deep breath.

Just then, two guards appeared out from the smoke like ghosts. We quickly ducked into the foliage, unseen, and waited.

Thank the mages we were covered in that special spray.

“The king wants them found,” one of the guards growled, shoving the man nearest him.

“Eventually, Prince Courage’ll show,” a familiar male voice said. “We’ve locked down the other docks, so this is the only way on or off the island.”

My eyes widened, and I darted a glance toward Rage. Yikes.

His nostrils flared; he gritted his teeth, glaring daggers at the guard who spoke. ‘Do you see who that is?’ Rage’s voice in my head was still not something I was used to.

I stared at the guard through the leaves that cloaked us, studying his features. Holy flippin’ mage. ‘That’s herpes Beo.’

‘Yeah,’ Rage spoke in my mind. ‘We grew up together. I can’t believe he would…’

‘I’m sorry.’ I rested my hand on Rage’s, a pathetic attempt to comfort my mate. That kind of betrayal would sting.

“Don’t harm them when you find them either,” Beo continued. “Until their shield bond is broken, we need to make sure she isn’t killed. The king needs at least one strong heir.”

Two of the men laughed, and the sound sank into my chest like an anvil.

The guards disappeared into the cloud of soot and smoke, and my gaze jumped to the twins.

“Now what?” Rage asked, his voice just over a whisper. “Is there another way we can meet you in the water? Because there is no way Beo will let us just waltz through Dark Row.”

Yeah … strolling past the guards with a canoe on our heads was so out of the question now.

Sadie nodded. “You’ll have to hike back up the path a bit to the cliff. We’ll go ahead through to the main dock and meet you in the water.”

I knew what she was going to say next, and I shook my head. Don’t say it. Don’t say it.

Her twin confirmed my worst fear: “When you get to that narrow bend, go onto the cliff’s edge. You can jump in from there.”