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Raine paces, watching the darkness creep in. Already there’s a wall of dust, stretching from the ground up to the dark clouds, flashing with lightning. A deep, rumbling growl of thunder shakes everything around us. “Guys,” she yells, fear coating her voice.
I look up and see her pointing toward the storm, her face very pale. I follow the direction of her finger and curse our luck to hell and back because not only is a giant haboob headed right for us, but a small horde of Biters seem to have gotten themselves trapped in the storm, and boy, do they look hungry.
The minute the tent is packed, Ferris swings it up onto his back, and then we run.
[ 43 ]
RAINE
The Wastes
Dair races ahead, steering us blindly away from the storm. I don’t even know if we’re still running west because all that matters is that we’re running away. The wall of dust is getting closer, and I nearly stumble with every deep, booming crack of thunder that seems to echo on forever when there’s nothing to block the sound waves.
Ferris keeps time with me, occasionally looking over to make sure that I’m doing okay. In any other circumstance, I’d feel so happy that Dair is trusting Ferris to watch me while Ferris trusts him to direct us. However, now is not the time to feel cozy about my pack working together.
Dair yells back at us, “I can just see the silhouette of something ahead. We’re probably two miles out!”
Two miles? I risk a look over my shoulder and curse. Not only is the horde of Biters catching up, but there’s also no way we’re going to find shelter before the storm hits.
As if Ferris has come to the same conclusion, he yells back at Dair, “We’re not going to make it! We need the rope!”
Dair swings his backpack around his body, putting it on backward, so that he can reach a hand inside and dig around. I hear him cursing on the wind, angry that he had to throw things in haphazardly. After a long minute, he finally pulls out the rope and signals for us to stop running.
We pause, breathing hard, while Dair ties the rope around each of our waists. All of us take the time to cover up better too, pulling our T-shirt masks on and throwing outer layers over our exposed arms. We move as fast as we can, ever conscious of the threats at our backs.
He tells us, “We need to run as far as we can before the storm overtakes us. If at any point, the dust becomes too much and you can’t keep your eyes open, close them and keep running. The rope will tell you where we’re going.”
“And the Biters?” I ask.
“We have to hope that the storm’s winds will confuse their sense of smell,” is all he says.
Dair bends to kiss my forehead, and Ferris follows suit, then my two alphas press their heads together for a small moment. “Together?” Dair asks.
“Together,” Ferris says. And then we sprint.
It only takes a few minutes before the wind becomes painful. Small grains of sand and dirt slice over any exposed skin and dry my eyes out until they feel like tree bark. I close my eyes and untie the T-shirt over my nose and mouth so that I can pull it up over my head entirely. I keep my eyes open under the shirt, but all I can see are shadows through the fabric. I scream into the wind, “I can’t see!”
Ahead, I hear Dair, “Hold the rope!”
I reach down and wrap some of the slack around my forearm so that I can feel the direction that Dair is pulling me. Soon, I can’t hear anything over the howling of the storm and the sky-shattering booms of thunder. The wind sucks at my face covering, suffocating me and stealing my breath. My heart pounds so aggressively I can feel the pressure of my blood in my ears, but still I run.
Suddenly, it becomes so dark I think I’ve closed my eyes under the shirt, but then a blinding flash of light strikes the ground to our right, illuminating everything for a second. Then the blackness of nothing returns. Dirt begins to cling to my legs like it’s encasing them in the short time they touch the ground. I hate feeling like I’m trapped, but the dirt keeps grabbing at me, and panic sets in.
Tears soak the fabric clinging to my face, making me feel like it’s coated in a thick, oppressive layer of mud. I stop running, and the rope tugs hard at my arm before Dair realizes that I’m stationary. Warmth surrounds me from behind, bringing with it the faintest hint of Ferris’s scent. His body wraps around mine, blocking the wind from one direction and I lean into his protective embrace.
“We have to keep going!” he yells.
Sobbing, I shake my head. “I can’t!” The dirt is trying to swallow me. Can’t he see that?
I flail, screaming and kicking my feet out from the mounds forming. The ground is going to trap me here so that the Biters can flay the flesh from my bones. Suddenly, Ferris wraps one of his hands around my neck to firmly grip my throat. His fingers press gently into the scent glands on each side, and I sag into the feeling.
“Settle, omega,” he grunts against the cloth over my ear. “You need to listen to your alpha, okay?” I nod, letting the soothing sensation of handing over my submission calm my fraying nerves. “Good girl, Raine. Dair is just ahead. Reach out your hand and grab his.”
I reach out blindly, fighting the wind, and connect with Dair’s warm skin. He grips my hand tightly, and Ferris slowly releases his hold on my neck. Dair guides me into his arms and then picks me up, wrapping my legs around his waist so that my front is firmly squished into his. “Hold tight, baby,” he yells, and then we’re running.
I bounce against him, but I hold firm, not letting my muscles fatigue. I tuck my covered face into his neck and inhale his scent the entire time he carries me through the storm. I can feel Ferris close behind us, pushing soothing thoughts to me through our ever-strengthening bond. The wind still stings, and my lungs are still tight with fear, but knowing that I’m surrounded by my alphas helps immensely.
After what feels like forever, Dair begins to slow, and I hear Ferris yelling that he’s going to find an open door. There’s a horribly loud, metallic creaking, and then with just a few final steps, I’m surrounded by silence so consuming I feel like I’m floating in water.
