One of Runts

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Three: Accusations

        We slowly come to a stop many hours later. By now it's night and we are most likely about twenty miles away from the border to the north section. It'll most likely take us about three or four days if we keep running at this pace in order to make it back to the castle.

        I look around me and see everyone panting. I can tell that the rest of the squadron, including Azrael, want to just collapse on the floor, but we can't. We have to set-up our make-shift camp and tie up the wolves with chains instead of ropes.

        Azrael sends a stern look to Sibyl and Tryn who are currently holding onto the noose with the largest wolf, and he shifts. His chest is rising fast as he stares down at the wolves hard. He takes chains from his bag and swiftly loops the silver and wolfsbane collar around their throats.

        Despite the fact that people think that silver and wolfsbane can easily kill us, and it can in lethal doses, all it does is weaken a wolf. The wolves struggle away from Azrael as he attempts to put the collars on them, knowing that the wolfsbane in them will touch their skin and burn them.

        Azrael growls lowly at them and they freeze long enough for him to tighten the collar around their throats. They whine slightly, but other than that do nothing. Azrael wraps the chins around two different trees as everyone shifts. The wolves won't be able to shift with the collars on since the wolfsbane will stop them.

        I still hold onto Conner's noose, though I know he won't do anything. Azreal looks towards me with a raised eyebrow, holding up the extra chain and collar. I see Conner flinch at the implication of it, though he doesn't attempt to get away.

        I look him in the eyes. "Will you stay here if all we do is tie you to the tree with the rope?" I ask him, my voice deathly serious. I have all of my senses trained on him to try and detect a lie.

        He hesitantly bows down and tilts his head to the side, taking me by surprise. "I promise you that I will not try to escape. Just please keep me away from those wolves or I will take a chunk out of their hide." I stare at his form seconds longer before looking towards Azrael.

        "I trust him," I tell him. I can sense Azrael's dislike and I know he wants to argue against me, but he nods his head.

        "Just tie him up, then," he tells me. I nod to him and shake off my bag, shifting and grabbing the rest of the rope. I loop two more nooses around Conner's throat and tie all three ends to a different tree. The final product of this is Conner sitting in the center point with very little space to move. I give him a stern look, pick up my bag, and walk towards Azrael.

        "Do you think he'll try to escape?" Azrael mutters to me through our bond. I glance back at Conner who's sitting as far away from our two prisoners as possible. I just shake my head at him and grab the hammock from my bag.

        I pick a tree to hang it up in and Azrael follows after me. We hang our hammocks side by side and I glare at mine. While I may be okay with climbing in trees, I absolutely hate having to be this vulnerable in one.

        I climb down the tree after Azrael and we head towards where the rest of the squadron sit, chewing on a few of their rations. I glance at Conner who still has his bag on his back and grab some of the deer jerky in it. I place the pieces on the ground and he swiftly eats it. "Thanks." I nod to him.

        I ignore the looks that some of the squadron give me and sit beside Azrael and chew on my own jerky. "I know you were talking to him," Azrael says through mind-link, allowing everyone, except Conner, of course, to listen in. They all immediately glance at me and stop eating.

        I sigh. "He told me that he didn't work with them willingly," I tell them. I can sense some suspicion in everyone and Conan even mutters a 'bullshit.' "They've got his sister." A few of them purse their lips at the information, though I know a few are still cross with the fact that he was most likely giving out information about us.

        "He told me that he's been working with them for a year ever since he found out that his sister was with them unwillingly. He was tasked with getting information out of me since I come from a more high-ranking family and I am close with Alpha Quill."

        Azrael's fist clenches and I grab it in my hand. I run my thumb over his knuckles and he slowly calms down. I see the others look angry too and I know they already care a great deal for me. While we may not be close, we have been living together for three weeks with nobody else to talk to.

        "Are you saying that they've been watching you?" Raven asks me, looking angry. I nod my head at her and I can tell she's not only furious but disgusted with the information. Besides Azrael, she is the only other person who I am close to.

        Despite not being a runt, she is smaller in size and she knows the same difficulties that I do, just more watered-down. "That's exactly what I'm saying."

        "And how do we know that you're not working with the rogues, too?" Tryn asks, narrowing his eyes at me. My own eyes narrow and I glare at the wolf, a snarl on my lips.

        "What are you insinuating?" I growl towards him, squeezing Azrael's hand as he begins to tremble, outraged at the idea. He raises his hands in the air innocently.

        "All I'm saying is that you've known Conner more than any of us. It wouldn't be unlikely if you are covering for him and plan on letting him go," he says.

        "He has a point," Sibyl's soft voice cuts in. "You did say that he doesn't need the chains, despite him betraying us." I sigh, but I know it's true.

        "If you want to put him in chains, despite the fact that he was forced into helping the rogues, then go ahead." I stare into their eyes, a new dominance and hostility within me. The both of them slowly tilt their heads down and look away from me. I nod my head at them, appreciating the fact that they accept my point.

        "We understand one another, then," Azrael says. "Conner's on our side."

Author's Note:

It's a bit shorter, but hey!  I updated.