Chapter 98
AGAPE’S POV
Agape sat near the fire, but not for its warmth. The flames were a reminder, a signal to himself that he needed to hold on to the same fire inside, to not lose hope no matter how desperate things became.
The fight earlier had drained them all. His body ached, his breathing was still uneven, and his thoughts were heavier than he wanted to admit.
Without His Excellency Cas and the woman he called his wife, they would not have survived the beast tide.
They were now inside a cave, its stone walls blocking out the biting wind. Cas had led them there after the battle, moving through the narrow paths with the confidence of someone who knew the terrain well. He hadn’t faltered once, as if he had crossed the same route many times before. Finding this safe shelter was proof enough that he and his wife were familiar with this part of the north.
“Can we trust them?” Laylani asked, breaking Agape’s thoughts.
“Do we have a choice?” Agape replied. “Even if we tried to fight, none of us could stand against him.” Their strength was already drained from hunger and from constantly running from predators.
“But we have to hurry,” Laylani said. “If they catch us here…”
“The night is upon us, Laylani, walking at this time of the day would be akin to killing ourselves,” Eron said.
Everyone knew that the north would become deadlier at night during the red moon.
“Our plans had been delayed for too long,” Laylani said. “We need to reach the northern outpost as soon as we can to meet the Northern Lord.”
“You talk as if you’re the only one who wants to leave this place,” Kae muttered. “The fight earlier already delayed us, and we’ve been battling nonstop since we crossed the border. If we keep pushing forward without rest, it won’t be the fangs of those filthy creatures that kill us, it will be exhaustion.”
Agape said nothing. Instead, he turned towards where His Excellency Cas and his wife Tasha were staying.
Unlike them, the two were eating without hesitation. His Excellency Cas and the woman named Tasha sat near their fire, calmly consuming the meat he had carved earlier as if it were
10:40 Wed, Sep 17
Chapter 98
no different from venison or boar.
55 vouchers
Agape’s jaw tightened. If they had not been forced to flee, if they had been able to prepare properly, they would have carried enough food for the journey. But preparation had not been an option. Someone wanted them dead, and only by escaping into the northern lord’s territory did they stand a chance of surviving.
Sadly, he had underestimated the red moon. They had known it would be dangerous, but none of them expected the beasts near the borders to be this strong. To get this far, they had already been forced to sacrifice several of their own and leave a few of their things behind.
He turned his gaze toward Kae or Prince Kaelith. The boy sat stiffly, but Agape caught the way his eyes lingered on the meat roasting over Cassian’s fire. Agape didn’t need to ask. Hunger was plain enough. The prince had gone nearly two days without food, and even the strongest willpower had its limits.
As if sensing Agape’s thoughts, Kae finally spoke. “They are eating the meat of the beast.”
Eron grunted, watching the pair. “And it looks like they’re enjoying it.”
“How could someone enjoy those filthy things?” Kae asked.
“People who survive in this part of the world don’t care about what kind of food they eat,” Agape explained. If his guess was correct, both Cas and Tasha had lived here long enough that their bodies had already adapted to the poison. That would explain why they could consume the meat without issue and why they were able to fight the beasts without faltering.
“I would rather die than taint my blood with the flesh of beasts,” Laylani shot back.
39
Verify captcha to read the content
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Marrying a Warhound (Cassian)