Blackshadow (Kingdom of Wolves #2)

During the making of the tea, I’m surprised when Gamzin, Dagon, Berrit, Graham, and Lonnie walk toward me, appearing from my herbal patch. Now that is worrying.

“Morning Hope. We’re here to help you carry what we are able. I don’t think you can take everything with you. But if you can pack a small piece of each of the herbs, we may be able to take a few different ones with us,” Gamzin states sitting on the ground next to me.

“I can do that, and if we wrap the roots in something wet, then we may save them. I have seeds for many of them. It’s the ones I don’t have seeds for that we’ll need to take with us.” I’m worried that I’ll lose some, but we can only carry so much, and I’m grateful for everyone showing interest in helping me.

Swift rushes around the shack and comes to a halt in surprise. “Hey, what are you all doing?”

Gamzin grins. “We’re here to sample Hope’s tea and then we’re going to help carry what we can to the Blackshadow Pack.”

Swift sits next to me on the ground, takes the cup of chamomile tea and looks at each of the males. “Thank you. We were worried about how we were going to carry everything. The stuff in the shack, Hope said to leave here, and to only take the herbs and equipment that she’ll need.”

I make tea for everyone and pass cracked cups around to everyone. It’s better than having no cups but then having to drink from cups that have cracks around the rim is not nice if I’m being honest.

We survived and will survive.

Hearing Briar speaking to me gently brings tears to my eyes, and I put my head down and blink rapidly, not wanting anyone to see I’m about ready to cry.

Berrit asks, “Do you have enough sacks, boxes, or bags to carry what you have?”

“We have enough, because I took what everyone had left once they departed on the journey to Blackshadow Pack. Good thing I knew where they all lived. Once we got back after Miss Scaredy Pants ran away I checked if there was anything left that would be useful,” Swift states grinning broadly.

“Good thinking,” Berrit nods.

“I can clear this area for you, Hope. I’ll pack all the cooking equipment and if I can carry it all I will, then we’ll be able to stop and have something cooked, and a hot drink tonight,” Graham states. Then continues, “we’ll never do this journey in one day, so if we find a sheltered place where we can watch for any threats, we can relax, and even sleep after we’ve filled our bellies.”

Gamzin and the others nod in agreement. We quickly finish our drinks and continue clearing things away. Berrit fetches fresh water and we rinse out the cups before packing them into a backpack that Swift had found on her search and find mission.

Lonnie brings a box to me and places it on the ground. “I dug this up as I know it’s one you pick leaves from. I don’t know what it is, but thought you may like to take it. I took half of what was there and sat it in water a few minutes before I wrapped it in that towel and then the box.”

Looking at the box, I smile. “That is Thyme, Lonnie, and it’s the same one that my momma grew. I’ve kept it going and I thank you so much for getting me this piece. I hope it survives.”

“I’ll carry it and be careful with it, Hope. Can you show us what else you want us to take with us?”

“Come on, Lonnie, I’ll show you.” That is how I come to spend the next hour helping to pack herbs into boxes or bags for us to carry. Covered in dirt and thirsty again, I rush back to the shack where Gamzin, Berrit, Swift, Graham and Dagon are waiting.

“You ready Hope?” Gamzin asks.

“Yes. I just want a drink of water, then I’m ready to walk.” I’m surprised when Swift hands me a bottle of water, and her smirk tells me she knew I’d be thirsty after helping to dig up the herbs.

An hour later we’ve not traveled that far as we are carrying quite a lot of equipment. I smile at Swift, who can’t contain her excitement at heading back to the Blackshadow Pack.

Gamzin, and the others who have helped me pack everything, are walking alongside us and are alert, which surprises me as we’ve not gone that far as yet.

“What made you decide to join the Blackshadow Pack, Gamzin?” I ask because he’s always said he would never join another pack.

“I’ve heard mutterings from a friend in the Wolfsfoot Pack that no-man’s-land rogues are getting more aggressive. They have been attacking the Spirit Walker Pack regularly. We all know that if they invade the Northern Parklands, we stand no chance of defending against them. Their numbers have increased and are becoming a genuine threat, and one we don’t want to deal with.” Gamzin looks at Swift and then me in such a way I’m worried what he’s going to say next.

“You know that the others haven’t returned, which means they are okay with what they found in the Blackshadow Pack. It brings hope for us, Gamzin, and you are a good person. You never deserved to be a rogue here with us,” Swift says and gives Gamzin a look of respect.

Dagon speaks, gaining everyone’s attention. “None of us deserved to be rogues. We have all been treated badly, one way or another. I don’t know everyone’s story and I don’t need to know. But what I feel is we are a pack, we’ve been a pack, we’ve helped each other, we’ve gained friends and look at you, Hope, you have a brother in Baildon, and a sister in Swift.”

I give Swift a huge smile, then frown. “Well, where the heck is my brother now, Dagon?”

“Something had to stop him coming for you, or he knows you’ll come to your senses and follow him to the pack,” Lonnie says.

“He knows you were with me, and I’d keep you safe. He’s going to come for you if you don’t appear soon, I’m sure,” Swift adds.

“I don’t know, we’ve not been as close of late. He’s been spending time with Suella, too. Now that’s something I never expected him to do.” I turn my nose up, and when I hear chuckling I look over and Gamzin is smirking.