The adrenaline coursing through Rayne's body on her first exhibition away from home was quickly dampened by the sour mood of a particular Fae King.

They had left early in the night after packing the essentials for both of them in one backpack that she had no problem lugging around, despite his lack of appreciation. Small weapons, a few toiletries items, money, and clothes that will get her through the week before she can purchase any. Her mom packed them some quick snacks that should last them until they have to hunt and made her promise to stay in contact whenever she could in exchange for allowing her to go.

She knew she was going to miss her family, including Ronan who objected to her leaving at all, but she had to do it. She'll find a way to make the most of the dreaded trip with Jarrah's brooding silence to find that hidden elixir of his. They'd only been traveling a few hours by foot when she was squirming at the chance to speak. Usually, she was good at staying silent, or at least being patient. But on that particular night, she just wanted to know what the legend said, why he made a deal with her father in the first place, and if he thought his people were ready enough for what was to come.

He seemed less than enthused to be there with her anyway, but a few words out of him wouldn't hurt anybody, even if they were supposed to dislike each other by their very nature. They didn't have much of a choice in terms of company and if they were going to work together, she needed to trust him.

"So . . . Jarrah, King of Fae," she started, wanting to be as respectful as possible. She glanced over at him and caught his annoyed eye.

After Jarrah was unchained, Navaeh made them both some food before their long journey, so he was currently mid-chew while they walked. He didn't seem like he was in the mood to converse, but her tongue rarely worked alongside her brain.

It didn't help that he finally looked more like his original self without the chain of iron wrapped around his limbs. The markings on his skin were gone, and the more food he engorged, the healthier he appeared. His hair was shinier, his skin full of pretty hues of bronze, and the bags under his eyes were mostly diminished. He was uncomfortably beautiful to look at, and Rayne spent most of her time trying to reel in her urge to talk to him.

After swallowing down the last bite of his sandwich, he finally answered.

"We don't have to talk," he said, stiffly.

Rayne controlled the emotion on her face as well as she could, though she couldn't deny that she was shocked by how coldly he spoke to her. Didn't she just help him get out from under her father's thumb? Wasn't it her who brought them away from her pack when she knew he didn't belong there?

"Yes, we do. I'm not going to Crimson Peak blindsided. I need to know that I can trust you, and as much as you probably want me to shut up the whole trip there, it's not going to happen," she scoffed, clenching her jaw. He snorted at that.

"And why would I tell you anything, pup?"

Rayne's gaze blazed. Fists clenched and teeth smashed together, she pushed out, "Stop. Calling. Me. That. My name is Rayne, not 'pup'."

Her cheeks flushed the more she tried to control herself. She was going to argue with people for the rest of her life, and she knew she couldn't just snap at anyone who pissed her off. But Jarrah made it entirely too difficult to hold it in. Growing up around being respected as not only the alpha's daughter, but eventually being alpha herself, she was never spoken to with such hostility. Well, occasionally when she spoke to Ezra or Ronan, but never the way Jarrah was doing it.

Honestly, she was five minutes away from leaving him behind in the forest somewhere while she went to Crimson Peak herself.

"And because," she continued, trying her best to control her voice. She needed to be calm, diplomatic. "We're going to have to work together as much as possible. If we don't, we're dead."

Jarrah barked out a hard laugh. "Don't you worry, Alpha. I won't need your help to keep me alive."

Something inside Rayne snapped at his mocking tone. Before she could get a grip on her rage, she turned to him. It took everything in her not to shove him against a tree and punch his face in like her body was begging to do. "Hey, I'm the one who got you out of that dungeon in the first place. If it wasn't for me, you'd still be down there rotting with no food and a weak body. Dying because of your damn pride!"

"My pride?" he growled, his eyes flashing. "I'm here in the first place because of your father and his selfishness. So stop acting like I'm the one who's indebted to you."

Rayne glared at him hotly, her tongue clicking against her teeth from the open disrespect. "My father is a good man!" she snapped.

Jarrah's eyes ghosted white now, like when he had first come to her back, and his wings were beginning to unfurl at his back. She wasn't scared though, and she refused to back down from him and his foolishness. If he wanted to continue to speak ill of her family, she'd gladly set him straight.

"A good man? Because 'good men' capture people out of desperation? Because 'good men' trick other people into joining their side of the fight?"

"What the hell is wrong with you? This is OUR fight! Without my kind's help, the Fae won't survive against Ambrosius' attack either!" Rayne wanted to say more, but something about what he said made her pause mid-rant. She pushed her chin out towards him and crossed her arms over her chest. "And what do you mean tricked? How did my father capture you? Since that's obviously what's pissing you off about me, tell me how a 'dog' tricked the great, untouchable Fae king?"

Jarrah's jaw twitched, his teeth grinding now after he snapped his mouth shut. He abruptly turned away from her and moved forward. "I'm not talking about this with you."

"Jarrah—"

He blazed at the sound of his name again, eyes flashing. "Don't."

"Then just tell me! I'll leave you alone if you can just talk to me for five damn minutes—"

"I have nothing to say to you."

Rayne's alarm rose, warning bells ricocheting in her skull. She watched him stride ahead of her for a minute and wondered why he wouldn't tell her how he was tricked. Was it that bad? And if it was, shouldn't she know about it? It involved her father after all?

She shook her head and ran up to him. "That's obviously a lie. You hate me for what he did, and you won't even tell me why!"

He glared down at her loathingly. "I said forget it."

"I'm not one of your subjects, Jarrah," she hissed. "You can't just boss me around and expect me not to ask questions."

Jarrah whirled around then, stopping in front of her. She came to a halt so suddenly, she bumped into his wide chest. She jumped back like his skin had burned her, but he didn't pay that any mind.

"He had my future fiancé captured and threatened to end her life if I didn't go with him. So, I did. Good man or not, that's the difference between me and your father," he hissed, interrupting her speech which came to a heart-stopping halt. "Now are you satisfied?"

Stunned, Rayne watched Jarrah stomp ahead of her, having nothing left to say to him. She swallowed thickly at the thought of her father doing something so rash and imagined a desperate Jarrah ready to defend the woman he was to marry. She knew there was a story behind him coming to them, but it still shocked her that he was soon-to-be engaged and traded his life for hers, essentially.

For the rest of the night, and well into the dawn of the morning, Jarrah and Rayne never said another word to each other, though it didn't stop the simmer of guilt from torching her both inside and out. She made sure to stay well behind him during their walk in the forest and gave him the space he obviously needed. She didn't know her father threatened a woman's life just to defeat Ambrosius and could hardly believe he would blackmail someone in the midst of his desperation. Though Jarrah was an asshole, he was right about a few things, and Rayne had forced it out of him, which made her wince. It was only day one and things were already not going as smoothly as she had hoped.

For once in her life, Rayne missed having Ronan as her much less complicated companion. She much preferred his company over the cold, and much too quiet king of the fairies, as Ronan would call him.

It was going to be a very long journey.

*****

The warmth of the rising sun beat down on Rayne's embarrassingly sweaty forehead. She shakily swiped it away as a part of her longed for a damp cloth to cool her skin down but knowing Jarrah didn't believe in taking very long breaks, she sucked it up as best as she could. Though she knew a little stream wouldn't hurt to stop by or a hotel at the very least, he wanted to get their journey over with as soon as possible.

She wasn't sure where they were, just that she was forced to stare out across the beautiful expanse of greenery, greenery, and more greenery. The mushrooms were starting to sprout for the spring, as well as the pretty patches of flowers, but that was all she could really see. She thought she'd caught a glimpse of a fairy dancing on the sprinkle of mist over some dewy dandelions, though she wasn't sure if it was true. She never had time to dwell on the dancing creatures, however, because Jarrah never stopped walking.

It wasn't until the incoming of the following night that Jarrah slowed to an abrupt halt, forcing Rayne into the back of his hard body. His sweetly masculine scent wafted up her throbbing nose, momentarily dazing her before she quickly recovered from her surprise.

"Ouch! Hey!" Rayne hissed, but Jarrah whirled around to wrap a hand over her mouth.

"Quiet," he shushed, his alert gaze stuck on something up ahead.

She stilled at the urgency in his voice. She pushed his hand away from her face and followed his direct line of sight. Hidden between two trees with their backs curved to their unexpected company, rested two men who were out on patrol. One was easily the size of a tree trunk, while the other was tall and slender, their spines unnaturally straight as they stalked the area.

Jarrah waved his fingers and a translucent bubble of sparkles appeared around their frozen forms. He pointed to his mouth to show that the vampires ahead won't be able to hear them with the bubble surrounding them inside. Rayne had to admit, the wavering bubble was beautiful to look at, but she'd rather die than tell him that.

"This won't last long," Jarrah said. "So, we need to make this quick."

"Can't you do something?" Rayne asked. "Don't you have magic?"

He shifted impatiently at her questions. "Because turning myself invisible would be helpful in this situation."

"That's all you can do?" Rayne scoffed, earning a heated glare in return.

"I have to save as much of my energy as I can for the real fight when we get to Crimson Peak. And it's more than what you can do if it was, anyway."

Rayne glowered at him. "Why do you have to be such an ass all the time?"

"Like you're perfect? 'That's all you can do?'" he mocked. His arms folded firmly across his chest. "I'm just giving you your attitude right back."

"Whatever," she grumbled. "Fine, I'm sorry. Can we come up with something now before this disappears?"

Jarrah thinned his lips and peered over at the oblivious vampires pacing above again. He tilted his head. "I don't think shifting would be a good idea right now."

"No . . . but I got another idea."

"What idea?"

"Well . . ."

He looked at her again, his eyes narrowed. "Well?"

"You can fly, right?"

Jarrah's expression soured, but she cut in again before he could object. "It won't be for very long. We just need to fly off to the right a little, so they won't see us and get ahead of them. Then we can walk again."

He still didn't look happy after her quick explanation but seeing as how they didn't have much of an option, there was no rebuttal. If they wanted to get into Crimson Peak undetected, which was the only way for them to even have a chance at grabbing the elixir, they needed to stay on the downlow, and only kill when necessary.

And seeing as how they could barely trust each other, the thought of battling another enemy with their fate in each other's hands was less than ideal.

"Fine," he huffed, and before the bubble could completely shrink away from their bodies, he unfurled his heavy wings.

She practically swallowed her tongue in surprise as Jarrah reached an arm out for her, impatiently waiting for her to hop onto him. Not wanting to embarrass either of them any further, and needing to get a move on before the bubble popped on them, Rayne moved forward reluctantly. She adjusted her backpack straps as if warning him she wasn't going to be very light, but he only rolled his eyes and easily wrapped a strong arm around her back and the other under her knees. In one swipe, he swooped her curvy body up into his arms.

There was no warning.

Just a clench of her eyes, the pushing of her head against him, and the force of him pushing off the ground. The pressure of the soft breeze ruffling through her unruly curls startled her into gasping and she wrapped her hand harder into her shirt, her fingers desperately clutching as she tried not to freak out. Jarrah snorted above her, but she ignored him.

She wasn't ready to open her eyes and look down yet. There was a reason why wolves couldn't fly, and she was more than happy to stay her butt on the ground. Heights . . . flying . . . they just weren't her thing.

Thankfully, she wasn't woozy in flight for very long.

It took her a minute to figure out how to let go of Jarrah, and when she finally opened her eyes, she caught onto his gaze burning down into her face. She shakily swallowed back the gasp that desperately wanted to push its way from her lips and allowed him to put her back on her feet. She tried her best to fight the burning flush in her cheeks as she cleared her throat.

"Well, then . . . let's um—let's get back to uh—walking," Rayne stammered, trying her best to control how frazzled she truly was. Ronan warned her against falling into the fairy's enamoring trap before she left, and she was going to guarantee that she wasn't. She was meant to be with another wolf and Jarrah was soon-to-be betrothed to another, so nothing could happen. He was attractive and that was it.

"No thank you?" Jarrah asked, raising a brow. She adjusted the strap of her backpack and lifted her chin up, defiant.

"Not until you start learning how to give me one," she snarked. With that, she led the way to Crimson Peak without checking to see if Mr. Fairy King was walking behind her. The silence for the two minutes she had was comforting, but, of course, it didn't last long.

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for your father. What need do I have to thank you?" Jarrah snorted, beside her now.

"Do you hear yourself?"

"Of course I do."

"You act like you're here because of me, and I don't want to keep running around in the same circle. It's not my fault my father brought you into my pack, so leave me out of it," Rayne practically exploded, turning her blazing gaze on him. Jarrah's eyes were narrowed, his lips twisting off to the side as he battled the fury raging through his shaking body.

"You want a thank you, you entitled brat? Fine—thank you," he snapped.

"I'm the entitled brat? Have you met yourself?" she seethed.

"You're impossible!" he shouted.

"Just say thank you and get over it, FAIRY."

"Fine. Thank you, DOG."

"THANK YOU," she shouted with fake relief.

"WHATEVER," he boomed, pushing past her to lead them.

"Nuh uh—I was in charge of going first!" she argued.

Jarrah and Rayne rushed forward, trying and failing to one up each other. If only they had been more alert at that moment, they would have noticed the dark shadow in the woods that had been following them the entire time.