Chapter 43 As Darkness Falls


    November 3rd


    "Don''t get any ideas," Leo said as we walked back to the truck.


    "Your army could be so much stronger if you trained up the she-wolves too," I saidpletely ignoring


    him.


    "I said don''t get any ideas," he replied.


    "They don''t all want to be protected. Maria, Elena and Allison were just three perfect examples of that.


    Did you not see Maria shoot that arrow? Imagine if you had hundreds of she-wolves able to do that,


    you''d instantly have an advantage over anyone," I said.


    He then lifted me up onto the truck.


    "We already do have the advantage, E. And like I said to my sisters and Allison, I have far more


    important things to worry about than she-wolves protesting about not being allowed to sign their own


    death warrants!" Leo said his voice getting deeper and eyes getting darker. I took that as a warning


    sign to stop making a mental note to pick the matter back up after all this was over.


    "Alpha, I just had a call from the main convoy," the driver of the truck said.  "Ayas men are closer than


    we thought. There''ll be here before dark falls so we need to get going."


    Nerves were rife in his voice and I looked up to the sky to see why. Dusk was already rolling across the


    forest in mncholy folds of grey, plunging the trees into a deep ckness.


    Leo looked at me gravely before getting up into the truck, pulling me onto hisp and holding me tight.


    "The vault is only twenty minutes from here," he said. "We''ll make it."


    I nodded and rested my head on his chest as he took my hand in his.


    At Leo''smand, we drove away from the base. I stared at thest tiniest slit of orange slow in the


    sky as it grew ever smaller whilst all the men in the truck sat deadly silent.


    Ten minutester, Leo looked out into the forest, his ears pricked and alert. He then signalled the driver


    to stop and we came to a slow holt.


    We can''t be at the vault yet, surely?


    "Le-" I began but he covered my mouth instantly as he and all the other men looked intently into the


    trees.


    He then made some hand gesture and all the soldiers withdrew their knives and silently began climbing


    Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    off the truck.


    "Was all this really necessary, Loren?" a voice sneered. "I''d be perfectly happy just killing your Luna


    and calling it a day."


    Shit. That was Haden''s voice. How had he got past the defence at the border?


    Leo seemed just as confused but he didn''t let it show for long. He pushed me behind him and forced


    the praesidium Deae Astra into my hand.


    "Come and get her then," he growled.