As I approached the horses, Beta Ronan came toward me leading a beautiful white one. The last time I'd been this close to a horse was during a school trip when I was young.
"Miss Esther, this one is for you," he said, handing me the reins. "It's well-trained, so even the most inexperienced rider shouldn't have any trouble."
I glanced around, counting the horses. "Thank you, but will there be enough? I only see four, and there are five of us."
He shook his head. "The only reason we arrived on horseback was for you. We're werewolves, have you forgotten?"
My face instantly heated. It was as if I'd left my brain at home. Of course, they didn't need horses—they could run dozens of times faster on their own. "Oh, right. I'm sorry," I muttered, turning my attention to the horse beside me.
At least they put in some consideration for me and didn't simply make me run behind them like a fool.
"Do you need help mounting?" he asked. His expressionless face kept sending me mixed signals. I couldn't tell if he was angry or annoyed, but he had already earned the nickname of 'Stone Giant' from me.
"No, I can do it!" I said confidently, though I hesitated as I approached the animal. Why couldn't they just use a car? Horses were such an outdated way to travel.
My theory of the werewolves living in caves and dirt holes only grew stronger.
I could feel Stone Giant's eyes on me. I'll show him just how capable we are.
I tensed my legs and leapt upward. The horse was much larger than me, but jumping onto its back wasn't beyond my skill level..
Just as my lips curved into a smile, the horse below me shook its head and stomped its legs before strutting away quickly.
My eyes widened—it was already too late to stop myself from falling! I was headed straight for the empty spot where the horse once stood, landing directly on top of a pit of ashy dirt.
"Ouch!"
Though nothing was injured or broken, my backside throbbed from the rough landing. I looked up, only to find 'Stone Giant' along with the other Elders staring at me with thinly veiled amusement.
My face instantly flushed hot. Saying that I was embarrassed was a complete understatement.
Beta Ronan took a step forward, his stony expression cracking just enough to reveal the slightest hint of a smile. I instantly wanted to vanish. I couldn't understand why the horse would suddenly move away.
They must've done it on purpose to embarrass me!
"Let me help you up," Beta Ronan said, extending his arm. "Your sudden— yet impressive— jump startled the horse, causing it to run away. Horses are gentle creatures but are easily spooked. Next time, avoid such sudden movements."
His voice remained calm as he explained what had happened, but I knew that he was laughing at me internally. Ignoring his outstretched hand, I stood up on my own and brushed as much of the dust off my body as I could.
When Beta Ronan realized I wouldn't take his hand, he withdrew it and walked to my horse. From where I was standing, it looked like he was speaking to it, but I couldn't make out the words.
Can werewolves communicate with other animals?!
The thought had never crossed my mind before, but why else would he talk to a horse while petting it?
Before I had a chance to entertain the possibility of them secretly keeping an animal army, Beta Ronan led the horse back over to me.
"Place your foot here to lift yourself up. Use this part of the saddle to steady yourself," he said, pointing to different parts of the horse, keeping his tone cold and instructive.
At first, I didn't want to follow his directions, but I also wanted to avoid getting humiliated a second time.
If something goes wrong this time, it will be his fault.
I stepped up, following his instructions. This time, the horse stayed still, even as I pulled myself up to its back. When I was finally seated, Beta Ronan handed me the reins.
"Good job," he said, stepping back. "I'll stay close by as we ride to make sure nothing goes wrong. Just hold on to the reins and you'll be fine."
I bit back a frown and nodded. The sooner we arrived at the Alpha's hiding place, the sooner I could get this mission over with and return home.
Ahead of us, the Elders mounted the remaining horses. I assumed it was probably to make me feel less out of place.
Mr. 'Stone Giant' stood behind, watching me as my horse followed behind them as if it were set to autopilot.
At first, our pace was very slow, but as soon as we made it to a wider trail, the horses automatically broke into a run. I gripped the reins with both hands, doing my best not to let the fear show on my face.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught movement— a massive shadow running behind the dead trees, keeping pace with my horse.
I squinted my eyes to try and get a better look, and that's when I realized what it was.
A massive, shifted werewolf.
I had seen a good number of shifted werewolves before, but none of them were this big. Through the tree line, I could make out his massive frame.
"He's nearly as large as this horse," I whispered. The shock from the sight made it hard to look away. I couldn't believe werewolves could get that large.
The horse kept running. All around us stretched the same bleak view—charred trees, ashy soil, no buildings, no life. Nothing but death.
If we had this land, we would make something out of it! It could easily solve our housing crisis.
Space was precious. There just wasn't enough of it to support the growing population. The government began to develop ways of building underground, and now, over twenty percent of the population lived beneath the surface.
My heart ached. Based on the number of dead trees, I could tell that this had once been a beautiful forest.
It would still be a beautiful forest if it weren't in their hands.
My gaze flickered over to the shadow beside me. Filthy animals.