Chapter 53

XAVIER Axl grins at me, and his fangs glisten in the moonlight. His shirt is soaked with blood, much like mine. The Hunt is over, but the spell blocking our bonds will remain in place until we leave the woods. “Where is Malachi?” “Here.” He steps out from a thick crop of trees, shirtless and caked in mud and dried blood. His green eyes sparkle. Ordinarily I would share their post-Hunt high, but Ophelia is still on my mind. “How many of ours made it?” “Just seven,” Axl replies. “Malone and Jensen made it, right?” Malachi asks. Axl shakes his head. “Both dead.” Damn. They were by far our best candidates this year, and we were all sure they’d make it. “You okay?” Malachi asks, likely sensing my somber mood. I jerk my head, signaling we should leave, and they follow me out of the woods and away from anyone who might overhear. “I hate to bring the party down, but I need to tell you both what happened during the Hunt.” As I relay the events of the evening, their fear and helpless frustration