"This is my life now. I have climbed this hill and now I will die upon it." Raine wiped the sweat from her face. It felt like her shirt was glued to her skin, and every step felt heavier than the last.
Still she dragged her feet behind Alpha Kieran.
"Shut up. We've only been hiking for twenty minutes," Kieran said, throwing her a sharp look over his shoulder.
"Exactly," she muttered. "That's like... nineteen minutes more than necessary."
Kieran didn't answer. He just kept walking like the path wasn't steep, like the sun wasn't boiling the top of their heads.
Raine groaned, grabbing a low tree branch to steady herself. "If I pass out and roll down this hill, tell the others I fought bravely."
"Nobody's going to believe that."
She glared at his back. "Why is this even necessary? What are we trying to find up here? Peace? A new pack? The meaning of life?"
