Chapter 15 Viol
Viol
As the world awakened outside, early dawn light spilled into our private nook. Milky rays of pink and orange sprawled across the stone floor, and a gentle note from the first songbird carried in the distance on the still wind. But none of it was as beautiful as Poppy’s slumbering form in my arms.
It was the morning after our first intimacy. I gazed at him—the omega I knew to be my fated mate—and felt a surge of love. I leaned down to kiss his forehead, still warm from sleep.
Poppy was safe. That was the most important thing.
But now, in the face of a fresh day, there were other things to be done, too. Sorrel was still stuck back there in that horrible clan with Konrad breathing down his neck. I shuddered thinking about it. If I hadn’t seen Sorrel walk away with Rorik, I doubted I’d have been able to sleep that night.
He won’t have to live like that anymore. And neither will Poppy.
I wanted to save the whole clan, but I doubted they’d let me. They were too caught up in the lies Konrad fed them. If I tried to help, I’d just be an untrustworthy outsider trying to ruin their way of life. After all, I was whatever label Konrad put on me. The enemy. A monster. An evil dragon.
But I could save these two omega wolves—my fated mate, and his younger brother.
My chest expanded with pride as understanding dawned on me. That was the true duty of an alpha. Supporting your loved ones, shielding them from harm, and doing every damned thing in your power to protect them.
I won’t let you down, Poppy.
As if hearing my silent promise, my mate mumbled and blearily opened his eyes. The first thing he did when he saw my face was smile. My heart swelled. I curled around him, pressing a flurry of kisses to his sleepy face as he giggled.
“Good morning,” he greeted when my attack was over.
I stroked his face. “Morning to you, too, my little wolf.”
He smiled wider. He liked that.
But as much as I wanted to stay and cuddle with him forever, it was time to get serious. Forcing myself away from Poppy, I sat upright and let my resolve wash over me.
“I’m going back for Sorrel today,” I explained. “I don’t know how long it’s going to take, so I want you to stay here and keep as quiet as a mouse.”
Poppy frowned, a mix of disappointment and worry. “You’re going alone?”
“It’s easier to move. That way, I can fly if I have to.”
His eyes widened in relief. “Your wings are better now?”
I rolled my shoulders a couple times, sensing the situation back there. For the most part, the ache had faded. “Pretty sure. Healed enough, anyway.”
“If you say so,” Poppy murmured. He grasped both my hands, holding them like a precious item. Then he furrowed his brow. “But... how will you convince Sorrel to leave? He’s as stubborn as a bull walrus.”
I chuckled at the affection in his voice. It was the rudest thing I’d ever heard him say, and even still, it was incredibly fond.
“I’ll figure something out,” I said. “Worst-case scenario, I’ll snatch him and fly away.”
I was mostly joking, but Poppy pulled a face. “He won’t like that.”
As I recalled the troubling things I’d seen, I dropped the humor. I decided not to bring it up to Poppy—I didn’t want to upset him, or worse, make him panic.
I put my hand firmly on Poppy’s shoulder and met his gaze. “There’s no way I’m leaving Sorrel.”
That eased Poppy’s nerves. His face relaxed around the edges as he let out a sigh. “All right.” Then, pouting, he added, “But the next time there’s a big adventure, I’m not staying behind.”
I grinned. “Okay, okay. I promise.”
“Wait.”
Poppy grasped my wrist as I turned to leave. He pulled me in for a long, sweet kiss that reignited the flame of passion in my chest.
“I love you, Violet,” he murmured, and it poured gas on the fire raging across my heart.
I pressed our foreheads together, as close as we could get. “I love you, Poppy. Don’t forget it. Ever.” When I finally dragged myself away, I flashed him a reassuring smile. “Hey, don’t worry. I’ll be back soon.”
It was by accident, but it didn’t change the fact that it was the first lie I’d told him.
Dawn on the tundra was cold and quiet. Despite it taking longer to reach the clan grounds, I moved in human form to avoid drawing attention to myself. My dragon was too large and dark to be stealthy in the early morning light.
My mind raced with anxiety. I knew I had to get Sorrel out, but how? We didn’t exactly part on good terms. Plus, he was a sucker for Konrad’s word, and Konrad made it clear I was an enemy when he drove me out.
But worse was the severe look Sorrel gave Poppy during that last confrontation... It was almost hateful.
How was that possible? I couldn’t imagine hating any of my brothers, annoying as they could be. And they could be pretty annoying. But at the end of the day, we were family. We didn’t have to agree about inconsequential crap, but we had to support each other through the shit that really mattered.
And extracting Sorrel from this dangerous situation mattered. To both of us.
I rolled my shoulders again and confirmed the tension was gone, as if my love for Poppy reinvigorated me.
If I shifted now, I could fly. That imbued me with a fresh wave of confidence.
I was a dragon, dammit. No other shifter, alpha polar bear or otherwise, was a match for me.
There was nothing to be afraid of. I’d save Sorrel, grab Poppy, and get the hell out of here.
In the hour it took me to reach the clan’s territory, I’d steeled my nerves. If challenged, I wouldn’t back down. I’d hold my ground and fight. I’d do anything to save Sorrel and make Poppy happy.
The clan grounds were quiet, clinging to the slow dawn.
Everything was washed in pale pastel light, but it was still dark enough for me to slip between the buildings unnoticed.
I followed the path Rorik had taken towards the barracks, where I hoped to find Sorrel.
There was no sign of any alphas, including Konrad.
I hoped he’d stayed out hunting. And I hoped his quarry frustrated him, too.
My nose wasn’t as sharp as a wolf’s, so I had to rely on my sharp eyesight and hearing to avoid being spotted while I sought out Sorrel.
But the quiet unnerved me. For a clan with so many shifters, it felt empty.
Lifeless. The whole damn place freaked me out.
Why did Konrad force people to live this way?
Suddenly, I stopped. Up ahead, crawling out of a small window from a shabby building, was a young white wolf with big paws.
Sorrel!
I crept closer as fast as possible while remaining quiet. When I waved to get his attention, Sorrel’s fur puffed out in alarm. But when he recognized me, his brow scrunched in confusion.
“What are you doing here?” he asked in a hushed voice.
It was a relief that he actually spoke to me and didn’t instantly raise the alarm. But as my mouth opened to reply, I realized dreadfully that I didn’t know what the fuck to say to him. I’d been so nervous about potentially fighting Konrad that I hadn’t considered how to convince Sorrel to leave.
Maybe it was best just to be honest. Sorrel was young, but he wasn’t stupid. He’d get suspicious if he recognized I was lying, or trying to cover something up.
“Poppy is leaving the clan,” I announced. “He’s my mate, and I’m taking him home.”
Sorrel stared at me in disbelief, then whispered loudly, “What? Mate, leaving, what are you talking about?”
“It’s not safe here for you,” I said under my breath. “Please, come with us. Poppy doesn’t want to leave you behind.”
Sorrel’s ears flicked back. He breathed hard for a few seconds, like the information overwhelmed him. But then he shook out his fur and met my gaze hard. “No, I can’t! Konrad is finally paying attention to me and—”
Anger twisted up my guts. I couldn’t restrain myself.
“It’s wrong,” I interrupted in a growl. “It’s wrong for a man his age to be interested in you like that.”
“Why?” Sorrel cried.
It was so fucking hard to stay calm, but if I wanted to help Sorrel, I had to.
Still, I regretted my past hesitancy because right now I could’ve shredded Konrad for the way he’d toyed with Sorrel’s head and heart.
Sorrel had no experience with romantic love yet, and this crush on Konrad was no exception.
That bastard was just using Sorrel’s feelings as a tool to control him—or worse.
I kneeled down to his eye level and tried to speak as gently as possible. “I’m not saying your feelings are messed up, or bad, or anything like that.”
Sorrel’s gaze softened. My heart picked up speed. If I kept this up, maybe we could do this the easy way.
“You didn’t do anything wrong, okay? It’s Konrad’s fault, not yours.”
That final sentence was the wrong thing to say. I felt like I was reeling in a rope only to fumble at the last second. Sorrel’s ears flattened and he wrinkled his nose.
“You don’t know anything. He protects us,” Sorrel stated, his expression growing sharp. “We owe everything to him!”
My stomach swooped with dread. I was losing him.
Fear turned my blood to ice as I imagined my youngest brothers in Sorrel’s place.
Aurum, Saffron, or Thystle... The twins had each other, but Thystle was as dramatic and heartsick and stubborn as Sorrel.
It terrified me how easily I could imagine him in this situation—and how difficult it’d be to shake him free of it.
“Sorrel, please listen to me,” I muttered urgently. “It’s dangerous here. For all the omegas, but especially you.” I lowered myself, knees in the dirt. “I’m begging you to come with me and Poppy. Please.”
Sorrel’s eyes rounded with confusion and a million other feelings. He stood there for what felt like an eternity while anxiety clawed at my chest. The longer this took, the more unsafe it felt to be here.
Finally, Sorrel frowned and asked, “How do I know you’re not lying about Poppy? For all I know, he could still be in Konrad’s private quarters.”