Chapter 24 Pearl Encrusted Daggers #3
There was a general murmur of discontent that grew until Sehleh cleared her throat, lifting her chin in defiance at anyone who dared meet her eye.
It was no secret the small beta had an affinity for the two magical outcasts, and no one was willing to cross her.
She can, and had, taken her cooking away as a threat and no one could think of a crueler punishment.
Schok’s presence had largely been ignored.
After his dramatic introduction, people didn’t really know what to think.
On the one hand, his murderous spree at the festival was still clear in their minds, but his actions the night before couldn’t be ignored.
Schok had no reason to join that battle.
He wasn’t Stone Blade, and yet he stepped into the fray and saved them all. That was an act they could respect.
The clan's confusing feelings toward the magic user had culminated in them simply ignoring his presence. Which seemed to suit the man just fine.
“We cannot afford to admit weakness,” Gustall said calmly. “Thewn has already made overtures for your position. Can you afford a challenge right now?”
He couldn’t, and everyone knew that. But this wasn’t about Ridan.
“I’ll lose my position, my pride, even my life, before I allow Artrax’s sacrifice to be in vain.”
For a long moment, no one said anything. Then Henroen slammed his palm against his prodigious chest. “Then we fight. With the clans by our side, or with nothing but the wind from Artrax’s wings at our back, we fight.”
Caught up in his enthusiasm, Osmond and the rest of the group mimicked his action. Even Gustall begrudgingly nodded. Whatever said about the Stone Blade, they would always rally for a good fight.
The next few days saw Ridan in a whirl. He barely slept, which was hardly new, but there was an added urgency now. An extra layer of anxiety that throbbed into sheer terror the few times he found himself alone.
They were sending parties out to attack Kaldonea’s army.
Ridan wasn’t foolish enough to fight them on even ground, so he sent small, quick groups to harass the fringes.
Things like taking out sentries, setting fire to their supplies, and anything to keep the soldiers on their toes.
The damage wasn’t great, but it slowed them down.
It also gave the clan a needed morale boost. Every time they came back blooded and victorious, it lifted the heavy mood that had settled over the camp.
A fine drizzle was coming down when Ridan returned from one such trip.
He handed Peppercorn’s reins off to a young stable girl and pulled the ratty map from his belt, smoothing it over a cleared section of ground close to the trunk of a spindly tree.
His hair was plastered to his forehead, tickling his eyes and nose as he bent over the parchment.
“They’re bringing supplies in through the Road. The wagons are too big to cut through the swamps.”
Osmond nodded, ignoring Halm bandaging a laceration on his neck as Ridan spoke. The healer looked ragged. She’d been in high demand.
“We could block the road. Fell some trees?”
“They’re only sending one or two guards with the wagons.
It’ll take them time to cut through,” Ridan mused, scratching at the stubble growing on his chin.
He felt disgusting. Grime and sweat caked onto his skin.
As comfortable as he was getting dirty temporarily, he had always considered himself fastidious about hygiene.
He would give anything for a few moments in the springs with a bar of soap.
Brune was standing beside him, arms crossed and tongue poking out as he assessed the map.
He didn’t look any better than Ridan—clothes ripped where slight cuts and knicks littered his skin.
His comforting rocky smell was diluted by the smoke from fires and the stench of others clinging to his skin. It made Ridan itchy.
They’d been together constantly, but always in sight of another. There was no privacy in their makeshift camp. Ridan hadn’t realized how much he needed their quick touches, the hugs and quick scentings when they had a moment together.
It’s not that he was ashamed to do any of those things in front of his clan—he didn’t give a damn what anyone thought—but there hadn’t been time.
Every spare moment had been spent either riding out to stop Kaldonea or planning ways to stop Kaldonea.
And if he wasn’t doing that, he was organizing ways to keep them alive in their current camp.
Rationing supplies, finding water, collecting plants for wound treatment, and everything in between. Even the horses required his attention.
Derry and Shesto walked by carrying several large, flowering plants between them. The blacksmith held up one of them. “Halm, is this the one?”
She barely looked up. “Yes.”
Laughing gleefully, the two skittered off with their plants raining dirt behind them.
“What was that about?” Ridan asked, certain he didn’t want to know the answer.
Halm sighed. “They’re going to sneak that plant into the Kaldonea water supply.”
“Why?”
“When taken whole, it’s a light anesthetic.” Halm finished bandaging Osmond. “But when it’s finely ground and mixed with liquid, it becomes a hallucinogenic.”
Osmond and Ridan stared at the healer.
Yawning, Halm waved a hand at them. “In a few hours, they’ll be seeing giant purple snakes and dancing cloud monsters. Or something.” She grabbed her bag of dwindling medical supplies, nodding at Brune. “Don’t look at me that way. It was his idea.”
Ridan turned to look at the big alpha. Brune was grinning sheepishly.
“I remembered how poorly they stored our water when we were on a march. It always tasted foul.” His face fell when he saw Ridan’s expression.
“I’m sorry. I should have asked you. It’s just…
I told Derry and Shesto and they thought it was hilarious and jumped at the idea to—”
He grunted, falling backward as Ridan tackled him.
Arms around his neck, toes barely touching the ground, he kissed the goofy alpha.
It wasn’t a delicate kiss. There was nothing soft about it.
No gentle pecks that ebbed and flowed with the increasing beating of their hearts.
No, it was ugly and fast. Messy with clacking teeth and uncoordinated lips, with noses smashed together.
Surprised, it took Brune a moment to wrap his arms around Ridan’s waist to hold him up. Somewhere behind him, Osmond chuckled, his footsteps fading as he left to give them privacy.
Ridan didn’t care that Osmond had seen, or that the entirety of camp could simply turn and watch him kiss an alpha he wasn’t officially courting.
All he cared about was the slight blush on Brune’s cheeks, and the way he rubbed the back of his neck whenever he was uncertain.
The greasy strands of hair pulled back with a leather band, stringy in places where blood and mud had congealed to the strands.
The powerful way he slammed into his enemies, leaving crushed bones and broken bodies in his wake.
His effortlessly handsome face and stupidly sharp teeth.
With the way his alpha didn’t announce his plan so everyone could praise his genius, but instead worried he should have asked Ridan’s permission first.
Really, he just wanted to kiss him. Over and over again.
Brune fell back against the tree, a pleased rumble echoing through his chest and his scent spiking into something that went straight to Ridan’s head. Sighing, he melted into the kiss as Brune supported his weight.
“Mmm, I missed your scent,” Brune mumbled against Ridan’s lips.
Cranking Brune’s head to the side, he buried his nose against his scent gland, grinning at the way his breath fanning across the sensitive organ made Brune shudder.
“Just my scent?” Ridan teased.
Brune hummed, letting his head fall back to give Ridan room to do whatever he wanted. Again, Ridan was shaken by the easy trust the big alpha showed in him. From the beginning, Brune bared himself to Ridan without any reservations. Held him when he needed it, but never made him feel weak.
“You know I’d have all of you all the time,” Brune said, eyes half lidded as he looked down at him.
It was getting harder to remember why they were waiting. Why Ridan couldn’t wear Brune’s mark and his scent.
“Ridan!” Corric’s voice was an unwelcome interruption.
Growling, Ridan dropped from Brune’s arms and bared his teeth at his packmate. “What are you doing here?”
Corric raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest. “Everyone else was too afraid of you to disturb you two.” His small smirk deepened. “Put your fangs away, get off your alpha, and come here. There’s something you need to see.”
Brune slapped a hand on Ridan’s shoulder before he could launch himself at Corric and his smug little grin. He kissed his cheek, sliding a wrist down Ridan’s back to leave some of his scent behind. “C’mon Chief.”
Begrudgingly, Ridan followed him. But not before shoving Corric hard enough to knock that stupid grin off his face.
Ascending the small ridge they used as a windbreak for the camp, Ridan followed Corric until the trees thinned enough they could see out across the open field.
But the field wasn’t so empty.
Rows and rows of riders astride horses broke up the expanse of dead grass. Swords, shields, axes, and all manner of weapons glinted in the winter light. For a brief moment, panic set in. Had Kaldonea found them so quickly? But no. Kaldonea didn’t have cavalry.
Under the rider’s light armor and their gauzy clothes, Ridan could see tanned skin and loose hair. He grinned, pushing off the last remaining tree to step into the light. His eyes scanned the riders until he caught sight of a spritely mare with a speckled coat.
Areine’s hair was pulled back from her face with a seashell bauble, pearls strung along the sheer black strands. She sat straight and tall; her face breaking into a grin when she caught sight of Ridan. Tossing her nearly waist length hair back, she dismounted and approached.
“I have no idea how you live up here,” she groused, dragging her flimsy cloak closer to her chest. “I’m freezing my tits off.”
Ridan couldn’t help but shake his head, looking over her shoulder at the warriors she’d brought. “What are you doing here?”
She patted her mare's well-muscled neck, looking down her nose at Ridan. “Did you think the Strong Leg would sit back and allow you to have all the glory?” her sandy scent caught on the chill breeze, out of place so far north.
Areine handed her reins to another rider, striding forward, so she was even with Ridan. She took his chin between icy fingers, twisting his face back and forth so she could study him.
“Mm. What a pity,” she mused, her voice dropping. “You’ve found yourself an alpha to drool all over you.” Ridan moved to slap her hand away, but she’d already released him, looking over his head at the group behind him. Her lips curled in a wicked smirk.
He could hear quiet growling behind him.
“It’s the big one, right? With the patchy beard? He looks like he wants to rip my hand off.” She flicked her cloak back to reveal a wicked looking curved dagger with a pearled hilt.
“Areine,” Ridan warned.
“What?” she purred, her eyes on Brune. “Jealous alphas are so much fun to play with.”
“You make a move and it won’t be an alpha you have to answer to.” Ridan laid a hand on his own weapon, eyes hard when Areine’s attention dropped back to him. She considered him for a moment before grinning, slender fangs on display.
“Oh, Ridan. I hope your alpha knows what he has.” She dropped her hand, tucking it back up under her cloak. Ridan watched her for a long moment before releasing his weapon. Areine was far too pleased, and he realized he’d just played one of her games. He just wished he knew if he won or not.
Ridan introduced her to the people with him and tasked Niklas and Henroen with getting her people settled. Areine followed him towards the fire, settling on an overturned bucket so she could warm her hands while they spoke.
“Your people arrived in Strong Leg safe. They’ll be cared for; you have my word.” The smile was gone from Areine’s face, her mood souring when she saw the state of his people. There wasn’t an inch of skin in the camp that hadn’t seen violence.
“Thank you.” He bowed his head. “I won’t forget your generosity.”
“You can start by telling me what’s going on.
The whole truth.” her lips were thin as she rubbed her hands close to the flames.
“I knew the moment I saw your messenger on the horizon, Kaldonea was back. We saddled up the next day. You can imagine my surprise when I came across the burnt wreckage of Stone Blade lands.”
Areine had come before he’d even sent the second messenger. Her instincts were good, better than Ridan’s. He was again reminded to never underestimate his fellow omegan chief.
Sitting back, Ridan gave her a brief explanation of everything that had been happening since the festival. She was mostly quiet, only occasionally asking a question. When he finished, she sighed.
“I knew Krait was itching for a fight, but I had no idea he’d go so far.” She glanced up at the trees. “But to release Sinestrus? He’s not only arrogant, he’s also a fool.”
Standing, she stretched her arms above her head before unbuckling her cloak, letting it drop to the ground. Under it, she was only wearing scant leathers.
She turned back to Ridan, a vicious smile slashing across her face. “And I love knocking foolish men to the ground.”
Before leaving, she jerked her head towards a thicket of brush. “You should do something about your alpha. He looks like a kicked puppy.”
Sure enough, when Ridan looked, he could see a flash of red as Brune ducked behind a tree. He could only imagine the sheepish look on his face as he was caught spying.
He watched Areine saunter off, long hair swaying behind her as she called for her horse. With Areine’s call, the entire camp scrambled to do her bidding. They called for Kaldonea blood as she mounted up.
Ridan moved in the opposite direction. He had some unfinished business with a wayward puppy.