26. The Attacked Pack
twenty-six
The Attacked Pack
*ROYAN*
I know I’m an intimidating sight to behold, even on normal days, but Kilah went out of her way to make me look even worse. She has been working on me and Shayan for hours. It was Nevyn’s idea to make us look like criminals, and she was eager to show her skills.
“I always knew your knowledge would come in handy one day, Kilah,” Nevyn says gently. He is the ever so forgiving prince. He never allowed his resentment to rule him.
“Do you really think so?” Kilah asks, smiling proudly at his words. The last weeks have changed her. Kilah has always been the arrogant snarky princess, who looked down on people she deemed less than herself, even on some of her own siblings. Meeting Azadeh and being faced with her own shortcomings has started to change her.
I do think she still has a long way ahead of her, but every change starts with a first step.
“How is it going?” King Gillean’s voice reaches us as he comes into the room. He raises his brows when he sees me. “You look like you jumped out of my nightmare,” he says with a grin.
“I take this as a compliment,” Kilah says before grabbing Shayan’s arm and having him turn to look at the king.
“Goddess,” Gillean heaves in shock. “You look even scarier than Royan, and I thought that impossible. You two look like you are about to rob a whole village and then kill everyone in it.”
“That’s exactly what I was going for,” Kilah says.
“Prince Nevyn thought it would be wise to make me look like a rugged criminal, and Gamma Royan like a disgraced rogue,” Shayan explains.
“And then, Kilah worked her magic,” Nevyn adds. He has tied his long hair back, revealing his soft face. He hates looking so gentle, but it’s his personality, and I don’t think anything is wrong with looking the way he does.
King Gillean beams in pride. “Good work, Nev and Kilah.”
“They look great, don’t they?” Kilah asks.
“Very believable,” Quinn agrees as he peeks into the room as well.
“I was thinking,” Nevyn says, furrowing his brows slightly. “General Shayan is a human and can’t mind link, but maybe Aylin can do something about that, at least for a short period of time? And if not for the general, maybe she has a potion that makes it possible for Royan to use the link over long distances?”
“So, we can keep in contact with him?” King Gillean asks. When Nevyn nods, he smiles at him. “Very good thought, Nevyn.” He turns to nod at his beta, and Quinn hurries away, promising us he’ll be back soon. “Aylin told me she has information on a cultist lurking around in a village close-by,” he tells us.
“How did she find out so fast?”
“I have no idea, and I don’t intend to ask,” he admits. “She has her ways.”
I use this moment to look at Shayan, for the first time, seeing what Kilah did with him. I burst into laughter. “You truly look like someone out of one of Eibhlin’s horror books. Even I would be afraid to cross you in the darkness.”
“I’d say it’s even scary to cross him in daylight,” Nevyn chuckles.
Shayan stretches, furrowing his brows to a grim expression. “How’s that?” he asks.
“Really good,” Kilah says, sounding impressed. “Good that your arm and eye are missing, too. Makes it look more believable.”
Nevyn looks nervous at her words. I can see him opening his mouth as if he wants to say something to ease the tension, but Shayan doesn’t even wince in the slightest. “It’s good to use what we have, and I intend to make the best out of it.”
“You look like a cool pirate,” Nevyn says with a smile. “I know some of my friends said they have a crush on you.”
Shayan looks amused. “Am I not too old to have a crush on?”
Nevyn chuckles. “I think it’s rather the opposite.”
“One of my friends said you give her hot daddy vibes,” Kilah says out of the blue.
At her words, I have to work hard not to double over laughing. Shayan looks entirely confused while Nevyn giggles helplessly. I have a feeling that if Tynan were here, he would agree and just make everything worse.
*ALANA*
It takes us almost a day to reach our destination. It’s one of the villages close to the northern border, close to the mountains where I once had my encounter with a dragon. I’m so focused on trying to recall what I saw and felt as a child when the dragon saved me, that I barely talk with my companions.
“You are worrying too much,” Ita says softly as she slows down to ride next to me. “I’m sure you will find your answers here.”
“How can you be so certain?”
“A feeling,” she says.
“And if it’s all in vain?”
“Then, you spent a few days with your best friends,” Tynan yells from the back. “Though one of them at least would have preferred to hook up with his mate.”
Ita snorts. “You are moving at a snail’s pace,” she retorts. “I don’t see you hooking up anytime soon.”
“What about you?” I ask her quietly. “Do you feel the mate bond?”
“I feel like there is something, or rather… there was something,” she admits. “I’m not sure. I think that I might have lost my mate, or maybe they aren’t of age yet.”
“It’s the same for me.” I furrow my brows. “I don’t know what it means.”
“But you have a mate out there,” she states.
I don’t know why, but whenever she says something like that, I feel sudden anger bubbling in me.
She isn’t wrong though , my wolf, Ros, says. She mostly lets me do whatever I want, but she clings to the mate bond, no matter how little we feel it.
I sigh. Why can’t we be her mate? I ask bitterly.
I know that’s what you want, but we aren’t destined for her , Ros says.
“You are angry,” Ita states quietly. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m not angry, I’m confused,” I say.
“I’m confused too,” Tynan grumbles. “I have no idea what you are talking about, and I miss my human.”
“Right, General Shayan,” Ita grins. “I have to admit… I can see it, too. He is hot.”
“He is mine,” Tynan growls.
Ita chuckles. “Don’t worry. I would only take his female version to bed.”
Tynan relaxes. “Right, I forgot, but he is attractive, isn’t he?”
“He is,” I say. “I’m happy for you, Ty.”
“Me too,” Ita smiles at him. “And I’m proud of how easily you accepted him, although he is a human.”
“It truly doesn’t matter to me and Orion,” he beams. “But, we promised him a gift. What kind of gift am I supposed to bring him? Oh, I asked him if we could talk once we return… that’s when I wanted to tell him about the mate bond.”
“I take it back!” Ita says. “You aren’t moving at snail’s pace anymore. Good for you, Tynan.”
“I agree. It’s time to be honest with him,” I say. “As for a gift, we will find something.”
“He doesn’t want me to bring home my prey,” he grumbles.
Ita and I burst into giggles. “I think he would even prefer flowers over that,” Ita jokes.
“Flowers…” Tynan’s eyes widen. “Wait… we are passing by my hometown. I can collect some seeds from there and give them to him. He said in the Everlasting Desert they have lush oases, so he can grow something here, too.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” I say, surprised. “Actually, I find it very romantic and thoughtful.”
“She is right,” Ita says. “Who knew you had it in you?”
“Very funny,” Tynan grumbles.
“Alright, we need to be quiet now,” Ita says as we approach the pack my father wants us to research. The pack is mostly deserted. The survivors have retreated to a neighboring pack, but the alpha has come to greet us.
“Alpha Blaine,” I jump off my horse to greet the man.
Alpha Blaine looks tired and rugged, but his eyes light up in hope when he sees me. “Princess Alana in person,” he exclaims, bowing towards me. “It’s an honor. And Gamma Ita.”
“And, nobody Tynan,” Ty grumbles quietly. Ita elbows him, making him glare but he stops his complaints.
Alpha Blaine waits for us to attend to the horses and have them secured safely, before he leads us through the pack. It’s eerily quiet here. “Werebears?” I ask.
He nods. “We weren’t prepared. My pack is too small.”
“And now?” I ask. “What are you planning to do?”
“We will fuse with our neighboring packs, that is, if the king allows it,” he explains. “The alpha there is old and has a daughter, Caitlin. She lost her mate last year, and I lost mine two years ago. We get along well and wanted to take each other as chosen mates.”
I nod. Chosen mates are not too uncommon for those werewolves who have lost their mates. Second chances are very rare, and if two lonely souls find comfort in each other, I don’t see why anyone would say something against it. If an alpha takes a chosen mate, though, my father does need to take a look at it. It’s to prevent alphas from abusing the mate bond and rejecting their mates if they are of lower rank.
Blaine and Caitlin obviously didn’t do that. “I am sure the king will understand,” I tell him.
Once we have reached the center of the pack and Alpha Blaine leaves us alone for a moment, I look around with a frown. I might lack the experience Ita has, but even I can tell it’s not normal for werebears to attack like that. With so much strategy and vengeance. Werebears are not vicious by nature, but their current leader doesn’t want to follow the werewolves, or even acknowledge them. Something seems to have truly riled them up if they’ve started attacking packs. This is a rather worrying situation.
“Do you think someone is leading them; someone other than a werebear?” I ask Ita. “Something feels off about this.”
Ita nods with a frown. “I’m starting to agree.”
“Do you think it was one of the creatures Prince Endellion saw when the blizzard hunted them? Maybe it was a bear?” Tynan asks.
“No, my brother can tell the difference between a bear and something else,” I point out.
“Maybe it was a dragon?” Ita offers. When we both look at her, she shrugs. “They are still around, it seems, and they are big enough to chase a whole group on their horses.”
“But why would they do that?”
“Maybe it’s something else?” Tynan offers. “There are many mythical creatures. There were some sightings…”
“But, no one has seen anything for real,” Ita says.
“Azadeh did,” I say. “She saw the woman in white, so maybe the other sightings aren’t so far off?”
Ita takes a while to ponder about what we just said, then she nods. “You are right, it’s an option we haven’t considered so far, but we should gather more intel. Let’s go to that neighboring pack Alpha Blaine mentioned. Maybe someone has seen something there.”
I nod, following her and Tynan back to our horses. The ride to the pack is a short one, leading us over a hill and through a forest. I pause as I feel an eerie feeling climbing upon me.
“Alana?” Ita asks. “Is something wrong?”
“No,” I mutter, turning around slightly, taking in my surroundings. “It’s just… it feels like I have been here before.”