Chapter Sixty
Skylar Cathal
The morning arrived all too soon.
I bit my swollen lip, trying to remain focused on our task at hand as the memories of what Daxton and I shared last night flashed inside my mind. My cheeks flushed crimson as I glanced his way, admiring the sight of him from across the room.
Our combined scent filled the space, embodying a raging bonfire atop an icy snowcapped mountain.
Daxton and I dressed, donning our armor and preparing for whatever challenges the wilt or the final trek to the Heart of Valdor held. I was just about to clasp the final straps of the armor of Aegis over my fighting leathers when Daxton stopped me.
“Wait,” he said, raising his hand to my shoulder, “you’ve earned this.”
His magic caressed my single mountain peak, granting me a second and then… a third.
“Dax,” I stammered, “I haven’t won a victory yet. I haven’t brought honor to—”
“You have, Skylar Cathal,” Daxton said in a voice that would not be challenged. “You’ve won all three trials, and you honor Silver Meadows by wearing these peaks on your shoulder as you unlock the Heart of Valdor.”
I glanced at his hand as he lifted his palm to reveal the three silver mountain peaks. A deep sense of gratitude flowed through me, with pride beaming in Daxton’s eyes that forced me to swallow any words of protest I dared to speak.
“I’ll make you proud, Dax,” I declared.
“You already have, my mate,” he answered as he bent to kiss me. “In more ways than you know.”
“I’m deeply honored by this,” I said, tracing my fingers over the silver thread, knowing how much it meant to him and his people to carry this mark.
“Are you ready?” he asked, those three words carrying the weight of our entire world with them.
Gazing into Daxton’s eyes, I gave him a firm nod. I was ready. My animal hummed in my center, sending a warmth through my middle and throughout my limbs that granted me comfort. Reminding me that we were in this together.
I fastened the remaining armor pieces before strapping my bow across my chest with the alpha’s dagger secured along my back. “Let’s go.”
“Wait, please. Don’t leave,” Shaw said in angst as Daxton and I approached the paddock. “We need to talk. You can’t just disappear and ignore this.”
Hearing the urgency and pleading sound of Shaw’s voice made me uneasy, and I rushed ahead to investigate.
“Watch me,” Zola said with crossed arms as she turned and stepped into the shadows cast along the wall of the paddock.
“Zola,” Daxton hollered, reaching my side.
His eyes dashed between her and Shaw. His brows pinched with the same confused expression mirrored in mine.
“Daxton,” Zola said with a low growl, her eyes cast down and away. “I’m jumping ahead to camp. Is there any objection to my early departure?” Her gaze snapped open to meet my mate’s, refusing to glance in Shaw’s direction or acknowledge his presence.
She might have asked permission, but even I knew it was only a courtesy.
“You may go,” Daxton said, giving her a nod. “Inform Gunnar and Castor we’ll be arriving just after midday.”
“Zola,” Shaw pleaded, yet she still refused to turn toward him. Shaw’s jaw tightened as his fists clenched, shaking with frustration. “I should go with you.”
“I’ve handled myself just fine for well over six hundred years, shifter. I don’t need you to tag along. You’ll only slow me down.”
Before Shaw could begin his protest, Zola faded into the shadows and jumped away.
“Gods a-fucking-bove,” Shaw cursed, glaring up at the rays of the rising sun peeking out beyond the mountains.
He turned and kicked a post, dislodging it from the ground as it splintered and shattered under the force of his frustrations.
The pegasi were startled, neighing and bucking with unease, scattering toward the far side of their holding.
Shifters. I sighed, patting Daxton’s arm as I approached the paddock.
“Hey, Shaw,” I said, cautiously stepping closer.
I didn’t dare reach out my mind to invade or link with his. I’d only seen him frustrated like this a handful of times, and I knew better than to push him once he reached this limit of his self-control. But it didn’t stop me from asking, “What’s going on?”
Shaw’s shoulders began to shake, his frustration transforming into rage. I could sense his animal’s presence, buried just beneath the surface, ready and eager to shift and release his pent-up irritations from his human form.
“It’s… It’s not the right time,” Shaw said through gritted teeth.
Bullshit. I was not buying that for one second.
“Like hell it isn’t,” I said, confronting him.
Daxton shifted uneasily, his eyes locking onto my beta, ready to step in at a moment’s notice if Shaw’s temper got the better of him.
“If it’s bothering you enough to shatter that post, then it matters enough to talk about it.”
“I don’t—”
“I know you don’t like to talk about your feelings, but it’s me. You can tell me. At the very least, you can show me.”
The bond linking us as alpha and beta was new, but the magic connecting me to Shaw and to each pack member in Solace was old and very powerful.
“Show you?” Shaw asked.
“Yes, let me in. Let me help you. Your magic and your animal are spiraling.”
I could feel the threads of Shaw’s consciousness brushing against my mind, opening the doorway into his thoughts and emotions that were driving his animal into a frenzy.
Immediately, I felt his rage and frustration, and surprisingly, a deep sense of longing and sorrow swirling around a centralized thought. I focused on the eye of the storm whipping through his consciousness and gasped when the image of none other than Zola appeared before my eyes.
“Wait? What does this mean, Shaw?” I asked, needing to hear him say it.
“It means I no longer have any questions,” Shaw said, his gaze wandering to where we last saw Zola.
I cocked my head to the side, trying to grasp the gravity of what Shaw was implying. “All right, elaborate a little more, please.” I needed to be sure. I needed to hear him say it aloud.
“Skylar,” Daxton said, stepping forward, Shaw’s attention turning to meet his gaze. “Skylar,” Daxton repeated as he gave Shaw a nod and sighed, placing a hand on Shaw’s shoulder in silent support.
“Oh Gods,” I groaned, firmly slapping my palm to my face. “Are you certain?” I asked, peeking through my fingers.
“Like I said, it’s not the time or place to discuss this,” Shaw answered. “But yes.”
I gazed at my friend, understanding what was happening. His animal’s roars of confusion and driving instinct to follow and protect her all made sense. The emotions spiraling inside Shaw’s mind was, ironically, rational. Controlled even.
Shaw and Zola.
Gods above. Shaw felt the call of the mate bond.
It was why he leaped into danger and selflessly protected her against the fallen, and why there was awkward tension between them last night.
But why was she running away?
“It’s the wilt’s magic,” Daxton said. “Zola has never been the same since—”
“So I’ve learned,” Shaw answered, taking a deep breath to try and steady himself. “We discussed this last night, and again this morning. But still, she’s reluctant to explore this matter further.”
Without asking, I leaped forward and encircled my arms around my friend, holding him close and giving him every ounce of comfort and protection I could muster. At the end of the day, I was his alpha, driven by instinct to protect my pack.
Daxton released a low rumble in his throat next to me as a warning, but I waved him off.
Clearly, Shaw was not a threat.
Shaw’s arms tightened around me in response. “I’ve fought for every gods-damned thing in my life, Sky. Why would my mate be any different?”
Mate.
I pulled back, reaching up to tousle his hair with a playful touch, just as I had when we were young. The glimmer of hope in his eyes returned, mirrored by the faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“Like always, you’re right.”
Shaw huffed a laugh. “Can I get that in writing?”
I gave him a beaming smile, and thankfully, he returned the gesture. “There will be time to figure this all out, Shaw. I promise you’ll have that time with Zola.”
“I’ll hold you to it.”
Daxton stepped to my side and draped an arm over my shoulder, pulling me close to his chest. Shaw looked up at him and wisely took a step back, giving my mate a shallow nod in understanding.
Gah, males.