Chapter 24
The village looked smaller than Jessa remembered.
She’d expected the familiar streets to loom over her, to press in with the weight of all the years she’d spent navigating their narrow confines. Instead, the thatched roofs and weathered storefronts seemed almost quaint as she and Tarek crossed the bridge at the edge of town.
“You’re sure about this?”
His voice was low, pitched for her ears alone. His hand found hers, fingers intertwining with a gentleness that still surprised her, even after two weeks of waking up in his arms.
“No.” She squeezed his hand, drawing strength from the contact. “But I’m doing it anyway.”
A ghost of a smile crossed his face—there and gone, quick as a breath. “That’s my mate.”
The market square was already bustling when they arrived, merchants hawking their wares and villagers bartering over prices. The smell of fresh bread mingled with the sharper scent of livestock, and somewhere nearby, a child was laughing.
Then someone spotted them.
The whispers started like ripples in still water, spreading outward from the first startled gasp. Heads turned. Conversations faltered and died. Within moments, the entire square had fallen silent, every eye fixed on the human woman walking hand in hand with a Vultor.
She lifted her chin and kept walking.
The weight of their stares pressed against her skin.
There were familiar faces amongst the crowd—the baker who’d always slipped Dani an extra roll, the blacksmith’s wife who’d commissioned a tapestry for her daughter’s wedding, the elderly widow who bought thread from her every month—but they looked at her now as if seeing her for the first time.
Let them look, she thought. Let them see that I’m not afraid.
The stories had been spreading, just as Korrin had promised.
Tales of a human woman who hadn’t been abducted but had chosen to leave and live willingly in the mountains with her Vultor mate.
Some believed them. Others didn’t. But the truth was walking through their midst now, undeniable and unashamed.
Tarek’s presence beside her was a steady warmth, solid and grounding. He’d reluctantly offered to wait outside the village, to let her face this moment alone if that’s what she needed, but she’d refused. They were together now and she had no intention of hiding it.
“Jessa Allenby.”
The voice cut through the silence like a blade, and her stomach clenched.
Gerhard emerged from the crowd, his face mottled with fury. He looked older than she remembered, the lines around his mouth deeper, his eyes harder. The mask of respectability he usually wore had slipped, revealing the ugliness beneath.
“How dare you.” He stopped a few paces away, close enough for her to see the vein pulsing at his temple. “How dare you show your face here after what you’ve done.”
“After what I’ve done?” She kept her voice steady, though her heart was hammering against her ribs. “And what exactly have I done, Uncle?”
“You broke a contract. You stole my property. You—” His gaze swept over Tarek, and his lip curled with disgust. “You’ve been whoring yourself to an animal.”
A low growl rumbled from Tarek’s chest, and she felt the tension in his body shift, his muscles coiling for violence. She tightened her grip on his hand, a silent plea for restraint.
“I broke nothing,” she said, her voice carrying across the silent square. “The contract you made was never valid. You had no right to sell my work without my consent, no right to use my sister’s illness as leverage, and no right to keep the medicine you bought with my labor.”
Gerhard’s face flushed an ugly shade of red. “You ungrateful little—”
“I’m here to trade.” She raised her voice, pitching it to reach the gathered crowd. “Fairly and honestly, the way trade should be conducted. Anyone who wishes to do business with me is welcome.”
“No one will touch your tainted goods.” Gerhard stepped forward, his hand shooting out to grab her arm. “You’ll come with me right now, and we’ll discuss—”
He never finished the sentence.
Tarek moved faster than her eyes could follow. One moment he was standing beside her; the next, he had Gerhard pinned against a market stall, his claws extended and pressing against the soft flesh of her uncle’s throat.
“Touch her again,” he said, his voice a low rasp that barely sounded human, “and I will open you from throat to groin.”
Gerhard’s eyes bulged, all the color draining from his face. His mouth worked soundlessly, no words emerging.
“Tarek.” She touched his arm gently, feeling the corded muscles trembling beneath her palm. “Not yet.”
For a long moment, she wasn’t sure he would listen. His eyes were glowing bright green fire in the morning light, and his beast was so close to the surface that she could almost see it looking out at her. But then he exhaled—a slow, controlled breath—and his claws retracted.
He released Gerhard with a slight shove that sent the older man stumbling backward.
“Say what you came to say.” Tarek’s voice was still rough, but the murderous edge had faded. “I will keep him… quiet.”
She turned to face the crowd, which had drawn closer during the confrontation. She saw fear on some faces, yes, but also curiosity. Interest. And on a few—the baker, the blacksmith’s wife, the elderly widow—something that looked like pleasure.
“I have an announcement to make,” she said, her voice clear and strong.
“As some of you may know, I’ve been living in the mountains these past weeks with my sister and my mate.
” She let the word settle, watching the reactions ripple through the crowd.
“During that time, I’ve learned something important.
The Vultor aren’t our enemies. They never were, not really.
The violence between our peoples has been born of misunderstanding and fear, fed by those who profit from keeping us divided. ”
Gerhard made a strangled sound of protest, but Tarek’s hand on his shoulder silenced him.
“A new trade route is being established,” she continued.
“A pass through the mountains, negotiated in cooperation with the Vultor pack that lives on the other side. Anyone who wishes to use it will be able to do so freely, without paying the commissions that have been demanded by…” She paused, letting her gaze rest on Gerhard’s ashen face. “Certain parties.”
The whispers started again, but this time they were excited. The merchants in the crowd were already doing the math, figuring out how much they could save, how much more they could earn.
“This is absurd,” Gerhard spat, finally finding his voice. He took three quick steps away from Tarek, though he was careful to keep an eye on him. “You expect these people to trust a pack of animals? To do business with creatures who would tear out their throats as soon as look at them?”
“I expect them to trust their own eyes,” she said calmly. “And their own judgment.”
“You’re a fool. A stupid, deluded girl who’s been bewitched by—”
“Careful.” Tarek’s voice was soft, almost pleasant, but his eyes were still glowing. “My restraint has limits.”
Gerhard’s mouth twisted into an ugly sneer. “What are you going to do? Kill me in front of the entire village? You’re only one beast. You can threaten all you want, but—”
“He’s not alone.”
The voice came from behind them, deep and resonant, carrying an authority that made the crowd part like water before a ship’s prow.
Seren stepped into the square with the easy grace of a predator who knew he had nothing to fear.
He was taller than Tarek, broader, his slate-grey skin and glowing amber eyes marking him unmistakably as Vultor.
Silver streaked his dark hair, pulled back from a face that was stern and handsome in equal measure.
Behind him came Korrin, his cold amber gaze sweeping the crowd. And behind Korrin were six more Vultor, spreading out to flank their alpha with the smooth coordination of a pack that had hunted together for years.
The village went deathly quiet.
“I am Seren,” the alpha said calmly, his voice carrying without apparent effort. “Alpha of the mountain pack. I came to speak with the village council.”
No one moved. No one spoke. The tension in the air was thick enough to choke on.
Then, slowly, John Cotton stepped forward. He was one of the senior council members, a thin, nervous man with a permanently worried expression, and he kept shooting quick glances at Gerhard.
“I… we…” He swallowed hard. “What do you want?”
“Simply to talk.” Seren’s expression remained neutral, but there was something almost gentle in his voice. “Nothing more. I believe there are opportunities for cooperation between our peoples, arrangements that would benefit us all. I wish to discuss them.”
“This is madness,” Gerhard hissed. He’d recovered some of his composure, though his face was still pale and his hands were shaking. “You can’t seriously be considering—”
“Shut up.”
The words came from the blacksmith, a burly man with arms like tree trunks and a reputation for plain speaking. He pushed his way to the front of the crowd, his wife at his side.
“You’ve been bleeding this village dry for years, Gerhard. Taking your cut of every transaction, raising fees whenever it suits you, using that pass like it’s your personal property.” He spat on the ground. “If these Vultor are offering a better deal, I’m willing to listen.”
A murmur of agreement rippled through the crowd. Others nodded—the baker, the tanner, the woman who ran the tavern. People she’d known her whole life, finally finding the courage to speak against the man who’d controlled them for so long.
Gerhard’s face contorted with rage. “You fools. You pathetic, shortsighted—”
“Enough.” Seren’s voice cut through the noise like a blade. He hadn’t moved, hadn’t raised his hand, but suddenly everyone was looking at him. “This is not the time for petty grievances. I came to speak with your council. Will you hear me?”
John Cotton hesitated, his eyes flicking to Gerhard one last time. But something had shifted in the crowd, the balance tipping as power flowed from one side to the other like water seeking its level. And when he finally spoke, his voice was steadier than she had ever heard it.
“We will hear you,” he said. “Follow me to the council hall.”
Seren inclined his head in acknowledgment, then turned to Jessa and Tarek. A hint of warmth softened his harsh features.
“Well done,” he said quietly. “Both of you.”
Tarek nodded, his hand finding hers once more. “We had help.”
“We all need help sometimes.” Seren’s gaze lingered on their joined hands, and warmth flickered in his amber eyes. “That’s what pack is for.”
He moved past them, Korrin falling into step at his side, the other Vultor following in their wake. The crowd parted before them, a river of frightened faces and whispered speculation.
She watched them go, a smile curving her lips.
“Jessa.”
She turned to find Gerhard staring at her, his face twisted with hatred. He looked diminished somehow, smaller than she’d ever seen him, his power stripped away layer by layer until only the ugliness remained.
“This isn’t over,” he said, his voice shaking. “You think you’ve won? You think these animals will protect you forever? When they’re gone, when they lose interest in their little experiment—”
“They won’t be gone.” She met his gaze without flinching. “And neither will I. I’m not the scared girl you used to manipulate anymore, Uncle. I have a home now. A family. A mate who loves me.” Tarek’s hand tightened around hers, warm and steady at her side. “You have no power over me.”
Gerhard’s mouth opened, closed, opened again. No words came out.
She smiled.
Then she turned her back on him and walked away, leaving him standing alone in the market square while the village that had once feared him began to whisper about a future without him.
The sun was warm on her face as they left the square, and somewhere nearby, a bird began to sing. Tarek pulled her close, his arm around her shoulders, his beast rumbling with satisfaction.
“You were magnificent,” he murmured against her hair.
“I was terrified.”
“That’s what made it magnificent.”
She laughed—a bright, startled sound that surprised them both. The future stretched before her not as a threat but as a promise.
She was finally free.