Chapter 4 — Rhiannon #2
I’d prefer his rage to this eerie formality.
“I was only expressing legitimate concerns, Alpha.”
“You undermined me in front of—”
I scoff. This again? “I wasn’t undermining you. I was making myself heard to an Alpha who was talking over me—” I stop myself as I hear my voice rising and know it won’t end well, just like yesterday.
Xander treads cautiously on my silence. “I’ve noticed that you’ve been working late every night this week. And you didn’t attend the gathering at Akila’s.”
“I had reports to finish.”
“You seem to be missing a lot more gatherings since,” his voice softens, “Thea arrived.”
Heat rises to my cheeks. “Are you monitoring my social calendar now?” My voice comes out sharper than I intended. “Have I not been doing my duties to your full satisfaction, My Lord?”
Xander sighs. “I’m concerned about you, Rhiannon. You’ve withdrawn from everyone. The pack notices.”
The pack notices. Of course they do. They notice how their Commander exists on the periphery of the life she was once at the center of.
“I’m focused on the safety of Kortan,” I say tightly. “Someone has to be.”
His eyebrows lift. “Meaning?”
“Nothing.”
“No, say it. What exactly are you implying?”
I shouldn’t say it. I know I shouldn’t. But the words burst out anyway.
“The peace summit is a few weeks away. Less than a year ago, the Shaman wanted to annihilate us. Now you’re welcoming them into our home, and half of our security protocols aren’t finalized yet because you’re busy playing house with your pregnant mate.”
The moment the words leave my lips, I regret them.
Xander’s expression darkens. “So, the truth finally comes out. This is all about me and Thea.”
Oh, Goddess, help me.
“That isn’t true.” I hold my ground. “I have the utmost respect for your bond—”
“With visible reluctance.”
Rage claws at my composure and starts to bleed through.
“You better than anyone should know that I’ve given everything to this pack.
Everything. I’ve kept Kortan safe. The border patrols, the enhanced training regimens, the summit preparations — all me.
” My voice rises beyond my control. “And yet everyone looks at me like I was only promoted to Commander because you felt guilty about taking Thea as your Luna.”
Xander scowls at the accusation. “I made you Commander because you earned it. You have always been the best warrior of the pack. That is true whether you were meant to become my Luna or not. As Commander, however, you must show loyalty to Thea as your Luna too.”
My wolf bristles at the challenge in his tone. “I’ve always—”
“You make your disapproval of Thea known in a thousand small ways, Rhiannon.” Xander steps closer. “The tone of your voice when addressing her, your posture. The way you leave the room when she enters.”
“That’s not—”
“It is.” His voice deepens. “And it stops now.”
I can’t contain myself any longer. “Then let me do my fucking job, Xander! I should be preparing for the summit, not collecting baby toys for your paramour!”
Xander’s eyes flash silver, and the rings around his irises burn with fury. “You are talking about our Luna, Rhiannon. I will not let you disrespect her.”
He snarls at me with his fangs to remind me of his dominance. My wolf hunkers down inside me. Though I don’t move, he can sense my cowering and steps away from me.
“Because of our history,” he says, his voice a little calmer, “I’ve given you more leeway than I would have given anyone else. But do not let your familiarity with me cloud your judgment. And don’t ever mistake my generosity for weakness.”
“Yes, Alpha,” I instinctively lower my head in respect. I hear the hurt in my voice and hate it instantly. Damn him for being who he is. “I forever swear my loyalty to you, our Luna, and our pack.”
“Good.” He backs away a few more steps as the tension clears. “Now, what’s this complication—”
The sound of an alarm rings out somewhere in the distance. I’m instantly in defense mode, drawing my sword. Are we under attack?
A guard bursts into the room, doubling over slightly as he enters. “Forgive the intrusion, Alpha, Commander. We have a problem. One of the prisoners has escaped.”
Shit. Ethan.
Xander looks confused. “What prisoner?”
“Has he been seen since he escaped?” I ask the guard. He nods, his large fearful eyes turning toward Xander.
“In the courtyard,” he says, looking back to me. “He’s headed for the gates.”
“Let’s go.” I take a step forward, but Xander grabs my arm.
“Wait, I’m coming with you,” he says.
“No, My Lord. Stay here until we know it’s safe.”
“Rhiannon—”
“Xander, let me do my job. Please. Find Thea and make sure she’s okay.”
Xander relents, a disappointed look in his eyes. Then he nods and says, “I expect a full report when you return.”
A knot in my chest tightens as I clear the doorway. I’m going to have to move fast if I’m going to catch Ethan. He can’t match our speed or strength, but he makes up for it with that irritating cleverness of his.
My cousin, Conan, meets me at the courtyard entrance, his athletic frame swallowing the space beside me.
His tousled blond hair catches the light as he falls into step by my side.
Lean muscle pulls his fitted leather armor taut.
The guard insignia is prominent against the dark material as his striking green eyes scan the commotion.
Several small crowds rush past, shrieking about a human and grabbing their children as they flee to safety.
Conan eyes the chaos as we round a corner into the main area of the courtyard. “Who the hell did we lock up? Everyone looks terrified.”
“It’s a long story” is all I can say.
The grounds are empty of anyone except for Akila and Branson. They’ve got Ethan cornered right before the road to the front gates. He’s standing there with a small paring knife in his hand, holding it out in self-defense. Where the hell did he get that?
Conan smirks. “Is that a knife?”
“Back off!” Ethan cuts an arc with the tiny knife in our direction. “I’m warning you.”
Branson takes a step toward him. “Put the knife down before you hurt yourself.”
Ethan shakes his head. “Tell me where Thea is. I don’t want to hurt any of you.”
Conan chuckles. I silence him with an angry glare. I nod at Akila, giving her an unspoken order, then turn back to Ethan.
A flash of brownish-blonde fur whizzes past us, and Akila tackles Ethan in her wolf form. He yelps out in surprise as he falls back. She pins him down, and the knife flies from his hand.
“What the fuck?” He stares up at Akila, who’s snarling back down at him, her claws digging into his shoulders.
Should I kill him? Akila asks me through mind-link.
Of course not! We need to get him back to the dungeons now.
“Conan, help Akila!” I shout. “Get the human back—”
“What’s going on here? Is everything okay?”
I turn around just in time to see Thea waddling toward us as quickly as she can. She looks down at the human underneath Akila and stops in her tracks.
Her hand flies to her mouth. “Oh, my God . . . Ethan?”
Fuck.