Chapter 26 #2
Qinnu pops his head up, gasping for air. Amber eyes lock onto my weapon, flashing with panic at the realization that I’m holding my fire.
She’s the fucking apocalypse. We’d be better off killing her.
“Axe!” someone shouts behind me.
Snapping out of the spell of rage, I fire just in time for the Sentinel to be dragged under again.
The two beasts wrestle underwater, Qinnu gradually bringing him back into range.
When they reemerge for the second time, I get a clean shot through one of the flippers.
The seal shrieks, releasing Qinnu’s upper arm.
Finally, Qinnu gains the upper hand and slices through its soft underbelly with razor sharp claws.
The creature howls in agony, finally releasing him.
Back in human form, Qinnu gets to his feet, covering his crotch with his shivering hands. Tesni makes a sound of disgust. Her eyes note the purple swell of his nose, then dart over to me.
Qinnu wipes his bloody mouth. “Nice to see you, Princess. Got some fresh meat here. You lot must be starving.”
Tesni stomps forward and kicks him in the ribs, right back into the frigid water.
Tripp and the other cadets snicker at the outburst. Qinnu coughs, spitting out the seawater. By now, it’s probably come back to him that seals are the patron symbol of the Norgsik lycans. Butchering them is a grave offense to Tesni’s ancestors.
She falls back to my side again. “It’s all water out here . . . the temple is deteriorating—hell, I’d say impossible to surveil without swimming. I don’t know what those rogues were doing up here.”
Tesni’s right. This was a complete waste of a mission. Or was it another calculated diversion?
Her voice withers. “The portal’s gone, Axe. I can feel it.”
Gone. How is that even possible?
How much longer are we going to let these cowards jerk us around? my wolf snarls.
There’s no denying it now. Bleeding Sun has a traitor in its midst.
One by one, the unit shifts back into their human forms, loading into the choppers with warm blankets. The pilot lifts off the ice and takes the first load back to the mainland, while the second chopper stays behind.
Tesni stares into the distance, the first despondent tear slipping down her cheek. Slowly, the sun awakens over the horizon, over a vast, warming ocean that gobbles up more and more ice by the day. She weeps openly, watching as the crown jewel of her ancestral homeland vanishes.
Vessa
Between imagining what horrors wait for the rescue team and suffering through heat flashes, I haven’t been able to sit still over the last few days.
A sense of unease circulates around all who trickle in and out of Lupine Manor.
Tonight is another full moon: the Eagle Moon, dedicated to discovery and regeneration, according to Maurleen.
Though it’s also an omen. Tonight, when the sun sinks behind the mountains, the moon will arise blood red.
As if this curse wasn’t blatantly ominous enough. I can only speculate what unpleasant fate is in store for me when Axe returns. For the time being, Maurleen and I are still allowed supervised roams around the territory.
When the sanguine moon finally graces the sky, I pour myself a glass of wine to ease the nerves, nearly spilling it on the floor when pounding on my door startles me.
Nell waits on the other side with a fully stocked quiver slung over her shoulder.
She gapes at my new shiny protective measures, courtesy of Wyatt: two pistols strapped to my thighs, silver cuffs on my wrists, and a stringy chainmail piece that attaches to the thick metal choker clutching my neck.
Nell reaches inside to grab my parka off the hook. “Are you wearing a collar?”
I’m not fucking around this time. I have every intention of arming myself to the teeth and barricading the door to the Alpha’s suite. Anyone touches me, they’ll get burned.
“What’s going on?”
She hooks a lock of hair behind her ear. “The Alpha of Glacier Meadow is outside, demanding to speak to the head of the pack.”
Well, that’s just perfect.
Tapping his foot in the quad, Paul Childers is anything but pleased to see me again. Especially since the man he was hoping to speak with is nowhere to be found. His sideburns are flecked with grey strands and the creases in his weathered forehead have deepened over the last couple of months.
Gesturing to Wyatt and Maurleen, Paul scowls. “These two were not granted authority to leave pack grounds. Why did the Alpha fail to reach out to me personally? Why isn’t he here?”
Nells stares him down. “It was urgent.”
“What was so urgent that he had to bypass basic procedure?”
“We’re not at liberty to disclose that.”
Paul’s upper lip curls. “Eighteen months ago, after returning from an extended assignment, Wyatt James and his witch brought Vessa before me, claiming they were cousins whose coven leader had been butchered by a host of vampires.”
I gulp, reminding myself to play along.
“Alpha,” Maurleen croons. “Why don’t we take this inside?”
“Shut up,” he barks. The order makes me flinch. “He hasn’t marked her. Hasn’t brought her before the Council. Why?”
Shoving down my anxiety, I address the elder male. “Axe will return soon with the other warriors. I’m sure he would be glad to speak with you then.”
His broad chest puffs as he takes three giant steps forward. The two males flanking him follow suit. “What manner of witch are you, anyhow? I never did get a demonstration.”
“What makes you think you’re entitled to one?” Nell growls. In my periphery, a lean wolf emerges from the side of the courtyard. Mahogany fur and striking gold irises. Cora. She crouches on my left, growling assertively.
On the Alpha’s right flank, the dark-bearded male breathes my scent in, shuddering.
Opposite of him, a lycan with enormous, corded arms falls to his knees, eyes rolling back into his head.
Paul whirls over his shoulder, swearing to himself.
Slowly, he looks back to me, beady eyes wide and disturbed.
“What kind of hex is this?”
“Ask the moon,” Maurleen muses.
The moonstruck male groans as he shifts into wolf form, crawling towards me with feral eyes. Inhaling sharply, I unholster my guns. Nell unleashes an arrow, where it lands at the lycan’s feet. The charcoal beast freezes, dropping its head with a growl.
“There’s more where that came from,” she warns.
The patrol unit gallops onto the scene, encircling the trespassers. Wyatt kicks off his boots and shifts into his shaggy brown wolf.
“Here’s what I think, Ms. James,” Paul grunts.
“You two lied, not just to earn back your status with Glacier Meadow, but to hide a secret right under my nose. I’m not a fool.
Whatever she is, Vessa is powerful. But I don’t think you smuggled her into this pack just to unite her with her mate.
She might not even be his mate, for all we know. ”
“How dare you,” Maurleen snaps.
Dread rattles my bones. Axe isn’t here to defend himself. Or our bond.
Cora objects fiercely, baring her sharp teeth. In my periphery, Nell creeps forward, her next arrow nocked.
“Look around—her scent has every male in a trance. No wolf in his right mind would leave his unclaimed female so vulnerable on a night like this. So, what’s he waiting for?” His black eyes narrow as they flick back to me. “Tell me, are they afraid of Skornokovy, or is it you?”
Paul’s Sentinel lunges at Wyatt and the patrol wolves unleash themselves on the others. Cora quickly shepherds Maurleen towards the stairs. Dodging a pair struggling for dominance, Paul charges Nell, only to be halted at the bottom step as he comes face to face with the barrels of my guns.
“Time to go, Paul. Unless you’re prepared to challenge your Commander.”
He doesn’t yield. “Order me away and I’ll take this straight to the Yinsew Council. Despite what he may think, the Commander isn’t above the law.”
Nell snarls, Cora right at her heels. Waiting for my signal.
Something clicks in Paul’s head. “You know, Maurleen, you had me eating right out of your hand with your little sob story. But your coven leader didn’t die protecting you, did she? She sacrificed herself to ensure the vampires wouldn’t get their hands on Vessa here.”
I shudder at the mention of Jasper Ridge. My first refuge after I was forced to leave home behind, only to nearly be snatched by the demon I’m cursed to marry.
Shit. Shit.
“Don’t think I’ve forgotten about your Alpha’s contempt for vampires.
If the Blood Master is interested in a human for more than her blood, then surely the Commander would do anything to possess her.
To hijack his endgame, whatever it may be.
To claim his vengeance. You sent Skornokovy an offering. Not a mate.”
Maurleen clenches her fists. “You accusing me of treason, Paul? That’s bold, even for you.”
Snarling, he continues. “If this girl is who I suspect she is, then she was marked for death the moment she drew her first breath. If war is brewing in the province, we ought to know. Because I refuse to lay down my life for a cause Skornokovy could easily squash with a pair of balls.”
Nell responds with an ear-splitting growl, driving her foot into his lower abdomen. Cursing, Paul tumbles down the steps. Cora descends on him, pinning him to the ground. With a flick of her wrists, the Beta’s long black claws unsheathe.
“One more word and you’ll be choking on yours, asshole.”
Sweat gathers in droplets on his hairline. “Do you think the Master of Somnium will spare any of us when he comes for her?”
My aim is locked in as I scan across the quad. Bursting through the barrier of thick pines, two more lycan males emerge, jumping headfirst into the brawl. Howls echo from deep within the forest. Other wolves are starting to listen in.
I am not Paul’s subject to tyrannize. None of us are. Would Axe tolerate being undermined, being insulted on his own land?
What would a Luna do?
I raise my weapon, firing a shot into the night sky. The world stills all around us as the thunderous sound ripples. “That’s enough. Call off your dogs and get the hell out. Now.”
Paul stumbles, the moon casting an intense beam at his back. Spitting on the ground, he levels the witch and her mate with a furious glower. “Consider yourselves banished. If I catch any of you stepping foot on my territory—”
He stills when my revolver clinks the next round into place, aimed at his chest.
“Threaten anyone in this pack again and you won’t even have time to blink. You’ll see exactly what I’m capable of.”