22. In the Forest’s Edge
In the Forest’s Edge
Eliza
I t wasn’t hard to change Cabins, though Malcolm’s uncle seemed confused by her sudden desire to be alone. She’d palmed him off with an excuse that she didn’t want to force Malcolm to keep sleeping on the couch.
For a few days, she tried her best to keep her distance, though she knew he still watched her. Even when she wished to approach him, she didn’t. There wasn’t any point in starting something that would end.
If he couldn’t promise to let her go, then there was little possibility he’d let her get revenge.
When the day came for her to travel to the border with everyone, she woke up again from a night of fitful sleep. Ever since she’d left his side, her dreams had been filled with flashbacks from her past. She was lucky if she got more than three hours of sleep.
That morning, she heard heavy knocking; she opened the door only to nearly be barreled over by Lilly and Morgan, who entered her cabin, not giving her any time to breathe. Morgan pounded on her back. “We’re here to help you pack.”
Eliza took a step back, lifting her hands to put space between them. “I already finished packing," she said, watching Lilly walk over to the couch where her bag sat.
“Oh,” Morgan said, her disappointment clear in her voice. “And here I thought I could sneak this into your bag.” She lifted a plastic bag.
Eliza frowned. “What’s that?”
Morgan grinned. Opening the bag, she pulled out a silky white teddy. “Something for both you and Malcolm to enjoy.”
Eliza gawked at her for a long second before she averted her eyes. “Morgan, have you ever heard of something called boundaries?”
“Boundaries,” she repeated breezily. “What’s that?”
“Why did you move rooms?” Lilly suddenly asked in her usual blunt fashion. Giving the room a short once over, her eagle-like gaze fell on Eliza’s body. “You look like you barely slept.”
“I felt it was time to get used to sleeping alone,” she explained.
“Why would you do that—” Morgan lurched when an elbow ended up in her gut as Lilly smiled.
“Well, if you’re done packing, let's make our way to the main hall and get some breakfast. We need to hurry and catch up with the guys; otherwise, we won’t hear the end of it.”
Eliza nodded; she walked around Morgan to grab her bag before she followed the two out of the cabin. She knew they were curious about her sudden move, but she didn’t feel comfortable explaining to them that she was trying to put space between her and Malcolm.
She stood by her word, no matter how she felt, there could be nothing between them. She would be wasting his time, and the worst part was that his tying himself to her would only cause him harm.
Before she was taken, she’d sworn off love. She’d been done with throwing her heart at others only to receive nothing in return, and she was even more done when she saw the number of married people who’d come through the door of Shade with their wedding rings in their back pockets.
Now, the reason had changed, but she wasn’t meant to be loved or to fall in love. So, what if her heart ached when she closed her door and realized he wouldn’t be sleeping in the same bed as her? So what if she’d barely been able to sleep and spent most nights staring at the sky, praying that something would change for her? Alas, she was still a scarcely alive girl whose soul was surviving off the magic from the goddess inside her. She wasn’t going to drag an innocent into her damned life.
No matter how strong Malcolm was, she didn’t want to put him through that.
So, as she said, she indeed loved him, but because she loved him, she wasn’t going to put him through the pain that her mother had gone through. Though in her mother’s case, her father hadn’t been taken away, he’d been the origin of her pain.
“Are you not going to eat?” Lilly's voice pierced the cloud of her buzzing thoughts.
Eliza frowned realizing she’d been just staring into space. She looked from Lilly’s worried expression to the plate settled in front of her. She grabbed a piece of the apple; taking a bite, she couldn’t help humming at the sweaty taste.
“Oh, there’s Malcolm—oh, I mean the Alpha.”
Eliza inhaled sharply, choking.
“Shit, are you okay?” Lilly said, with worry slapping her back.
She wanted to have a long talk with God about his timing and the form of irony he enjoyed, but then again, there was the goddess inside of her. Maybe she could ask the woman herself. Grabbing a cup of water to her right, she quickly drank it. Gasping, she finally was able to breathe.
She couldn’t keep reacting so much to the man, a mere mention of his name caused her to nearly choke. Settling the piece of apple down, she glanced over to where Morgan was pointing, only to meet gleaming green eyes. She quickly looked away.
She should have known he wouldn’t just take her words sitting down. Though he’d not chased her or stopped her from moving out, it was clear to her that Malcolm thought that their conversation was far from over. She curled her free hand against the table and couldn’t stop the cowardly wish that the location book would return already. The sooner she found it, the faster she could leave.
She stood up. “Bathroom.”
She quickly left. She needed to put space between herself and him as much as possible; that was the only way she would survive this entire debacle. She would accompany him to the Ceilidh, and then once she was assured he no longer needed her help, she’d leave.
The enemy was still out there, probably believing that there was nothing anyone could do to them. She had the power and the knowledge, and once it was done, no one needed to know it had been her. At least that way, no one would mourn her loss.
She quickly left the main hall, ignoring the sting of eyes on her back.
Malcolm
She was doing a good job of avoiding him; even when his sister and her friend schemed to put them together in the transport circle, she’d barely spoken to him. Some part of him wanted to push, but he’d promised to give her time.
Plus, with the heavy issues that needed to be discussed at length with his uncle and the other Aldermen, it was better to leave that talk for later.
She believed that there was no way they could be together; he didn’t. And once he solved the mystery of the missing youth. He’d chase her down and solve the issues between them.
“Is this the Ceilidh,” she asked as they stepped from the transport circle. Surprised by her question, he looked at her.
She wasn’t looking at him but at the group of people gathering in the center of the campgrounds they’d arrived at. She was so busy taking in the view that she’d completely forgotten to ignore him. A small smile came to his lips at this thought.
She looked up at him only to catch his smile. She frowned. “What?”’
“Are you not going to ignore me anymore?” he asked, humor coating his voice.
“Who else was I going to ask?” she said, her tone clipped. “Everyone else already went ahead.”
“Man, you know how to hurt a man's ego, love.”
“I sure do, McLaren,” she retorted, copying his country twang as she walked ahead. “I’m impressed at the use of barrier magic here; I thought your pack used anti-magic stones here?”
He nodded, catching up to her side. “We do, but the runic Magic we use works despite the stones. They are used more against those who would seek to harm us. For example, many warlocks would come and steal stones and use their Magic to manipulate our people to fight among one another.”
“Ah, that sucks,” she said as they drew closer to a man who had lifted a large barrel and was walking towards what looked like a tower of them. “What’s that?”’
“Once the business is finished, the celebration of the moon goddess who blessed us with human flesh will begin,” he explained. Reaching out gently, he grabbed her arm to pull her out of the way of a few females who were bringing trays of food. “Once the Alphas and the Alderman gather and finish the welcome ceremony, they will have time to eat and be merry if there isn't a fight or disturbance.”
“And what if there is a fight?” she asked, looking away from a large pile of wood being built closer to the lake at the end of the village. “Will people still celebrate afterward?”
He nodded. “After such a fight, the winner welcomes the loser to drink with him. Once the goddess has decided on the winner, all sins are repaid, and things must be moved forward if not. It will likely lead to war, so they will celebrate the night as the last they may live.”
She frowned. “So, either way, you’ll drink and be merry, war or no war.”
“Yep,” he said as he steered towards where she saw his sister and a few of his men. “It’s our way. We are not afraid of death, nor are we afraid of living. A wolf lives for his pack and mate; everything else is merely a welcomed fight for survival.”
She nodded, and as they drew closer, her nose twitched at the smell of food. She regretted not eating breakfast that morning, as she was now suffering the consequences of an empty stomach.
As if reading her mind, Morgan held out what looked like a sugar-covered donut: “Here, try it. The Harrison Pack has the best cooks. I have been craving their doughnuts for an entire year.”
Taking it, Eliza eyed it before she took a bite.
Malcolm appreciated the sound of pleasure she released when she ate it. He’d noticed her habit of humming after eating something delicious since he’d found her. She’d eaten the soup he’d prepared with the same vigor, releasing a deep-throated hum.
“This is good,” she said, turning to him and lifting it as if it was the most natural thing in the world to do. “Try some.”
He didn’t hesitate. He bent down and took a bite, the sugary flavor filling his mouth. Swallowing it, he spotted sugar at the corner of her lips, and leaning forward, he licked it up. Pretending not to notice the slight hitch in her throat.
Pulling back, he licked his lips, meeting her surprised stare with a wicked one of his own. “Delicious.”
Lips trembling and cheeks hot, Eliza turned away from him sharply.
As if she could hide herself in broad daylight.
“Brother, Uncle asked me to send you to the main lodge when I saw you,” Lilly said as she took another donut out of her bag. "He said the Aldermen were trying to choose when they’ll have all of the Alphas and other Pack Aldermen meet.”
Nodding, he turned away from her, throwing over his shoulder. “Then I will be leaving her with you.”
As soon as this issue was wrapped up, he would focus on important things, like seducing his mate and convincing her that the best place for her to be was with him.
Eliza
She watched him leave as she chewed thoughtfully on the sweet bread in her mouth. She had been right to ask Morgan if she could stay in her cabin. Otherwise, she’d be stuck with that annoying man for the duration of the Ceilidh. He clearly didn’t get what she was trying to put down.
She looked around, seeing that people had slowly congregated here and there. A few women talked as their children ran around at their feet, and men laughed boisterously near what looked to be the bar area. “Is it too early to get something to drink?”
Morgan laughed at her question. “My new best friend, it’s never too early to drink, at least not to us wolves.”
She laughed, following Morgan. It wasn’t like she wanted to be drunk, but she wanted to stop thinking so much. About the goddess, Malcolm, and her future, she wanted for just a few moments to be a normal woman again; even if it was temporary, she wanted to be old Eliza. Who’d gone out with her friend and spent way too much time shopping for clothes.
Heck, if she thought they had a decent bar, she’d have offered to mix a few drinks. She’d planned on becoming a bartender until she’d heard that only real witches could work behind the counters.
Another moment, she’d envied full-blown witches; aside from her ability to make little sigils and talismans, her magic could barely scratch the surface of what other witches could do. But now she had more than enough power, she scoffed. Not that that power had made a lick of difference. She’d been a puppet and used as nothing more than a killing machine.
She was sure the man who’d created her hadn’t even known her name. He’d only been possessive of the thing inside of her. When she thought about him, she couldn’t help feeling sick.
She wasn’t sure if it was a blessing or a curse that she couldn’t remember his face.
Malcolm
“You summoned me?”
Malcolm asked as he entered the open tent where his uncle sat. Three other Aldermen were seated next to Robert. He greeted each of the old warriors with an incline of his head.
Robert waved him over. “It would look like some things have changed.”
“What things?” he gruffly asked.
Malcolm didn’t need any more surprises; he’d had his fill of things not going as planned. “I came here for only one reason: to meet the other Alphas and ensure their hands aren’t dirty.”
“Well, there is going to be a bit of an issue. The Alpha of the Dougal pack has sent us a challenge letter,” one of the men, Issac, interrupted. He spat into the small fire in the circle's center. “The bastard is an outsider who just showed up and attacked the Dougal Pack out of nowhere; if the rumors are true, he nearly massacred their guard.” He cut his eyes to someone behind Malcolm, half-turning. Malcolm followed Issac’s line of sight and frowned; the male's back was to him. His hair was a bright red, and he seemed to be about his height.
“Is that him?” he asked as he turned back around.
“Yeah, he brought only a few people and tossed this at my feet.” Robert held the letter out to Malcolm.
Taking it, Malcolm frowned. “A blood price?”
Robert nodded. “Have you met him before?”
Malcolm thought back, but he couldn’t remember anyone with such bright red hair. “No, at least that I know of.”
“Well shit, this is going to cause a delay in having a meeting,” Robert groused, taking the letter back. “We will have to schedule the challenge; honor demands it.”
“So? Then I will fight him, and we can meet as planned,” Malcolm said. “Or he will drop the issue. I sincerely hope he drops it.”
Issac's nose wrinkled. “I do not know. That one smells of blood and not the good kind.”
Malcolm acknowledged his warning, returning his curious gaze to the other Alpha. He was definitely suspicious. The Dougal clan Alpha was known to be a tough son of a bitch; it was shocking that he’d been defeated and that the man before him had done it. Grimacing Malcolm’s eyes narrowed; what he hadn’t said aloud was that plenty of things could cause a man to come out of nowhere to take over a random clan, but he wasn’t sure his suspicions were right.
“Come for me when you’ve decided when the fight will be,” he said before quickly leaving. The gravel crunched under his feet as he searched for Agun.
He spotted him leaning against a wall of one of the multiple lodges and cabins in the area. “Agun.”
Agun nearly jumped out of his skin as he whipped his head around. The girl he’d been speaking with quickly left. Malcolm barely paid any attention to this as he approached him. “Agun, go to the others and tell them to come to my room.”
Agun turned around and took off to find the rest of his Guardsmen.
Malcolm watched him go; he hoped his hunch wasn’t right, but he’d do what he needed to keep his people safe, especially if Alek's warning was right. Nothing could be ignored, and the sudden appearance of a new Alpha was definitely of note, especially with the suspicious timing of his appearance.
He sneered.
Whoever thought they could do what they wished on their land. He’d teach them, but that wasn’t the case. He wasn’t so weak as to allow maggots to grow on the land he’d been born on. He turned around and headed back to his own lodging. The quicker he returned, the quicker he could speak with his men.
“You’re saying there’s something fishy about the new Dougal Alpha?” Jamie, one of the guardsmen, asked.
“Yes, something about his sudden appearance doesn’t feel right,” Malcolm said from where he sat in the center. “Especially with his sudden challenge for a ‘blood price.’” Malcolm frowned. “I don’t remember ever meeting him before. It’s almost like he challenged the Dougal Alpha just to come here and challenge me.”
“It’s not that easy; his pack would have had to accept him,” Agun said from where he stood near the doorway, expression troubled. “Then again, I noticed the females and pups hadn’t come; he only brought along a few guardsmen.”
Malcolm frowned, staring at the floor before he looked up. “Heath, go and bring me Eliza”
Heath quickly stood from where he crouched, and with a short nod of respect, he ran out of the room.
“What are you planning?” Jamie asked, looking from the door Heath had run out of back to Malcolm. “The witch might not help you.”
“She’s not just some ‘witch,’ and why do you not like her? She hasn’t done anything to you.” Malcolm's jaw clenched.
Jamies glared at him. “No witch has ever been a positive thing in any story involving our kind.”
“Fairy tales aren’t reality. And when you speak about her, you better show some respect, that witch is my mate. And the next time you talk about her in that tone, I’ll rip your throat out.” Malcolm growled. As he slowly stood, the other guardsmen became antsy, and they felt tensions building between their Alpha and Jamie. “Unless you don’t think you can. I can tear it out now and save you the trouble of practicing manners.”
Just as the air grew taut, the door opened as Heath re-entered, only for him to pause at the sight of Malcolm and Jamie standing nose to nose.
“You summoned me?” Eliza drawled as she entered and paused at the sight of the two large men standing toe-to-toe. “Are you guys fighting?”
“No, just talking about manners,” Malcolm said, giving Jamie a narrowed look before he faced Eliza, “You weren’t busy, were you?”
“No,” Eliza answered, eyeing them both. “All right, what did you call me for?”
“If I tell you where a place is, would you be able to send my men there?” he queried. “I need two men to go to the Dougal land and investigate this new Alpha.”
“Well, I could create a traveling charm, but they’d have to imagine the place and know where it is.”
“Well,” Malcolm looked at the others. “Which of you have been to the Dougal's land before?”
“I have,” Derrick said, pointing at Will, “And him, we’ve been there to deliver a few stones a few years back when they needed them for placing warding charms at their border.”
Malcolm looked back at Eliza, “Can you send them?”
She nodded, “But it won’t activate again for three hours, so once you're there, you’re stuck until the charm recharges and brings you back.” She pulled two stones from her pocket.
“You're lucky I have a habit of picking up small stones,” she raised her hand palm up and placed two stones in the center and a thin blue circle before they flashed once, turning a bright fuchsia, and then once more, they turned black. “There you go.”
She walked towards Malcolm and set them in his hand. “When they turn black, that’s the sign the Magic within them has been used up, but once they are fuchsia again, they can return.”
Malcolm picked up the stones and turned to Derrick, who took them. “After the last call for the night, you will leave and go and see what you can find out.”
“Yes, Alpha.”
Finished, Malcolm looked at the others. “You can leave, but keep your ears open and noises sharp.”
They bowed their heads before they quickly left. Jamie shot Eliza a look before leaving; Eliza caught it and shook her head. “That man doesn’t like me, huh?”
“He doesn’t like Magic users in general,” Malcolm said, eyeing her. “You’re not leaving?”
Irritated by his question, she turned to leave. “I can leave now,” she snapped.
Quickly, he caught her hand, keeping her from going.
“What?” she sassed. “I thought you wanted me to leave?”
“Come on, Eliza, don’t be like that,” he said, pulling her closer. “I was just playing with you. I didn’t intend for you to take me so seriously,” he gave her a mock pout.
She rolled her eyes. “I can’t know that for sure; after all, I’m a dangerous witch who can’t be trusted,” she said, irritated. “Out of all the people here, he’s the first to show the same distaste for witches as the people in the Veil. Ass.”
Bringing her into his arms, he chuckled. He bent down only for his lips to be blocked with the flat of her hand.
“You—my words still stand,” she said, leaving his hold. “Mate, or not. We can’t be a thing.” She quickly left the tent.
Malcolm let her go.
Eliza thought she could fight their growing bond, but he knew differently. There was no turning back. Since they’d met, the string between them had already started tightening. Every day, the bond grew tighter and tauter. The night would bring her his scent and his need.
She could run and deny it but she would come to him when the time was right.
He grinned; he would not let her go. The moment she’d called him hers, she’d lost her ability to run, but he was a wolf, so he had no problem hunting her down.
The more she ran, the more he’d chased until she understood there was nowhere for her to go, that he wouldn’t be. Being Alpha was nothing more than a way for him to protect her, a title he’d leave behind to hold her.
She could pretend that his duties outweighed his promises to her, but that would be a lie. He wouldn’t let it get in his way.
Ever.
Eliza
She left the lodge, feeling like a piece of her soul had been left behind. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She hated the sensation, but she couldn’t accept how he made her feel. Despite her soul feeling set right in his presence, she wanted to give in, but that wasn’t an option.
That wasn’t her.
She wanted it to be her, but her dreams had been growing darker, and she knew that the heart that pounded in her chest might not be hers, nor the eyes she saw with. She wasn’t sure about anything anymore, so she had to say no to him and everything he thought about them.
When she could find more information about herself and what was growing inside her, she walked along the square toward her own lodging.
“Hey.”
She stopped when she heard someone call out to her. Glancing to her right, a man stepped out from the shadows of a building. His hair was loose and wild; as he drew closer, she saw his eyes. Something about them stirred up a memory that was just out of reach. “You’re the Alpha Malcolm’s woman?”
She fully faced him; her instinct told her she couldn’t turn her back on this stranger. “Who wants to know?”
He smirked, flashing his white teeth at her. Like most werewolves, he had sharp canines. “I do. I want to know what to demand if I win.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, looking him over. “I think you’ve got the wrong person.”
Eliza was eager to put space between herself and the strange man. She kept feeling the craziest urge to run, but instead, she chided herself and walked away.
“What if I don’t?”
Eliza paused and looked back at him.
“What?”
He grinned, closing the space between them. “What if I know exactly who you are and what you’re capable of?”
She glared at him; she didn’t like how he made her feel. She balled her hands into a fist at her side, “I don’t know what you’re trying to imply, but I suggest you think twice about what you say next.”
Even if she felt the crazy urge to run, she wouldn’t. Something told her that any form of retreat on her end would be seen as weakness, and the male in front of her would pounce.
“Beliel,” he suddenly said, straightening.
“What?” she said, her brow lowering in confusion.
“My name,” he said, “remember it." He licked his bottom lip. “You’ll say it a lot once I defeat your Alpha.”
“You’re disgusting,” she snapped, finished with the conversation.
Turning on her heel, she moved to leave.
“You know—” She paused at his words and half-turned to look at him again. He leisurely strode towards her. She wanted to retreat, but again, she didn’t. “I can’t shake this feeling that we know each other.”
Eliza didn’t confirm or deny; she was sick of talking to this asshole. He lifted his hand and pressed two fingers to his forehead. “Wait, I’m sure…ah. Yes, Phen. We have the same friend named Phen.”
The sound of waves crashed into her ear as her eyes widened. Chest tightening, Eliza tried to inhale, but it didn’t feel like she was breathing. Everything she wanted to say she didn’t as her consciousness dived. Her skin goose bumped as if she could feel the splash of cold water. The phantom sensation of fingers dancing delicately along her skin made her fight or flight kick in. He was here again, assessing and inspecting her. Phen was always eager to improve her, his cold eyes searching for something new to remove.
Pain shot through from the bottom of her feet to the top of her head as she felt the phantom sensation of being torn apart down to her soul. A terrible experience of it being yanked from her body and perverted till she didn’t know what her memory and someone else’s. She shuddered, staring at the man’s gleeful gaze and stepping back from him.
“Stop.”
Eliza staggered as she took a step back.
Like a small animal, she curled forward and whimpered a soft “No.”
Right after, she turned and ran.
These stranger’s vile laughter followed her as she returned to her lodge.
Ripping the door open, she rushed in, not saying a word to the others in the room. Entering the bathroom, she closed and used magic to keep it closed.
“Eliza?”
“Ignore it.”
“Eliza!”
“IGNORE IT.”
She covered her ears and felt her Magic slip from her body, making it feel heavy. She wanted it all to stop. Go away, she prayed. She wanted them to leave her alone.
Inky black surged at her feet, the abyss-colored water rising to drown her.
“Why couldn’t she be normal?”
The blood in her veins had ruined her life, and now it wasn’t just her blood but her existence.
Where was the god her mother had prayed to?
Where were the people who’d said they loved her so much?
Her mind was slipping, and no one was there to protect her from falling. She wanted to live normally, but a single name had ruined the world she’d built around herself.
She was too broken to do anything about the pain in her heart.
“Eliza—”
“Go away!” she screamed, frantically retreating further back from the door. The black water rising to take her under also covered the door, wriggling like a mass of tentacles. “Leave me alone!”
“Eliza,” Malcolm’s voice cut through the mad haze. “Eliza, let me in, love.”
She didn’t want to; she didn’t want him to see her like this. She looked at the mirror and screamed at the face there. It was her face, but not her.
“Who was that person?”
Their eyes were white, their hair wild, and surgery scars covered every inch of her Frankenstein-like body. Where was she in that person in the mirror?
“No, stop,” she yelled; she couldn’t return to that.
“Stay away,” she screeched.
Magic ripped from her body, slamming into the mirror, shattering it; the door shook before it caved in, and a large brown wolf stood there, filling up the entire doorway. Its height and size, larger than the average wolf found in the wild. Greenish yellow eyes blazed as they zeroed in on her.
For a second, there was only silence as she took in the animal that had broken down her door. With a rush all the scroll writing rushed up her body as her eyes lost their color and her hair grew less wild.
“Please, make it stop,” she begged, and with a shocking abruptness her eyes rolled back, and she passed out.
Malcolm changed back into a man, catching her just in time. He looked around the bathroom; the destruction was only a portion of her power. Looking down at her, he sighed before rising with her in his arms. He turned to meet his sister's worried gaze. “What happened?”
Morgan shook her head as she rubbed her arms. “She came in looking terrified, but she refused to talk to us.” She motioned Lilly and herself. “She ran into the bathroom and—” She left off.
Malcolm
He looked down at her peaceful face; the lettering was disappearing as her breathing became normal again. He nodded. “Grab her things. She’ll be staying with me in my lodge.”
His sister weighed him for a moment before she gave a short nod and walked away. She motioned to Morgan. “Help me gather her things.”
“But—” Morgan bit her lip, glancing at Malcolm before she nodded. “Okay.”
The two women put her stuff into her duffel. Malcolm hadn’t expected something to happen so soon. He’d been sure she was okay now, but something had triggered her. Once she was awake, he’d ask her, but for now, he’d bring her with him.
They had been sleeping together till she’d moved out, and he knew she’d been trying to regain control, which is why she moved out. However, that little bit of control led to this. He tightened his hold of her; she could sleep in his bed, and he’d sleep on the floor.
“This is everything,” his sister said. Agun walked towards her and took it from her. They left his sister's lodging together and went to his own house.
“Alpha taking her to your room is…” Agun trailed off.
“I know what it means,” Malcolm said, not bothering to speak further. The clan would see this as him taking her in officially as his mate. Their behavior before had been accepted as he’d kept a respectful distance, and it was understood her trauma called for human touch. But this, this was another thing. Here at the Ceilidh, a man taking a woman into his place of lodging was a sign of mating.
He lifted her and pressed his forehead against hers. “There is nothing to be done. Fate has its way, no matter the plans of humanity.
Agun watched his Alpha holding the female in his arms and knew the two would mate. The clan had known this since they’d seen the two together. The two seemed to breathe and exist as if one. It was clear they carried each other’s soul, and the only result that would come from someone trying to separate them would be chaos.
“I understand, Alpha.”
“Do you?” Malcolm asked once they reached the steps of his lodgings. He glanced over his shoulder, his green eyes holding an odd look. “Do you really understand?”
Agun frowned. “I think so.”
“I existed in a form of hell for a long time, and even when I walked into the light, I was still in the dark,” he turned, ascending the steps into his apartment. “She’s the only thing that brightens my world, but she’s more powerful and dangerous than anything I’ve ever seen.” He walked over and placed her on the bed gently. "And I would let her destroy everything around us until there was nothing left if it would make her smile.”
Agun tensed, hearing the sincerity in Malcolm's voice. “Alpha?”
Malcolm stood and turned, taking the bag from Agun. “Do you now understand?”
Angus swallowed before giving a short nod.
“Good, now leave.”
Agun quickly left.
Malcolm watched him go, unbothered. He wouldn’t take the words back; he’d let the world burn around her while she stood safe in the center. He’d known it the minute he saw her; he was more hers than she was his.
He put her bag down, went to her side, sat on the floor, and took her hand. “Love, you can’t leave me. I’m okay with being seen as pathetic; hell, I don’t even care what others think about me. But if you leave, I don’t know what I would do.” He pressed his forehead to her hand. “I can only beg you not to turn me into a madman.”