Chapter 8 #2
That darker side of me that would have slaughtered him the moment I had met him had not died apparently. It had merely refrained from killing the wolf for Saphira’s sake. But if he was going to hurt her—verbal or otherwise—I would unleash all my wrath upon him.
“I’m sorry.” The wolf raked his fingers through his dark hair, his motions stiff, and then he heaved a tight sigh that stretched his shirt across his broad chest. “The Ryland Pack aren’t going to help us, Saphi.
I know it. I know them. I’ve been to them with your father in the past, and this new alpha of theirs…
I don’t think he’s the sort who will help us. ”
“How can we know that for sure if we don’t ask them?” she shot back. “Please, Morden. We have to try.”
“What if we delay reaching the pack because we went to the Ryland Pack and we miss our shot? What if Lucas hasn’t done anything right now but if we go to the Ryland alpha to ask for help, Lucas gets to our pack before us?
The risk is too great, Saphi.” Morden slowly approached her, his features softening as anguish surfaced in his eyes.
“If something happened to Danica… she’s all the family I have left. ”
Saphira’s body language changed, her hands falling to her thighs, shoulders slumping and posture softening, and I knew he was wearing her down, that he wielded a dangerous power over her and she was going to change her mind rather than do what she felt was best for the pack—for her family.
Because she did not want to hurt this male.
She did not want to be responsible for something happening to his sister.
Where was the confident, strong female I had known in the Shadow Court?
This female before me resembled the one I had brought to my court from these lands—a female devoted to pleasing others, to serving others and deferring to them, rather than listening to her own voice or standing up for herself and what she felt was right.
And I did not like it.
I did not like how she listened to this male and obeyed him, backing down so easily even when she felt she was right. Almost subservient to him. Afraid to stand up for herself and put her foot down, and put him in his place.
So I would lend her the strength she needed to remember who she was.
How clever, and brave, and powerful she was.
My shadows poised to strike at the male, unseen to him, I stepped out from behind the tree.
His steely gaze instantly leaped to me.
“What is this? Trouble in paradise?” I drawled as I prowled towards Saphira, shadows rising to cling to my shoulders, falling like a cloak that blanketed the ground as black mist as I advanced on Morden.
“No,” he snapped.
Saphira looked over her shoulder at me, the relief in her eyes striking me hard, making me want to gather her into my arms. I denied that urge.
That pressing need. Rather than holding her, wrapping her in my arms in a way that might make her appear coddled, even weak to my influence, or lacking the strength to think for herself rather than be swayed by the feelings of someone she cared for, I came to stand beside her.
Marking her as my equal.
I looked at her, and then at the wolf. “I believe you were discussing something… rather loudly. As a member of this party, I wish to know what it was so I may make an informed decision on whose side I will choose.”
The wolf just stood there, murderous intent in his eyes as they brightened.
Many males had looked at me with so much anger, so much hatred, and so much need to slaughter me.
None of them had lived to tell the tale.
Saphira broke the tense silence. “As soon as we know where we are, I want to head to the Ryland Pack. They’ve helped the Harper Pack before, and I think they’ll help us now.
We’re going to need warriors if Lucas has our pack.
Morden wants to head to our pack first to get the lie of the land and if things are bad, we might go to the Ryland alpha. ”
Morden was an idiot.
I kept that to myself in an attempt to remain diplomatic, and prevent Saphira from becoming angry with me too.
Although I was sure the look on my face said it as I shifted my gaze to him again and his fingers flexed.
Now, now. I silently chided the wolf and subtly looked at his boots, drawing his attention there.
He glanced at his feet, his eyes widening slightly as he spotted my shadows waiting to attack him, and then glared at me.
“There is safety in numbers, and I am willing to grant you those numbers, Saphira. You only need to ask and you will have men. The finest the Shadow Court can spare.”
She was quick to shake her head. “The Shadow Court needs them.”
I wanted to argue with her over that and press her to accept my help, but I also did not want to be as pushy and irritating as the wolf so I gracefully dipped my head instead.
“Very well. If you believe these wolves of the Ryland Pack will assist you in this battle, there is good reason to venture there and speak with them. Since you are the daughter of the Harper alpha, I believe it is your decision to make.” I looked back at Saphira, bathing in the look she was giving me, as if I was the most wonderful male in the world for siding with her.
As if I would side with the wolf. Although, her look would probably change if she realised I was threatening Morden to keep him from arguing.
“But if you are concerned about your family, I know the territory and can teleport there to scout. Better yet, I could teleport you there, removing all this unnecessary delay.”
“And why do you know the territory, I wonder? Could it be because you bought Saphi for her virginity?”
“Vengeance,” Saphira corrected.
The wolf did not pay her any heed. He was too busy staring me down, the muscles of his arms flexing as he curled and uncurled his fingers.
“Did you get what you paid for?” he spat.
“Morden!” She gasped.
I smirked at the wolf.
“Son of a bitch,” he growled. “Did you force her? Manipulate her?”
“No manipulation was necessary, wolf.” I squared my shoulders and locked my gaze with his, engaging in battle with him in the only way I could without displeasing my little wolf.
“Morden,” she corrected.
“It was my pleasure to help her through her first mating heat.”
She groaned and muttered under her breath, “Oh my gods. I’m regretting this already.”
I wanted her to regret nothing about us, but found it impossible to hold my tongue when the wolf snarled, flashing emerging fangs.
“You took advantage of her heat to get what you wanted then.”
“Oh my gods.” Saphira buried her face in her hands. “Please, shut up. Both of you.”
“Not at all,” I shot back. “I was quite the gentleman.”
“Kael,” she hissed, almost a plea, and I felt her gaze land on me as she straightened again, her hands falling to her sides.
“Yeah. Real gentlemanly. Buying a female for sex and then using her vulnerability during her first mating heat to get what you wanted.”
“Morden!” she snapped.
“Watch your tongue, wolf,” I growled, taking a step towards him, my shadows coming to writhe around his boots again. “You upset Saphira.”
“Morden,” she corrected, still trying to keep the peace between us.
It was far too late for that.
“Because you brainwashed her into believing you’re an ally. That you feel something for her.”
My shadows launched from the earth, snaring his legs as the ground trembled and darkness fell around us, and I bared my fangs at him as I growled.
“Because I do feel something for her!”
She went terribly still beside me.
“You do?” she whispered as Morden struggled against my hold, his face twisting in frustration as I only held him more tightly, keeping him in place.
I slowly slid my gaze to meet hers, and murmured, “I do.”
A hint of rose touched her cheeks and she smiled slightly.
Beautiful, bewitching little wolf.
I was so entranced by her that I forgot about my shadows, forgot about the rest of the world.
Morden came to her, stepping right through my shadows as if they were not a threat to him. “Let’s make camp and we can talk about our plans.”
He went to take hold of her arm.
I stopped him with a glare.
Instead of touching her, he ushered her to the small clearing where someone had piled freshly broken branches and old wood, his hand hovering close to her back as he guided her.
“Here. Use this for a seat.” He positioned a log near her and then gathered the old wood and began building a fire.
The wolf clearly cared about her wellbeing, but how deep did that feeling go? I studied him closely as he worked, as he glanced from time to time at Saphira, checking on her.
“I’ll get the shelter built once the fire is going.” Morden continued stacking the logs.
Even as I approached them, he only had eyes for her, acting as if I was not there.
When she sat on the log he had offered, the bastard shot me a sly look, one that reeked of victory and belief that I would be gone before long, no longer necessary because he could take care of her.
“I understand you want to go to the pack first,” she said with a soft look in Morden’s direction. “But maybe Kaeleron could scout it for us while we head for the Ryland Pack.”
I had offered to teleport her there, not just scout it.
“I’m worried about Dani.” Morden sighed, pausing at his work to make fire with two sticks like some kind of prehistoric male.
Saphira leaned towards him and gently laid her hand on his arm, her gaze softening further as her brow furrowed. “I know. I’m worried about my parents too. I’m sure Dani is okay. We’ll be back with them soon.”
The wolf nodded stiffly and dared to place his hand over hers where it rested on the sleeve of his shirt, signing his own death sentence.
“We’ll see them again soon. Don’t worry about them.
They’re strong. I’m more worried about you.
I don’t want to argue with you… so if you’d feel better having more wolves at your back to protect you, then we’ll go to the Ryland Pack. ”
Wolves. Not fae.
He was subtly drawing lines between me and them, pointing out that I was not like them, playing on the pack mentality wolves shared and her sense of loyalty to hers.
And he had dared to accuse me of manipulating her.
Yet it was not the line he drew between us that infuriated me.
It was how he treated her as if she was made of glass, when I had seen how strong she was, how capable she was and brave, and how his words barely veiled his intent. Just enough to keep Saphira off his scent. To stop her from realising that he had no intention of letting her fight.
The fact she did not react to what he had said told me she did not see it herself.
If she had, she would have had a few choice things to say about it.
I grew tired of watching the idiot wolf rubbing sticks together and casually waved a hand towards the pile of sticks he called a fire, igniting them with magic.
Roaring flames burst to life before him and he reared back, narrowly avoiding being burned as he landed on his backside, his eyebrows pinned high on his forehead and his grey eyes wide.
They narrowed as the flames died down and he scowled at me over the top of the fire.
“Thank you,” Saphira said with a bright smile in my direction, missing the daggers her protector shot at me.
A light rain began to fall.
Morden was quick to push to his feet. “I’ll get that shelter set up. His majesty can help if he actually knows a thing or two about manual labour and survival skills.”
I chuckled drily. “I know much about both, but building an adequate shelter from a mere rainstorm requires neither.”
He glared at me as I eased into a crouch, close to the fire, marking it as the centre as I let my eyes slip shut and summoned my strength, pulling the shreds of it together so neither wolf would see how tired I was.
I sensed the nature beneath my boots and my right hand as I pressed it to the dirt, and I focused there, at the point my bare skin touched the earth, and then pushed outwards, forming a sphere in my mind.
A sphere that shimmered into being, forming a barrier between us and the elements.
Drawing a beautiful gasp from Saphira.
And murderous intent from Morden.
I smirked at him as I opened my eyes, as I slowly straightened and came to loom on the opposite side of the fire to him, engaging in another delicious battle of wills as we stared at each other.
Determined to be the victor.