Chapter 13
SAPHIRA
Birdsong danced through the trees as I followed an animal trail, dappled sunlight chasing over me as the faint afternoon warmth penetrated the forest and tried to reach me.
I focused on the sounds of the birds and the breeze playing through the pines, and breathed deep to centre myself, trying to feel the flow of nature around me as I had in Lucia so I could find peace in it.
Kael watched me closely, and I knew he was concerned, but I would be okay.
I was strong.
As strong as he believed me to be.
I could overcome what Morden had done and do what was necessary to save my pack.
I just wasn’t sure what that was yet.
Continue to the Ryland Pack, which seemed like the more sensible course of action since I probably needed their support now more than ever, or head straight to the Hunt Pack to save my family and pack now I knew for certain that Lucas had them.
Morden led the way as we headed north, following the broad creek, carrying both bedrolls and a satchel I was sure Kaeleron had loaded down with rocks before handing it to Morden and demanding he carry it as punishment for what he had done.
My protector was now our packhorse, and I couldn’t bring myself to feel bad about it.
Morden was lucky Kael had let him live; was lucky I had let him live. If the cost of keeping his life was carrying our camp supplies, then I knew he would gladly pay it.
He hadn’t said a word to me since I had awoken to find both him and Kaeleron glaring at each other over the blackened remains of our fire, the air between them so frigid that I had huddled down into the blanket, seeking the warmth of it as I waited to see what they would do.
Fight again, or work on perfecting their silent treatment?
I wasn’t sure Morden would speak to me even if Kael hadn’t been glued to my side, closely watching him.
He hadn’t even so much as glanced at me when I had decided it was time to leave camp, and hadn’t looked at me since.
Not a single look back in my direction to check on me.
He could brood like a champion, shutting everyone in the pack out, but it wasn’t like him to shut me out too, to be so distant from me.
I had the feeling that Kaeleron had said something after I had fallen asleep.
“Are you sure you do not wish for me to teleport us? Despite my better judgement, I would return for the wolf.” Kael’s deep voice curled around me, soft and comforting.
But I panicked anyway.
“Not yet.” Those two words burst from my lips.
Gods, I felt like a bitch as I said that and Morden’s shoulders tensed.
His sister was in danger. My parents were in danger. Our pack was in danger.
And I was delaying us because I was bone-deep afraid of facing my fated mate.
Kael inclined his head. “I understand. We will use this time to prepare and plan, and I will keep a promise I made to you, because I know that this coming confrontation with the alpha wolf has been the driving force behind your training. We shall resume that training now.”
Morden stopped dead and pivoted to face us. “She won’t be fighting.”
Causing Kaeleron to bare fangs at him.
And really pissing me off.
“You mean to leave her defenceless?” Kaeleron stepped away from me, his silver gaze locked on Morden as shadows seeped from the shoulders of his black tunic jacket and ribbons of darkness swirled around his boots. “How very convenient it would be if she were unable to defend herself.”
I tried to mask the hurt I felt as I looked at Morden and realised he was just like all the other wolves in my pack now when before he had been willing to help me, to go against the status quo of packs and train me.
Morden’s fangs flashed between his teeth. “No. I don’t mean to leave her unable to protect herself. I didn’t mean it like that.”
No. He had meant it in a way that angered me far worse than if he had simply denied me the chance to learn how to fight.
He intended to keep me from the battle, to push me down into that role of the good female wolf shifter, one who wasn’t allowed to dirty her delicate hands with a male’s work or fight her own damned battles.
“I can train you,” he said and moved another step towards me as he held his hand out to me. “Like before. I’ll run you through the moves, get you more confident with fighting in your wolf form.”
Too late.
I took a step closer to Kaeleron, making my choice clear.
He grinned at Morden as my protector’s face fell.
“Three days,” I said as I held Morden’s gaze, hoping it would be a short enough time to stop him from doing something reckless out of a desperate need to save his sister, and a long enough time for me to conquer my fears so I didn’t freeze up in battle.
But a wave of guilt battered me. I couldn’t make him wait that long.
It was cruel of me. Selfish. “Two days. Just… give me two days. We can leave earlier if I feel ready.”
I wanted to say tomorrow, but I still wanted to go to the Ryland Pack.
Morden nodded stiffly.
“While we are making preparations, I will teleport between our camp and the pack lands to spy on them.” Kaeleron moved in front of me, eclipsing my view of Morden, his gaze soft as it met mine.
I nodded and then drew down a deep breath and faced one of my biggest fears. “Could you go now? Could you—could you check everyone is all right?”
He brushed his knuckles across my cheek and murmured, “Of course.”
I wanted to seize hold of him and cling to him as he dropped a kiss on my lips and began to disappear, but I locked my arms by my sides instead. I was getting awfully used to how he did that. Not the teleporting, but the brief kisses before he went anywhere, as if we were a couple now.
I wasn’t sure what we were, and I didn’t want to bring it up. Not because I was afraid of his answer, but because this wasn’t the right time. Whatever this was that was growing between us, we needed to set it aside for now and focus on what needed to be done to save my pack and my family.
Once it was all over, we could talk about us.
I looked at Morden where he stood opposite me, worry written in every line of his face.
I didn’t even get a chance to tell him that I was sure everything was all right.
Kaeleron appeared again in a swirling tempest of inky shadows threaded with twinkling golden stars.
He looked from Morden to me, as if checking we were in the same places he had left us, and I realised why he had been so quick. He feared leaving me alone with Morden. I understood why. I didn’t exactly trust my friend right now either.
Morden’s expression went from brooding and worried, to flat out afraid in a heartbeat, but it wasn’t Kael that he feared as he took several steps towards us.
“My parents?” I asked.
“I believe I saw them. Your mother has hair similar to yours, although a little closer to golden.” Kael brushed his fingers through my hair, his gaze following them. “And blue eyes. Yes?”
I nodded, relief a fierce tidal wave that stole my strength as it surged through me.
“They are under guard, but appear uninjured. Your pack seems to be guests there, held in another barn on a green, but all are closely watched.”
My knees threatened to buckle so I locked them as Morden approached us, his grey eyes desperate and wild as his hand twitched at his side as if he wanted to grab Kaeleron and spin him to face him.
“Did you see my sister?” His voice shook and broke, and he cleared his throat, but it did nothing to strengthen it as he added, “She’s young. Chestnut hair. Grey eyes like mine. This tall. Did you see her?”
Kaeleron remained still for a few agonising heartbeats and then slowly shook his head.
Morden had never looked so crushed.
I reached for him. “I’m sure she’s okay. She could have been in the barn.”
Morden stepped back before I could touch him, a broken male as he turned away from me and began walking again, his head bent and shoulders hunched now.
Kael gently caught my arm. “Let him go.”
I wasn’t sure he meant to just let him go for now.
I knew he would rather Morden left for good.
But I didn’t want that.
“I’m making him wait too long,” I whispered at Morden’s retreating back.
Kaeleron remained silent beside me, and that silence told me everything he wouldn’t. He supported my decision to give myself time to train and overcome my fears, but he wasn’t sure I had made the right one.
I glanced at him. “What would you do?”
“Move swiftly. Eliminate the threat. Put an end to the alpha before he could harm my people any more than he already had.”
“I’m afraid,” I croaked, pushing the words out when I wanted to hold them inside, shutting them away in a place he couldn’t see them and think me weak.
“I know,” he murmured and stroked his fingers down my cheek, his touch light and tender, warming the coldest reaches of my heart together with the soft look in his eyes.
“But I will not let anything happen to you. Nothing could take you from me, Saphira. Nothing. I will be there with you. You need not fear him.”
I looked along the path, to Morden where he was still walking away from us, my brow furrowing as guilt gnawed at my insides.
“We can’t wait,” I whispered, feeling that deep in my heart, in that wolf part of my soul that had been howling in pain and rage from the moment I had discovered Lucas had my family—my pack. “I can’t do that to him… to them.”
I drew down a deep breath and expelled it, attempting to shake off my nerves and vanquish my fears.
“I made the wrong decision. Now I’ll make the right one.” I lifted my gaze back to Kaeleron. “Will you go over my training later? Maybe a crash course in hand-to-hand will silence my fears.”
He nodded. “Whatever my little wolf wishes.”