11. Runa
Runa
The next morning, I wake up hoping Ash lost control over his fire and burned Sven to…well, ash. It would’ve been a terrible accident, but if there had been witnesses, Ash could have gotten away with it since he’s missing a Regulator and at least one dose of his meds.
Soren has to take his daily, so I assume the same applies to Ash. While Ash hasn’t reached the point where his control over the fire could slip, nobody other than him could even come close to knowing what it feels like to carry fire inside you.
I imagine what would happen if his temper fueled the flame. Ash isn’t exactly even-tempered, yet he’s not a loose cannon either.
Yesterday, I might’ve pushed his buttons a little, though.
In the morning, he threatened to discipline me, and at night, he said he’d make me nest in the corner of his bedroom.
That’s a vision I can’t get out of my head.
An omega nests when she wants an alpha male to visit with her during the full moon.
She does that so that she’ll feel safe in her nest while he ravages her body. In the best possible way, of course.
I can’t say I’ve ever been ravaged. Males have serviced me when I’m in heat. That’s all they’re allowed to do. Ash Fireborn probably isn’t a service male. That one looks like he’d make me service him. The very thought of it makes me want to melt. Which is precisely why I stop thinking about it.
I rise out of my warm, cozy bed and check the weather.
Wind lifts the snow from the mountains, revealing the frozen river that flows into our sea.
A few pack mates on guard near the far gates appear miserable while camping by the fire.
Past the gates, a pack of wolves is coming in, seeking shelter before we gather indoors to ride out the storm.
I wonder if some of the Fireborn pack have left already. Judging by the way the storm is moving, they have only a small window of time to travel safely.
I dress in my warmest clothing, with fur boots and a thick fur coat, then head downstairs to pick up the basket of food for the Fireborns. Nobody is around, so I guess they’ve already left to do their chores. I proceed to the bridge.
The wind is brutal this morning. It’s one of those winds that feels like the skin of your whole face will peel away.
Ice formed over the bridge. We’re used to winter conditions, but one can never be too careful.
From the supply closet we keep here for our guards, I attach metal cleats to the bottom of my boots.
“Incoming!” I shout over the whistling wind, then walk across as quickly as possible without falling. The gust of wind nearly knocks me over the edge, but the guard on the other side meets me halfway and pulls me indoors.
“Thanks,” I tell him as I remove my cleats. “Who’s housekeeping here today?”
“You’re the first to arrive. But why are you on chores?”
“I lost a bet.”
He chuckles. “Sucks.”
“Mmhm. Take care.” I bid him goodbye and make my way to the Fireborn tower. In the kitchen, I run into Blade, who’s staring at the coffee machine like he’s willing it to work.
“I got it,” I say, then drop the basket on the counter.
“Good morning,” he says.
“Morning. How did you sleep?”
“Excellent. You?”
“Same.”
“Have you seen Ash over on your side of the keep?”
When he says the keep, he means our castle. I fix each of us a cup of coffee. “No. Why?”
“He left last night and hasn’t been back.”
“Oh.” I sip my coffee. Strong, bold roast. Needs more sugar, though. I add a spoonful.
“I thought he might be with your sister,” Blade says.
“I doubt that.”
A frown forms on Blade’s face.
I backpedal. “I mean, my parents have guards stationed at her bedroom door. Ash and Maren have to marry before the guards disappear.”
“Ouch. Old school.”
“Mmhm.”
“How about you, little wolf?” Blade’s eyes lift at the corners. “Are you old school?”
“Nah, I like a good shag here and there.”
“How about a great shag?”
I raise an eyebrow. “Are you offering?”
“Surveying my options. If we don’t get out of here soon, we’ll be stuck indoors with you guys during the fire moon. Can’t run through the mountains in this weather. I expect there will be lots of itchy wolves. Sex is the best option to scratch that itch.”
“Yes, it is.”
“Can I count on you?”
No, but I wouldn’t refuse an offer outright. I like how he approached me. Besides, Blade Skyrender is a beautiful man if you like your wolf dark-haired, gray-eyed, and playfully lethal.
“Maybe,” I say.
“Fair enough.” He offers me a hand.
I shake it, but he lifts it to his lips and kisses the back of it.
“You’re such a gentleman,” I tell him. “Are you a whore in bed?”
“Only one way to find out.”
That evening, Blade makes it to the family dinner with us. Ash doesn’t. Neither does Sven, but nobody besides my sister worries about the Regulator’s whereabouts.
Maren is beside herself, unable to contain her tears.
They’ve been gone for nearly twenty-four hours now.
We know Ash intended to purge the fire somewhere safe, but he never told us where, so if there’s an accident, we won’t be able to rescue either of them.
And during the storm, we have limited rescue capacity.
Not that I think Ash Fireborn needs anyone to rescue him, but one never knows. A male who is hard to kill is nevertheless not immortal. He could die or suffer serious injuries. He’s not accustomed to this kind of weather.
“Where do you think they went?” Maren asks.
My mother pours Maren another glass of wine, trying to get her drunk enough to pass out and sleep. I don’t blame her, but we should really look into other forms of soothing. Like maybe take some of those alchemy meds humans take to get through their lives.
“Don’t know, but we’re not burning,” Blade says. “Which is good.”
“That’s comforting,” I confirm.
“If Ash kills another Regulator,” my father says, “the Peacebroker will investigate. They’ll turn this pack inside out.”
“Don’t let them,” Blade says. “This isn’t their territory.”
My father snorts. “If I hadn’t pledged my allegiance to the humans back in the day, you wouldn’t even be here. Don’t forget I knew your father.”
“Actually,” my brother says, “if the Fireborn Alpha loses control, they’ll neutralize him.”
My heartbeat accelerates. “What do you mean, neutralize? Like kill him?”
My brother nods.
Blade takes a swig of his beer.
“Are you okay with that?” I ask him.
“I’ll use whatever force necessary to defend Ash.”
I look at my brother. He’s unbothered.
“You alphas are speaking of war as if it’s a party where there will be a few unruly wolves we’ll have to throw into cages until they sober up. That isn’t okay,” I say.
“Cages can’t hold back the fire,” Blade says.
“My point exactly.”
Soren cuts into his steak. “We’re merely saying what could happen but are hoping it won’t come to that.”
“Why are we not searching for them?” Maren asks.
“Ash is scheduled to leave the territory in the morning,” Soren says. “We give them until then.”
“Please, Soren, go look for them,” Maren begs.
Soren is immune to her pleas.
I can’t eat a single bite. I’m worried sick about those two idiots, even though I don’t like either of them. “I really wish the Fireborns had left already.”
“Runa,” my mother scolds. “Don’t be rude to our guests.”
I spread my arms. “It’s not like Ash is here to hear us.”
They stare. I shouldn’t have called him Ash. I should have said the Fireborn Alpha. Or Ash Fireborn. Ash sounds too familiar. Intimate. Luckily for me, everyone will think my rudeness comes from the impending full moon and the heat.
And that’s not too far from the truth either, since I’m irritated by my need to nest during the fire moon. Being around the Fireborn Alpha during the fire moon will do that. I don’t want to make a nest, but if I enter my heat, I’ll go through hell without one.
Also, I don’t like that I worry about Ash Fireborn. I don’t like it at all.