Assertion Trials

by Melaina Rayne

  When I turned from the fallen feral, I came face-to-face with a lean, sandy-haired male. His eyes were the color of the midnight sky, and I knew I was in trouble the moment he grinned down at me. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  I adjusted my grip on the daggers, prepared to defend myself again, but I never got the chance.

  Chapter 6

  Awareness trickled in, my senses slowly coming back to me. Muffled sounds filtered through the darkness, like voices murmuring in the distance.

  I could feel the hard, cool ground pressed against my back and a throbbing pain in my head. Damn. It felt as if someone had buried an ax in my temple. I groaned, wondering what the hell had happened.

  A multitude of scents surrounded me: pines, earth, and something wildly masculine. The appealing male scent invaded my dark world and I knew I wasn’t alone. Someone was close. Too close.

  As if a veil had been lifted, images came flooding back. The ferals, blood on my daggers, the wolf, and…darkness. My eyes flew open, and though my vision wavered, I saw the blurry male figure hovering over me. His big hands pushed at my shirt, his rough palms rasping against the soft flesh of my belly.

  Panicked and half blind, I struck out at him, my hand connecting with an audible crack. I couldn’t be sure where I hit him, but the string of curses he spat told me it was somewhere tender. The scent of blood filled the space between us. And while satisfied that I’d hurt him, I didn’t relent. I refused to let a feral have me.

  Strong hands gripped my wrists, pinning them to the ground on either side of my head. “Shala, stop. I’m only checking you for injury.”

  His deep, commanding voice stilled me. I knew instantly he wasn’t one of the males who’d attacked me. He knew my name.

  His warm, callused hand touched my cheek this time. “Look at me,” he commanded gently.

  Grasping his thick wrist with my free hand, I did my best to right my vision. I needed to see the face that went with that delicious voice.

  The moment his hard features came into focus, everything in me froze. Even my heart skipped a beat before fluttering wildly. It was him. The guard with the golden eyes and intent stare.

  Up close, he looked so different. His eyes were even more beautiful than I’d first thought. A swirl of soft brown and warm yellow danced together to make that incredible color I’d found so intriguing.

  He had a wide scar on his forehead and another across the bridge of his…

  I gasped, startled by the blood dripping from his busted nose. “Oh, goddess. I did that to you.”

  He didn’t reply, simply caught my hand when I reached up to him. His eyes grew harder, and I understood his hesitation. I’d hurt him. He didn’t want me touching him, but I wanted to help.

  “You’re bleeding,” I argued, trying to pull free of his firm grasp.

  “As are you,” he countered sternly. “Now, lie still.”

  “I’m fine,” I assured him. “Let me up.”

  His sharp eyes studied me closely, as if skeptical. When I didn’t relax, he cursed under his breath. With an irritated expression plastered on his hard face, he grasped my shoulders and helped me into a seated position.

  The moment he had me upright, my vision went wonky again, and my head throbbed as if it had its own heartbeat. One of those feral bastards must have whacked me with something massive.

  The guard took my hand again, drawing my attention back to him. “Don’t touch. You need a healer.”

  Great. Just how bad was it?

  Glancing around, I spotted several guards nearby, Hagen among them. I quickly looked away. The worry etched in his handsome features made me feel a little ashamed that I hadn’t listened to him. If I had only gone inside like he said, I wouldn’t be in my current situation. But no, I had to be a rebel and do whatever I wanted. Now, my head was a mess and there were dead Ferals in the edge of the forest.

  Feeling sick, I fought my way to my feet, shoving at the bleeding guard when he tried to help me. “I’m fine,” I snapped.

  Furious with myself, I turned toward the cabin and managed one steady step before my vision went wavy again. On my second step, the ground tilted beneath my feet, but I didn’t fall. The guard steadied me with his firm grip on my elbow and stepped in front of me. “Let me carry you inside.”

  Feeling ridiculously weak and feminine having him fuss over me, I pushed his hands away. “I can walk.”

  Wrong. I took a step around the maddening male and staggered like a drunk. I would have fallen flat on my face had he not been there to catch me with his more-than-capable hands.

  “Don’t be stubborn,” he growled in frustration.

  I stared up into his blazing eyes and knew he wouldn’t relent. So, with a defeated sigh, I tentatively wrapped my arms around his sturdy shoulders and allowed him to lift me. He didn’t intimidate me. I gave in only because my head pounded to the point of distraction, and I didn’t have the energy to argue any longer. Besides, I didn’t want to embarrass myself further by toppling over.

  Hiding from the watchful eyes of the others, I let my forehead rest against the guard’s strong jaw.

  His arms stiffened around me, but he said nothing. In that moment, I didn’t care whether the seemingly intimate contact made him uncomfortable. My head felt as if it were splitting in half, and I didn’t have the strength to hold my head up any longer.

  I inhaled deeply as the guard began to move, and his scent overwhelmed me. He smelled incredible. His clean, masculine sweat mixed with the woodsy scents of the forest. I could have stayed right there in his arms forever and been content, but the reprieve didn’t last long. The cool night air soon slipped away, and the warmth of the cabin surrounded us.

  I lifted my head as the guard settled me into a chair. Another male stood close, his eyes already assessing me. He crouched in front of my chair, his voice soothing as he spoke. “My name is Varro. I am a healer among the guard. I need to have a look at you.”

  Though I nodded gingerly, the pounding in my skull grew more intense with the small movement.

  The healer pushed the hair back from my face, and with a surprisingly gentle touch, he carefully inspected my forehead. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”

  My shoulder ached, my cheek throbbed, and my forearm would likely be bruised come morning, but that was irrelevant. I wouldn’t complain about such minor pain when my head felt as if it had a gaping wound.

  “Shala?”

  I closed my eyes and rasped, “Only my pride.”

  “You are incredibly brave.”

  Hearing the approval in his tone surprised me. I expected everyone to be angry with me or lecture me for being so reckless. Instead, when I met the healer’s steady gaze, sincere admiration resided there.

  “Not many would go up against a band of ferals alone, and I have never met one so young who would dare risk such a thing.”

  “I didn’t much have a choice,” I replied honestly.

  Varro shook his head. “You could have run.”

  “You could have stayed out of the forest,” the guard added, his tone bitter.

  I looked up at him and my heart skipped a beat. Between his vicious snarl and the blood covering the bottom half of his face, he looked frightening. Still, I swallowed the lump in my throat and spoke clearly.

  “Had I not left the cabin, none of this would have happened. I understand that, but I would do it again if I were put in the same position.”

  “You put yourself in that position,” the guard spat. “And for what? Because you wanted to be a rebellious child and go against those who know better than you?”

  Spot on. I’d thought the very same thing only moments ago, but him pointing it out infuriated me. I wanted to shout at him and tell him I wasn’t a child, but that would only prove him right. I wasn’t about to have that. Instead, I set my jaw and I drew a deep breath to calm myself the way the elderwomen had taught me.

  Unfortunately, he didn’t relent. He continued to tell me how I’d end
angered myself and everyone else at Farkas House. “Now the guards have to clean up your mess.”

  I lifted my chin, my words dripping with sarcasm. “Thank you. I had no idea.”

  Gritting his teeth, the guard muttered something under his breath as he turned away.

  I didn’t know why it bothered me so much, but I wasn’t letting him off so easy. Though unsteady, I pushed to my feet and said firmly, “If you have something to say, at least have the decency to speak clearly enough for me to hear you.”

  The guard faced me again, his eyes intense and his voice menacing. “Then listen carefully, princess.”

  His condescending tone filled me with so much rage, I momentarily forgot about my throbbing head. Baring my teeth, I stepped closer to him. “Call me princess again and I will bust more than just your nose.”

  “That is enough,” the healer said, placing himself between us.

  Neither of us moved, nor did we break eye contact.

  Varro growled. “Enough!”

  Though I didn’t look away from the guard’s gleaming gold stare, I caught the flex of his jaw.

  Varro pressed an open palm to the guard’s chest and nodded toward the sink across the room. “Go get yourself cleaned up while I finish looking after her.”

  Reluctantly, he did as he was told, but not before throwing me one last contemptuous glare.

  Ignoring him, the healer indicated the chair I’d previously occupied and ordered, “Sit.”

  I settled into the chair and closed my eyes against the throbbing in my skull. With my focus not wholly on the moody guard, I felt the nagging discomfort all the clearer.

  Varro carefully cleaned my face with a damp cloth, and despite his gentleness, I winced when his fingers grazed a tender spot just above my right temple.

  “You must have done a number on the males you went up against.”

  I opened my eyes and found his expression as amused as his tone. “Why do you say that?”

  “You have bruising, and one hell of a lump, but no cuts. Looks like the blood on your mouth is all that’s yours.”

  I stared at him in disbelief. I thought for sure I’d been cut to the bone.

  He chuckled. “I almost feel sorry for them.”

  Across the room, the guard muttered under his breath, but I pointedly ignored him.

  As Varro finished cleaning my face and neck, the back door opened, another guard stepping inside. He took in the entire space, his pale blue eyes drifting over my ill-tempered guard with an amused expression before asking the healer, “How is she?”

  “She will be fine.”

  “Good,” the male replied, sounding genuinely relieved.

  Varro swiped a silky cream along my cheekbone and the sore spot at my temple. “This will help keep the bruising at a minimum and provide a bit of pain relief as well.”

  I felt the throbbing pain easing even before he finished massaging the smooth, fragrant balm into my forehead and scalp.

  Though each member of the guard vowed to uphold the safety of everyone within the packs, it felt strange to have men I didn’t know concerned for my well-being.

  “We should keep this as quiet as possible,” the newcomer suggested. “There is no need to ruin the festivities when it has been contained.”

  Varro agreed. “Get word to Kene and Arnou, but it goes no further.”

  Great. My father and the Guard Master were the last people I wanted to know about my ordeal. Though unsure how Kene would react, I knew my father wouldn’t be thrilled. He’d probably give me a good lecture on being irresponsible and reckless. If I was being honest with myself, I deserved it.

  “When you are finished here, can you step outside?”

  The healer stood, studied the guard’s expression and nodded. I saw nothing, but clearly Varro did. He hesitated, his gaze bouncing from me to my silent, moody guard across the room. “Is it safe to leave you two alone, or will I return to find a bloody mess like the one the two of you left in the forest?”

  Neither of us spoke, but we shared a momentary glance before my guard turned back to the mirror.

  Satisfied that we wouldn’t be at each other’s throats the second he left, Varro chuckled to himself as he stepped out onto the patio with the other guard.

  They spoke in hushed tones; their words unclear through the closed door. I could have used my wolf hearing, but with the throbbing in my skull diminishing, I didn’t dare chance stirring things back up for the sake of curiosity. Instead, I shifted my focus and watched my guard attempt to clean the remaining blood from the thick scruff on his chin.

  Though I wasn’t exactly happy about him calling me “princess,” I felt bad for him. As far as I could tell, the bleeding had stopped, but his face was still a mess.

  I cleared my throat and said softly, “I’m sorry about your nose.”

  He didn’t so much as look at me, but his jaw tightened as he continued rubbing his face.

  Though unsure why, I felt the need to explain myself. “I know what I said earlier, but I didn’t mean to hurt you. I wasn’t fully aware of my surroundings. I couldn’t see clearly, and I thought you were one of them.”

  He gave me a hard look over his shoulder but said nothing. Only turned back to the mirror.

  “Do you need help with that?”

  “No,” he growled, this time without looking away from his reflection.

  I suspected he wasn’t normally the most cheerful among the wolfkind, but his gruff tone didn’t frighten me. Despite his previous outbursts and the annoying fact that he thought of me as a child, I still felt guilty about hurting him after he’d come to my rescue.

  “What is your name?”

  “Decker,” he answered flatly.

  “Thank you for helping me, Decker.”

  He stopped, a curious expression on his rugged face as he turned toward me.

  Shifting uncomfortably, I continued. “Had you not been out there, those men would have taken me.”

  His golden eyes drifted over me slowly, making my heart leap in my chest. He blindly tossed the rag into the sink and said gruffly, “Lucky for you, I know how to do my job.”

  Without another word, he left me alone in the cabin.

  Chapter 7

  My father’s lecture came as expected. The brutality of it tore me down a few notches and hearing the disappointment in his voice nearly broke me. Still, by some miracle, I managed to keep the tears at bay.

  Once he’d said all he needed to say, he asked about my injuries. I could see his relief at learning I’d only received a good knock on the head and a superficial cut on my lip.

  “You are fortunate it wasn’t worse.”

  “I know.” I agreed, my voice was so low my words barely carried.

  My father lifted his chin. “Going up against them alone was incredibly dangerous. Yet, despite your youth and inexperience in battle, you didn’t back down. Regardless of being grossly outnumbered, you stood your ground and single-handedly took out three ferals.”

  I shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. If not for the guards coming to my rescue, I’d be long gone by now.”

  I knew I’d likely be half dead or worse had that black wolf not intervened.

  Before my father could say more, Kene pushed into the room. The Guard Master’s hard eyes assessed me. “Are you ready for the ceremony, or do you need more time?”

  I offered a tentative smile. “As ready as I will ever be.”

  He nodded his approval. “Then join your mother on the front porch so it can begin.”

  Kene wasted no time, and he certainly didn’t wait for me or my father. He left the two of us alone and I crossed to the mirror, expecting to see my face looking brutalized.

  My reflection looked much the same as it always did, with subtle differences. My top lip had a minuscule slice at the corner, and my cheek showed signs of an impending bruise.

  Gently brushing back my hair, I leaned in close as I inspected my forehead. Sure enough, an obvious lump took up space
near the hairline with muted blue-purple discoloration beneath the skin. I only hoped Varro’s salve was as good as he believed and it stopped the area from turning into something I couldn’t hide.

  Thankfully, my thick hair fell in just the right way to keep the worst of the damage concealed. Still, I fussed with the thick waves before turning to my father. “Do I look okay?”

  He brushed a hand over my hair and grinned. “As beautiful as ever.”

  I didn’t feel beautiful, but I accepted the hand he offered and let him lead me out onto the porch.

  My mother stood on the top step, she and Kene speaking quietly. The moment I stepped outside, her gaze shifted my direction. Her expression remained unreadable and she didn’t move toward me. She stood perfectly still, her eyes assessing me as my father and I approached.

  Kene disappeared into the crowd as the three of us faced the gathering. As attention slowly turned toward us, my mother whispered calmly. “We will talk about this later.”

  I couldn’t be sure if she spoke to me or my father, but he replied without looking at her. “I took care of it, Eden. Nothing more remains to be said.”

  My mother smiled, her eyes still forward. “A woman always has more to say, but sometimes we simply choose to remain silent. This is not one of those times.”

  My father chuckled quietly but said nothing further to my mother. Instead, he stepped forward to address the packs, and the chatter quickly died away. Every eye in the clearing focused on the three of us, and I hoped the ceremony didn’t last long. My head still throbbed, and I wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep until morning.

  I listened as my father spoke of honor, strength, and courage. He reminded everyone that this ceremony wasn’t only about offering those things to a potential companion. It symbolized a lifetime commitment to one female: a promise that her happiness and wellbeing would forever come before all others.