Relief mixed with the sorrow I felt.
“It was Herrik,” my mate said, tears in her eyes. “Thorn, I’m so sorry. I couldn’t stop him.”
It wasn’t her fault. It was mine.
Chapter 16
Briar
Thorn stood in the doorway, stiff as stone. His gaze dropped to the floor, and away from me.
In the chaos, I hadn’t caught everything that had happened. But tensions between wolves and coyotes were so brittle, it wouldn’t take much to snap. We had made so much progress, and in an instant Herrik put everything at risk.
Don’t hate me for being a coyote. Please.
“It happened so fast.” My voice came out too soft and too high. I rose to my feet, wishing the distance between us didn’t feel so far. I couldn’t let Herrik ruin everything for the rest of us. I couldn’t let him ruin what I had with Thorn.
Thorn silently watched as I took a tentative step forward. My hands shook with fear of rejection. My mouth went dry.
“When I heard the horn, I came straight here,” I said. “The door was open, and the others were running from their cells, up a rope ladder into the trees. Herrik was trying to get Flint to come with him.”
“I made a mistake before,” Flint said. “When I fought last time, I did it for my family.”
I turned and found my brother looking at me through glassy eyes. I could smell his fear, as clearly as I could taste my own.
“My family is here,” Flint said. “Please don’t blame our people for this.”
Thorn said nothing.
“Flint isn’t with Herrik anymore,” I said, taking another step toward Thorn.
I needed him to talk to me. I needed to know that he believed me, and that everything was going to be okay.
I needed to know he could still feel the same way about me as I felt about him.
Thorn looked to Flint. “Come. You will stay with me.”
“What?” I couldn’t believe it. He was going to let Flint out.
Relief mixed with the unease that still lingered in the air and sank deep into my bones. I was glad to see my brother out of his prison cell, but Thorn’s stern demeanor left me feeling like we’d never been further apart.
He had to know we had nothing to do with this, didn’t he?
Flint and I followed Thorn back up through the tunnels. My brother leaned into me, unable to hold himself upright. I grabbed him around his waist and he draped his arm over my shoulders so I could help steady his steps.
Outside, there was the shape of a body on the ground, with a large green cloth laid over all but her head. I couldn’t see her face, but her hair was a tawny straw hue.
My chest tightened as I stared, unable to look away. I tried to listen for a heartbeat, but it was hard to hear past the thrum of my own heart in my chest.
“Who—”
“Dahlia,” Thorn said, without looking at me.
Dahlia. I hadn’t spent much time speaking with her, but she’d been kind to me. If I’d seen her sooner, maybe I could have done something to help. Once I’d seen the freed prisoners climbing into the trees, I’d been single-minded in trying to reach my brother.
A man and woman knelt beside her. I didn’t realize it at first, but the woman was Sylvie. She sewed one of Dahlia’s wounds shut with expert speed and precision. There was no one better with a needle.
“Bed rest until I approve her progress.” Sylvie gave the man a pointed look.
He nodded in response.
It sounded like Dahlia would live—thank the guardians.
We watched as they slid a board underneath Dahlia and lifted her up. Then Thorn began walking once more.
He still wasn’t looking at me. He still wasn’t talking to me.
I followed after him, supporting Flint as we went. What was there to say? How could I fix this?
Before I figured out a solution, a group of villagers gathered around Thorn. Everyone was trying to speak to him at once. They wanted to know what had happened. They wanted to know if they were safe. They wanted answers.
And I couldn’t blame them. I only hoped that they didn’t blame us.
Thorn stood straight and wore a blank expression. There was no copper swirl in his eyes, only distance.
He addressed the crowd, looking from one wolf shifter to the next. “There has been a breach.”
“Was it the coyotes?” someone asked.
“I knew we couldn’t trust them,” said another.
I leaned my head on my brother’s shoulder.
“Those outside of our walls do not represent the coyote tribe,” Thorn said.
“What about him?” Forrest crossed his arms and nodded toward my brother. “He attacked the village. He burned our homes and tried to murder our children.”
“No.” My voice drowned beneath the protests of the crowd.
“Monster.” Someone shoved Flint. Both of us wobbled.
Thorn moved to block the others from reaching us.
“Stop it!” I cried. “Our strongest followed our alpha.”
The crowd quieted, all eyes on me. Thorn stepped back slowly and turned, finally meeting my gaze.
“Herrik told them they were protecting us, their families,” I said. “They didn’t know what he planned. And they didn’t know why.”
Voices picked up once more.
“A coyote shifter saved Dahlia’s life.” Thorn’s voice boomed over the crowd. “They are like us—people. Like all people, they make mistakes. Flint regrets what he was a part of. Now, like the innocents who were left behind, he is one of the new coyote tribe, a group who has forsaken Herrik. A tribe led by Briar.”
Again, all eyes were on me. My cheeks burned like they were on fire, and I couldn’t stop staring at Thorn. I’d worried something had changed, and maybe it had, but he stood beside us. He defended Flint. I would be forever grateful.
“We’re not your enemy,” I said, looking to the wolf shifters. Somehow my voice didn’t even waver.
There were whispers.
“Willow’s pretty fucking great.” I turned and saw Polly waving her hand in the air. “We braided each other’s hair, see? Your next best friend can come from unexpected places.”
I wasn’t sure how helpful the human voice was among the wolf shifters, but I’d take any ally we could get.
“Return to your homes. Be kind to your neighbors.” Thorn’s gaze fell onto me. “If there is an issue, bring it to me. We are more alike than we are different, coyotes and wolves, and we’re stronger together.”
The crowd dispersed, but the tension remained.
Was a conversation in the street enough to keep my people safe?
Flint and I followed Thorn back to his hut. No one spoke. This time I wasn’t as desperate to plead my case, because I knew Thorn stood with us.
I took my brother to my bedroom, and helped him into the bed. The blue flowers on the ceiling lit up with our movement.
I could hear Thorn pacing around in the other room.
Flint closed his eyes, and I noticed just how dark the circles around them really were. He grabbed my hand. “You know this won’t be the end of it, right?”
I sat down beside him.
“What do you mean?” It wasn’t the end of trouble in the village, that was certain.
“Herrik.” Flint opened his eyes and let out a long breath.
He looked tired, so tired.
“Herrik got what he wanted,” I said. “He took back the people who followed him here. Maybe they’ll follow him still, maybe not. But there’s nothing else in Lycaon that he didn’t give up long ago.”
Like his daughter, Blossom.
“We tie him to this village, all of us who go on living without being under his rule,” Flint said. “We can’t trust that there will be peace until Herrik’s dead.”
I could step in. I was somewhat getting used to the idea of being the makeshift alpha of my pack. I would be what they needed, for as long as they needed me. But looking over our
shoulders for the rest of our lives, or worse, having to kill Herrik, I couldn’t fathom it.
“You should get some rest.” I forced a smile.
“This bed is nice,” Flint said.
“Yeah.” I pulled the blanket up over his shoulder and stood slowly.
As I left the room, the flower light faded, so there was only darkness.
I padded down the hall to Thorn’s room. His door was open.
From the doorway, I could see him. He was shirtless and his back was turned.
“Can I come in?” I asked.
“Please.”
I took a few steps in, unsure what to say. I wanted to rewind time, to go back to before the horn and before Herrik. I wanted to go back and tell him that he was right, or at least that I hoped he was—we were mates.
It felt so long ago, like a lifetime had passed in only a few hours, and everything had changed. He turned and looked at me.
There was an electricity between us, as there always seemed to be when we were alone. I could feel him on my skin, though he wasn’t touching me. His heady timber scent soothed my nerves as I breathed him in, and left my brain abuzz.
I needed to touch him. We needed to talk. I needed him to touch me, to kiss me, to show me that everything was going to be okay.
His lips turned down and he sighed.
He looked tired. I felt tired.
“I can sleep in the living room,” he said.
“No. Please don’t.”
I could run from my feelings. I could hide out upstairs by the balcony and pretend that there wasn’t anything to say. It was easier, safer. But I wanted to hope for a future. I wanted to believe.
I took a deep breath. “I don’t know if you’ve changed your mind about me. I hope you haven’t, but I’ve changed my mind about you.”
He looked at me, his expression guarded.
“If you don’t trust me because of Herrik or—”
“I trust you.”
I smiled. “I want to see what happens with us. I want to be your mate.”
My nerves were raw, my heart racing a mile a minute.
There was a knock at the front door.
Thorn didn’t move, only stared at me. What did that mean? What was he thinking?
“Say something,” I whispered.
He dove over the bed and folded me into his arms. My body melted against him. Thorn felt like home.
He pulled my hair gently back, tilting my chin up. And he claimed my lips with his.
My body came alive, wanting, needing. I ran my hands over the solid planes of his back and submitted to the hard press of his lips.
The bang on the door grew louder. There was a drumming sound, too, and a deep voice penetrated the walls. “Thorn, the Warrior of Water is waiting at the front gate.”
Brain clouded by Thorn’s kiss, it took a moment for the words to sink in. Hale was here.
And this time I wasn’t afraid to hope.
Chapter 17
Thorn
We stood by the village entrance, Briar bouncing softly on the balls of her feet. Her face lit up in a nervous grin, as she waited to hear the fate of her people.
My mind was still in my bedroom, stuck on her words, on the taste of her lips.
The gates slowly opened. Hale waited with four of his most trusted soldiers—Deltha, Koa, Azure, and Gliss. As soon as there was space to enter, Hale charged at me like a bull. I braced myself for his assault.
Like it or not, the bear shifter was a hugger. And he squeezed hard.
He grabbed me around the shoulders and lifted me up off the ground. I cringed and pushed down my discomfort. He dropped me to my feet and slapped my back.
“Thorn, brother, I come bearing great news.”
“Bearing great news.” Polly Perry snorted. “Tell me this guy’s actually a bear. I love a good pun.”
Willow leaned close to her and replied, “Yep.”
“No shit, really?” Polly Perry shook her head.
Hale cleared his throat. “Ruarc has agreed to heal your people.”
“What?” Briar covered her mouth with her hand.
“He’s very busy, of course, so everyone with blight will have to come with me. We’ll leave at daybreak.” Hale turned to me. “So long as your alpha doesn’t mind hosting us for the night.”
“You know you’re always welcome here,” I said. “Come, we’ll have beds made.”
Briar hugged her friend Willow. Their excitement was palpable.
Seeing her smile made the weight of the day fade away.
Drinking and feasting in Hale’s signature style kept Briar and me up far later than expected. The alpha of bears was a whirlwind, forcing all around him to be caught up in his energy, even here in my territory. While I’d been obligated to host and allow Hale to drink to his heart’s content, I longed to return to where I had been before his arrival—bedding my mate.
By the time the opportunity arose to break away from the gathering, Briar had fallen asleep on my shoulder. I laid her in my bed, and we slept.
I woke while it was still dark and went up to the balcony in the treetop so I wouldn’t wake Briar and her brother.
Not long after I reached the balcony, first light broke on the horizon. Hale spotted me from two trees over across the vine bridges. We returned to the dining yard, restarting the torrent of stories, drinking, and feasting. Briar joined us, as did the rest of the village.
After breakfast, it was a relief for his visit to wind down, and to load the afflicted into a wagon for their journey.
“We’ll take good care of them.” Deltha offered Briar her hand.
The two shook.
“I’m sure, thank you,” Briar said, before turning to Flint. She handed him a jacket.
His eyes widened and he cupped her hands. “You brought this from home?”
She smiled. “I knew I’d see you again, and I knew you’d want it.”
“Thank you.”
The two hugged. Briar squeezed his hand before turning to speak with a few of the others. Some of the coyotes who remained behind seemed to struggle more with the farewell than those on the wagon. Tears were shed, but the coyotes’ spirits were higher than they had been since they had first arrived, despite the tension that remained between the wolf and coyote tribes.
As the group began rolling out, Blossom pulled on Sylvie’s arm.
“I have to go,” the girl said.
Sylvie looked down at her with a warm smile. “Why would you say that, dear?”
Blossom held out her palm.
There was a black spot, no larger than a pebble on her skin.
“Wait!” Sylvie waved for Hale to stop.
He did, and the older woman loaded the child into the wagon.
So young to face so much. If there was a light to be found in this, it was that the girl had only just been touched by the blight. The Guardian of Water would heal her.
Flint settled Blossom beside him. “I’ll watch over her. I swear it.”
“You better,” Sylvie said, as unshed tears welled in the corners of her eyes.
Briar hugged Sylvie and led her back into the village as the gates shut behind Hale and his companions.
I assigned a group of workers to join the patrols of the forest. Forrest volunteered to lead them. I was happy to put his fierce energy to good use.
After the coyotes had set fire to Lycaon in their assault, I’d posted scouts outside the walls for additional security. Clearly it wasn’t enough. I hated having to post scouts at all, let alone send more out, but Lycaon couldn’t handle another tragedy.
A group headed out to fish, while the others dispersed to go about their usual routines and chores.
“Laundry time!” Polly Perry grabbed Willow’s wrist and pulled her back toward Polly’s hut. Willow dragged her feet but followed. Of all of the coyotes, she appeared to have the most difficult time transitioning in Lycaon. The only occasion I’d seen her smile was when she was with Polly.
The only ones who remained with me and Briar was Sylvie.
“What about us?” Sylvie asked Briar. “With the afflicted gone, we don’t have anyone to take care of.”
“What about Dahlia?” I asked.
Both women looked up at me as if only then realizing I was there with them.
“She needs rest,” Sylvie said. “Little else until she regains her strength.”
“The wolves that serve the food glare less than most,” Briar said. “I’d start there and offer a hand with preparing dinner.”
It was a keen observation.
“If they say no,” Briar said, “go with Willow. Polly the human doesn’t seem to mind that we’re not wolves.”
Sylvie nodded and turned to do as she was bid.
Once we were alone, the air changed.
I turned to Briar. “I didn’t notice that about the servers.”
“That’s because no one is glaring at you,” Briar replied. “Except maybe Forrest. Though even he doesn’t seem quite as grumpy today.”
“After he challenges me, he accepts his place for a time.”
“Challenges you?”
“For my position as alpha and warrior.”
“He did that?”
I nodded. “He will again, in time.”
Briar looked to the village entrance. “What do we do while we wait?”
I knew she wasn’t speaking about Forrest, but her brother and the other afflicted instead. “The trees along the back wall need to be trimmed.”
Her lips flattened and she agreed.
We both knew the stakes. We both knew that Herrik could not be allowed to take us by surprise again.
After sleeping together last night, something had changed. We’d delegated side-by-side, and greeted and ate with Hale and his friends together. We were facing the day as a team.
It was still new, still fragile, and I wanted more than anything for our unity to last. I wanted forever.
We went out through the gates and followed the wall around the perimeter.
Moss-covered rocks lay beside fallen leaves and branches. A batch of mushrooms grew in the shade of a bushy fern. A cool gust bristled through pine needles.
Wolf Warrior of Land (Alphas & Alchemy: Elemental Shifters Book 2) Page 9