“What the actual fuck did I tell you about fighting with the other mates? I’m really disappointed in you, Sebastian. You’re starting to act like my mother’s lycan mate. I swear to the Gods, you even start going down that road and I will fucking rip your throat out my fucking self!” Aurora is screaming and crying at the same time. This really isn’t a safe state for her to be in. I look back at Nico on the screen and he shoos me toward her. I place my muzzle under her hand and lift up so her hand rests on my head. I gently place the weight of my wolven body against her hip, trying to comfort her.
Nico’s voice booms through the speakers, “You have a village to liberate. Get your heads out of your collective asses and go free the remaining bears.” We turn as one and nod. Nico is right; we got off task and forgot what had to be done. I turned to walk out of the room and head toward the front door. I sense my brother, Aurora, and Sebastian on my heels. Soon, we are joined by the five dire wolves from our pack at the front of the Alpha House. Everyone shifts and we head into the woods, following Aurora and Dom up north into the mountains. After crossing a few small streams and climbing up a hill to the cliff’s edge, we can look down on the village below us. Aurora is the first to shift back and look at all of us.
“The center house is the only one with a basement of any size. From what my father told me about strigoi, they tend to nest together and sleep in a pile during the day. The leader will be in the center of the pile. We will systematically search all the outlying houses first before we converge on the center house.” We descend upon the town like phantoms, moving silently through the remaining shadows along the edge of the town. Aurora moves directly to the center house and begins to freeze the wood, making it brittle. Dom and I searched several houses, finding nothing of interest in any of them. Seven dire wolves and Sebastian join Aurora at the center house, which now looks like a giant ice castle. I cannot sense nor find any signs of life anywhere in the compound. As far as we know, the strigoi have eaten all the bears.
Aurora and Sebastian start moving as one, using their talons to rip the boards off the house. Sometimes, I think it must be nice to be a lycan and be able to do shit like that. Several moments passed until they had all the walls ripped off the house. The stench of rot and sulfur fill my nose, causing me to sneeze. The strigoi are definitely down there. Sebastian leaps onto the roof and begins to rip the wood off of the house. Aurora watches closely as Sebastain starts to remove the rooftop. Movement can be heard below the floorboards. Aurora’s beast smirks and raises an eyebrow as she cocks her head to listen to the movement. A few of the dires shift back to human and start to remove the furniture from the house. Dom and I move to flank Aurora’s great white lycan beast as we wait for the last of the roof and furniture to be removed.
Eventually, Sebastian leaps down and lands right next to us. I turn my face to the sun, which is directly overhead. Now is the time to rip up the floorboards. Aurora and Sebastian move as one and begin at the outer edges of the room, ripping up the floor. Shrieks and screams can be heard down below as the strigoi begin to panic and try to hide from the sun. The other seven dire wolves move into position around the perimeter of the house, making sure none try to escape through tunnels. Aurora suddenly stops and tilts her head, listening to something I can’t hear.
“There might be a child left down there.” Aurora is beside herself, thinking about the defenceless little one that could possibly be down there. She also knows it could be a trap to lure her down. Her growls rattle the floorboards as her talons sink back into the wood. Her drive to destroy this house is fueled by her need to find the possible child below. Sebastian joins her in the destruction, and soon, only a three foot wide section is left. The scent of ash is thick in the air from the strigoi who couldn’t get to cover. We all peer down into the basement. About a dozen are left, but no signs of the child.
Plank by plank, Aurora and Sebastian rip up the floor. Off to the side, I notice a small tunnel by the book shelf. I dont think it’s big enough for a strigoi, but who knows, a small one could possibly make it in there. The last of the planks are removed and the strigoi are reduced to ash and bone. I leap down into the basement and approach the tunnel. In the far back is a small bear cub—the last survivor of the bear clan. I whimper at the cub and it slowly waddles its way out of the tunnel to me. I gently pick it up by the scruff of its neck and leap out of the remains of the basement. Aurora quickly comes to my side, sniffing at the cub. Her shift comes quickly, and my mate takes the cub from me. The little cub rolls onto its back, giving Aurora its belly. She smiles and starts walking.
“Our job is done here. Let’s go home.” Aurora didn’t even turn to look at us she continues to walk, carrying her precious cargo. We walk in silence back to the compound following Aurora. We arrive and Sebastian’s mother runs up to Aurora, looking at the cub in her arms. I didn't know cubs could shift that young to be honest. I know dire wolves don’t shift until we’re at least five years old. Elena attempts to take the cub from Aurora and she growls at her. I shift back and slowly approach the two of them.
“The cub may be hungry. We should probably take it to the kitchen and feed it.” Aurora’s mercury orbs land on me and she gives me a gentle smile. A slight nod of her head sends me into the house before her, opening the doors enroute to the kitchen. Before raiding the fridge, I set Aurora and the cub up in her favorite window seat. I make bacon, eggs, and ham for them. I also thin slice some brown trout filet’s I find in the bottom of the fridge from Dom’s fishing trip yesterday. I carefully arrange the platter and bring it over to Aurora and the cub. I can’t help but laugh; Aurora is still naked from her shift and holding a bear cub against her chest, softly singing to it. Definitely not typical Aurora behavior.
Speak of the devil, Dom comes strolling in with a pair of shorts and a tee shirt for me and one of our tee shirts for Aurora. He stops dead, watching her with the cub. I can bet that he and I have the same thought; we can't wait to see Aurora with one of our pups. Dom slides in close to the window seat and offers to hold the cub so Aurora can put the shirt on. She reluctantly hands the cub over and quickly puts the shirt on. Her eyes locked on the tray of food in my hands and she waves me over. I wiggle a strip of crispy bacon at Aurora and she lunges forward, biting the bacon strip in half. In the back of my mind, I fear for my cock’s safety when she does shit like that. Dom gives me the same look. Yeah, we thought the same thing.
Aurora tears through the platter of food like there’s no tomorrow. The only thing left behind is the ham and the fish strips. Aurora makes the “give me” motion with her hands and Dom hands the cub back to her. I bring the fish closer and you can see the cub’s nose sniffing the air. He starts making a distress call and tries to scramble toward the food. Aurora makes a soft growl to correct the cub, and it immediately obeys and settles back down on her lap. Strip by strip, Aurora feeds the cub while Dom and I watch.
As I look around the kitchen, something dawns on me. Where is Sebastian? He never detaches himself from Aurora for too long. My eyes scan the area outside the window that overlooks the backyard. Sebastian isn’t there either.
I locked eyes with my brother and speak only to him, “Where’s his royal assness?” I know it's not nice to call names, but Sebastian is a royal pain in the ass. Dom looks away for a moment, scanning the room and outside the nearby window.
“Not sure. He’s been acting rather suspicious lately, Jayce. Ever since he implanted the scale on Aurora, he’s been off—even more so than usual.” Dom furrows his brows and shrugs his shoulders lightly. I catch the change in Aurora’s eye color before she speaks and I know we’re busted.
“Guys, it’s not nice to have private conversations in front of others. You know I don't like it.” Her eyes lock with ours only for a moment before looking back to the cub in her lap.
“We’re just concerned. Sebastian has been acting odd lately—even more so than usual.” I keep my eyes down cast. I don't want to challenge my love. Dom stays quiet as w
ell, waiting for Aurora to speak again. The cub had fallen asleep on her lap. Her fingers gently move through the baby’s fur.
“I went to bed naked with him last night and he didn't even try anything. Something is eating at him and I don’t think it's just the prince. I sent Andre off to investigate Sebastian’s bloodline further.” Aurora’s eyes flicker between Mercury and steel-grey. I can tell the subject was bothering her, but at least I wasn't the only one sensing it.
Before I got the chance to continue the conversation, Sebastian decides to stroll into the kitchen like nothing’s wrong. He gives Aurora his normal megawatt smile and offers her a single flower. She regards the flower, then gently takes it.
“The baby just fell asleep. You missed all the fun, Bash.” In typical Sebastian fashion, he just smirks at Aurora before heading to the fridge to grab a beer.
“I bet,” is all he says before returning his gaze to his phone and typing away on it. I hear the low grumble from Aurora. I honestly believe, one of these days, she’s going to shove that phone so far up his ass the proctologist will call it a lost cause.
“Sebastian? I want dick,” Aurora says so matter-of-fact. His eyes never leave his phone. He mutters something incoherent, sounding almost like “we’ll get it at the store” or something along those lines. Aurora shakes her head, scoops up the cub, and walks out the back door.
I can feel her aggravation clear as day though the bond. I’d love to find out what’s so fucking important on that phone that would cause Sebastian to start ignoring Aurora. I motion for Dom to follow me, and we head outside to walk away from the main part of the compound. Something isn’t right, but I can’t keep dwelling on it. Aurora already has one unstable mate, she doesn't need Dom and I to follow the asshole down the same rabbit hole. We continue walking into the woods in silence, trying to figure out how to handle this mess.
My brother and I walk into the woods to clear our heads. I really want to believe our issue with Sebastian is just him trying to keep Aurora for himself. Now that his behavior has changed, I’m blaming it on the idea that a real alpha joining our ranks has him on edge.
“Jayce, you notice how attached Aurora is to the cub already? I think her next heat is coming soon.” I raise an eyebrow and wiggle it at Jayce. He shoves me and shakes his head.
“Really, Dom? Though, you’re probably right. You saw how she was with Lia. I’m concerned about Aurora and this battle. I know she’s powerful, but none of us are immortal. I mean, she’s going to protect her father, which may put her in more danger.” Jayce brings up a valid point. We need Nico with us, since his dragon’s sight is far better than any other creatures on the battlefield—besides, maybe, Aurora’s.
“He’s going to be a sitting duck for the dragons. If we can keep the ground troops away from him, he should be able to defend himself enough.” We keep walking, discussing little things here and there about how we should approach this battle. Our major concerns are to keep Aurora alive and to keep Nico from getting killed.
After what seemed like forever, we arrive at the lake Aurora told us about. It reminds me of that lake in the movie where the giant alligator eats the cow. The water is perfectly flat like a mirror. The air is still and all you can hear is the birds and wildlife moving around. I can see why she comes up here to think things through. Jayce and I flop in the sand and watch the birds on the other side of the lake.
We remain at the lake for a few hours, catching up on different things. Hell, we even had time to call Alec, who broke the news of his wedding next summer. Something positive finally happened for Alec. We’re so happy for him.
As we got up to leave, we hear an eagle’s cry that is cut off half way through. Jayce and I look at each other before we head in the direction the noise came from. When we reach the area, we find several golden brown feathers on the forest floor mixed in with the moss. Tiny droplets of blood are splattered on random leaves here and there. We follow this weak blood trail until we find a crossbow bolt covered in blood and feathers. Who would shoot a bird with a crossbow? That doesn't make any sense. There’s what looks like a drag mark all along the forest floor, and the blood trail is heavier here. It looks like someone took a paintbrush, dipped it in blood and painted the moss. We follow the blood to its end and, over the edge of the rock face, we see what made the trail. An eagle lays prone in the valley below us. Jayce was the first to be able to form words.
“No!” He leaps over rocks and scales down to the valley below. I’m frozen in my vantage point, watching everything as if it were happening in slow motion. Every step, every noise is slower and drawn out as one of my worst nightmares came to life. If that’s Andre down there, we would have to tell Aurora. Jayce looks up to me as he kneels by the body. His wolf rips free of his body, exploding into existence and howling its grief into the wind. It’s as I had feared: Andre was murdered.
I feel Jayce’s pain and anguish through the bond, and Aurora’s haunting tone soon fills the air. One by one, pack members join Aurora in her eerie howl. We know it's only a matter of minutes before the pack starts making its way here. Jayce anxiously paces the valley, whining and whimpering. His anxiety is understandable; our beloved mate is going to be on the warpath.
The sound of paws thundering through the forest can be heard long before the pack can be seen. My eyes focus on the pebbles near me as they vibrate from the staccato rhythm of paws hitting the ground. Aurora lets out a location howl, which Jayce promptly answers to give her proper bearings. Soon enough, that great, white beast of a lycan hybrid comes into view. She’s clawing and shredding everything that gets in her way. Sebastian is right behind her, with his mother trailing close behind. The rest of the pack brings up the rear.
Aurora whips past me, launching herself across the divide to the other side. She repeats the leap back and forth until she reaches the bottom. Aurora’s shift comes quickly as her human form falls to its knees, her wales and cries echoing through the valley. Her hand shakes as she hesitates to touch Andre’s prone form. Aurora withdraws her hand several times before she finally rests it on his feathers. Jayce shifts back to his human form and rests a hand on Aurora’s shoulder. No one else dares to go down there with her. Aurora doesn’t handle emotions well, and to interfere now would more than likely end in a death sentence. Sebastian comes to stand beside me and rests his hand on my shoulder.
“She’s going to need all of us after this. Her thirst for vengeance is going to burn brighter than the sun. No more macho male bullshit, right guys?” Hopefully, we have a truce until we get this shit storm settled. Sebastian moves to the edge and looked down at Aurora and Jayce. I’m not noticing any signs of remorse or sympathy for what Aurora is going through. Yup, I still don’t like Sebastian. Aurora takes the shredded remains of Jayce’s shirt and wraps Andre up like a bird mummy. Now, Jayce chooses to embrace her and hold her tightly. Thankfully, Aurora accepts his affection before she tells him what she’s planning on doing.
“Oh, this ought to be interesting,” Sebastian states flatly. I guess my brother is going to see what it's like to get a piggyback ride from a half-crazed, grieving lycan hybrid. Aurora shifts back to her beast’s form and places the hoop of fabric in her mouth so she can carry Andre. Her eyes locked on Jayce and motion for him to climb on. Reluctantly, he climbs onto her back and wraps his legs around her waist. Aurora launches herself at the rock wall, sinking her talons into the sandstone to gain purchase on the almost vertical ascent. Foot by foot, she climbs steadily with Jayce on her back and Andre’s death shroud in her mouth. Unlike my descent, she’s not launching herself back and forth. I've never witnessed her move so cautiously before in all the time I’ve known her.
Before she reached the top, Sebastian and I reach down to help them over the edge. I back up for a few moments to give Aurora and Jayce some time to breathe. I move forward and hold out my hands, waiting for Aurora to either drop Andre into my hands or refuse. I watch Aurora look between me and Elena, who gives her a somber nod. Aurora l
owers her head and releases Andre’s body into my hands. I’m almost overcome with emotion from holding our good friend’s body. Gently, I cradle Andre against me and watch my mate as she shifts back to her human form.
“How’d it happen? Did you see it?” Aurora’s voice quivers as tears roll down her face. Her eyes are locked on the death shroud in my arms. They shift between human and beast faster than I can keep track of. Jayce steps forward and lays a hand on Andre.
“We heard an eagle cry. The second time it called out, it was cut short. Dom and I started walking in the direction we last heard the cry come from. First, we found feathers, then blood. Eventually, we found a bloody crossbow bolt with feathers on it. Further in, we found blood marks where we suspected the eagle dragged itself. When we got here, I looked over the edge and prayed it wasn't Andre. I didn't hesitate and got to the bottom as fast as I could. His body was cold when I got there.” Jayce looks up, the raw pain evident in his eyes as he looks at Aurora. Not only was he feeling hers, but his own pain ran bone deep. My brother is so comfortable with his emotions that his tears roll freely down his cheeks. Aurora grabs a hold of Jayce and squeezes him tightly. Her eyes are practically glowing with the raw power she’s struggling to contain.
“We need to call my father and Dimitri home and gather the dire wolves. To strike at someone close to me is an act of war. There will be no survivors. I swear on my blood that he will be avenged and the murderer will know pain like no other.” Aurora closes her eyes for several minutes, then draws in a deep breath. “Father and the prince know what happened. I’ve been advised on what to do. Let's go home. We need to build a funeral pyre for Andre in the customs of his people. Dad and the team will be here by night fall. At midnight, we perform the ceremony.” Aurora releases Jayce and kisses his forehead. “Please, carry us back. Shift for me, my love.” Aurora’s eyes are all human, tears welling up and threatening to break free, as she turns to take Andre from me. Jayce nods at our mate and shifts back to his wolf. Sebastian and I move to assist Aurora onto Jayce’s back. Slowly, Jayce leads with his precious cargo. Sebastian and I shift next, following close behind Aurora and Jayce. The pack moves in sync as we head back to the compound.
Hunt Little Wolf: The Aurora Marelup Series Page 10