Cloaked in Blood

by T. F. Walsh

  I bound back to my feet and was off again, shaking the sting in my ear.

  Other wolves were close enough now to pounce on the stags. But the castle ... Oh, please ... We were so close. I could nearly reach out and touch it.

  Aisha was there too, jumping up and down, her hands in the air. Zeki and his guards were in wolf form, near the line, ready to intercept.

  Almost there.

  A wolf approached the stag farthest from me. My lungs squeezed. Push past it.

  I careened around the bucks and inserted myself between the stags and the encroaching foe, forcing my side against his, driving him away.

  He snapped at my face, ripping at fur below my ear.

  I bit back, but he recoiled and tripped, tumbling into a roll.

  Fuck, yeah!

  Father’s guards parted for our passage. The stags passed the finish line, and I crashed in after them. But they weren’t stopping. I sped up and curved out in front of them before slowing my pace.

  Gradually, we came to a halt, and my legs collapsed from under me. My wolf glided away, fading deep inside me, and I now lay there in my human form. The stags both collapsed on bent legs, and Marcin rolled off the animal, landing flat on his back in the snow, a trail of blood smeared across the stag’s back.

  Aisha and Father ran to us. Her eyes were panicked.

  “Help Marcin.” I lifted my head, glancing toward the field where Zeki and his pack were in a standoff match against the wulfkin from the venery. Slumping back down, I stared at the dark clouds overhead, gasping for air, my lungs straining with each inhale. I was convinced I’d never be able to stand again.

  Levin trudged toward us, his arms tight by his side, his mouth a grimace. He glanced down at Marcin near a stag, then toward me. “It seems we have our two champions.” He lifted his chin, and called out, “Someone call Barka to tend to their wounds.” He spun on his heels and walked away.

  I didn’t give a shit about the challenge, only about making sure Marcin and the stags weren’t hurt. Levin could go and fuck himself. I rolled over and crawled on all fours toward Marcin.

  His eyes were shut. Blood pooled around his leg. I ran a hand down his cheek, and his eyes flipped open, agonizing torture behind them.

  “Selena.” His voice flatlined, and his eyes slid shut.

  “Please, be okay, please.”

  My father kneeled at Marcin’s feet, examining his wound. “We have to stop the bleeding immediately.” He called several guards, instructing them to take Marcin to the castle. “Aisha, bring Selena.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Marcin

  My eyes fluttered open, and I jarred upright, my heart banging so hard against my chest, I swore the bed shook beneath me.

  An excruciating stabbing pulsed across my ankle, traveling up my calf muscle. I fisted the bed sheets as the pain washed through me.

  Venery. The word steamrolled through my mind, along with the bear trap I’d stepped into. Riding a stag and Selena racing us over the finish line. I owed her my life, though being carried over the final line wasn’t the way I’d pictured myself winning.

  I threw the fur blanket aside, noting I wore only boxers. My leg had a splint against it and was wrapped in bandages all the way to my knee. Even with my wolf healing, such damage would take a few days to repair, maybe more. But I sure as hell wasn’t going to sit around in bed like an invalid, especially with Enre and Daciana in custody.

  The door to my room flung open, and the bronze handle left a dent in the white wall behind it. Father stomped inside, hands deep in the pockets of his coat and shadows gathering beneath his narrowing gaze.

  “You’re a disgrace.” He passed my bed and stopped near the window that overlooked the nearest snowcapped mountain.

  “I could have lost a foot or my life, but hey, let’s not worry about that.” Grunting as I forced my legs over the edge of the bed, I tensed as the shooting pain sparked up my thigh. I scanned the room for something to lean against. The chairs near the table were halfway across the room; the closet offered me nothing but clothes. Then my sights landed on the poker near the fireplace. Too short. Damn it.

  “You were carried over the line on a fucking stag.” Father shook his head, all the while staring outside as if looking at me pained him. “And to make it worse, you let a Turk bring you back.” He spun to face me; his posture curled in on himself. “Fucking hell, Marcin. You’ve just won the golden medal for weak-shit-alpha.”

  I pushed off the bed and hopped over to the chairs. “I don’t care what you or anyone else thinks. I won, isn’t that what you wanted? So what the fuck are you harping on about?”

  He stalked closer, his stomps striking the floor with haste, and he gripped my arm before kicking aside the chair I balanced against. My bandaged toes hit the ground, and I cringed. They stung as if a vice clamped down on my foot.

  Venom oozed from Father’s grim expression. “I raised you to show no weakness, to be the best and most feared.”

  Hell, you’d think I murdered someone. I ripped my arm from his and balanced precariously on one leg. “I’m one of the champions now, so get over your embarrassment.” Hopping back a step, I pressed my back against the wall.

  For those few seconds, Father almost looked thoughtful with a hint of a smile, as if he was secretly pleased I’d won but wasn’t going to show it.

  On his next breath, he morphed back into the brute I knew. “You don’t get it, do you?” He drove his boot into the chair, sending it skidding across the room. “That bastard sultan set this up. He insisted on the challenge then put his daughter in there, whom no one suspected, including you, and now she’s in the battle of innocence. She’s going to try to win that boon to claim our land as their own.”

  “Bullshit. Why would she save me then?”

  He tapped his temple. “He’s trying to pull the wool over our eyes.”

  Father was delusional, simple. Though, I couldn’t ignore Selena’s secretive behavior over dinner or her insistence to get it on during the venery. I shifted my gaze to Father, who studied me as if I were a target board.

  “Are you pissed because a girl saved me or because you believe they want your land?”

  He snorted. “Is this a joke to you? Maybe you ought to be locked up with your brother. Although, I’m not sure anyone would call it imprisonment. I’ve been to hotels that treated me worse than the way Enre and Daciana are living in the guest wing.”

  I shrugged. “He’s my brother. Besides, you’re the one who invited the Turks here, not me.”

  “Yes, but not for this.”

  I hopped toward my closet for clothes and to shake away the chill clinging to my skin. “That’s right. You planned to mate me to Selena so you could get their land. Maybe the Turkish leader isn’t like you. Have you ever considered that?”

  Back in the woods, Selena had risked her life to save me. She showed no sign of trying to win. Otherwise, she’d find herself a weak rival to go into the battle of innocence with. Not me. Besides, how could she have known I’d step in a bear trap? What happened in the woods wasn’t orchestrated one bit.

  I reached the closet and held on to the door with a death grip.

  “Sorry to burst your bubble,” Father said. “A day ago, you were almost killed by an invisible assailant, which happened after the Turkish clan arrived here. Then Selena’s name gets mysteriously entered into the venery. And now she wins. The truth’s smacking you in the face, but you’re ignoring it.”

  I seized a pair of jeans from the closet and glanced over to the chair behind Father. Might be easier if I sat down to put these on. “I can see what’s going on perfectly. You’ve got a bit of competition, and you’re paranoid. I wouldn’t worry. Anyway, what have you got planned for us in the final challenge? Let’s talk about that.”

  “You’ve gone soft-cocked for Selena, haven’t you? The sultan mating his daughter to you isn’t enough for him anymore, not with a boon on offer. He will claim Hungary as his own and move his
pack here, overthrowing us.”

  This was new. “Where are you getting this from?”

  “Does it matter?” He marched toward the door. “Get your shit together, decide whose side you’re on, and heal because you have a boon to win if you intend on living this cozy lifestyle. And remember our little deal. Claim the boon for me, and I’ll leave Enre and Daciana alone forever.” His voice deepened, underlining his real threat—cross me on this, and I’ll destroy everything you hold dear.

  I had to play the game.

  “I’m postponing the battle of innocence until you’re better, but don’t drag this out.” He vanished and thumped the door shut behind him.

  I slumped against the closet behind me, jeans in hand, staring at the fire spitting embers into the metal guard across the room. Dealing with Father was like playing Russian roulette. Winning the boon would save my brother, but what exactly did Father have in mind to claim? Did he still want Transylvania, or were his sights on something much bigger now?

  First, I had to get my facts straight because if the Turks intended to take over our territory, then I was no longer dealing with the Selena from years ago, but a deadly adversary. And if that were the case, then I’d gladly help Father destroy them.

  Wobbling my way to the chair, I crashed down and wrestled to get into my jeans, unsure what pissed me off worse: Father’s constant paranoia, Selena’s strange behavior, or my foot, scalding with sharpness each time anything touched it.

  A knock came from the door, and I still hadn’t put my pants on. I tossed them aside.

  “Give me a sec.”

  “It’s me.” Selena’s soft voice filtered from behind the metal-studded door. “May I come in?”

  “Sure.” I stood in my black boxers and gripped the back of the chair for balance.

  Selena entered, dressed in tight black pants, knee-length boots, and a turtleneck top. She was the epitome of a ninja, and this was the complete opposite of her attire on the day she’d arrived. Her chocolate locks draped over her shoulders, and her cheeks glowed bright red. But I couldn’t quite pinpoint the purpose of the bath towels tucked under her arm.

  “You either just returned from breaking into a high-security location or ...” I scratched my head. “You’re about to go swimming? The lake’s frozen over by now, so you might struggle with that.”

  Her response came in the form of an arched eyebrow, while her dipping gaze didn’t go astray, and she obviously made no secret about checking me out. Absolutely fine by me. If she asked, I’d remove my boxers too.

  “Actually, I was sword practicing.”

  Images of her dancing with her blade during the dinner swarmed through my mind, along with how precisely she sliced that silk above Father’s head. Not to mention her bouncing breasts and the length of her tanned legs. I pictured our kiss in the forest and the passion in her embrace, except I had no idea if she had played me or not. In truth, I hadn’t fully deciphered Selena’s intentions, and with Father whispering so much crap in my ear, it all congealed into a confusing knot.

  “How’s your injury?” She strode closer, her gaze locked on my leg. “Can I take a look?”

  Before I could respond, she pulled another chair close, positioning it in front of mine, set her towels on the floor by her side, and kneeled down near the seats. “Sit and prop your foot up.”

  “Give me a few days, and I’ll be stronger than before.”

  She glanced at me, wearing a whatever expression with her tilted smile. “Maybe I can help.”

  I collapsed in my chair, grateful to be off my feet, lifting the leg with my hands. “And how will you do that?”

  She unclipped the butterfly hook and unraveled the white bandages. “I have my ways.”

  If Father had spoken the truth, then why would Selena even bother caring for me? It made zero sense.

  “How did your father take your win in the venery?” I asked.

  “Pretty pleased with himself.”

  Father’s words came back, the ones about the sultan wanting the boon. But was it to claim Hungary?

  “So, we’re both in the final. You must be excited.”

  Her gaze lifted, and her green eyes, the color of a fresh meadow after a rainstorm, were crammed with curiosity. “Not really, but I bet you’re excited. Regardless, do you know what the final challenge will entail? Animal hunting? A race?”

  “No idea. But I’m sure your father would reward you well if you won the boon?”

  The bridge of her nose creased. “Is that all this is for you? Winning the stupid boon?” She pulled a bit too tight on my bandages as she removed the splint, and a shooting ache stabbed my ankle.

  “Careful.” My body tensed harder than a block of cement.

  “This boon thing is bullshit.” Her unwrapping quickened, the softness replaced by bumps against my wound, and I grimaced each time she nudged me. “It’s got your father all riled up, and obviously you too. If I win, I’d use it to help someone in need, not feather my own nest or bluster my power or kill other wulfkin. That’s where we obviously differ.”

  “Whoa, you’re jumping to major conclusions here. Since when did I become a power-hungry lord who wants to kill pack members?”

  She shrugged nonchalantly as she peeled away the last bandage and studied the trap’s teeth marks dotting my ankle. Dried blood marred the flesh near the healing lesion. Purple bruises covered my shin, and my foot was swollen to twice its size. The bone seemed to be healing since the sultan had straightened it yesterday. I passed out after that. The sultan didn’t have to help me ... yet he had.

  “You ready?” She headed to the door, opened it, and waved to someone outside.

  I stiffened. “Ready for what?”

  Several servants careened into the room, each carrying two buckets of water with steam curling from them.

  “You really should invest in proper plumbing in this place.” She retrieved the towels from the floor and headed to my en suite bathroom at the back of the room. “I’m running you a bath and have a healing concoction that should help your wound heal faster. It’ll deaden the pain for a while and reduce the swelling.”

  My head hurt trying to make sense of Selena. She accused me of being barbaric, yet still cared enough to help with my injury.

  “Thank you,” I called out as she vanished into the room.

  Despite Selena giving off mixed vibes, it was clear she had me all wrong and had pigeonholed me into the same category as Father. I couldn’t blame her. After years of war between our clans, we were just now striving for peace. But her words came back to me, the ones about using the boon to help a person in need. Whether it was a general comment or referring to a specific person, it probably didn’t matter. What counted were her intentions.

  So, if she had no desire to win the final boon, then the rest was straightforward. I’d claim the prize, defeat Father, and set my brother free. But first I’d have to convince the council to back me.

  The maids fluttered out of my chamber and shut the door behind them. Selena appeared in the bathroom doorway, the sleeves of her shirt pushed up to her elbows. “You’ll have to take your boxers off.”

  “How can I resist when you put it like that?” I pushed myself to my feet and hobbled toward her. My attention fell on the porcelain bathtub on silver feet that Father insisted on fitting in all the bathrooms, despite having no plumbing in half the castle. Leaning against the open door, I dropped my boxers and kicked them aside as Selena sprinkled what looked like dried herbs into the half-filled tub and mixed them into the water with one hand.

  “Soak your leg and keep your foot submerged for at least an hour. I’ll get the girls to keep topping up the warm water.” When she turned around, her gaze dipped and her cheeks glowed.

  “You’re blushing?” I asked.

  “No, I’m not.” She spun around to the bathtub.

  Warmth spread through my gut, and I couldn’t help but smile. “Can I get some help with this?”

  She offered me a
hand.

  I limped closer and leaned on her outstretched arm as I climbed into the tub; the water was scorching hot. In slow motion, I lowered myself into its burning cocoon, my injured leg submerging last. The heat swathed my foot, the wound stinging as if a fresh blade sliced it back open. I clasped the edge of the tub, waiting for the pain to ease.

  Selena’s fingers caressed my shin, softly kneading away the pain. Then she broke into a hum, the sound sweet and calming.

  Leaning back against the tub, I closed my eyes and focused on the softness of her voice. “You have magical fingers.”

  She continued her tune and gently massaged my leg. The strange cocktail of my foot throbbing, Selena’s tranquil song, and the ease with which her fingers glided over my skin left me strangely relaxed and maybe a bit turned on. Okay, a lot. With each stroke, my muscles flexed, and my inner wolf stirred inside. Take her, claim her. She’s ours.

  Well, not sure Selena would agree.

  “The healing brew is from your medic, Barka, so I can ask her for more,” she said.

  I slid my eyes open, studying the way she knelt next to the bathtub, one bent arm leaning against the edge, the other in the water, and her gaze locked on my leg. “They smell girly.”

  Her gaze swept across my body. “Maybe you should be careful, stay indoors. At least until you’ve healed.”

  I wasn’t used to the protective nature, her worries about my well-being. Father rarely asked me if I was okay, and his encouragements came in the form of insults or backhands. As an alpha of my pack, showing weakness wasn’t a smart option, especially surrounded by Father’s minions who’d rip my heart out the moment I showed a hint of frailty. Back at the venery, I’d expected one of Father’s wulfkin to kill me. Getting rid of me meant everyone else could clamber for my position to inherit the title.

  “Thanks for helping me again.” I slid deeper into the water. “But I’m curious. Why didn’t you leave me behind in the woods?”

  A strange expression crossed her face, a blend of shock and pity. “That wasn’t ever an option. Maybe that’s how things work in Hungary, but I’d never leave behind an injured wulfkin.”