The ground beneath their feet rolled as it reacted to her emotions and desire for escape, forcing Tobias back. His heart pounded in his chest as the moving earth shifted her further away from him and he began to fear the consequences that the movement would have on her injuries. “Xandria!” he shouted leaping forward, desperate to reach her. Is she doing this? Xandria are you mad at me? his mind shouted, reaching for hers. Of course she’s mad, he reprimanded himself. I let this happen to her, I let her get hurt this badly. I’m a terrible mate.
“Xandria, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” he screamed moving with the churning earth to keep his balance.
Her eyes fluttered open at the sound of her Tobias’ name for her and the ground stilled. Struggling into a sitting position, she watched as he approached her, tears of relief welling in her eyes as he came ever closer. “Tobias.” Despite her body’s protests she tried to rise to her feet, determined to reach him.
Rushing forward he caught her before she put her full weight on her damaged legs, urging her back down into the grass. “Xandria don’t move.”
“Tobias,” she sobbed, clutching at his chest as her strength deserted her. “I knew you’d come, I just knew it.”
“I’m sorry dearest,” he consoled, stroking her hair as she cried against his chest. Her tears continued to fall and each felt like a hot iron against his flesh, his heart stuttering in time with the onslaught. “I should have noticed that you were missing yesterday. I let this happen to you. I know I shouldn’t even ask, but forgive me.”
“It wasn’t your fault Tobias, you couldn’t have seen it coming.”
“Don’t make excuses for me dearest. I don’t deserve it. We need to get you back to the estate, you’re hurt and I want someone to have a look at your injuries.”
“Tobias,” she interrupted.
“No. Don’t try to make any more excuses for my actions I don’t want to hear them. I spoke to Ilyanna, she said that you were lonely and that was my fault. If I hadn’t been so wrapped up in preparing to be King you wouldn’t have gone to see her and you wouldn’t have ended up alone in that corridor. The blame once again lies with me.”
“Tobias,” she continued, a small smile appearing on her face at his attempts to reassure her even while she tried to get him to listen to her.
“I swear that something like this will never happen again dearest. I’ll assign guards to be with you at all times when we’re apart.”
“Tobias!” she yelled, finally gaining his attention.
“What is it dearest?”
“That isn’t important right now. I trust you not to let it happen again and I’m sure that this time was beyond your ability to control, but there are more important issues to discuss.”
“Can whatever it isn’t be discussed when we get back to the estate? I want to get you seen to as soon as possible.”
Looking over her shoulder at the surrounding forest, she was reminded of how she had arrived at this particular place and who she had escaped from. He’s probably found out that I’m gone by now, might even be on his way here right now. “No Tobias, we need to talk about this now. It’s important.”
“What is it?”
“It’s about the man who took me.”
“I know all about him,” he growled, wishing that the man were here now despite being overjoyed that Alex had somehow managed to escape him.
“You do?”
“Yes. Ryan told me that it was the man who tried to attack you when you were in England, I know of him and once you’re safe I’ll find him and he will be dealt with accordingly, his punishment in line with the crime that he has committed against not only me but our people.”
Death? The wolf inquired.
Of course, I’ve already told you this. I won’t have mercy on him. Look at what he’s done to our mate. Death is the only suitable punishment for the likes of him. A painful one at that.
I’m glad that you see things that way.
“Tobias are you talking about Sean?”
“I don’t know his name.” You don’t need to know the name of someone to kill them when they harm your mate.
“Tobias, Sean isn’t going to be a problem anymore.” She shuddered remembering the brutal way his life had ended.
“Why? What happened to him?”
“He’s dead.”
“You killed him?” he demanded, astounded that his gentle mate was capable of such violence when she was usually so opposed to it.
“Of course not,” she snapped.
“Then what happened?”
“Tobias this might be a little hard for you to take in, but you’ve got to believe me because I’m telling the truth.”
“Dearest, there isn’t anything you could tell me that I wouldn’t believe.”
“It was Sean who took me from the estate but he wasn’t working alone. Tobias he was working with your cousin, Elijah.”
“Elijah?” he coughed.
“I know it’s going to be hard to believe but I’m telling the truth I swear Tobias. Your cousin killed Sean right in front of me, tore his heart right out of his chest and didn’t even think twice about it. It was horrible.”
“You’re sure it was Elijah dearest?”
“Yes Tobias, I remember faces very well and your cousin’s stands out. He even congratulated me for remembering him.”
“Why would he do this?”
She sighed deeply preparing to tell him the worst of the news she had learnt. “He wants your crown Tobias, he wanted me to help him get it. Your cousin is a little bit crazy in my opinion, crazy and warped. He thinks that the throne is his and that you stole it from him. I think his father has been filling his head with the idea his entire life because from what he told me, both him and his father were waiting for the throne to be given to them even before you were born.” His face twisted in confusion at her words. “Tobias Elijah and his father never wanted you to be born and when you were…” She trailed off uncertain of how to tell him the final part of her tale.
“What Xandria? They didn’t want me to be born and then what?”
“Travis, Tobias, he told me about how your brother died.”
“Travis was killed by hunters dearest. I should know, I was there. I saw them kill him with my own eyes.”
“Yes Tobias the hunters did kill him, but it was Elijah's father that told them where to find you. He wanted them to kill both you and your brother so Elijah could be King one day. Your cousin led you and your friends right to them. I’m sorry Tobias, I wish it weren’t true, but the fact is that your cousin wants your crown and is prepared to kill you to get it.”
“What did he want with you dearest?”
“He saw what I made Lucinda do and wanted me to force others to submit to him, he said that if he got enough people to submit then he could be given the crown.”
Though he didn’t want to believe that his cousin wanted him dead, the last piece of information Alex had given him sealed Elijah’s guilt. No one outside of the clans would know that. “Did he do this to you Xandria?”
“I didn’t want to help him steal your crown,” she muttered, feeling increasingly lightheaded.
“You should have given it up, I’d have done so without hesitation rather than see you hurt.”
“I know, you’ve already offered to do it before, but like I told you then, you’re going to make a great King.” I can’t get in the way of that.
“No Alex,” Elijah chuckled walking out of from the trees to come into their line of sight. “I’ll be a great King, not Tobias,” He stated adamantly, his dark eyes becoming bright as amber filled his irises.
Chapter Forty Five
“Elijah,” Tobias growled, his wolf’s hackles rising at the sight of the man who had injured his mate so badly and he stood, stepping away from Alex so that if a fight broke out between him and his cousin she would be far enough away from the melee that she wouldn’t be hurt further than she was already.
“Cousin.” He smiled, wal
king closer to the pair.
“Did you do this?” he asked, pointing at the battered body of his mate.
“Your nose works just fine cousin, you know she wasn’t lying. Besides are you telling me that if I told you I didn’t that you would believe me over your mate? I had hoped that it wouldn’t come to this you know cousin. I didn’t want us to come to blows over the crown. I had hoped to simply use Alex to get me the throne peacefully.”
“We’d already come to blows the moment you first laid hands on her Elijah. You know the law, the punishment for this crime is death even if I were to ignore what’s clearly treason.”
“Your mate had a hand to play in her injuries.” Tobias snarled at the comment but Elijah continued regardless, his voice still extraordinarily calm. “She was quite stubborn in her refusal to help me. If she’d simply agreed to helping me force the submission of the clans then I’m sure she wouldn’t be in such a sorry state.”
“That was your plan?” Tobias chuckled. “You were going to have her force others to submit to you, I hoped that I’d heard her wrong but clearly that isn’t true.”
“What’s so amusing?”
“You have no idea how unpredictable that power of hers is. Even if she had agreed to help you, I’d have found out before you had enough people forced into submission.”
“And why exactly is that?”
“That power of hers only seems to work when her life is in serious danger and even when she manages to use it, it takes a lot out of her and renders her unconscious. By the time you had forced a few people into submission she would be out cold and the news that you had my mate would have gotten back to me and I’d have gone to war with you to get her back. Elijah, your plan would never have worked.”
He pondered the statement for a moment before turning back to Tobias. “I can tell that you aren’t lying which means that if I want the crown I’ll be forced to resort to more drastic measures.”
“Elijah, I can’t understand why you’re doing this, we’re family. The things you and your father have done trying to get the crown are unthinkable. Stop this now.”
“The crown is rightfully mine as you well know. You and your father stole it from me and I want it back,” he snapped.
“I didn’t steal your crown. Grandfather Owen decided that my father was better suited to be King. Why couldn’t you just accept that? It’s a lot of work being King, I’m not sure if you were given the throne that you’d enjoy it.”
“If it’s so much work then why do you still do it cousin? Why haven’t you just given up the position and handed it over to me? Is the power that comes with the crown that addictive?”
“I do it because it’s my duty to. I do it to help our clans and ensure that they prosper and survive. I do it because the clans are family to me. How can I do anything other than what’s best for them? It’s not the power I want, otherwise I would never have even considered giving up the crown Elijah.”
Elijah’s eyes widened at the claim and he stepped forward agitated beyond belief that he had missed the opportunity to prey on Tobias’ temporary weakness. “When did you think about giving it up? When?”
His head turned and he smiled down at his mate. “The Challenge Elijah. I thought about giving it up when Lucinda challenged my mate. I would give my crown up without a moment’s hesitation to ensure that Xandria would be safe. But like you have said my mate is stubborn and she didn’t want me to give it up, she forced me to keep the crown while she faced Lucinda.”
“If I’d known that all it took was to threaten your mate I’d have done that a long time ago.” Elijah grinned, watching as Alex pulled herself up to move further away from him.
“Anyone who truly cherishes their mate should know that, but I think that’s beyond your ability isn’t it cousin? You’ve never treated your mate well and I should have done something about it a long time ago. I kept thinking that you would eventually grow to love her and care for her as you should have done but time continued to pass us and nothing about your relationship changed.”
“Nothing about my relationship with my mate needed to change Tobias, Amanda is there to provide me with an heir when I ascend to the throne nothing more. She’ll enjoy being Queen and that will be more than enough to keep her satisfied.”
“You’re still under the misguided assumption that you’ll become King,” Tobias growled, his body tensing as it prepared for action.
“I will be King cousin, father and I have sacrificed too much for me not to be.”
“Does that sacrifice include Travis?” Tobias bellowed, as memories of his brother flooded his mind. Though they had been identical in appearance, their personalities couldn’t have been more different. While Tobias had been outgoing and unafraid of anything, Travis had been shy and reserved, more inclined to quietly pass time daydreaming in the gardens on the estate than go adventuring with Tobias and his elder cousin.
Elijah shrugged, “A casualty of war.”
“Travis was no threat to anyone. He never wanted to be King, and everyone knew it. Even you had to know that! But you still goaded him into coming on that damned hunting trip. I never thought much of it back then, I was just glad that he would be spending time with all of us instead of being alone. But you knew the hunters would be there didn’t you?”
“Yes I did. But the fact was that even if he didn’t want to be King, if you’d died he would have stepped in to fill your shoes. The pair of you were raised with too much of a sense of duty for him to simply turn away from the crown if he were the last surviving heir.”
“Bastard,” Tobias snarled before he lunged for his cousin, his body transforming as he leapt through the air.
Her back against the tree trunk, Alex watched as Tobias’ body met his cousin’s chest throwing him to the earth floor. Elijah’s body twisted under Tobias’ sharp claws, transforming until he had the same deadly natural weapons at his disposal. The wolves circled each other, searching for weaknesses before they sprung at each other, jaws snapping as they tried to reach something vital. I’ve got to help him, she concluded, reaching for the whispers at the back of her mind as she prepared to aid her mate.
Stay out of this dearest. The sharp command directed into her thoughts shocked her and she let the whispers fade to the back of her mind. I have to do this alone.
Nodding dumbly, she watched the two wolves continue to assault each other. Their deadly claws swiped at each other leaving bloody tracks in the others fur as they rolled in the grass searching for a momentary weakness that would grant them victory, before they sprung apart and began circling each other once again. The snowy wolf she knew was Tobias rushed forward head down until his head collided with his cousin’s side and Elijah was tossed backward. His momentum still strong, Tobias moved quickly hoping to claw the tender under side of his cousin’s belly but Elijah recovered quickly swiping at Tobias’ shoulder as he approached before springing back.
Howling as the pain tore through his flesh Tobias was caught off guard as Elijah climbed onto his back, sinking his teeth deep into his neck. Twisting and turning as he struggled to force Elijah to release him, he could feel the blood leaving his body in a steady drip. His head fell as he prepared to run, before he forced his body into a sprint, rushing headlong towards a tree. Tobias’ hectic pace dislodged Elijah from his back and his cousin fell to the ground. Turning swiftly, Tobias pounced and his claws connected with Elijah’s long muzzle, raking over his eyes. Blood poured from the wound obscuring his vision and Elijah turned frantically in circles sniffing the air wildly as he tried to locate his cousin.
Crouching low to the ground Tobias watched as his cousin moved, waiting for the chance to strike. The opportunity soon presented itself and he launched himself forward, knocking his cousin’s feet out from underneath him to expose his underbelly. The tender skin exposed he slashed down forcefully with his claws determined to reach the vital organs beneath. Struggling frantically beneath his cousin as he tried to escape, Elijah found his movem
ent constricted by a heavy paw against his shoulder before sharp fangs were sunk into his throat. A low whine escaped him at the pain that blossomed within him and he knew there was no way he was going to escape; death was all that awaited him. Removing his bloody muzzle from Elijah's throat, Tobias forced his cousin’s head to the side until a distinct crack was heard.
He won’t die from an injury like this, His wolf reminded him, determined to see the man that had harmed his mate dead.
I know.
Are you unwilling to deliver the final blow because he’s your cousin?
He was my cousin, Tobias corrected. He’s no longer of any relation to me. His actions led to Travis’ death and he harmed Xandria. There’s no forgiveness in me for him.
Then don’t hesitate, it counselled. Kill him.
Positioning himself to sit directly atop Elijah's still chest, he raised his sharp claws to Elijah's neck and slashed downward, alternating between his two sets of claws until the neck was separated from the body. Rolling the head away from the corpse he ensured that all sinew and muscle had been separated. It’s done, he sighed, his tone slightly melancholy despite the fact that he claimed to have disowned his cousin.
Watching the fight as the two wolves rolled and attacked each other mercilessly Alex felt a sense of helplessness overcome her. Her hands clutched the grass surrounding her, nails slicing through the thin blades as she saw them disappear from her line of sight. Desperate to see what was going on she tried to rise to her feet, immediately falling back to the ground as pain exploded within her legs. Moving is a bad idea. But I want to know what’s happening to Tobias. The whispers from the grass filled her mind telling her of the movements of the wolves and the blood spilt, but without eyes it couldn’t tell her who was harming who and fear for Tobias’ safety rioted within her. Her heart began to pound within her chest as she watched a wolf approach her; blood coated his pale fur and her fear multiplied.
A Wolf's Duty Page 35