The ceremony dissolved into a moonlit festival. Rayna celebrated for a while, before forming human and sitting down to eat, wondering what was worrying Silver, Roxen and possibly Bayne. They were up to something. Rayna could only imagine what they were hiding. It was not like them to keep secrets, especially from her. Whatever it was, it must be important.
As the moon rose higher, the festival’s tone changed again. Most of the Fenearens lounged in the fire's warmth, enjoying the company of their pack. Channon had long since joined Rayna, eager to talk. After she finished eating, she settled her cheek against his shoulder, occasionally nodding as he spoke. She breathed in his familiar scent–leather and pine–and tried to convince herself there was nothing to fear. Bayne, Silver, and Roxen would tell her if they were worried about something. At least, she hoped so.
“Rayna? Rayna!” Channon pulled her into the present.
“What?” Rayna lifted her head. “Sorry.”
Channon shrugged. His cheeks were flushed, likely from the fire. “I–Kiera asked me today if–uh–if you and I were ... courting? That's odd. Right?”
Rayna pulled her scattered thoughts together. “She–she asked you what?”
“Nothing, don’t worry about it.” Channon sighed. By now he must be used to her tendency to mentally disappear during a conversation.
Rayna pushed it aside. “Channon, did you notice anything strange at the ceremony? Did Silver and Roxen seem off tonight to you?”
“Huh, I don’t know. I wasn’t paying much attention.” He plucked a piece of venison from the warming pit by the fire. “Now that you mention it, though, they do seem distracted.” He took a bite. “Whatever it is, Bayne will take care of it.”
Rayna nodded. She trusted her uncle more than anyone, except perhaps Channon. Rayna could never doubt that Bayne's heart was devoted to their country. Yet when something shook his mate on a night of such cheer, it had to be important.
“Rayna, look!” Channon gestured to Silver and Bayne. They stood away from the pack, but near where Channon and Rayna sat. Silver’s face was stern and her hands rested on her hips. Rayna knew better than to eavesdrop, but her sensitive ears still picked up Silver’s final words as she turned away from her mate.
“This is not going to go over well, Bayne.” She shook her head and walked back toward the pack.
“Silver. Please, you know this is for the best! They need to know tonight,” Bayne said as he followed her. Roxen watched him, and at Bayne's nod, the Beta joined him on the opposite side of the fire.
An announcement was seldom made after the ceremony, but as Bayne raised his hands, quiet slowly spread over the pack.
Channon sat up. “Guess you were right.”
Bayne cleared his throat. “My brothers and sisters, on this night when Lumae’s legacy is reflected in our children, I have news of peace that I hope will help every Fenearen and True Wolf sleep better at night.” A mixture of conjecture and confusion rang through the pack.
Bayne raised his hand for silence. “Silver and I have discussed this for several months now. I’m proud to announce that we are entering peace talks with Rhael Demetrian, Overlord of Maenor. ”
Gasps of surprise and horror came from the pack. Rayna shivered. Since she had noticed Silver and Roxen's strange behavior, she had thought of one possibility after another to explain their unease, but she could not have expected this.
Again Bayne raised his hand. “Rhael has agreed to negotiate a peace treaty between Maenor and Fenear. If we can reach an agreement, the war will end. Peace shall reign over fear.”
Chapter Three
Rayna jumped to her feet at the same time as Channon. The festivities ground to a halt. Pack members shouted questions. Many were heated, but Rayna could not hear what they said. Her own mind smoldered, burning away all outside sounds. How could Bayne do this? Allying Fenear with Maenor, it was unnatural! Fenear had always been with Alvorn, their neighbors to the east. Did Bayne expect the Alvornians to forgive centuries of bloodshed, too?
Another woman had the same thought. “What of Alvorn? Of Soulous? Will they accept this partnership?”
Bayne glanced at Silver before answering. “General Pheros states that this alliance would mean the end of our relationship with Alvorn. They will not stand against us, but they will not join with the Maenorens, either.” This sent the pack into an uproar.
Out of the clamor, one voice rang loudest of all. “You’re suggesting we cut ties with Alvorn to join with the shadow-stalkers whose hands are stained with centuries' worth of Fenearen blood? Have you gone mad, Bayne?” A man shoved his way to the front, his shaggy black hair and heavy brows obscuring his broad, tanned face. His teeth flashed, partially extended even in human form.
Bayne did not flinch. “Nero, I understand your concerns. You know I have more reason than most to hate the Maenorens, but this is about the safety of our nation.”
Nero raised his chin. “It’s about your cowardice. What Alpha shies away from a fight?”
“A wise one.” Silver pressed her hand to Bayne’s back. “I know this will be difficult to accept. I am still trying myself. But we owe it to all who have lost their lives in this conflict, to Fenear's children who grow to face a hostile future, and to ourselves who live in dread of war to at least try and find peace.”
"We all have questions," Bayne continued as he slipped an arm around his mate, "but let us remember what this could mean. No more fighting, no more fear, no more loss." Nero opened his mouth to argue, but Bayne spoke over him. "This is not a debate. The leaders of each Densite have agreed to pursue this and I shall keep you all informed of our progress. Tonight, though, discussion is over.”
As the Fenearens slunk to their dens, some wore faces gnarled with fury and disbelief, others walked by with mouths agape, shaking their heads as if being circled by gnats. Rayna was a part of neither group. She waited in silence until even Silver and Channon had left. Only Bayne and Roxen remained. Bayne's black eyes danced with the fire's reflection as he met her gaze. He squeezed Roxen's shoulder before striding toward her.
"Rayna. I understand why you might be upset, but please try to understand my position."
Rayna shook her head and looked away.
Bayne continued. "You know that Maenor has always been a threat, Rayna. We could not turn down this opportunity for peace.”
"Peace? Please!" Rayna growled, still not facing her uncle. She had never before agreed with Nero, Bayne's jealous rival, but tonight she could see his point.
"Rayna!" A hint of anger mixed in Bayne's tone. "We need this, or there will never be peace at the northern border. This is a step in the right direction."
"We need this? What does Silver really think of this? Or the True Wolves?" Rayna whirled to face him. "Or the other Den Alphen? You said the Council approved this, but I find that difficult to believe."
"They understand that we must put Fenear's safety before our own pain!" The anger became much less subtle. In wolf form his hackles would have risen. Rayna had almost never seen her uncle so emotional. The last time Bayne had shouted at her, she had been twelve winters old. She and Channon had gone out onto a frozen lake without permission. Falling through the ice had been the most terrifying moment of her life since the Maenorens had killed her mother. She could still see her uncle's huge black wolf form leaping into the frigid waters, dragging her onto land. Once she'd warmed, Bayne had shouted until he was hoarse. But this time she was not the one acting a fool. He was.
"You’re making a mistake." She snarled, taking her feral form before running into the night.
Bayne watched his niece sprint away without looking back. He sighed and ran his hands through his tangled black hair. He could not remember the last time he and Rayna had fought, let alone with the venom they had just exchanged. The anger that had fueled his words moments before shrank away, leaving room for shame and disgust. He had shouted at her, accused her of caring more about her own need for vengeance than the pack's safety, ta
lked down to her. He had spoken as if she were some misbehaving pup and not his wise, generous, loving niece.
He started after her, but Roxen stopped him.
“Perhaps you ought to let her go, Alpha. She needs time to adjust. We all do.”
Bayne turned instead toward his own den. “You're right, Rox.” Rayna would need time to calm and collect herself just as he had. Maybe once she did Rayna would begin to see his side. They had warred with Maenor ever since the people of Fenear, Maenor, Alvorn, and Soulous had been forced from their homelands into the Peninsula's seclusion during the Kyrean Conquest. When Rhael's ancestors had seized control of Maenor and attempted to conquer the entire Peninsula, the Fenearens, Alvornians, and Soulousians had banded together to survive. But more than six centuries of scattered battles and pointless bloodshed had only prolonged the stalemate. Seventeen winters before, when Rayna had been a baby, the Maenorens had failed an invasion of Fenear. Was it so hard to believe that Rhael was as sick of the waste as they?
Still, as vital as the need for peace was, Bayne could understand Rayna's fury. He thought of the last time he had seen his best friend, Rayna's father. Aquillo's green eyes had widened with shock and pain as a flaming arrow had shattered his ribs and burned his life away in an instant. The Maenorens had failed to invade Fenear, but they had still slaughtered Aquillo and countless others. Bayne thought of Mya. Innocent, gentle Mya—a healer who had only ever helped people—bleeding to death in his arms. Maenorens had murdered them in the name of their Overlord, the very man with whom Bayne had been drawing up terms for months.
Roxen's voice returned him to the present. “Goodnight then, Bayne.”
“Wait.” Roxen looked back and Bayne continued, “What if Rayna's right and this is a mistake?” Bayne did not speak with such candor to most of his packmates, but it was the Beta's job to understand that even an Alpha had his vulnerabilities.
“Had you denied Rhael's offer, we would have no chance of ending this war. Allying with Maenor will not make you popular, but at least now we have a chance at peace. The scars of our pasts will never heal, but we can prevent new ones from forming.” Roxen grasped Bayne's shoulder and headed for his den.
When Bayne entered his den and found Silver already asleep beneath their furs, he knew Roxen was right. He had to leave those old scars in the past. He could do nothing for Aquillo or Mya now. But he could keep Silver and Rayna, and every Fenearen, safe.
Silver stirred as he readied for bed. She sat up and rubbed her eyes.
“So,” she asked, yawning, “what's the verdict?”
Bayne sat next to his mate, unlacing his worn leather boots. “Roxen thinks the pack will agree with the idea with time, but Rayna may need more than most.”
Silver's lips teased a smile. “She's as stubborn as her uncle.”
Bayne pulled the blankets up and hooked his arm around Silver. “If that's true, Wolnor help us all.”
Rayna's mind railed against her uncle as she raced toward her den. How could Bayne think of such an alliance? The Maenorens had killed countless Fenearens, including her own mother, Bayne's mate's sister. Rayna's father, Bayne's best friend, had died in a battle against Maenorens. She despised everything related to that nation; the scent of its people alone caused her to retch.
At her den, Rayna formed human and ducked inside beneath the elk bone and antler archway and changed out of her leather breeches and vest. Per Fenearen custom, she had moved out of her aunt and uncle’s den at age fifteen. For a long time she had missed having them so close. She had missed her uncle’s comforting scent of pine needles and oak bark and the sound of her aunt’s soft snores. But tonight, she was thankful to be alone.
Rayna could not stop thinking about Bayne's announcement. He was doing what he thought was best for Fenear, but how could they trust their nemesis of six centuries? At the same time, part of her longed for peace. Her entire life, and the lives of her ancestors, had been marred by war. What would it be like to live without fear, uncertainty, and the constant threat of battle? Her mother had bled to death while Rayna did nothing; how different could that night have been if there had been peace? She would not have lost her mother or her father. How many other orphans could have avoided such pain? Rayna pictured the children honored that night. She thought of their excitement, their parents hugging them, beaming with pride. How many of those families would be torn apart if the war continued?
Rayna had resented Maenor for seventeen years. After all they had taken, she doubted she would ever change. But Fenearens put the good of their pack above their own grievances. If Bayne and Silver could end the pointless conflict, was she not obligated to support that?
Rayna collapsed onto her bed of furs and closed her eyes. There were no easy answers. She reached for the little green bottle by her pillow and took a few drops of her sleeping medicine. As her eyelids became heavier, she remembered her uncle's regular advice: The right choice is rarely the easy one, Rayna.
The next morning, a chill blast of air woke Rayna. Her weary eyes fluttered open, focusing on Channon's form silhouetted in the entryway.
"Sorry, I thought you’d be up by now." His sun-kissed hair tossed in the breeze. Rayna stood and shook herself like a dog splashing water from its fur. She started to brush past him when Channon's bright red face reminded her she was still wearing only her underclothes.
“Oh, uh.” After a beat, he turned his head away.
Rayna blushed, though she couldn't think why. Irritated with herself, she pulled on her favorite brown breeches and vest. “It's all right, Channon. How many times have we gone swimming together? It's nothing you haven't seen before.” Her fiery cheeks stubbornly refused to cool.
He scuffed her dirt floor with his toe. “Right, sorry.”
Once dressed, she preceded Channon from the den, a yawn tickling her jaw. "Guess I slept in."
Channon laughed. "That's a first." He swept a stray hair from her face as they walked toward the fire pit. "Anything to do with your fight with Bayne?"
Rayna shot him a questioning glance. "How did you know about that?"
"I saw you quarreling last night."
"Oh." Rayna sighed. "I overreacted. I should apologize to him."
"You know, Bayne doesn’t like being civil with Rhael. I overheard Roxen and Bayne talking."
"You overhear a lot, Channon," Rayna teased.
He shrugged. "It wasn't intentional. I'm just good at being at the right place at the right time. But Rayna, the alliance was not Bayne's idea. Rhael himself requested it."
"What?" The infamous Overlord of Maenor, the Viper, as he was sometimes called, wanted to end the war he relished?
"Aye, I couldn’t believe it. The Maenoren Overlord wanting peace; it’s a day for firsts!"
Rayna nodded in grim agreement. She sniffed the air, detecting Bayne's strong scent of pine, charcoal, and oak.
Catching on, Channon said, "I saw him earlier near Thera's."
“Thanks.” Rayna trotted off, unsure if Bayne would be happy to see her. As she approached the clearing where Thera had taken the younger children to play, she saw her uncle's black wolf form pacing among them. Thera spoke to Bayne, probably giving advice. Bayne pricked his ears at Rayna's approach. He formed human, and as usual gave no hint of his emotional state as he walked toward her. Thera herded her charges away.
Rayna's gaze fell to her boots. "Bayne, I’m so sorry—"
He interrupted. "No. I'm sorry, Rayna.”
“What do you mean?” Rayna met his even stare.
“I didn’t consider your feelings. Besides, I could have explained myself better. When Rhael's first letter arrived, I thought it was too good to be true. But these last few months of peace talks have all but convinced me. It seems he is as tired of this pointless feud as we are. Six centuries ago, Rhael's family began this bloody campaign to take over Osterna Sud, but Rhael himself wants to end it. Wars are expensive, and he claims 'his nation's resources would be better invested elsewhere.'"
"I know." His voice heavy with care, he extended his battle-rough hand and stroked her chin. "You’re just like Mya, you know."
Rayna sighed. "If I were half the person she was..."
"You are, half her and half Aquillo." The pain in Bayne's eyes surprised Rayna. It was rare for him to speak of her father. They had grown up together, closer than kin, their mates sisters. Losing Aquillo must have been unbearable for her uncle. It would be like losing Channon, and Rayna could not imagine surviving such pain. Bayne closed his eyes, as if expelling grief from his mind. "Rayna, I want you to know how sorry I am that I could not keep them safe. You deserved parents, and they deserved to live.”
A tide of affection and pity washed away any of Rayna's words. It was not Bayne’s fault that she had never known her father. Bayne had fought with legendary fury to protect his packmates and Fenear during the Maenoren invasion. He had been a hunter before the Maenorens had taken over the northern reaches of Fenear, untrained in the intricacies of combat. Her father Aquillo had been the warrior, the commander leading the Fenearens, True Wolves, and Alvornians to victory. But he had been killed early, taking a flaming arrow through the heart. Defeat had seemed imminent, until Bayne, driven by grief and desperation, took control and beat the Maenorens back. He had become a hero that day, but he had also lost his best friend whom he had sworn to protect. Not five winters later, he had come to Mya's aid, too, but had been too late. Guilt drew premature lines across Bayne’s handsome face, and any lingering anger Rayna had fizzled away to nothing.
Hex Breaker (The Fenearen Chronicles Book 1) Page 3