Scent of Valor (Chronicles of Eorthe #2)

by Annie Nicholas

  She flushed. He wouldn’t be in a mood to play nice if he found out she helped Kele escape the grounds. “Very well, but at least let me pull on my dress before they return.”

  He held her tight. “Maybe I’d like them to see you like this.” Tracing her nipple with his fingertip, he stared as it pebbled.

  “Stop fooling around, Ewald. I get enough sass already from the ladies in this house. Let’s not give them more to gossip about.” She squirmed from his grasp and pulled her dress over her head as the door flew open.

  The maid curtsied again and seemed out of breath. “I can’t seem to locate Kele, my lord. May I serve you as a meal in her place?”

  Ewald frowned. “You checked Pemma’s room?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Where did you lock her up?” He directed this question at Pemma.

  Her mouth flapped and she purposely made silly sounds as if flabbergasted. It was too soon for him to find Kele gone. Pemma had hoped to keep her disappearance secret until lunch.

  “You did lock her in the room?” Ewald pulled on his shirt in a hurry and buttoned it. “Fuck, Pemma. She cost me a good deal. Lord Weis made an offer for her that could have doubled my money. We need money more than we need a slave.” He stormed from the room.

  Kele’s freedom had cost Pemma more than a few coins, but she didn’t throw a hissy fit. She stared at the maid. “Can you tie up my dress?” She turned.

  Quickly, she had her bodice tightened in a fashionable manner and her hair in a fast twist. Petticoatless, she hurried after Ewald and found him in the courtyard with some of her pack’s hunters in feral form. “What’s going on?”

  “They have her scent.” Ewald waved at a stable hand. “Bring me my horse.”

  One of the hunters leaned in close to whisper in Pemma’s ear, “She’s not the only one we smell. What have you done, Pemma?”

  A blush scalded her cheeks. “Nothing you wouldn’t have done. Our people shouldn’t be treated so poorly.”

  He shook his head. “I’m a hunter and can take care of myself. What will you do if Ewald finds out?”

  She pinched his stomach. “Then I’d have to mate you and make you take care of me. Stop teasing.”

  He chuckled. “Your secret is safe with us, but I have to let you know if we catch her she’s coming back here. I won’t mislead our master.”

  She scowled at him and raced to the stables. “I need a horse too. Something trained to be around shifters.” Even in feral form, she wouldn’t be able to keep up with the hunters.

  How hard could riding a horse be?

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Riding a horse took skill Pemma didn’t own. Not wearing a petticoat didn’t help. Her inner thighs burned with a level of pain akin to being spanked by a giant with a sore tooth. She tucked her dress between her legs and the saddle, exposing her calves to the public. She received both appalled glares and appreciative stares. Someone had the courage to whistle as they galloped through the streets.

  The hunters in feral form received more attention though and sent everyone racing out of their way.

  Ewald rode with the pack while she clung for dear life and hoped her mount would follow Ewald’s.

  Her gut clenched as Benic’s inn came into view.

  The hunters sniffed around the building as if confused by the trail. It gave her time to catch up.

  Her horse slowed next to Ewald’s. “It looks as if she confused her trail. We should go back home.”

  Ewald shook his head. “Give them time.” He glanced at her. “I thought you hated the hunt.”

  She tried to smile but the ache of her chafed skin made it hard. “I have to learn if we go west.”

  “Not if, when.”

  Some of the hunters climbed the stairs to the second floor toward Benic’s room.

  The knots in her stomach tightened. She prayed they had already vacated the building. She’d given them ample time to leave the city. What more could she possibly do?

  A howl down the street almost sent her tumbling off her saddle. Only Ewald’s fast reflexes kept her from exposing what she wasn’t wearing under her dress.

  The other hunters raced away from the inn and headed toward the main street.

  Ewald set her back on the saddle and grabbed her reins, leading her horse along the hunters’ path. “Looks like they’ve already left the city.”

  “Too bad.” She gave him her best disappointed expression while inside she whooped in glee. “I guess we should return to the manor and prepare to shop for supplies.”

  He tossed her an annoyed look. “I can’t stop the hunters now that they have her scent and I can’t leave a pack of feral males running amok in the city. Steady yourself.” He whipped his horse into a gallop.

  She clutched the saddle pommel as her horse took off suddenly. The momentum sent her legs kicking out and she almost tumbled backwards off the saddle. She let out a little yelp and straightened her dress with her free hand. Her hair had come undone and streamed behind her like a flag.

  She caught sight of the hunters on the edge of the city, milling around a group of armed riders. The sound of their growls finally reached her ears.

  Ewald reined in their mounts. “What’s the meaning of this?”

  The vampires were dressed in rough leathers and carried enough weapons for a small army. She wasn’t used to being around such males.

  A couple of the hunters set themselves between her and the vampires. Pack instinct was to protect the weak and she was omega. Her heart wanted to burst with gratitude. She shouldn’t have come on this endeavor since she would only cause the hunters to split their loyalty.

  “Lord Ewald?” One of the vampires removed his hat.

  “Huan?” Ewald grinned. “Are you going west?”

  Pemma looked from one vampire to the other then finally recognized Huan. He was the slaver Timothy had introduced to Ewald, the one who enslaved her people from the West and dragged them to New Berg for coin.

  “No, someone attacked Timothy’s compound last night, killed him and stole slaves.” He gestured to the bruised and wounded men around him. “These three witnessed it.”

  “I’m tracking my own runaway. Maybe we can pool our resources. My hunters are fine trackers.”

  Huan shook his head. “I already know where I’m going. Lord Benic’s castle to the northeast. He’s the one who attacked these innocent males. I’ve been hired by the magistrate to bring him back for trial.”

  Dread clawed its way up her throat as she watched the wheels turn in Ewald’s eyes. His smile had faded. “Lord Benic.”

  Huan guided his horse past the hunters and drew closer to Ewald. “What do you know of him?”

  “He came to lunch yesterday then my new slave vanished last night.” Ewald glanced at Pemma. “Do you know anything? You spent an awful lot of time with Kele.”

  She shook her head and gripped her pommel a little tighter.

  The hunter at her feet settled his hand on her lower leg. He probably could smell her fear and she appreciated his support. Why hadn’t she mated with a hunter yet? Oh, yes, she’d been stupid and lusting after Ewald instead of thinking of her future within the pack. “You think Kele is with Benic?” Pemma did her best not to sound guilty.

  Ewald frowned. “Seems likely.” He turned to Huan. “Mind if we join you? If her trail splits from yours, then we go our separate ways.”

  Huan clapped Ewald on the back. “Let’s be on our way then.” He yanked his horse around and spurred it forward.

  The hunters ran full speed ahead of the slavers, out of the city and onto the open fields leading to the wilds. Ewald urged their horses to keep pace behind the slavers. Blue sky met green land and the sun chased away all the city’s shadows. Even the air seemed different. She took a deep breath. Her sense of smell had grown stronger already. It was like being at sea, only better.

  Peder buried his face in Kele’s hair and inhaled. He wanted to drown in her scent, let it envelop him and shield
him from his memories. The rough ride on the hard bench wrecked the effect and did little for his aching body. It was all worth the pain since she made noises of comfort in his ear and stroked the knots out of his hair. So this was how the hunters felt, being treated by others. No wonder they tried to protect their omegas. He’d do anything to keep her from stopping.

  His unwashed body must be burning her sensitive nose but she held him close, kissing his forehead and cheeks every time he moaned at a sharp jar. Some of those noises were faked since he liked her attention. He had her pressed into the corner of the carriage, his arms and leg wrapped around her. She was the best bed he’d ever rested on.

  The closed-in carriage gave them some privacy but Ahote insisted they keep the curtains over the windows open. He would leap against the door and stick his head inside to check on Peder’s state of health, or so he claimed. The hunter didn’t fool him. Kele was as much a little sister to Ahote as possible without a blood-tie.

  “Do you need some water?” she asked.

  He opened his eyes and blinked at the setting sun. They’d been riding that long? “Did I sleep?”

  Her body tensed. “Yes.”

  He sighed and sat up. “Water sounds good.” His muscles cramped and he hid his grimace. What was his pain in comparison to what Nahuel had suffered?

  Kele bent to retrieve a water skin.

  “Did I say anything?” He knew from past experience he sometimes shouted in his sleep.

  She hesitated before shaking her head and offering him a drink. Her gaze stayed glued to the water skin. Not a verbal lie but close enough.

  “What did I say?”

  She jerked as if he slapped her. “I—I…” Her shoulders slumped and she turned to look out the window. “Nothing specific. You just seemed very distressed as if…someone was hurting you.” She wiped her eyes. “I want to kill Timothy all over again.” Her voice had grown jagged.

  He set the water skin on her lap and chuckled as she jumped. “Kele, I’ve had those types of dreams all my life. I’m fine.” It wasn’t a lie and she’d hear it. As long as they’d be together, he’d always be fine.

  She turned her haunted gaze on him. “I’m not sure I am.”

  He gathered her in his arms and held her tight to his chest. “All is well once more.”

  She clenched her fist. “Then why do I feel so angry? I want to turn around and burn the city to the ground. I want Timothy’s corpse so I can eat it. I want—”

  He quieted her by setting his fingertip to her lips. “Did you send Benic to rescue me?” He couldn’t believe the vampire’s fighting skills. He’d bested three vampires within minutes. Part of Peder wished it was a dream. He didn’t care to owe a debt to Benic. His prices were steep.

  She shuddered. “I wanted to do it.”

  “If you killed those vampires, we’d have worse problems. That was how the vampire wars started and look how that turned out. Our enemy is dead and we have survived to escape home.” He kissed the top of her head and flinched at his fat lip.

  “Not all our enemies—the slavers who came on our land. What will stop them from stealing others?”

  His blood ran cold. “That’s a problem I hadn’t considered.” This was what made the difference between hunter and alpha. Kele was meant to lead and he’d been born to serve. What were they doing in each other’s arms?

  “Once you’ve healed, we’ll go back with the hunters and take them out. All of them.” Her voice cracked and she took a sip of water.

  He nodded, not wanting to speak a lie. Did she expect him to stroll onto Payami lands without being challenged? He wasn’t in any shape to win and he couldn’t take another beating. Was she considering moving to his pack? He glanced at the top of her pale head. That wouldn’t be fair to her or her pack. They were leaderless and Kele was the binding that could hold them together. Could he be so selfish and keep her? Would she be satisfied living in poverty with the smallest pack of the tribe?

  No. He didn’t want that for her.

  Kele bent her head back and caressed his face. “I don’t know what I would have done if they’d killed you instead. I think I would have gone mad.”

  “Benic and Ahote would have taken care of you.”

  “If you mean drag my crazed feral form from the city…I guess I could imagine them possibly being capable of doing it.”

  He chuckled at the image. “I can’t. At least, not with their hides still intact.”

  Ahote’s feral body crashed against the side of the carriage and he stuck his head inside. “You’re awake. Good. Keep your fucking hands where I can see them.”

  He held his hands over his head, grinning as he recalled his last night with Kele alone in the cell.

  The hunter’s gaze narrowed as if reading his mind. “I’ve never had a qualm with you, Peder. Don’t give me one.” With that warning, he returned to running alongside them.

  “Stop jumping on the carriage, Ahote,” shouted Benic. “You’ll snap one of the wheels then we’ll have to walk all the way home.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Stopping to rest for the night was out of the question. Benic tossed another glance over the top of the carriage toward the setting sun. Definitely a dust cloud. Small from this distance, and most people wouldn’t have spotted it, but he’d been chased enough times in his life to recognize a tail. Someone was after them.

  He snapped the reins, milking what he could from his tiring horse. His heart ached that he’d have to run the poor beast into exhaustion to reach his castle in time.

  “Not so fast, Benic,” Kele called from inside. “You’re jolting us too much.”

  “Sorry, my lady, but we’ve trouble behind us.”

  She stuck her head out the window, then with her shifter’s grace climbed along the side of the carriage to sit next to him. On her knees, she faced backward, staring at the horizon. “I don’t see it.” She looked magnificent in vampire dress with her pale hair flying wild in the wind, but he kept his unwanted opinion to himself.

  “Look at where the sky meets the land but keep your gaze aimed at the blue.”

  She leaned forward, clutching the roof. “I see a small brownish cloud.”

  “That’s dust, my dear, kicked up by running horses. Someone’s trying to catch us.”

  She twisted and sat with a thump. “I won’t be taken alive.”

  And she’d probably try to take most of the slavers to the grave with her. He could have loved her right into old age. What a pity. He knew a lost cause once he saw it, though. She loved Peder. During this ordeal, Benic’s attraction had crossed a line of no return. Once again, he’d lost the female.

  Ewald should have discovered Kele’s disappearance by now. Pemma was clever but even she couldn’t distract him this long before he asked about his only slave. Would he try to track them? Possibly, but someone from the magistrate’s office would definitely be on their tail. Peder killed a slave dealer and the shifter was presently in Benic’s possession. That means someone with power above Benic would lose money. Heads would roll and he had to ensure his wouldn’t be among them.

  “This road skirts the forest. When we reach it, I’ll have all of you run for your packs and draw our trackers to my castle. My warriors will take care of them.” He gave her a reassuring wink.

  She peered ahead, the wind whipping her hair over her shoulders. “Will we make it in time?”

  “I’ve been riding the horse hard and it’s tiring, but the forest is that green haze in front of us.” He shrugged. “We ride hard and pray. If they catch us, then we fight.”

  She patted his knee. “Simple plan but a good one. You could also be wrong and it’s only a merchant.”

  “No, I’m not wrong. Whoever is following us is going fast and means us harm. I feel it in my—”

  The sound of wood snapping filled the air. The carriage lurched to the right and the horse reared, yanking the reins from Benic’s hands. Without a moment to spare, he grabbed Kele and leaped from the
careening carriage.

  “Peder!” she screamed as they flew through the air.

  The ground rushed toward them and he cradled his body around Kele’s so he could absorb the impact. His ribs compressed and cracked on initial contact with the compacted dirt of the road. He grunted yet managed to keep hold of Kele. One of the axles must have snapped under the strain of riding over the rough country road at such high speeds.

  They rolled to a stop where she struggled from his grasp to watch the carriage flip. The passenger door sprang open midair as Peder jumped out. He landed on his feet then rolling forward with his momentum he stopped on his back. Miraculously, the horse managed to free itself before the crash and trotted to a stop.

  Kele breathed a sigh of relief and flopped next to Benic. “Are you injured?”

  Sitting up, he clutched his side at the sharp pain. “A few cracked ribs, shouldn’t take long to heal. You?”

  She pushed her tangled hair from her face. “I’m fine.” She gave him a shy smile. “Thanks to you.”

  Ahote came to a sliding stop next to Kele. “That was amazing. Are you well?”

  She nodded and rose to her feet. “Peder?” She hurried to the already injured shifter who climbed to his feet and shook the soil from his long golden hair. What Benic wouldn’t do for a pair of scissors.

  The young shifter scooped Kele into a kiss.

  She melted against his body.

  Benic rolled his eyes and groaned as he accepted Ahote’s hand.

  “Let it go, vampire,” the hunter muttered. “They’ve been through a lot together. I think the Goddess has touched these two.” Ahote pointed at the dust cloud. “We’ll have company soon now that we’re on foot.”

  The horse stood on the road, sides heaving to catch its breath.

  Peder, with Kele under his arm, joined them. “Kele says we’re being tracked.” He glanced around the open land. “We’re vulnerable out here.”

  Benic knocked the dust off his pants. “We won’t get anywhere standing here. Let me approach the horse alone so you don’t spook her.”