by Lexi C. Foss
Then she stilled, her shoulders tightening.
“Luna?” I slowly walked up behind her, placing my palm against her back. She trembled beneath my touch and turned into me. Whatever excitement she’d felt from the run had died a swift death. Now she stood before me with a posture that radiated defeat.
“We ran,” she whispered.
“Yes.”
She swallowed, looking up at me. “We ran like cowards.”
“No, we did what Edon wanted us to do.” I palmed her cheek. “They would have hurt us, Luna.”
“We could have fought,” she argued. “But we didn’t even try. Fuck, I didn’t even think to try. I just… fled.” She blinked. “I… What if…?”
I folded my arms around her, tucking her head beneath my chin. “It’s not our time to fight.” Yet, I added mentally. Because one day—a day I suspect would be soon—we would fight. But not tonight. “We helped Edon by not being there.” At least that was what I gathered from the bond.
“But what if he’s wrong?” She pulled back to stare up at me. “What if his father takes it too far?”
“Then we have to rely on Jolene to help him,” I said, unnerved by the notion of relying on anyone other than myself.
“Can…?” She paused, her throat working. She cleared it twice before continuing. “Can you feel him?”
“Yes.” My connection to Edon thrived even beneath the pain. “He’s conserving his strength.” A plan had formed in the alpha’s mind, one I couldn’t quite define. But I knew he was okay. “I think the wolves are searching for us.” Because there appeared to be a lull in the trial, some sort of waiting game that Edon was using to his advantage to heal.
She straightened her spine, a flash of challenge overtaking the uncertainty in her gaze. “I’ll fight them if they find us.”
“They won’t find us here.” I was certain of it, not just because of my evasiveness on the run, but because I trusted Edon. He kept this place for a reason. A safe house for times when he needed to hide—and now was one of those times. “But we should prepare just in case.”
She nodded, slipping free of my arms. “Traps.”
“Traps?” I repeated.
Another nod. “Yes. We’ll smell them, but if we set alarms out in the fields, we’ll hear them, too. And it’ll give us enough time to ready ourselves.”
Sounded like a good use of our time. “Okay. I’ll help.”
“No.” She glanced at me. “You need to gather medical supplies. Edon is going to need us to nurse him back to health. So keep in touch with him, then bring him here when he’s ready. Meanwhile, I’ll prep the grounds.”
I nearly smiled at her bossiness, intrigued by the alpha female coming out to play. But an amused reply wouldn’t be all that appropriate considering our situation. So I settled on saying, “Okay. I’ll keep talking to him.”
“Good.” She seemed a little more herself now that she’d found a measure of control. “Tell him we’re waiting for him.”
“I will.”
“And that we’re not going down without a fight.”
“He knows that, Luna.”
“He doesn’t,” she replied, meeting my gaze. “But he will.” Something appeared to snap inside her, a resolve of sorts, one she didn’t quite have before. I hadn’t noticed it was missing because I didn’t know to look, but I caught it now.
She no longer wanted to run.
Luna had finally accepted her mate.
And she would do whatever she needed to do to keep him.
My heart panged a little at the realization, my place firmly on the outside of their strengthening bond. Alas, now wasn’t the time to worry about myself or my irrational feelings.
I had a sire to save. And for whatever reason, he’d put me in charge of the well-being of his mate. I wouldn’t let him or Luna down.
I know, he whispered, the words a stroke against my heart. I’ll see you soon.
26
Luna
I kicked a pile of dirt and snorted as it sent dust flying everywhere. This vegetation was so different from my homeland. A lot warmer, for one. And dry.
Although, I suspected the latter was due to a lack of rain.
Not that I cared about the weather.
Or even about the lack of water.
No, my mind was on Edon and the fact that I had run. It’d been second nature, my terror at being thrown into a circle with him overriding my senses.
And turning me into a fucking coward.
I growled low in my throat. It wasn’t like me to flee. I always fought. Even strutting into the damn mating ceremony, I’d fought in my own way.
But the notion of having my strength tested by Walter and his men had locked me up in a manner I wasn’t accustomed to. Visions of how they assaulted me after I punched Bianca, and the comments and licentious desires voiced during the punishment ring… I shuddered again just thinking about it all.
Was it really any wonder I’d wanted to escape?
Hadn’t that been my goal since Edon marked me as his?
Yet arriving at the safe house with Silas had awoken a whole new field of thought. I’d run to save myself, something a week ago I would have respected. But leaving Edon to suffer now felt wrong. I’d seen too much of the male beneath the alpha veneer and had heard the whisper of his true intentions in the way he spoke about the past and future.
He reminded me of Logan.
And I would never leave Logan behind.
Another snarl worked its way out of my muzzle, the sound far more ferocious than I felt.
Everything had changed so quickly. My initial thoughts of running to rogue territories where I could fend for myself were gone in an instant. And behind, I felt a connection to a male I was born to hate.
All my life, I’d been promised to a future alpha with two primary purposes in mind—to mate an alpha female and force her to carry his offspring.
End of discussion.
No choice.
My life over before it even began.
Yet Edon wasn’t the male I expected. He didn’t force me to do anything. Not really, anyway. He minded my wants and needs, didn’t push me outside of my boundaries, and clearly valued my protection.
Hence, Silas.
Oh, but that added a whole new layer of complexity to this entire situation. Because I liked Silas just as much as I liked Edon, but in an entirely different manner.
Both were dominant. No question. They desired my submission and would do what they had to do to acquire it. With Edon, I expected that. Silas, however, was a surprise. My alpha inclinations and purebred genetics should make it easy to best him. Yet, not only did he put up one hell of a fight against me but he also won.
And it wasn’t a result of my weakness.
I could take on wolves twice my size.
No, Silas had a strength to him that few others possessed. And I suspected it was born of years and years of having to fight to survive. It marked him as similar, but different, to Edon.
Silas also had a softness to him that Edon lacked. He was slightly more intuitive and constantly analyzing his surroundings and choices. Edon, too, contemplated his actions, but he never wavered in a decision and his word was law. Rather than debate it, Silas seemed to cave, deferring to the stronger of the pair rather than trying to rebuke him.
The dynamic between them was intoxicating and hot as hell.
It left me wanting them both equally, unable to choose, and that stirred a whole world of problems. Because, eventually, whatever game Edon was playing would die. He’d told me from the beginning that none of his wolves would ever fuck me. Yet Silas had done so more than once now without consequence.
Sure, Edon had allowed it. Twice. But there was no way he’d continue to accept it. Unless he shared me to help tame his possessive instincts? It was frowned upon for alphas to display proprietorial tendencies. Maybe Edon was just preparing himself for future social requirements involving mate sharing?
I frowned.
No. This went deeper. I could feel it in my bones, and Edon didn’t seem all that eager to comply with societal requirements. He’d kept the other wolves from touching me more than once now. Except for Silas, whom he appeared quite eager to have join our nest.
Maybe too eager.
What if Edon prefers Silas? I stopped in my tracks, the moon bright overhead. Didn’t Edon say Silas gave him the best head of his life? I performed for him just last night, and he’d said nothing, had even faked a second orgasm down my throat.
Because I wasn’t as good?
It’d been my second time—Silas being the first—so of course it wasn’t as good.
I shivered. Competition always heated my blood, but in this case, it chilled me. Because I didn’t want to compete with Silas for Edon’s affection. If he were anyone else, hell yes, I’d fight to the end. But not Silas.
Shaking out my coat, I continued walking, needing a new train of thought. This had just gotten too deep and confusing. I should be concerned about Edon’s well-being, wondering if he would even survive that death trap, not thinking about my sexual skills—or lack thereof—and comparing myself to Silas.
Selfish, I thought to myself. And stupid.
Just like running.
Ugh. Part of me wanted to sprint back to camp to find Edon, but I knew it would be a death sentence. He was likely too hurt at this point to fight, and it’d be me against a pack of bloodthirsty wolves.
Who were beating the shit out of their future leader.
Why was this even acceptable behavior?
So degrading and—
My ears twitched, the sound of a branch snapping alerting me to the presence of another. Someone strong. His aura blasted mine, something that, I realized a second too late, had been done on purpose to grab my attention.
Jolene stood about ten feet away holding an unconscious Edon in his arms.
I startled, shocked that he’d managed to get so close to me in human form without my noticing. But then again, he was an alpha male for a reason. And he’d lived a very, very long life.
“He’s breathing, but barely,” he said, his voice grim. “Walter was going to kill him.”
Had I been in human form, my lips would have parted. Murdering an alpha heir wasn’t unheard of, but it was rare. Most alphas didn’t want to give up their place to their offspring, yet our circle of life required it.
Walter must have thought he could just make another male. Given the mental state of his current mate, however, I suspected that would be impossible. Unless he found another alpha female to fuck.
Someone like… me. My eyes rounded. Oh. Fuck. No.
The expression on Jolene’s face suggested he’d just read my mind. “Come,” he demanded. “He needs the kind of healing only a mate can provide.”
Claudette had spoken of this, the rare connection between lycans where strength could be given and borrowed for healing. I suspected Edon tapped into it the other night to help me after Walter and his men had beat me.
And now he needed the same from me.
No. He required a whole hell of a lot more.
Which is why he didn’t want us at the ring, I realized as I followed Jolene. Edon knew he’d need me for this.
However, I had to be willing. So it went far deeper than preserving his only vitality source. Edon relying on me to help him in a time of need required significant trust. I could so easily walk away now and let him die. But he’d put his faith in me not to. And somehow, knowing that only made me move faster.
I didn’t want to prove him wrong.
I wanted to make him proud.
To assist in the only way I could.
By being his mate in every fashion of the word.
“They demanded he reveal your location,” Jolene informed me as we approached the cabin. “But he refused. Walter claimed he’d chosen you over his loyalty to the pack, and they annihilated him for it.” He shook his head, a low growl coming from his chest. “My son has twisted this clan into a pack of asinine heathens.”
I snorted my agreement even while my heart skipped a beat. Oh, he’d hidden me from Walter to protect himself just as much as me. I understood that. But this was the third time he’d safeguarded me from the horror of his pack.
Silas met us at the door, aware of our approach, his expression grim as I shifted back into human form. He handed me the shirt I’d abandoned on the front stoop and looked at the male beside me. “Edon says to thank you for intervening.”
Jolene looked surprised for half a beat before moving directly to Edon’s bedroom. “You can still hear him.” Not a question, but a statement.
“Yes,” he confirmed, causing me to breathe a sigh of relief.
“Then he’s not as bad as I feared,” he said, laying Edon out on the bed.
“He’s surviving on energy reserves.” Silas swallowed. “I, uh, can feel it.”
Jolene seemed impressed. “Your sire bond is unusually deep.”
Silas cleared his throat. “Yeah. Maybe.” He started toward the bathroom. “I prepared some supplies that will help. I’ll grab them.”
I shared a glance with Jolene. “It doesn’t bother you?” he asked. “Whatever’s happenin’ between the two of them?”
“Why would it bother me?” I asked, not really in the mood to play this game or discuss relationships right now.
“Why indeed,” he drawled, a twinkle of amusement in his gaze. “Well, I suspect you know what to do.”
I nodded.
“Good.” He intercepted Silas as he returned, taking the supplies and handing them to me. “Silas is gonna help me find a cot to sleep on for the night. You get to work on my boy.”
Silas gave me a look as if to ask, Are you okay?
I nodded again. I’ve got this.
And I did.
There was no other choice. Either I nursed Edon back to life or I well and truly ran… for the rest of my days. Because bowing to Walter—assuming that was his plan—would never happen. I’d die first.
Silas and Jolene left me alone, their voices turning to a low murmur as Jolene explained what I needed to do. Normally, it would have shocked me to hear an alpha be so patient and willing to explain to a new lycan, yet it didn’t. Oddly, it only solidified what I had to do.
Jolene had taught Edon to be the man he was today, and clearly the elderly wolf’s principles were deeply instilled in the male I now claimed as my mate.
I brushed Edon’s thick hair away from his bruised face and bent to brush my lips over his. “I’m here,” I whispered. “Take whatever you need.”
Closing my eyes, I focused on his scent and breathed him in. Deep, luscious pulls filled with forest and male and underlined with a hint of spice that seemed to be all Edon.
I accepted him.
Acknowledged his claim.
And allowed him access to my wolf.
Nothing happened, the air cool, his exhales shallow.
I picked up one of the towels, already warm and damp, and used it to wipe the blood away from his mouth, his cheeks, his forehead, then kissed him again.
His lips tingled beneath mine but didn’t move, his breath still weak.
I repeated the action with the towel, cleaning up his torso and arms, his strong thighs and calves. It took nearly an hour of wiping him down, swapping towels in the bathroom and moving him this way and that to wash him thoroughly. He’d still need a shower, but at least his wounds were accessible.
Using the ointment Silas prepped, I swabbed each gash and wrapped up the deepest of the wounds. Throughout each ministration, I ran my lips over him, kissing his jaw, his temple, his mouth, his neck, and allowed him to feel my consent in each touch.
We hadn’t truly finalized our mating. That wouldn’t happen until the next full moon. He’d only claimed me. But now I was claiming him, assenting to our relationship, and granting him access to my soul.
His wolf seemed to yawn beneath his skin, the beating leaving him depleted and alone, but
I knew he sensed me, could feel him sniffing the connection with interest.
I stretched out beside him, my palm on his abdomen, my other hand propping up my head, and began humming to him. A haunting melody, one Claudette taught me long ago, but it always made me feel better.
His breathing had evened out, his healing well underway, but he appeared to be reluctant to use me. “Edon,” I whispered, sliding my palm up his torso to rest over his heart. “I know I ran, but I’m not weak. You can take what you need.”
Still nothing.
Stubborn wolf.
But I felt his interest. I pictured him prowling around me, scenting me, his growl low and filled with intrigue. My wolf didn’t move, her posture one of strength, not submission. He needed an equal right now. A female worthy of his needs.
This time his growl wasn’t just in my head or a figment of my imagination, but a real sound—a broken one from his tormented throat.
I leaned into him, running my nose up his neck and pressed my mouth to his ear. “Are you intimidated?” I whispered. “Is that why you won’t take what you need?” I nibbled on his lobe, then bit down hard enough to draw blood. “I’m not afraid of you, Alpha.”
A snarl came from his chest, the wolf threatening to break free.
“Take what you want,” I told him, my voice a low purr. “I’m here.”
He fell silent again, the pacing resuming—at least in my mind.
I sighed against his neck. “This is going to be a very long night if you continue on like this.”
No reply.
“Good thing I’m stubborn, too,” I said, kissing his steady pulse. “A battle of wills it is.”
27
Edon
Glenn.
Barry.
Oscar.
George.
My father.
A growl warmed my chest, the sound a vow of retribution designated for those swimming in my mind. I had a very long list of lycans I wanted to kill.