59

"What are you?" she demanded, confusion and fear lacing her voice. "I've never seen anything like what you just shifted into."

Instead of answering, Darek looked back at the pile of ash that lay sodden in the clearing behind them. Clearly he was shaken by the demonic attack. "Perhaps I should have stayed in the city. It was boring, but at least there were no demons there."

"What are you talking about? You can't leave now, not when I just found you. Please Darek, explain to me what's going on," Petrinna whispered, regaining more of her confidence as she crawled towards Darek as he knelt by the tree.

"I'm not just a human, Petrinna," he said quietly and almost sorrowfully, not meeting her eyes as he spoke. "Demons have been hunting and exterminating my kind for centuries. My family was all murdered when they raided my village a few years ago. I was the only one who survived, and I thought hiding out in the city would keep me safe. But it was a miserable existence. Now... Now I don't think I'll ever outrun them, no matter where I go."

"Darek, don't worry. We can protect you from demons. It's kind of my pack's specialty. Not that you really need protecting, given how you fought just now..." Images of his brown fur-covered form unleashing such a lethal attack against the demon filled her mind's eye. "But why do they want you dead?"

"We're the only creatures able to kill demons naturally. You must use a special metal, yes?"

"Yeah, elizenthium. But I don't see--"

"We pose a greater threat to demons. That's why they want us extinct."

"I'm so sorry," Petrinna sobbed, her emotions still running high from the attack, and now from hearing the heartbreak and loss that haunted her mate. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she placed her face against his and tucked her chin into his neck. The stench of the demon still lingered, but she ignored it and focused on the petrichor of the soil and the spicy eucalyptus scent of her mate. "Tell me what you are. I won't tell anyone, I promise."

Darek gathered her in his arms and held her tightly in his lap, as if afraid another demon would try and snatch her away. "I'm a wolverine."

Savannah slowly opened her eyes, basking in the warmth that surrounded her. Taking a deep breath, she struggled and felt a weight on her chest. Panic never entered her mind as she instinctively knew she was safe. The feeling of her mate wrapped around her, his head resting on her chest, was better than any air she might need. Looking down at his golden brown curls, she smiled and patted his rough, stubbled cheek with one hand while wrapping her other arm around his shoulders.

At her movement, Zion stirred and looked up at her lazily. Blinking slowly, he trained his hazel eyes on her brown ones. "Good morning, my little Alpha."

"You didn't get up early to see the sunrise," she murmured, hating to break the stillness that permeated the peaceful atmosphere cocooning them.

"I can watch my sunrise from right here," he replied, eyes never leaving hers. He tightened his arms around her as if to prove his point.

Tilting her head back, she noted the window was too high to see the sunrise from their bed. When she looked back at her mate in confusion, he smiled.

"You are my sunrise, Savannah. For so long, I lived in darkness. I was bitter and lonely even with my family surrounding me. But then I found you. You dawned on my horizon with more light than I knew what to do with," he explained in a dreamy voice.

Memories of their night together, of his whispered vows of love he'd made over and over as they consummated their bond, replayed in her mind like a tiny taste of heaven. He'd consumed her world, given her more than she had ever dreamed of, and she couldn't be happier.

Zion placed tiny kisses on her jaw while continuing to whisper, "I ran from you for a while, afraid your goodness would only highlight how rebellious and broken I'd become. But you never gave up on me. Like the sun, you kept rising, kept pursuing me, until I finally faced you and let you heal me. You filled every crack in my broken heart. You melted the anger and hate that had turned my heart cold. Your warmth and love have given hope to my soul. I'm no longer staring into darkness, but a glorious morning. To me, you are like a perfect summer's day. I'll never let you go, Savannah. You're my sun that will never set. Our love will only ever burn brighter each day of our future together."

To confirm his vow, he leaned over her and kissed her tenderly yet passionately.

The young Alpha was speechless after hearing her mate's eloquent and deeply emotional speech. Staring into his eyes as he wove words of promise and fulfillment around her had a way of mesmerising her completely. "Well..." she began, "if I'm the sun on your horizon, you're the one that's broadened my own horizons" Taking a deep breath, she gathered courage before baring her soul. "All my life I've viewed rogues as being hopeless wretches without any worth or value. I used to enjoy patrolling the border and killing any that dared get close to my pack. But you showed me how you're just like us pack wolves, deep down. You have so much potential, and so much to give. You made me learn how to forgive and love despite all the mistakes you've made. By repenting, you showed how much you truly wanted to change and begin everything over with my family by your side. I'll never stop loving you, Zion." Reaching up, she gripped his face between her hands to make sure he saw the depth of her promise in her eyes. "You'll always have a home to come back to if you lose your way. Just make sure no matter how far you go, you'll find your way back to me."

He smiled, a brilliant smile that shone brighter than any sunrise. "I will, don't worry. I could never stray from the most gorgeous Alpha on all the continents and islands." He kissed her nose while squeezing her waist.

His hands were hot against her bare skin, and sent a spiralling fire all the way to the very core of her being. Rolling on top of him, she pinned him to the bed and smiled with a smirk on her lips. Her fingers skimmed over his hard chest, and she noted the way his skin rippled with goosebumps. She kissed a few of the scars that painted his skin, reminders of the torture he'd endured from elizenthium and other barbaric means. "You better not. And I know just how to make sure of it."

Zion smiled lazily, and reached up to kiss her. "I like the sound of that."

An hour later, they finally dragged themselves from bed, showered, and headed downstairs for some breakfast.

"You know, you've never explained how you became immune to silver," Savannah asked while pouring a cup of tea. "What happened--"

"You'd rather not know," Zion interrupted bluntly. A sharp look entered his eyes, and he stared hard at the fridge for a long moment.

Sensing his sudden agitation, Savannah wrapped her arms around him from behind and placed kisses on his shoulder blade. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up something painful. But if you ever want to talk about it, you know I'm always here."

"To be completely honest," he said slowly, turning around so he could pull her against his chest and rest his arms around her waist. "I don't even know how I got like this, how silver couldn't hurt me. As a young pup and into my teen years, I asked my dad a couple times but he always shut me down. He said I didn't want to know, and I eventually believed him. I trust he has a reason for not telling me."

Savannah pondered this, then finally nodded. "And I trust you," she told him simply, smiling as he placed a kiss on her nose. "Hey, after breakfast, I want to show you this really cool place not far from here," she spoke around a mouthful of yogurt and muesli.

"What kind of place?"

"A waterfall kind of place."

"So we should change into togs?"

"Hmm," Savannah shrugged and gave her mate a coy smile. "Togs are optional."

With a chuckle, he tugged her closer for another kiss.

"At this rate," Savannah breathed heavily, eyes closed as Zion kissed all the way down her neck, "We're never gonna leave the house."

"Is that a problem? Don't we have a tradition to carry on?"

Heat sizzled down her spine as she recalled what he spoke of. Pulling back, she poked him in the ribs. "Very funny. Maybe later. But right now, it's so beautiful outside and I want to show you my territory. We have all night to do this," she whispered in what she hoped was a sultry voice, sliding her hands down his chest and over his tight abdominal muscles.

"Hmm, okay," he eventually relented, letting her go with a groan.

Soon, they shifted and were running through the forest. Their wolves basked in the sunshine, trying to outdo each other with leaps and sprints as they weaved through the trees. Savannah laughed happily when Zion nipped at her tail. He overtook her then stopped in the path, causing her to run into him and knock him to the ground. They rolled over each other, enjoying the closeness and carefree atmosphere that embraced them.

The sound of rushing water greeted them from up ahead, and Savannah led the way down the steep river embankment. Small shrubs grew along the bank of the river, and thick ferns painted the landscape green.

This is so peaceful, Zion mindlinked, standing on a boulder and looking down the river that tumbled lazily over a few rocks and wended around the curves of the landscape. The water glistened silvery blue in reflection of the sky, while the sunshine filtered down through the crystal clear water to reach the pebbled river bed, inhabited by golden bream and camouflaged flathead.

Savannah joined him, her fur brushing against his. This is the same river that runs close to my parents' place. It connects the entire territory, providing water for all our agricultural needs. It eventually meets the sea on Alpha Jonas' territory.

It's so much cleaner than the Murray River in Hierapolis.

And you wonder why I like the country so much? Savannah nudged him, and he lost his balance, falling into the water below.

With a growl, he leapt up towards her, spun around in mid-air, and pushed her back into the water with him.

Shrieking, Savannah barely had time to take a breath before she went under. She clawed her way to the surface, gasping for air and clutching Zion with her sharp claws. The golden lights in his eyes gave away how amused he was.

You think you're so funny. She grunted and hauled herself from the water, slipping in the mud at the river's edge before finding solid ground. Sprinting upstream, she didn't stop to see if he followed, instead bounding towards the rockpool that bubbled with a waterfall running into it. Over the years, the flow of water had carved out the natural pool and had seen many wolves enjoy a swim in the deep waters.

Pausing by the edge of the deep blue pool, she shifted into her human form, and looked over her shoulder as Zion did the same.

His eyes raked over her body, admiring her skimpy bikini, before he came up behind her and placed his hands on her hips. "I thought you said togs were optional."

"So I did," she laughed, pulling away and diving into the pool. She heard Zion's splash soon after.

When she came up and swam over to him, she noticed a change in his playful mood. A shadow had crossed his face and his shoulders tensed up as if alert for nearby danger. "What's wrong?" she asked, placing her hands on his hips.

"Nothing, I just..." He swallowed hard, scanning the trees behind her and looking up at the cliff of the waterfall.

"It's okay. There's no threat nearby. We're all alone," she reassured him, noting the way his jaw clenched and his eyes continued roving around.

"I know, but... It's good to be on guard." His grip on her waist was tight, his arms caging her to himself as if he was afraid she would be taken from him.

"Zion, this is a safe territory," she began, but paused as she probed the uneasy emotions of his she could sense. There was something beneath the surface, a haunting memory or trauma that was triggering his reaction to this quiet and peaceful moment. "What are you remembering, Zion? Talk to me about it," she gently prodded. Though they'd fully completed their mate bond and she was aware of his thoughts and emotions, there was still a part of him that was closed off from her.

After closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Zion looked at her and said carefully, "I guess you should know, seeing as you're my mate and I don't want to hide anything from you."

A shiver of fear ran through her, but she pushed aside her own worry and focused entirely on her mate. She'd promised to shoulder his burdens, and she would be brave enough to face whatever he was going through.

"My mate...my first mate Leila...was killed in a place like this. Not far from Hierapolis is a national park with hiking tracks and rock pools to swim in. We went there one afternoon, just the two of us while my dad looked after Darya. It was so pretty, like today, with perfect weather... not too hot or cold." His voice trembled, and his eyes grew glassy with emotion.

Savannah rested her hand on the side of his face, rubbing his cheek comfortingly.

"I didn't even smell him as he crept up closer to us. I only heard the trigger being pulled just as he fired... And I could do nothing to save her. I was too late," he whispered in a broken voice.

"Alpha Bastien?" Savannah tried piecing his fragmented story together.

Zion nodded, then swallowed hard. "He shot Leila while I was holding her in my arms. You'd think that would be the safest place for her. I couldn't have been holding her any closer to me."

As tears slipped from his eyes and joined the water already on his skin, Savannah's heart broke for her mate and the pain he was still enduring. While a part of her hated how much space this other woman still took up in his heart, she couldn't bear to remove his first love in jealousy of her own. And though time would never heal all the scars from having his heart ripped out, she hoped it would be enough to allow room for her. Savannah would give him so much love that he had no option but to give it in return.

She held him as he trembled, his fears slowly subsiding at her warm touch. "I'm here, Zion. No one is going to take me away from you. This territory is safe, I promise. Listen carefully," she whispered, tilting her head and willing him to do the same. "My best border guards are constantly on patrol. I can hear them now, running along each side of the territory." Her amplified hearing along with her connection to each member of her pack allowed her to know exactly where they were. "Landon and Evan are discussing what mischief to do on the weekend now that Justin isn't around." She stifled a giggle, "And Watson just caught a wild rabbit. He's planning to give Cale a heart attack."

Zion gave a crooked grin.

"And only a few kilometers away, Trinna is giving Darek a grand tour of the southern forest. I think they're hunting for demons..."

"That's not at all scary," Zion shuddered.

"Relax, they can handle it." Savannah rolled her eyes at Petrinna's excited vibes she was sensing. The adventurous shewolf and her mate, Darek, already seemed to have a strong bond despite the two just meeting each other. Savannah felt confident they'd be alright together.

"So what you're saying is..." Zion prodded when her mind kept wandering with her pack members.

She focused on his face, on the sunlight illuminating his perfect structure and tanned skin. She could spend the rest of her life staring at him, and never get tired of it. "What I'm saying is," she continued, "you're perfectly safe here with me. As a pack, we protect each other. And no one is going to sneak up and take me from you, okay? We'll be okay."

His eyes held hers for a long moment as he absorbed the reassurance of her words, then he leaned forward until his forehead rested against hers. He breathed deeply, letting her warmth and scent fill his lungs. "Thank you, Savannah."

They stayed like that for a while longer, the passing of time irrelevant as the mates bonded on every level of intimacy.

As they slowly made their way back to the Alpha estate, Cale's voice broke through Savannah's mind. Hey, Alpha. Hope I'm not interrupting something.

Depends if you want your face ripped off.

Okay, okay, he spoke quickly, but with a snicker in his voice that grated on the Alpha's nerves, as if he knew she'd never follow through on her threats. Just wanted to let you know we're ready when you are. Any idea of your ETA?

My ET- what?

You mate didn't tell you?

Savannah turned to Zion with a question on her face.

He suddenly looked sheepish and squeezed her hand before explaining. "I'm planning to go to Vinlarhk with Persia and Cale. They're waiting until we get back before leaving."

She dropped his hand, instead crossing her arms over her chest in her strictest Alpha stance. "You're planning to go to Vinlarhk? I don't suppose you remember that you're under house arrest on my territory, so international travel is completely out of the question."

He raked a hand nervously through his hair, avoiding her piercing gaze. "Persia received permission from the new Head of Council for me to leave your territory. It's only for a short trip."

"Lord Truett has already approved it? And no one thought to tell me?" Her voice rose in agitation. She knew she shouldn't be feeling like this, but why had everyone left her out of these plans? Zion was her mate, her everything, and it annoyed her that he was planning to leave so soon, even if just for a short trip. "Why do you want to go to Vinlarhk, anyway? Everything you need is here."

I'm here, she added to herself.

His eyes collided with hers, a shadow darkening them as if he heard her plea and regretted not informing her of his plans. "You'll be coming with me, of course."

"That still doesn't answer my question."

He sighed, a flicker of doubt in his expression as though he was wrestling with his own decision to do this. "I'm going to visit the Queen of Vinlarhk."

Savannah sucked in a sharp breath, realising the importance behind his words. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

He took her hands in his, and this time she grasped them back. "It is. I'm ready, Savannah. I'm going to finally meet my mother."