Chapitre 19

My knees turned into wobbly jelly like they were about to collapse. The underlying threat of her words echoed through my entire body. Luna Laila couldn't have known...

Beta Talon eyed her skeptically.

"Out with it."

"Oh no," she said, laughing cynically, the chains rattling around her wrists. "Swear by the moon goddess I'll be alright."

"We could torture it out of you," Beta Talon growled, his tone sending chills down my spine. It seemed to have a similar effect on Luna Laila.

"You don't hit wolves," she replied, but you could hear the uncertainty in her voice.

"There are other methods."

"Enough!" ordered Astor, cutting off the conversation. He strode past me as if to cover me. "Take her to the camp and make sure she doesn't escape."

The clinking of chains followed.

My cheeks were starting to itch from the tears and an excruciating pain was pounding against the back of my head. How I was still on my feet after that day was a mystery to me. At the entrance to the pack house stood a familiar face.

Ulf.

Relief crossed his face along with sadness. Alice was in his arms, her small hands wrapped tightly around him. He kissed her hair and hugged her tightly. His chin brushed her neck in a sign of reassurance.

New tears pooled in my eyes. Alice made it, Luke didn't. I pressed my lips together. Astor ran his hand down the back of my neck, sending sparks rattling through my body. It was a sign that I should relax. My muscles were way too cramped. At the same time, it was a promise that he was here, that I wasn't alone, and that he was showing as much affection as he could in the eyes of the other warriors.

"It is done!" cried Beta Talon, shattering the strange calm. "Alpha Lam and Luna Laila's reign of terror is over forever. We welcome any of the Riverclaw pack who pledge allegiance to us!"

Astor continued to stroke the back of my neck, helping me drown out the words so they were just a blurry roar.

Then we started moving. We left the pack house and stepped into the blazing sunshine. Silverblood warriors who had stood on the other side of the river at the beginning were standing everywhere. Word of Alpha Lam's death must have spread quickly.

The misery in the streets seemed to have turned to longing.

In hope.

Every step felt heavier in the heat, like struggling through quicksand. I kept the stoic front on until we reached the river through the forest.

In our absence the warriors had set up a large crossing so that several wolves could cross it at once and not be afraid of falling in.

The cool splashes and whoosh were a welcome change. Astor was with me the whole time we got back to camp. Hundreds of wolves were waiting for us there and cheering. Clapping and shouting reached my ears, but I couldn't reply. Was I in shock?

"Go into the house," whispered Astor. "I'll follow."

I nodded and slipped away through the crowd. As soon as the house came into view, I felt fresh tears in the corners of my eyes. I quickened my steps and threw open the door. It slammed behind me, muffling any outside noise. The living room was just as deserted as this morning.

Immediately my vision blurred and fresh tears rolled down my sweaty cheeks. I couldn't get Luke out of my head. The sight of his bloodied corpse bored deeper into my soul and created a huge hole. Sobs escaped my throat and I clamped my hand over my mouth as if that would stem the sadness pouring out of me.

Why did he have to die?

Why him?

Why hadn't Luna Laila aimed at me?

With trembling legs I went into the small bathroom. I had to get everything off me, the sweat, the blood and the smells.

The smells of death and suffering.

The tears continued as I ran a bath. I wanted to go home. I wanted to go back to the forest where I knew every corner.

I stepped into the water, which was lukewarm. I ducked my head in. It washed away everything but the inner pain. I had to live with that. I sat up and gasped for air.

"Dana?"

Astor's voice sounded muffled from behind the door. I hastily wiped away the tears and water and stood up.

"I'm here," I whispered, and he turned the handle. "No!"

I jumped out of the water and wrapped a towel around me. Astor had stopped opening the door. Instead he was silent for a moment. I took a deep breath.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice cautious.

"I..." I began, but couldn't finish the sentence. If I talked about it now, only new tears would fall. "I have no clothes."

I couldn't face him like that. The towel barely covered my legs and the water was still beading down me into the tub.

"Wait here."

His footsteps faded into the distance before he started up the stairs. A few moments later he came down again and pushed the handle down. My muscles tensed, but the only thing in sight was his hand holding fresh clothes out to me.

"Thanks," I whispered and took them. The pants were soft and must have belonged to a young wolf who lived here. I ran the rough towel over my skin before wrapping it around my hair. only the shirt was a bit too big and hid my figure.

"Are you ready?"

Instead of answering, I stepped outside. Astor's eyes roamed my body, sending a shiver down the back of my head. He drew his brows together. Before I could react, he wrapped his arms around me and hugged me to his body.

I buried my head in his chest and wrapped my arms around his waist. I didn't want to cry anymore, but I couldn't stop the tears seeping into his shirt.

"I can smell how sad you are," he said, his voice vibrating soothingly against my head. I raised my gaze to his, who looked pained. He wiped the remnants of tears from my cheeks.

The adrenaline had gone completely, leaving us tired. A loud yawn escaped my lips. Without hesitation, Astor picked me up in his arms and carried me over to the bed. My head sank into the feather pillows. I closed my eyes for a moment to realize how exhausted my body was. My wolf curled up inside and wanted nothing more than to rest...

Hatch.

He stared at me with his faithful eyes. He had protected me. I gave him a grateful nod as I sat down on my knees. He nodded back.

A hiss cut through our moment as something shiny zoomed towards him. The silver tip flew through the air like a shooting star. Then she hit her target. A whimper escaped his throat and he fell sideways. A bolt protruded from his chest.

"Hatch!"

"Finish it," Luna Laila hissed, and the warrior pinning my body to the ground slammed my head against the stone floor. My mind went blank as everything began to spin. All I could feel was hot blood over mine Forehead ran. The paws grabbed the sides of my skull.

Pure horror flowed through my veins.

He wanted to break my neck.

I looked up. Astor stood in the middle of the room. Suddenly something hissed through the air and time seemed to slow down. A silver bolt aimed squarely at Astor's chest.

A scream trilled in my ears until I realized it was me.

"Dana! Dana, wake up!"

The voice seemed to get closer and closer until my eyes widened. I gasped for air. My heart pounded anxiously against my ribs as I bathed in a cold sweat. Astor sat on me. His hands had shaken my body while I was lost in nightmares.

"Shh, you're safe here," he whispered, lifting me onto his lap. I sat there, completely frozen, trying to calm my breathing. He pushed my sweaty hair back from my face.

She had fired at Astor, but he had caught the bolt with no problem. He hadn't even changed his expression. I looked up at him. A pang ran through my stomach.

Astor was wolfless.

***

Astor was wolfless.

"What's going on?" Astor asked, eyeing me. His hand rested on my cheek, but for now all I could do was stare into his beautiful eyes. My wolf internally howled.

He had never changed.

His wolf had never taken control.

"You..."

What should I say?

His gaze changed as if he knew exactly what I was thinking. Out of reflex, I returned his gesture and ran my fingers over his cheek, which was rough. Astor closed his eyes.

I thought back to the time in camp.

"You fought Mael in human form... When we encountered the nomads, you didn't transform... The Brand, you could walk through the smoke with no problem," I murmured when it all made sense.

"You once asked me what my weakness is," Astor said, looking away from me. "That, which is also my strength."

We both were only alive because Astor didn't have a wolf. Luna Laila's silver couldn't harm him. He couldn't become a beta because he didn't have a wolf. His eyes scanned my face for a reaction.

"In camp," I asked, "did you doubt that you had a mate?"

"I never believed it was possible. There aren't many wolfless people in the world, but most are treated like humans. My mother never allowed that. She knew I had inherited my father's strength."

I nodded. Beta Talon was not to be underestimated and by the looks of Astor, he had not only inherited the strength but augmented it. If we ever had puppies, would they have a wolf? My wolf squeaked.

My eyes widened.

Why was I thinking of such a thing?

"What's going on?" Astor asked, clearly confused by my bright red cheeks.

"Nothing," I replied a little too quickly. I wanted to sink into the floor in embarrassment. Suddenly he grabbed my chin and looked up at me.

"So nothing. You know, I'm a general," he said, and suddenly I wasn't in his arms anymore, but was being pushed into the soft pillows. A mischievous smile was on his lips while his hands pressed mine into the mattress. "One of my duties as a general, it's getting information out."

"I'll keep quiet," I replied. When I told him I'd been thinking about puppies- "Ahh!"

A scream interrupted my thoughts as I felt Astor's fingers under my armpits. Involuntary laughter escaped my lips and I squirmed in his grasp. My stomach cramped completely.

"Bit-t-e," I gasped, trying to avoid the agony, but Astor had no mercy.

"What were you thinking about, that your cheeks are red as cherries?" he asked, his tone carrying the amusement he must have felt at the sight of me.

My dazzling laughter filled the whole room. With each touch, the skin underneath tightened, sparking more giggles.

"Please," I squeaked, wrapping my legs around his waist to defend himself. This seemed to upset Astor for a moment as his torture stalled. My wolf internally growled.

I used his moment of distraction and released my hands from his death grip. In a flash I rolled over and took him with me.

My heart was pounding wildly in my chest as I sat on him and he stared at me from below. The color of his eyes had liquefied them, so intense the way he looked at me. His hands wandered to my hips and buried themselves there with their warmth.

A gasp escaped my lips as he pulled me closer, sending an electric shock through our bodies. Suddenly Astor sat up so that we met eye to eye. My eyes fell to his lips, from which short breaths escaped. Its heavenly scent surrounded me and I gasped. I could feel his muscular legs beneath me.

We got closer.

The tension increased as we looked at each other. We understood each other without words and we wanted the same thing. A moment later I closed my lids and his lips touched mine.

A tingle ran through my body.

My thoughts fell silent. All my muscles had been craving the feeling and my heart couldn't be pounding as fast as it wanted to go on. It was as if we had merged into one.

How long could this go on? The feeling overwhelmed me. Suddenly I tasted something salty between our tongues. Astor pulled away from me and stared at me.

"Dana?" he asked.

Only now did I realize that the tears were falling from me. I felt for my cheeks, from which they ran down.

"Sorry," I said, looking away, but Astor grabbed my chin.

"You don't have to apologize," he replied, wrapping his arms around me. I rested my head on his shoulder.

He had tried to cheer me up and for a moment it had worked. Reality had destroyed it again. I stared at the curtains, behind which it was already dark. The night had come.

We broke apart because we knew what was waiting for us outside. I swallowed.

"You can do this. I won't leave your side tonight," Astor said, planting a quick kiss on my forehead. I could only nod.

We stepped out the door into the warm summer night with crickets chirping. Still, goosebumps formed on my arms. We made our way to the parish hall. From a distance you could see the small wooden tower with the person lying on it.

Hatch.

His hands were folded. Someone had removed the blood from his face so he was resting peacefully on his grave. The torches around him gave him a golden glow. Fresh tears clouded my vision so that I could only see dabs of orange and brown.

Everyone had gathered around him. All the wolves were here for Luke to pay their last respects. Just seeing the stricken faces of the warriors made tears drip down my chin. I didn't say much, we all listened to the crackling of the torches.

Some stepped forward and eyed him more closely, others bowed before rejoining the circle. Astor nudged me lightly. I took a few steps inside before I could get a good look at his face. His eyelashes rested on his cheekbones. Someone had combed his hair neatly back.

"I'll never forget you," I whispered, letting the tears soak into the wood he was lying on.

"Never," whispered a voice and I turned around. Ulf was standing behind me. He looked as if he had lost his own son today. I nodded. Then I stepped aside and offered him a seat to say goodbye. Astor awaited back in circles trying to keep my composure.

Ulf pressed his head against Luke's before it came loose. It was so far.

Four wolves stepped forward and took the torches from their holders. Everyone stood at one of the corners for a few seconds. The flames lit Luke brighter than anything else. Then they lowered the fire until it touched the dry wood. It caught fire immediately and ate through the boards.

A few moments later it blazed up and the smoke rose to the moon goddess. I looked up at the sky, with myriad stars and the nearly full moon watching. My wolf bowed.

Take good care of him.

Loud roars filled the room, but I didn't say much. The other warriors celebrated their victory over Riverclaw, but I didn't feel like celebrating.

Instead, I was slumped in my chair, nibbling on a chicken thigh. It should at least give the illusion that I was busy. But Astor, as always, was undeceived.

"Listen-"

His voice suddenly fell silent. The doors opened and the rustle of chains caught my attention.

Luna Laila.

Two warriors had grabbed her from either side and carried her into the room as she was not cooperating. She landed right in the center under the hungry eyes of the wolves. Beta Talon rose at the sight of her.

"Are you ready to talk now?" he asked haughtily. Instead of acknowledging him with an answer, she lifted her chin and pointedly looked away.

"I'm not going to talk to a Beta," she replied, drawing a snarl out of Talon. You gotta give her one thing: she had guts.

"As you wish, we can throw you in the river with your chains if you prefer," he snarled, all humanity seeming to have vanished from his voice. Her gaze dropped and for a moment her cunning eyes bored into me Then she looked at Beta Talon disapprovingly.

"Take me to your alpha. Then I'll talk."

"You're lucky Princess, we'll all leave for the capital tomorrow."

My eyes widened.