Chapitre 24

A shambles swept over the pack house. Chair legs squeaked back, crockery clattered onto plates, and voices jumbled.

"QUIET!"

The movements froze under Zelo's influence, which penetrated into my bone marrow. Nobody dared to move. Even Ulf stared at the lycan with wide eyes.

"What happened?" he asked, his eyes burning redder than a blood moon.

"I just know," Ulf gasped. "I know this river better than anyone. If the nights stay this cold, it will soon be completely frozen over. It's already starting. Silverblood will attack as soon as you can walk over the ice ."

Delta Ivan across from me pushed back his chair.

"It is better if we discuss the procedure in private..."

Ulf swallowed while Zelos nodded energetically.

"We'll have a plan before a wolf can set foot across that river," he said, his voice booming through the room.

The great hall slowly filled with calm again and the jingling of cutlery began again. The smell of the potato soup with bread wafted from my plate. Though my stomach clenched, I couldn't think of food.

Davin rose, as did Roan.

I pushed my chair back, but suddenly a hand fell on my shoulder. I turned around to Zelos who was looking down at me with soft eyes.

"Stay here and eat," he said.

"How shall I eat when you are starving?"

Zelos grinned.

"It's sweet that you're worried about me, but I haven't eaten in years. It's a nice evening," he replied, leaning down. He planted a quick kiss on my lips. "Please, do me a favor. Make sure people don't worry. You're welcome to come up after that. "

Zelos was right.

People hardly dared to touch their soup. Instead they whispered and cast anxious glances towards the doors.

"All right," I whispered, curling my fingers over the paw on my shoulder. "But take Kerberos with you. I think the courage will work better without him."

The dog turned its head to the side and snorted contemptuously.

Zelos smiled.

"Understood. See you later."

He planted one last kiss on my hair before he and Kerberos disappeared up the stairs behind the other warriors. I sighed. The potato soup looked rich in herbs, carrots, and spices, but my mind was elsewhere.

Would Silverblood attack?

Beta Talon had already threatened us, and if his wolves got ready...

Even the warriors at the tables only whispered to each other as they devoured the soup. I got up with my plate and walked over to the people. They fell silent when they saw me coming. I swallowed my fear and sat down at the table with them.

"I hope you're okay with the packhouse," I said, getting a vigorous nod in return. I began to eat the soup, the salty, creamy flavor trickling down my tongue.

"We would certainly have frozen to death in our huts," a black-haired woman answered. "What happens if Silverblood attacks again, or we run out of food...?"

Fear reflected in her brown eyes. With the hunger at that time, the people were probably the first to stop being cared for.

"That won't happen," I replied. "Zelos will take care of that. He will do everything in his power to protect us all," I replied.

The woman glanced at the warriors before leaning closer to me.

"Is... is he the devil?"

An involuntary laugh escaped my lips.

"Forgiveness. I'm sure you're asking about the eyes," I said. "No, I think it's from the curse the moon goddess put on him... He's done almost nothing but good until now. He's been trapped in mountain shadows for ages, until we freed him."

"You come from Mountain Shade?!"

Her eyes lit up with something other than fear. I continued to slurp my soup before I could be peppered with questions.

This was going to be a really long evening...

A yawn filled my entire mouth. My stomach was full, my eyes tired and my bones weak. Still, I balanced the bowl of soup in one hand as I walked up the stairs.

It had been really good to get away from the wolves and be among humans again. But now I wanted to go back to Zelos and into a warm bed. Even so late it was easy to find our room.

It was the only one with light still shining under the door. I shuffled over, still trying to hold back the onslaught of yawns and keeping the bowl straight in front of me.

I pushed open the wood.

The golden ray of fire welcomed me along with a cozy warmth. Kerberos listened and padded across the carpet towards me. I placed the soup on a dresser, safe from the giant dog, and petted their heads in greeting.

Zelos sat at the desk and the quill in his hand scratched the paper. He seemed absorbed in his work. I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around his broad chest. That got his attention. Its scent paired with the woody scent of fire. I took a deep breath and rested my chin on his shoulder.

"How was the food?" he asked.

"Very beautiful. I brought you a bowl. How was the meeting?" I asked, letting my eyes travel over the paper in front of him.

The ink was fresh and still sparkled in the glow of the flames. The slightly slanted writing was elegant despite the few embellishments.

To: General Astor

"You want to write a letter to Alpha Udyr's son?" I asked, lifting my head from his shoulder.

"Yes, if the river freezes over, we will make sure that not a single werewolf can cross the ice," said Zelos and turned to me. The fire shone in his eyes. "But that doesn't mean that a fox can't cross ."

I frowned.

"I do not understand anything. Why shouldn't werewolves be able to cross the ice when a fox can?"

"Thanks to Roan and his brilliant idea," Zelos replied, getting up and lifting me in his arms without effort invisible wall."

I leaned on his strong upper arms. A spark of relief lit up my eyes.

"So there won't be a war?" I asked.

"Not while the warriors wish to come across to us in human form. And that would be her death sentence. I prefer to wait and see. And while we're waiting, why not get the Alpha's son on our side. I invited him here."

His eyes flew to my lips for a second.

"And will he accept this invitation?" I asked, distracted by my heartbeat, which was pounding out of sync with excitement.

"Wait... And while we're waiting," Zelos whispered and leaned down to me.

I greeted his lips like a warm wave I'd been waiting for all day. His paws went to my waist, which he could almost completely enclose. The heat that could only be tamed by Zelo's touch was bubbling under my dress.

The crackle of the flames mingled with the melody of our kiss.

"If Davin interrupts us again," Zelos mumbled against my lips and I grinned against his.

"Don't be so hard on him," I mumbled as I fiddled with the buttons on his shirt. "He's just doing his duty."

"Then I'll do my duty as a companion," he replied, and suddenly I was flying through the air.

Even before the mattress could throw me up again, Zelos jumped on me and showered my neck with kisses that made my stomach shrink. Now and then, teeth would dig across my throat, making me groan.

Suddenly his movements froze.

I raised my head from the pillows and looked at Zelos. His shadow fell on me.

"What's going on?" I asked out of breath.

His eyes began to glow purple and he grinned. My mark twitched at the sight of the fangs.

"Speaking of letters... I didn't know you had friends in Ice Claw," he whispered, and despite his grin, a shiver ran down my spine.

"Friends?" I asked, brushing a strand of hair out of my face.

It took my mind a second to comprehend his leap.

"What did Tommy write? He hasn't heard from Phiphi in ages. Is there anything else you want to tell me, mate?" he asks, stroking my cheeks innocently.

"I almost forgot..."

"Forgotten?" Zelos asked and leaned on his arm. He examined every movement on my face as if he would learn something from me.

"Phiphi is short for Ephilia," I said, staring at the ceiling above us. "She was my best friend...is. Tommy wouldn't be alive without her."

Zelos took my chin between his fingers as if he wanted to get my attention. The fireplace light glowed golden on his skin.

"And how did she get to the far north from Mountain Shadow?" he asked.

I sighed.

“That was after the first attack. When Alpha Eros came to our aid", I answered. "And suddenly Lia was supposed to go north with us... From one day to the next she was just gone."

"What did you really write in the letter... On the day of the second attack?"

"I didn't know then if I could trust you," I replied.

"Oh," Zelos said and grinned. He stroked my cheek again.

"Ironclaw never responded to my message. I asked for their help... that otherwise we would all die. If the fox had reached its goal, Lia would not have remained calm. Theo, her uncle, still lives in Shade of the Mountains."

"You mean the annoying builder? And Ephilia is his niece? I didn't know you had such celebrity friends," he said. "And Ephilia is Alpha Eros' mate? It just keeps getting better..."

My heart stopped.

"What do you want to do now?" I asked.

He would never harm Lia, but as for Alpha Eros...

"Let that be my concern," Zelos replied and his hands wandered from my cheek down my body, which was shaking under the fingertips.

"I don't like it when you're so secretive..."

"Oh yes," he whispered, "I noticed that in the dungeon."

I followed the movement of his lips before coming back to his eyes. His hand continued to dance across my body.

"Oh yes," I whispered, "what else did you notice in the dungeon?"

"How lovely you are. A ray of sunshine that I could see from my cell, and I don't mean just the hair."

My lips curled up and his eyes caught the smile. My heart felt big in my chest and a warm tingling spread in my stomach.

"You always know exactly what to say," I replied.

His fingers curled over my thigh and squeezed. I gasped at the pleasant tug. Zelos grinned. He took advantage of my distraction and rolled me into the mattress.

Any tiredness had vanished under the glowing gaze of the lycan above me. I wanted to feel his lips, but he seemed to be making fun of my desperation. So I grabbed his shirt and pulled him down to me with all my strength.

Zelos gave in and leaned towards me.

Our lips intertwined in a fiery dance for the upper hand. His body covered mine. The hand on my thigh gripped tighter and elicited a moan from my mouth, which only gave Zelos more space to explore everything.

His touch gave me a boost of energy and I rolled onto my side. He followed my movement but never broke the contact of our lips. The sparks sprayed through my body in all directions, leaving tingles and goose bumps.

Now I was sitting on his stomach, under which I could feel every single muscle. His other hand joined the other thigh and together they moved further up. Zelos growled and his voice vibrated over my skin.

My fingers ran through his hair, down his burning throat.

"I love you," I whispered against his lips.

"You too..."

The violin music echoed through the room. Everywhere were couples in colorful dresses, from lemon yellow to emerald green to raspberry red. Zelos had me firmly in his arms.

We danced to the tune that seemed as far away as heaven. The roof of the hall was so huge that the ceiling disappeared into darkness. The colors of the clothes blurred into blobs of color around us.

But somewhere in the corner was a gray mass. She slumbered like a heap of dust, swaying to the beat of the violins.

I frowned.

Everyone just danced around it.

"What is that?" I asked.

I stopped in the middle of the plane and fought my way through the colors towards the gray. Faces looked out at me from the gray mass, eyes, hands, everything moved.

Blood.

Grief.

"These are humans," said a voice behind me. "You like it?"

I darted around.

Blonde hair and green eyes bore into mine.

beta talon.

He was enthroned.

"Want to see them whipped?" he asked.

That was a test.

I took a few steps back.

If I ran away now, he would transform.

My hesitation gave him the answer. As if reading my mind, he tore his clothes to shreds. A monster of a wolf took the place and towered over me like a house.

I darted around.

"Zelos!"

The floor of the ballroom seemed to have turned to quicksand. With all my strength I pushed my legs forward.

"YOU CANNOT RUN FROM YOUR DESTINY!"

The wolf behind me spoke, laughing at me as I tried to run away from him. Beta Talon drew closer. His shadow fell on the quicksand floor in front of me. White fog blocked my view.

"YOU INTERFERED, SO YOU HAVE TO DIE!"

Ice-cold teeth dug into my neck. I screamed before everything went black.

I jumped up.

My hand darted to the back of my neck where Zelo's mark was tingling with excitement. The cool moonlight was the only light in the room. My heart pounded against my ribs. I sat up in bed, alone. It was quiet. My companion's side of the bed was empty.

The fire in the hearth had collapsed to white ash.

I swallowed.

It was just a nightmare.

Just a nightmare of Beta Talon and him as a giant werewolf biting my neck in two.

The cold sweat clung to my whole body like a second skin. I had interfered in the affairs of the werewolves.

I didn't want that.

I tried to hold back the tears.

All I wanted a few weeks ago was a quiet life, but there seemed to be nothing left of that. And now I was sitting here in a strange bed, far from home, on my way to Silverblood, probably the most dangerous place on the map for humans.

I did not want that.

I let Zelos pull me into it.

My eyes fell on his empty side of the bed. There was a small piece of paper on the dessert table, which in the pale moonlight could hardly be distinguished from the wood. I moved across the mattress to his side and took the note.

If you're reading this, my wolf needs a little exercise. I'll be back soon, Kerberos is watching.

Zelos

I looked at the carpet. The only sign the three-headed dog was still alive was the belly heaving.

I fell back onto the pillows and took a deep breath.

Just a nightmare.

Beta Talon was far away from me...

My eyelids fluttered shut.

I could think about that tomorrow.

I turned sideways on the pillows and dove again...

The door creaked open. Half asleep, the sound reached me, but it wasn't worth lifting my eyelids. Zelos tried so hard to be quiet. I didn't want to disturb him. I didn't even turn around, just continued to snuggle into the pillows.

It was still late night.

Dull footsteps sounded across the wooden floor.

I had heard Zelos sneak better before.

I've never woken up from his footsteps. I frowned. He was usually silent as a cat and could always sneak up on me and surprise me.

The footsteps came closer, straight to the bed, slowly and carefully.

A triple growl rumbled through the room.

The footsteps stopped.

My eyes shot up.

I stared out the window at the snowy nightscape and held my breath.

That wasn't Zelos.

Someone was in this room.

Adrenaline rushed through my body as my heart began to process the thoughts.

beta talon.

He could stand right behind me and snap my neck with one bite. I narrowed my eyes. The dream still hung in my bones.

Did the intruder know I was awake yet?

Kerberos deep growl echoed through the room. Should I jump out of bed and dive to the other side? What would the attacker do?

Why was he here?

With each question, my heart pounded harder against my ribs. If he was a werewolf, I'd already given up my cover. I take a deep breath.

The sheets rustled as I turned to the other side in slow motion. The cool moonlight shone on the silhouette, which stood out gray a few meters away from me.

"Delta Ivan?" I asked.

The werewolf towered over me and deep shadows lay about his features. Something flashed in his hand.

A knife.

Kerberos growl boomed up to me. The dog was in a crouched position on the carpet and his three heads were for Delta Ivan only. His words were barely audible over the pounding of my heart.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, but stayed a few feet away from me, frozen to death.

"Why?" I asked, my voice shaking at the sight of the blade. He wanted to kill me. "You don't have to do this."

" He has my family," Delta Ivan whispered, the moonlight wrinkling his forehead.

My mind raced.

He spoke of Beta Talon.

Was that the plan?

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Kerberos slowly creeping up.

"Stay," Delta ordered Ivan, not even looking at the dog, "or I'll end this quickly..."

Kerberos growls froze along with his movements. As if he understood every single word...

"But you don't want to do that," I whispered. My whole body was jerking, waiting for his words to become reality. My heart was pounding, trying to escape my chest. "We can help you."

"You can't!" he thundered, the cold moonlight reflecting in his eyes. "He's holding my mate captive, and my son... I'm sorry, I'll do it quickly."

I moved further back on the bed.

Zelos...

"Kerberos will tear you apart if you attack me," I replied.

"I know..."

The pain in his words burned through me.

His eyes turned bright yellow as Delta Ivan gave control to his wolf. The knife flashed at me. A squeal escaped my lips as I shot back across the sheets.

Kerberos roar slurred.

My knee hit the hard floor first. I kept crawling around the bed, away from the dagger. I gasped for air. My hands scraped the rough wood.

Suddenly a shadow fell on my path.

Delta Ivan's hissing breath came closer.

Something cut through the air. A hot pain shattered my shoulder. All nerve endings screeched. The blade was ice cold. My breath hitched and turned into a moan of agony. My cheek landed on the floor. The smell of iron filled my nostrils, but I couldn't stop the warm blood coursing down my spine.

Was the blade still in the shoulder?

I blinked away the shadows.

I lay in the middle of the room, on my stomach. Hectic movements stirred. Pairs of legs jumped back and forth.

Kerberos had buried two of his dentures in Delta Ivan. His face was contorted with pain and his mouth was hanging open, but cotton was stuck in my ears making it difficult to hear. The giant dog smashed him to the ground.

The vibration went through my body.

I groped for the wooden floor.

Suddenly the door opened.

"Zelos..."

My words only rang in my ears.

His ruby eyes burned across the room before landing on me. They blacked out and turned to Delta Ivan, who was lying on the ground and didn't fight the dog's attack.

"You shouldn't have deceived me," said Zelos. "Do you know why Kerberos is called the bringer of death? Every living being dies when it is bitten by its three heads, whether it's a werewolf or a primeval wolf..."

So only the middle head was missing.

"Kerberos, catch."

I blinked.

Blurred images swirled around. My breath was just a croak for air. Then a warm hand rested on my cheek.

Zelo's eyes shone down on me.

I put my hand on the floor and got on all fours. The movement sent a searing pain down my shoulder blade. I could feel the broken pieces of bone moving under the skin.

My lips began to tremble.

Hands slipped under my armpits and helped me into an upright position. I clawed my hands into Zelo's shirt and leaned my head against it.

"Pull it out!"

My voice was a screech of fury.

"I can't, we need a doctor first. Davin's on his way," he whispered. "Stay with me."

"Pull it out..."

The silver in my body had warmed up and it was noticeable with every breath. I tried to choke back the sobs that only added to the pain.

"Please..." I croaked against his chest, which was hard as stone.

"Here, take this," whispered Zelos and I felt something cool on my lips. For a second, the smell of herbs covered the stench of blood. I opened my mouth and the liquid content of the glass slid down my throat. The bitter taste bit itself my throat and distracted me for a second.

"Davin will be right here..."

I made a sound that I could only interpret as agreement. My thoughts turned to the knife still stuck in my back, shifting with every little movement.

My eyes burned with fatigue.

The blood pounded in my ears.

The door thundered open.

I felt how Zelos turned his head, but I stayed frozen.

don't make a move...

"Betty!"

I ignored Davin as much as possible and Zelos supported me with a growl.

"Where's the healer?" he asked and I could feel the tension throughout his body. His heart was beating faster and harder than mine.

"There is none here in Riverclaw. Beta Talon had the pack healer killed," said Davin.

I closed my eyes.

I should be worried, but somehow his heart slowly calmed me.

"What should we do?" Davin asked.

Zelo's paw rested on the back of my head as if to make sure I was still there and breathing.

"We will..."

His words blurred like a dream unraveling.

My eyes could no longer be opened.

All tension fell from my body...

Birds chirped.

I frowned.

My stomach was resting on something soft, as was my cheek. I was snuggled up in a pleasant warmth. Instead, a headache kept pounding against my skull as if trying to split it in two.

I moaned against the pillow.

The birds trilled their song undisturbed in the distance.

Other than that it was quiet.

Excruciatingly slowly, I pushed the lids open. Winter sunbeams fell on my face, which didn't warm, but donated their light. Snow-covered trees slumbered beyond the window.

Had my dream come true?

Was I finally unconscious for so long that the war was over?

I turned my head and a dull ache shot through my shoulder. Delta Ivan's eyes flashed through my head, only increasing the throbbing.

It really happened.

He had rammed a knife into my back.

I took a deep breath and tried to focus on the now.

The room looked different, smaller.

Where was I here?

With all my might, I pushed myself off the mattress.

The nightgown I was wearing came down to my knees. A white bandage was tied around my injured shoulder, holding it in place. I shuffled over to the door and pushed it open.

A white crystal sea awaited me along with a fresh breeze. The birds in the bare snow trees blared their morning music even louder.

Forest.

Rest and peace.

Footprints led away from the small cottage.

Suddenly a figure came around the corner.

A figure with red eyes.

Zelos froze and let the firewood fall from his hands back into the snow.

"You're awake."

Before I could even reply, I was wrapped in his arms, which gave me their warmth. Zelos was very careful about my shoulder.

"Where are we?" I asked, inhaling his familiar scent of pine and rain.

He leaned back.

No typical grin, just sincerity.

"Welcome to the western forest."