12
X E N O S
➳
My fist pounded hard against his ribs. We'd skipped the tedious circling and feigned attempts to attack and got straight to the point. My wolf bared his teeth, but I pushed back my claws, which were already lurking under my fingertips, instead dodging my opponent's slash and then delivering a solid smack to his jaw. Not so tight that it broke, but enough to throw him off balance and slam him to the ground.
My self-control was in bad shape, hanging by a single thread, and my wolf lusted to break free, but the fierce dark green eyes, already transformed into those of a wolf, prevented me from severing that thin thread.
I held him to the ground for three seconds, then released him and rolled onto my side. Beau was already growling, his shocking brown fur slightly covering his skin. I let my wolf surface. “Beau!”
It wasn't until I put all my dominance into that command that he blinked and the fur vanished. However, the wolf eyes remained. He sat up abruptly and rubbed his face frantically. “Sorry shit, won't happen again.”
“No need to apologize.” relieved, I leaned against the tree trunk and enjoyed the morning chill that crept into my limbs. My hand was already running through my hair before I could stop it. Another sign of my lack of self-control.
'Did it at least help? You seemed stressed.”
I was silent. Beau was on the brink. Dangerously close to going insane and giving himself completely to his wolf. I didn't know all of his past, but I knew he had experienced some bad things. My pack found him when he was a little wolf cub - barely eleven years old. Basically nothing more than a few bones and a hide soaked in blood. It had taken months for him to transform back into his human form. However, if he were ever that close to the abyss again now, he would never find his way back. And this fight tonight didn't exactly help him prevent exactly that. “I shouldn't have let it get that far.”
He shook his head and gritted his teeth. He looked at me angrily. “Bullshit. That's what the pack is for. If you need a spanking, I'll give it to you. And you do the same for me.”
Maybe we weren't related by blood, but the pack was family. And that's exactly why I had to prevent Beau from slipping any further. I frowned. “I think your perception is slightly distorted. Who is sitting here with a blue jaw please?”
He punched me in the shoulder, laughing, but then groaned, clutching his swollen jaw. “Fucking old man, since when do you have such a strong right hand?”
“For as long as you can remember.” I leaned my head against the tree trunk, closed my eyes and enjoyed the light rays of the sun. What I wouldn't give to have a sip of Reah's hideous but strong liquor right now. The memories had come back last night, chasing me through sleep. “We should go back.”
Beau sighed. “Maybe Arya and Joy have found something more.”
“Perhaps.” Or maybe not. Who do we want to convince? It had been a week now without the slightest trace of rogues. It was as if they had suddenly disappeared, swallowed up by the face of the earth. None of our packs saw them or their tracks, and the night patrol also came back empty-handed. And our daily explorations through the desolate lands of the northernmost forest of Fyrsald, near the Skihla Cliffs, where no pack dwelt, were dreary too.
“Do you really think Daemon still exists? What if it was just some rogues roaming the valley right now?”
“It's possible, but I trust Brook and what she saw.” Besides, Arya wouldn't back down. My jaw was grinding just thinking about her. We hadn't spoken to each other since the event in her room. Just the fact that she had a fiancé made my blood boil and my wolf growl.
“What's going on between you and Arya?”
I opened my eyes and stared at him. “I don't see how that's any of your business.”
Beau grinned. “Come on, you know how werewolves like to gossip and you're our king.”
Oh yeah. Packs that chattered worse than old gossip bags. I groaned.
“Besides...” Beau hesitated.
My brows drew together. “What?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “You know how important a Luna is to the Pack.”
“She's not my mate, if that's what you're getting at.” A fact that could not be changed. My wolf, had not recognized her as his mate. There was no mate bond connecting us. But I should be damned if she gets involved with this fiancé, who she obviously had no feelings for. Maybe we weren't mates, but she still attracted me in a way I couldn't understand. And until I knew what this meant between us, I wouldn't let her go.
Unless, of course, she wants it.
My claws jumped out and I clenched my teeth. Don't run away, kitty.
➳
The line ran across the crumpled map and crossed another. I straightened up, put down my pen and looked around the conference table.
Arya had her arms crossed over her chest and was looking down at the map sourly. “Again nothing.”
“We've still got all the north-east of the Fyrsald that we haven't searched.” I countered it and looked at the map again. Countless crosses were emblazoned on it - a clear sign of where we had already searched everything. And how hopeless the chances of finding Daemon looked.
Joy frowned. 'It's been a week now. How long will it be before he strikes again?”
'If he wants to attack the tribes, he has to get through our territory first. And then we will have him.” chimed in Devon, who was also present in the conference room and now looked up from the card at hand.
“Devon's right.” I nodded. “Heard anything from the other packs?”
Joy shook her head, her brown ponytail swinging back and forth. “No. They haven't spotted any rogues or found any traces of them.”
Arya gritted her teeth in irritation. “We cannot sit here and do nothing while Daemon could attack my tribe at any time.”
I braced myself on the table. 'We're already searching the Fyrsald, Arya. It's the northernmost forest in all of Semeera, so if Daemon is anywhere in this world, it's there. Besides, we don't have any other lead at the moment. As long as the packs don't find anything and he doesn't roam our territory, there's nothing we can do.”
She lifted her chin resolutely and leaned on the table as well. Openly challenged me. She raised an eyebrow. “Then we'll just have to search faster.”
“As I said, we do our best.” I growled softly and my hands clenched into fists. I slowly leaned forward. “Or do you have a better idea?”
She narrowed her dark brown eyes, but didn't flinch. “I'm definitely not going to talk to you guys about how hopeless it looks while I could be looking for him right now.”
“Oh, and where do you want to look?”
The green speckles in her eyes sparkled angrily. So much temper in one body. “He's got to be in your damned kingdom somewhere.”
I stared at her. I whispered quietly: “ Careful, kittens . “ No one insults my kingdom.”
“Anyway...” Devon cleared his throat, interrupting our gaze duel and grinning mischievously. idiot . “There would still be the border crossings that have to be rearranged, especially those at the border of the jungle.”
Arya looked away from me. Although we were only a few meters apart, it still felt like a gorge separating us and not a harmless table. I fought down the urge to circle him and touch her. To run through her silky jet black hair, to inquire into that sweet mouth and to nullify that fucking imaginary distance between us and gritted my teeth instead. “I've already talked to Arrow about it. Include the prospective soldiers in the patrol plan as well. Then they can complete their training and we would have more occupations at the borders.”
“Will be done. Oh, and Reah got in touch. She'll be there tomorrow.” announced Devon and then started to leave the room with Joy when Beau burst in.
“Brook got in touch. You should get to her as soon as possible. You have news.”
➳
“Thank you for coming.” Brook faced us from behind the boundary of our packs.
“What happened then?” I asked Brook, not missing the look Fox gave Arya. How few brain cells did this man have that he didn't take my last threat seriously?
“There was an attack last night.” Fox let his gaze rest on Arya for a moment too long.
My wolf's growl was transmitted to my human vocal cords. Unless he grabbed his legs and ran off right now, I couldn't guarantee anything. In a flash, I pulled Arya to my side. “Show us where.”
Arya stiffened, but said nothing and made no move to pull away from me. Good this way. Fox should see that he had no business with her.
“Follow me.” With that, Fox turned and ran ahead with Brook, deeper into Riverfall pack territory.
“What are you thinking of?!” Arya hissed at me as soon as the others were out of earshot and violently jerked away from me.
“I was just keeping you out of Fox's eyes.”
“I can take care of myself.” she replied snippy and tossed her hair behind her shoulder. “Besides, I decide whether Fox's looks are wrong or not.”
“I thought you were engaged?”
she snorted. “Just because I don't tolerate your touch doesn't mean I don't want it from another man.”
I faltered for a moment and my wolf roared at the thought of her allowing another man access. I gently touched her cheek. “You prefer another man to me?”
I heard her pulse quicken the closer I got to her. My hand touched her caramel-colored tender skin, traveled down the back of her neck and closed around it while my mouth came perilously close to hers. “Didn't anyone tell you that lying isn't proper?”
She gasped and leaned against my arm that was wrapped around her waist. I breathed a sigh of relief as she snuggled up to me. She couldn't resist the attraction any more than I could. Her fingers dug into my shirt and she rested her forehead on mine.
“You're playing with fire, kitten .” With every whispered word, my lips touched hers. “Be careful not to burn yourself.”
As soon as I said the sentence, I withdrew. She lost her balance for a moment, but quickly recovered.
Without my doing, one corner of my mouth twitched and I raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you're engaged?”
I could literally see her surprised face turn into an angry expression. Through clenched teeth she spat, “You're an ass, Xenos!”
Then she whirled and stalked after the two wolves, her hair bobbing back and forth like a snapped cat's whipping tail.
“When was she attacked?” I asked when we got to the crime scene.
“Tonight. About three o'clock in the morning.” Brook looked down at the dead woman at her feet, lying motionless on the cold forest floor. 'We followed the tracks, but they stopped before the Ayrun. They must have chosen the river because we couldn't even follow their scent.”
“Wolves that swim?” Arya eyed Brook skeptically, and it was a legitimate skepticism. Mad wolves smart enough to choose the river? Unless they were following a wolf that was still sane.
“It's the only explanation.” Brook said with a shrug.
I crouched down. “Arya, are these the same injuries as your victims?”
Arya lowered herself next to me and took a good look at the woman's wounds. “Yes. The same open wounds and the same torn claws. Definitely from a wolf paw.”
The clothes of the dead were torn and their skin terribly maltreated. The rogue had bitten her throat. But something was missing. I looked at Brooke. “Why is there so little blood?”
There was none on the floor, nor was much visible on her body.
“That's why I called you. I could have told you all, but that part doesn't make sense.”
The moment she pointed to the specific spot, I saw it. Two small marks on her neck. They were so small that you could hardly see them. But now, they were not to be missed. They were bite marks. Deep bite marks.
Arya looked up at her disfigured neck in horror. “Someone drank her blood?”
Fox nodded. “It certainly seems so.”
“Why on earth would anyone do such a thing?” Arya looked at the woman again.
Brook's eyes went dull with pain, making her face look soft despite the tight bun. “She was one of my best officers. A very good fighter. She didn't deserve that.”
I got up and looked her straight in the eyes. She looked up briefly, but immediately looked away again. “We'll find him, I promise.”
“And we will make him regret it.” Arya's voice vibrated with pent-up anger as she rose as well. “ Zeris atek Zeris .”
Blood for blood.
