28

J O Y ➳

"There you are." I closed the door behind me and joined Devon through the double glass doors onto the balcony of his room. "I've been looking for you everywhere."

He smiled at me and his blond hair, glistening in the morning sun, fell across his forehead. "Is there a special reason for this?"

"No." I leaned against the balcony railing. "I wanted to ask you how you are."

"Better," he said, his smile strained.

I gently stroked the single strand of hair from his forehead and tried to calm my heart, which was beating rapidly against my chest. "Still a headache?"

He nodded.

I sighed, fighting back the anger I felt against that fucking wolf for inflicting that mortal wound that he almost never recovered from. "Let's hope you're feeling better in a few days."

He cocked his head. "What about in a few days?"

I frowned. "The ball? Have you already forgotten that?”

He scratches his head, laughing, and makes a dismissive gesture with his hand. "Of course not."

"Devon..." I didn't want to say it, but the worry was too great, leaving a queasy feeling in my chest. "Are you really OK? I'm worried."

He then took my hand in his and kissed it lightly. "It's all right, sugar doll."

I breathed a sigh of relief, wrapped my arms around his neck and snuggled up to him. "The thing about the ball still stands, doesn't it? Are we going together?'

It would be the first ball where we officially showed ourselves and what we had for each other. Of course I'd be looking for my mate, as Devon will, but I doubt we'd find our match. Maybe it's true that I never got to love Devon like my true mate, but life was sometimes too short and not all werewolves were lucky enough to find their right match, like Aramis or Xenos. So Devon and I decided to give our love a chance - as long as we don't meet our mate. And yes, I loved him, he made me happy.

"Of course." He gently stroked my hair and kissed my lips. We spent the whole afternoon together on the balcony, enjoying the light breeze that played around us, watching the red sunset and exchanging caresses that made my heart pound.

Before I left his room, however, he said to me: "Will you pass me the bottle on the table?"

I grabbed the green glass vial and handed it to him. "Is the pain worse?"

Nodding, he accepted the elixir and drank.

one last kiss "Get well Devon or I'll get mad."

He grinned. "Got it, ma'am."

➳

A R Y A

➳

We were all wrapped up in black, tight clothes that should at least give us the advantage of the night and had gathered in the armory. The atmosphere was different than the three nights before - more tense. It was no longer a simple security service, but a burglary. We would be marching straight into the lion's den without knowing exactly what was really in store for us. But we had no choice, especially since we didn't want that hideous snake to recruit more of our people.

The yellow ceiling light whirred as I sat astride the steel bench across from Xenos and stirred the black, thick liquid paint in the wooden bowl with my finger.

“It is called “Razuva”; Paint of a warrior.” I explained, placing two fingers on Xeno's cheek to draw it across, leaving two lines. “It is a great honor to wear it.”

"I thought warriors of the Retani tribe wore their face paint white not black," he said, his eyes never leaving my face.

I stirred the paint in the bowl again. ““Aee”, you're right, but “Razuva” is not a normal livery. We apply them only for war, or anything resembling battle."

"Hm," he just grumbled and let me paint the other cheek silently.

"Let's hope it's the last time we wear them," I said, then handed him the bowl. "Here, now it's your turn."

He looked surprised for a moment, but then accepted it. He studied my face for a few seconds and then raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure you want “I” to paint your face?"

I laughed. 'It is the custom. I can't do it myself."

He looked at my wrists, where the ends, the white, squiggly lines peeped out from under the top on my skin, and raised his eyebrows. "Then how do they get there?"

I cocked my head. "Well, you know, Devon has always been a very accommodating-"

His eyes flashed and then there was a bite on my chin.

"This custom only applies to “Razuva”, “Purasu”." I laughed, then gently pushed him away. "And not my daily paint job."

'Well, I really hope so. Only I can touch this divine skin. Or bite.” He winked at me, then dipped his fingers in the paint and studied my cheeks. 'Two dashes. It can't be that difficult.”

I couldn't help but smile as his fingers trailed over my face and his expression twisted in intense concentration.

After drawing the first two lines, he leaned back. "Not that bad."

"Really?"

But his trains derailed and he spluttered. "A little weird."

"Xenos!" I slapped his arm, but couldn't help but laugh. "You should make me a nice “Razuva”!"

"Okay, okay!" He held up his hands, two of which were black, and looked at me, laughing. "I'm already making an effort."

"Good." With that, I leaned forward a little more and turned my other cheek to him. But I did see his amused gleam and an effort to hold back a snort as his fingers slipped a little again. The corners of my mouth twitched.

"Keep still! Don't laugh.' he instructed me and I obeyed.

When he was done and already leaning back to examine his handiwork, I rested my hands on his legs and leaned towards him. A quick kiss on his lips. “Thank you for doing this with me. That means to me…um…” My fingers dug into his pants and I bit my lip. Holy Gaia, I was acting so stupid. "It means a lot to me."

“Introduce as many traditions and rituals of the Gis into the pack as you wish. Heck, you can even remodel the whole pack house.” A serious look. Then he took my hands from his thighs and pressed them to his chest. “This is our pack. I want you to feel at home here.”

Of course I wouldn't change his packing house, after all this wasn't just our home. But maybe I could suggest a tradition or two. I felt warm and wrapped my hands around his. "I already feel at home here."

"Really?" He eyed me suspiciously.

"Well, maybe that's not quite the truth about your pack." I brushed a strand of blond hair from his forehead and cocked my head. "But that doesn't matter, I've got you."

Hands on my hips, pulling me close to him. A mouth on my ear, then a kiss on my neck, right at the hickey site. His tongue flicked out, then his teeth briefly grazed my skin, but before he could bite, he pulled away. "If you keep saying things like that to me, we'll be back in bed faster than you'd like."

Well, I would love to accept that offer, but we had enough other things to do, for Gaia's sake. Far more important things – at least for now.

After everyone had finished dressing and grabbed their weapons, Xenos began explaining to our group, which consisted of Aramis, Reah, Beau, Joy, and Arrow, the exact process of the break-in and all of the assigned tasks. He tapped the map spread out on the metal table in front of him. “There are two cave entrances. A main and a back entrance. The main entrance leads into the upper caverns, where this serpent's dwelling is.” His finger traced the various passages. "The back entrance leads to the caves deep underground where the cells are." He lifted his head and looked around. “We'll split into two groups. Reah, Beau and Arrow, you're going to cause mischief outside the main entrance. Distract as many guards as possible. Echinda won't miss three more victims at her feet. Aramis, Arya and I will go through the back entrance during this time and free someone from the dungeon.” The four black stripes on his cheeks shimmered in the yellow light, hardening his prominent face. "That's all. No more, no less. We'll get someone out and you'll distract them.” He looked at the three of them. “But as soon as Echinda appears herself, you disappear as fast as you can into the forest. While she won't want to stray far from her lair, we don't know what her abilities are." “ The four black stripes on his cheeks shimmered in the yellow light and hardened his striking face. "That's all. No more, no less. We'll get someone out and you'll distract them.” He looked at the three of them. “But as soon as Echinda appears herself, you disappear as fast as you can into the forest. While she won't want to stray far from her lair, we don't know what her abilities are." “ The four black stripes on his cheeks shimmered in the yellow light and hardened his striking face. "That's all. No more, no less. We'll get someone out and you'll distract them.” He looked at the three of them. “But as soon as Echinda appears herself, you disappear as fast as you can into the forest. While she won't want to stray far from her lair, we don't know what her abilities are."

"All right." Reah and everyone else in the room nodded as the door opened.

Beau shot up from the benches. "Georgie, what are you doing here?"

The young werewolf strode through the door, head held high, bow and quiver strapped to her back, ignoring Beau. Instead she looked at Xenos. "I'm here to help with the burglary as well."

"You're going to shit!" Beau growled and walked over to Georgie. He grabbed her arm. "Are you crazy? A few days ago you couldn't even run a mile, let alone shoot an arrow, and now you want to enter a monster's lair?” Beau looked at her, aghast, with a touch of anger that never quite left his face.

Georgie snatched her arm away from him. “You have no objection to that, Beau. I asked our king, not you."

Well, actually she hadn't exactly asked, she had simply decided it herself and then told him. I had to suppress a laugh. The little one was just great.

Georgie looked at Xenos expectantly. However, he just looked at the two of them silently, it was as if he were trying to read something in Beau. Then he looked at Georgie. “You're not ready yet. You've only just started your training as a soldier.”

Georgie tried not to show it, but even from my vantage point, I could see her shoulders sag in disappointment.

I rushed to her and pulled her aside as gently as I could. “Don't lose your poise and your pride. You already have the courage of a warrior.” I whispered and lifted her chin. "The rest will follow him."

Georgie blinked away the misty mist over her eyes, gritted her teeth and straightened up. Then she nodded, still ignoring Beau's growl, and walked out the door with firm steps.

As soon as Xenos finished his briefing, Reah opened the portal with the two crystals in her hands. I shouldered my bow and then stepped through the golden vortex like everyone else.

➳