8

A R Y A

➳

“But why would a rogue pack want to go to the Skihlas?” I asked Xenos later, when we were already heading back to the Moonwater Pack's territory.

His glowing gaze, which it seemed I could never get enough of, devoured me. “We'll find out.”

I took a deep breath of the cool evening air to find some order in my confused head as I walked through the dense forest alongside Xenos. I couldn't think straight when he looked at me like he only had eyes for me. Like he cares about me. Pull yourself together Arya! I admonished myself. “So what's the next step?”

Xenos stared thoughtfully into the distance. “I thought Hades killed him.”

I knew who he was talking about. “Did you know him well?”

He shook his head and sighed. 'No, none of us. As far as I know, Daemon lived with his father.”

He said that as if it explained everything. “Who was his father?”

His head jerked towards me and he raised his eyebrows in astonishment. “You do not know that? I thought Gis were obsessed with the old legends?”

I rolled my eyes. “I couldn't think of anything more boring than spending a whole afternoon reading old thick books with the elders.” No, I'd much rather run through the jungle and practice archery with Rowtag.

A small laugh escaped him and his eyes sparkled in the night as he watched me.

“What?” when he still didn't say anything, I asked, laughing, “Well, tell me, what's the matter?”

He stopped and his hand gently touched my cheek. Almost tenderly, his thumb stroked my skin while the gleam in his eyes intensified. “You are so different. Unique .”

I trembled under his touch as I absorbed his words and looked up at him. It felt good to be with him. He felt good. right .

A slightly desperate expression appeared on his face. “Why didn't I meet you before?”

He leaned down to me. My breathing quickened, my pulse racing as he got even closer and his lips were right in front of me. Gently, but still decisively, a hand closed around my neck. dominant . But he didn't use his dominance against me. And I didn't find it disturbing. On the contrary, it was intoxicating.

And that's what scared me.

Xenos was definitely not like any other man I knew. He was more dangerous. He touched a side of me that was deeply hidden and untouched. Until now. If I let him get any closer, he could hurt me like no one has before.

So I pulled away quickly, a little taken by surprise, my whole body aching to regain Xeno's closeness.

His grip on my neck tightened for a moment, but then he let go. He whispered, “Come on, kitty , you can feel it too.”

I hid my shaking hands behind my back and vehemently shook my head. “I don't feel anything.”

“Ncncnc, kitty . Lying is not appropriate.” Suddenly he stood in front of me, annihilated the distance I had just laboriously worked up and tugged at one of my braided strands of hair. His mouth touched my ear as he whispered hoarsely, “I know you feel it too. There's something between us.”

My self-made protective cover threatened to fall. “There's nothing there.” I hissed and was just about to increase the distance again when he growled and pulled me to him and his mouth closed around my earlobe in a flash.

As soon as I realized what he had just done, his warm hands let go of me and he straightened up to his full height.

I touched my ear in shock. “You bit me!”

His face didn't move a muscle and his voice was as calm as ever. But his eyes gave him away. They sparkled in amusement. “I wouldn't mind if you wanted to bite me too.”

Heavens, why did my body get so hot all of a sudden?! “So who is Daemon's father now?” I changed the subject, this time successfully suppressing the blush rising up my cheeks.

Xenos, like me, continued on the path. “Hades.”

I groaned in frustration. “Great, I thought we were finally rid of Hades and now he's showing up again.” Just as I uttered the words, I realized I was whining. A warrior did not whine - ever. The feeling of shame rose in my chest. My father would be deeply disappointed in me. But I felt so comfortable around Xeno that it just gushed out of me - just like that. Very horrible.

“He won't hurt anyone anymore. We'll take him out in time, I promise.”

We. I shuddered. “You haven't told me what the next step is.”

'The northern packs need to be contacted, maybe they know more. And Reah might know more about Daemon as well. But...' he looked at me admonishingly, as if he knew I had objections. “Tomorrow. There's a pack dinner tonight.”

I gave in with a snort, understanding his motives. We wouldn't get very far today anyway. Also, I didn't have my bow and arrow with me.

Without waiting for him to tell me that we could start running, I started running, hoping that my buttery legs, which threatened to collapse at any moment, would carry me hopefully to the warehouse.

I glanced behind me just in time to see him transform into the big gray wolf. My heart was still pounding wildly against my chest. The grumpy, withdrawn wolf had played with me. And he wasn't just playing with me. Oh no. I touched my ear again, trembling.

He had put his mark on me.

That didn't mean he tagged me, but I knew the rules of werewolves. They didn't just give everyone their mark. It was something deeply intimate. If I didn't pull away immediately, he would keep coming forward, taking it as a silent invitation.

What was even worse, though, was that I didn't mind. I liked it. He made me feel wanted, almost wanted, to be.

Holy Gaia, I was in trouble.