“How do you find your quarters?” he asked.
I hesitated a moment, choosing my words carefully. “It’s more than I expected when we set out.”
“But it’s not a permanent solution.”
“No.” It wasn’t. And that’s what I was hoping to speak with him about. This was my chance. “I was hoping—”
A deep, sharp voice cut me off. “What is this?”
Thorn and I both turned. A bearded man stood, seething at me. He was nearly as huge as Thorn, with none of the charisma. A vein ticked in his neck and he seemed to grow broader with every exaggerated breath. He looked at me as a cat did a mouse, or perhaps as a wolf looked at an insect.
My coyote scratched and twisted in my chest. Run.
Thorn took a step forward, putting himself between me and the livid wolf shifter.
“You said those who had contact with them were under quarantine. Then you let one inside the walls?”
“I was being cautious,” Thorn said. “As it turns out, the quarantine is unnecessary. However, I can’t help but notice, Forrest, that you did not obey.”
Forrest flinched, and his stance stiffened. “I gathered the others,” he said. “As you commanded.”
“You may release them.” Thorn’s eyes narrowed and his calm voice seemed to boom. That was the power of a dominant alpha. The weight of his will was palpable and undeniable.
Forrest bowed his head. “As you say, but the coyotes—”
So fast I almost missed it, Thorn moved. He didn’t touch the other man, but he was damned close.
Forrest fell to one knee, surrendering to his alpha. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he rolled onto his back and showed Thorn his belly.
The two remained still for a time. Others stopped to watch. With all of the attention on the two men, finally no one was staring at me.
Thorn returned to my side, leaving Forrest to watch the two of us walk away.
“I don’t think your people care much for me,” I said.
“It’s difficult for them to separate you from what your tribe did.”
A flush of heat rose up my neck and settled in my ears.
He studied my expression. “You don’t know what happened, do you?”
“Herrik caused trouble for you,” I said. “I can tell that much.”
“But you don’t know what he did.” It wasn’t a question.
What did he do? Were my brother and the others with him? I had a thousand questions I needed to ask, but Thorn was waiting for me to answer his.
“Herrik left, taking the fighters with him. We aren’t privy to his plans or his reasons. That’s why I wanted to come alone. Or at least part of why.”
“You didn’t want those with the affliction to travel,” Thorn said. Again, not a question.
“You know about the affliction?” I asked. “Do your people suffer as well?”
“I’m told it doesn’t spread,” he said, ignoring my question. “Is that true?”
“Yes.”
His expression remained the same. He already knew. Of course he did. That was the story with the quarantine. That’s also why he’d called it off. He didn’t know at first, then he did.
“No one in Lycaon is afflicted,” I surmised. “But you’ve spoken to one of us.”
His eyes searched my face. “You’re right.”
“I’m sure it wasn’t Sylvie. Was it Willow?”
He said nothing and blinked slowly. Then he looked at me with the intense gaze that always stole my breath.
“On a trial basis, I’m prepared to move your people inside the walls.”
I gaped at him.
“You would have to be spilt up for supervision during the transition period,” he said. “And you will be staying with me.”
Staying with me...did that mean sleeping in his home? I must have heard wrong. I stared at him, waiting for him to take it back, to say something that made it clear I’d mistaken his words.
He didn’t.
And I was left utterly speechless.
Wolf shifters poured out of the gate. I could feel their presence behind me as I stood just inside the tent door.
“I don’t want to be alone.” Blossom’s frown deepened and tears pricked at the corners of her eyes.
“You’ll stay with me,” Sylvie took her hand. “Or we won’t go in.”
Blossom nodded emphatically.
“I like it outside the wall,” Willow said. “When they turn on us, we can still run.”
“They won’t turn on us,” I said.
“You know, you squeak when you’re nervous.” Willow quirked her brow up.
I nodded. Of course I knew. If I could control it, I would. I cleared my throat and did my best to even my pitch. I wasn’t particularly successful. “We can trust Thorn.”
Everyone’s eyes were on me.
“I followed you this far.” Sylvie said. Then she led Blossom out of the tent.
I turned to Willow. She shrugged and followed Sylvie.
Wolves pushed past me, helping the coyotes who couldn’t make it out on their own. The affliction was getting worse, weakening those who were cursed. Only thirteen of us remained, three who weren’t afflicted. We were hardly a tribe anymore. We were only a handful of refugees. This was our best chance at having a real future. Thorn was our best chance to survive.
When we were alone, I’d ask about the boulders. When we were alone, I’d ask more about the coyote attack and what had happened to my people. But not yet. I had to wait, because the refugees who had followed me still needed me. Maybe they needed me now more than ever. I had to be strong.
The transition was a cyclone, fast and forceful, and carrying us away from each other. I stood by Thorn’s side as he directed his people to tear down the tent. And I watched as my people disappeared into the wolf huts.
My stomach was a ball of knots. The lump in my throat grew to the size of an apple, and nervous energy made it hard to stand still.
Had I made a mistake? Would we truly be safe?
When I looked up at Thorn, I drew strength from his steadfast composure. I mirrored his calm, wishing that the fake confidence I wore would sink in and become real. I looked at him, and I had hope. It was more than I’d had in a long time.
Chapter 6
Thorn
Briar paced by the front door of my home. Her heart fluttered like a hummingbird’s wings.
I’d offered her a change of clothes, a bed for rest, and access to my shower. She’d refused with a shake of her head and a few words that were too high pitched and too quiet for me to make out.
Each breath she took was shallower than the last, teetering on the brink of panic. After a time, I thought she would settle, but she was only growing more agitated.
I took a step closer, then another. She appeared lost in thought and didn’t look up, even when she was about to crash into my chest.
I reached out and put my hands on her shoulders.
With a sharp inhale, she looked up and met my gaze.
“Everything’s okay,” I told her. “I mean you no harm.”
She nodded. Her eyes were amber globes, searching for something to hold onto. I wanted her to know she could hold onto me.
“Breathe.” I slid my hands down to the tops of her arms and exhaled slowly.
She breathed out, and the tension in her shoulders eased just a bit.
“I need air,” she squeaked, turning once more to the door.
We could go outside, but if we did that, I wasn’t sure I could get her to come back in willingly. There was a lot to get used to. If I knew it would be safe to allow her and the others to run freely around the village, I would. I wanted to. But I couldn’t. I had to take care of my people, too. It was already asking a lot of them to house shifters from the tribe that had destroyed so much of our village.
I let my hands fall and offered what I hoped was a reassuring smile. “I have something to show you.”
I headed down the hall to th
e ladder. “Come,” I said.
She hesitated a moment, but then I heard the sound of her footsteps behind me.
I climbed the vine ropes up and opened the hatch. Briar followed.
The second story was high above the village wall, open to the fresh forest air. From the balcony we could hear children playing in the streets and birds singing in the trees. We could see the volcano at the heart of the island and the ridge above the canyon that housed the coyote village.
Briar ran to the rail and looked over the treetops. All visible signs of her tension melted away. She breathed in slowly, filling her lungs.
I leaned against the wooden rail beside her. She stared out into the distance for a time. I looked at her, then followed her line of sight out beyond the forest in the direction of her home.
“Sorry,” she said, her gaze still a thousand miles away.
“For what?”
“For freaking out. You’ve been nothing but kind to me and my people. I just...I couldn’t breathe. It was like my skin was crawling with spiders.” She shivered despite the warm air. “I don’t know what came over me.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for,” I said. “How many times have you visited another village?”
She turned to me. “Zero.”
Her amber eyes were glistening globes, showing both her inner strength and her vulnerability. Her warm vanilla scent filled my lungs. I wanted to run my fingers through her crimson curls and taste her full lips. I wanted to comfort her with pleasure, but she wasn’t mine.
“How many times have you been separated from your friends and family?” I asked, focusing on our conversation.
“Never, but—”
“Don’t beat yourself up. You’ve done nothing wrong.”
She looked down to the village below. “I—”
I waited to see what she had to say, but she just shook her head and said nothing.
I wasn’t sure how to make her feel better, so I tried offering her a bit of my truth. “I’ve never taken in refugees before,” I said. “As far as I know, no wolf alpha in the history of the island has.”
“You’re a better person than them.” She sighed.
“That’s not what I’m saying.”
She looked to me, her honey-brown eyes questioning.
“I’m saying we’re both out of our element here. I’m saying…” I did it for you, because you’re my mate. “I don’t know what I’m doing. Give me a little time and we’ll figure this out together.”
“Together?”
“Alpha to alpha,” I said.
“I’m not—”
“You are.”
She set her gaze back to the forest. “I didn’t come here for a place to stay,” she said. “Though we all really appreciate your generosity. We came seeking a different kind of help.”
“What kind of help is that?”
“The kind only the chosen Warrior of Land can provide.”
Had she come to ask me to free her mate? Did she know about Flint? I was struck with a pang of regret.
“When the dragons fought above my village, we fled,” she said. “When we returned...we found destruction.”
Polly Perry had spoken of the events that had occurred when Celedon’s staff had broken. There had been a fight between the Guardian of Land and an obsidian dragon. While Celedon had prevented many boulders from falling onto the coyote village, he had not stopped them all.
“I was hoping you could help us restore what we lost.” Briar looked at me with restrained hope.
But they had lost more than their homes. They had lost much of their tribe to Herrik’s madness. It was he who had led his people astray. Removing rocks, no matter how large, could not fix what was broken. Perhaps she could not yet see the truth.
“Those among you who are sick will not fare well on the journey back,” I said. “So I will do as you ask, but not until they are well enough to travel.”
She closed her eyes and a smile spread across her face. When she opened her eyes, they were glassy, and she put her hand on mine. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”
I would do anything for you. “You’re welcome.”
“The girls won’t believe this. When will I get to see them?”
I hadn’t thought that far ahead. It only made sense that the village eat together as we usually did. No one could argue if we were to keep an eye on the coyotes, they go where we go. “Meal time.”
“How long is that?”
“Half the day.”
Briar nodded. “I’d like to stay up here until then, if that’s okay.”
“Of course.”
Her gaze was distant again, watching a flock of birds soaring in unison over the sea of green. She was lost in her private thoughts, miles away. There was nowhere for her to run, and she didn’t need me standing over her.
“I’ll give you some time,” I said. “I’ll be below if you need me.”
“Okay.”
I headed down the ladder and took a seat in my favorite chair. The leaves of the lamb’s ear plant were the softest on all of the island, which was why I’d chosen them for the seat. The bamboo frame grew up out of the floor.
I took no comfort, even here.
My legs were restless. I rose from my seat and started pacing, just as Briar had done not long before.
I found myself unable to think of nothing but her. About the helpless way I felt when she was so upset. About the joy that had filled me when she’d smiled. About holding her mate in a cell.
There was a knock on the door.
I let out a sigh, grateful for the distraction.
Upon opening the door, I changed my mind. It was Forrest.
He took a step closer, as if meaning to push past me. But he stopped when I didn’t move. “We need to talk.”
“About what?” I asked.
“Why didn’t you assign me a coyote to guard?” His nostrils flared. “You’re supposed to trust me.”
There was a moment of silence while I considered both his harsh tone and hostile demeanor.
“Yeah, like I had to ask.” He ran his hand through his dark hair.
“Your talents are better suited to other tasks,” I said. It was the truth. Also, while I trusted him implicitly, I doubted he would treat the coyotes with dignity. While they were here, they were our guests, and under my protection.
“Like sitting around doing nothing?” he asked.
“If you’re restless, go for a run. Patrol the forest.”
“For what?”
“We still don’t know if there are others out there. Herrik is—”
“Dead.” Forrest crossed his arms. “Their sorry excuse for an alpha is long dead. Crushed under a boulder, or he’d have shown by now.”
Briar was distracted, but there was still a chance that she could hear us. I hoped she hadn’t overheard.
“It’s possible,” I said. “It’s also possible Herrik’s biding his time.”
None of what I said was a lie, though it was a stretch. Herrik didn’t make calculated moves, even before he became crazed. But I needed Forrest off my back.
“Fine.” He turned to go.
I shut the door and started pacing once more. Perhaps it was too rash a decision to let the coyotes inside the walls. I’d let my attraction to Briar impact my decisions. It was reckless.
I, too, needed a task to occupy me. My first thought was the prisoner I visited with every day. This time, though, I wouldn’t go alone.
Reuniting Briar and her mate would stop the delusion that I had a chance with her, forcing me to lead the pack in the way I was meant to. And it would hurt like hell.
Chapter 7
Briar
The first ‘I have something to show you’ from Thorn had turned out okay. More than okay. But this one made me nervous. Sure, we were out of his hut, but we weren’t headed to a common area to see Sylvie and Willow. We were headed underground.
Thorn’s mood had shifted. He was more distant. He wasn�
��t talking, which meant I didn’t have to, either. But it also meant I had no idea what was going on.
The metal door clicked shut behind us. It was dark and damp, and the only light came from glowing moss on the stone wall.
The tightness in my chest I’d felt earlier was back. I tried to tell myself everything was fine. If Thorn was a threat, he’d have shown some sign by now. He wanted to help me; I could see it in his eyes. I trusted him, or at least part of me did.
I tried to breathe, knowing there was air. But I couldn’t.
“Hey.” Thorn turned to me. “Give me your hand.”
I held out my palm. It was shaking.
He put a stone in the center of my hand. It was cool and rough, and I had no idea why he was giving it to me.
“Watch,” he said. “And breathe.”
He held his hand an inch above the stone and pinched the air, pulling up like he held onto an invisible string. I looked to his face to read his expression.
“Watch the granite,” he said, in a soft tone.
I looked back down, unsure what to expect or think. Then it moved.
The surface of the stone rippled like a pebble penetrating a still pond. That ripple lifted into a peak as Thorn raised his hand. I had never seen the power of a warrior with my own eyes. I’d expected strength, but this...this was something altogether beyond my imagination.
The peak fell, and like a splash, the sides lifted. They stayed up, like the rim of a tiny bowl. The low center bubbled and reformed.
And I saw it.
The stone cooled in my hand.
It was a tiny sculpture of my village complete with tiny houses with tiny roofs. It was my home.
I sucked in a deep breath and covered my mouth with my hand. “It’s beautiful.”
Thorn lowered his arm, and a smile spread across his face. I held out the magic-touched stone for him.
He gave a gentle shake of his head. “It’s for you.”
Wolf Warrior of Land (Alphas & Alchemy: Elemental Shifters Book 2) Page 4
