by Octavia Kore
“We don’t want to hurt you. Can’t you see that this is wrong? Can’t you understand why the pack and the people are unhappy?”
“The pack isn’t meant to be happy. They are meant to serve the—”
Scaans’ screed was interrupted as Zaheer launched himself forward, slamming the smaller male into the wall so hard that a sickening crack echoed through the room. Ttetza rushed to his side, grabbing the discarded weapon from the ground.
“We are your people too,” Zaheer hissed, as Scaans cried out in pain. The priest glanced at him, and that was when Zaheer saw it. There was an emptiness to the depths of his eyes as if he weren’t quite there. The look he gave Zaheer as he struggled against him, kicking and snarling as if he hadn’t just had multiple bones broken, was so cold and evil that Zaheer’s heart nearly came to a standstill. It was a look that told him this male knew the truth, and he didn’t care. A look that said he was the enemy.
In spite of all the preparation and knowledge that this would likely happen, killing someone, even someone like this who wouldn’t have hesitated to take his life, was hard. All of this because they dared to want to live freely.
Scaans struggled, his hands and feet pounding against Zaheer. His guardian begged to be released, to handle this one, but Zaheer took mercy on him. Bones popped as he jerked the male’s head to one side, snapping his neck and ending this as painlessly as he knew how. He stood there for a moment, Scaans’ head still cradled in his hands as the male’s body went lax.
“Alpha?”
The sound of Arzil’s voice pulled him from his inner turmoil. He let Scaans’ body fall to the floor before turning back to face the others. The majority were members of his pack, but a few of those who had followed from the tribe stood on the edge, their eyes wide with horror and shock at what he’d done.
“It was the only way,” Ttetza murmured, his throat working as he backed away.
“Find the weapons we came for.” Zaheer’s command set his pack members in motion. It was time for them to end generations of abuse and control. They were going to create a new world, not just for his and Clara’s pups, but for all of them. The seer’s words drifted back into his mind, and Zaheer hardened his resolve.
The guardians will return to their rightful place in this world, and all will be as it once was.
Chapter 27
Clara
Okay, all you have to do is stay perfectly limp. Don’t blink, don’t make your breathing obvious, and don’t react to anything that happens around you.
Clara let her head fall forward when Maylu adjusted her in his arms, thankful that she’d left her hair loose when it curtained her face. The air inside the building they moved through was much colder than outside, and she fought the urge to shiver as they passed beneath the vents.
Oh, God, don’t sneeze, please don’t sneeze.
You could just shift and allow me to take care of this whole thing. I’ll rip their heads from their bodies.
That’s a horrible plan, Clara mentally rolled her eyes.
I think it’s a far better plan than letting this traitor deliver us into the hands of the priest who ordered him to kill us in the first place.
How many times was she going to have to rehash this with her guardian? Maylu isn’t a traitor. He was being controlled by Pumo. You know that because you saw it just like I did. The small plasma shooter Zaheer had tucked between her breasts pressed uncomfortably into her chest, but Clara didn’t dare move. Everything will be all right. We’ve got Maylu to protect us, and if something goes wrong, we’ve got the gun for back up.
None of this would have happened if the Krunkeeli simply listened to their guardians more often.
If we did what you wanted, they would hear us coming from a mile away. Ivnalth would be killed and they’d likely do the same to us once we got inside, Clara argued. Neither one of us has had any training, and I don’t intend to get myself or anyone else killed with my lack of knowledge.
Her guardian huffed in annoyance, but settled down. When you need saving—and you will—I’ll be right here.
“Do not react to anything that’s about to happen, lua. Do not respond to me. When you speak along the bond, you broadcast your thoughts. They will know we’re lying before our alpha has the chance to get inside the building.” She slumped against his chest as he turned, praying her hair still shielded her face.
His steps slowed, and Clara’s heart raced as she felt the vibrations of his speech against her ear. Who was he talking to? Had they made it to Pumo already? Was Ivnalth in here with them? Clara dropped the mental walls that held her psychometry in check and allowed Maylu’s memories to flow through her. It was like watching a movie with someone, but you were always a second or two behind.
Pumo stood across the room from them, his face a mask of displeasure as he stared down at a furious-looking and battered Ivnalth.
“Lua,” Ivnalth gasped, struggling against her bonds as her face contorted. “How could you do this, Maylu? You’ve betrayed him! You’ve betrayed us!”
“She’s an outsider, Ivnalth!”
“Clara is our Alpha’s mate and you killed her!”
Tears gathered in Ivnalth’s eyes. Clara’s heart ached to reach out and assure her that she was fine, that they were here for her, but she couldn’t risk it. She felt Maylu’s distress within his mind and told herself over and over again that this was necessary, that it would be over soon.
“She tried to kill Tratek, and if she’d been given half a chance, she might have even killed our Alpha!” Maylu’s arm tightened around her.
“That’s a lie, Maylu. You were with her more than any of us. You know she wasn’t capable of that. Zaheer loved her, and you’ve stolen that from him. I don’t know that I’ll ever forgive you for this.”
“Enough!” Pumo’s hand came down hard on the side of Ivnalth’s head, and Clara felt Maylu go rigid. “What took you so long to bring her here? She is small and defenseless. I’d have thought it would be easy for such a great brute like yourself to finish her off.”
“It wasn’t easy to get her alone, High Priest. Our Alpha is—was protective of her.”
Pumo waved his hand toward a long, oddly familiar bed near the wall. “Place her body over there.”
He crossed the room slowly, stalling for time as Pumo brushed his hands on his robe. Knowing the high priest was so close made her heart race, and it took everything in her to remain calm. The delay between his memories and what was really happening became obvious when she felt herself being lowered to the bed a few seconds before she saw it in Maylu’s mind. A male stepped up to the other side of the bed, but she missed what was said the moment she lost the physical connection with Maylu.
Fear clawed at her chest, climbing up her throat as if it were a beast trying to escape the depths of hell. She was alone now, with no way to see or hear what was happening around her. What were they going to do to her? She had to control it, because if she didn’t, Zaheer was going to feel it.
Don’t breathe, don’t breathe, don’t breathe—
The bed jolted beneath her a moment before Maylu’s voice exploded in her mind.
“Clara! They know!”
Her eyes flew open, and it was almost like time slowed dramatically. Maylu swooped down, his body coming over her as the fur on his chest rippled and his guardian’s dark skin pushed through. She saw the surprise on his face as his head was yanked back a moment before a dagger made of shimmering, polished metal pierced the side of his neck.
Clara’s mouth dropped open in a silent scream as whoever held the blade thrust it forward, tearing through the flesh and fur at the front of his throat. Hot, metallic liquid sprayed her face and upper body. He fell on top of her, his eyes wide and terrified as she twisted, trying to press her hands to his wound even though she knew it was useless.
“Forgive me, Clara,” he whispered along the bond as his blood pumped through her fingers. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry…”
“No, no, no
. Maylu, please!” Clara wrapped her arms around him as they slid to the floor. “I forgive you,” she whispered as blood spilled from the corners of his mouth. “I forgive you.”
Maylu’s memories flooded her mind, sweeping through her and tearing her heart out. He showed her a memory of him laughing quietly as he pretended not to see her hiding the unfinished rope behind the baskets in the outpost, of her smiling face when she tricked him into revealing that he could understand her, of him doing his best to communicate with her even though she knew Ivnalth had likely told him not to.
She saw images of Zaheer and Ivnalth, of them running through the forest, of days long past, and then there was just a faded, fuzzy image of a young Krunkeeli couple she thought she recognized from the gathering at the Arms of Kheenqiets. They were holding hands, watching him as he walked away… and then there was nothing but a horrific, empty silence.
Clara’s guardian let loose a blood-curdling cry as pain lanced through her chest, stealing her breath. White-hot anger blasted through her, burning away the fear and terror she’d felt only moments ago. Her bones popped, muscles and limbs twisting as her guardian forced the shift. The dress Nizla had made grew tight around her body a moment before it too gave way to the will of her beast. This time, Clara wouldn’t stop her.
Chapter 28
Zaheer
“This is taking too long,” Zaheer growled, mirroring the pacing of his guardian within his mind. “Where are your priests?” The back door to the building remained shut. If it were up to his guardian, Zaheer would have broken down and torn his way through until Clara was back in his arms, but they’d had a plan and he was doing his best to stick to it.
“We must wait for them,” Ttetza said. “If they leave and Pumo notices, then it could ruin our advantage. Everything we’d worked for would be gone.” The male scrubbed a hand over his face and glanced at the door. “It will work. It has to.”
“How do you know that they haven’t told Pumo about this plan?”
“I trust them, Alpha. They want peace, just like we do,” Ttetza said.
I don’t like this. We’re useless out here, twiddling our tails while our tsa is inside, his guardian grumbled, itching to break free of his body.
I don’t like it either, but we have no other options. Tearing through the building could get them all killed.
There was a soft woosh as the doors finally slid open. A startled gasp emanated from the priest as he looked out at the impatient crowd. At least a hundred able-bodied males and females waited behind Zaheer, ready to end the terror. Each and every one of them ready to sacrifice their life if it came to that. “Come quickly!” he hissed. “There isn’t much time.”
“Why are you helping us?” Zaheer asked the other priest, his feet quiet against the floor as he raced after Ttetza through yet another maze of hallways.
“The High Priest is a good male, but I believe he is misguided. I want to help right the wrongs that he has made.”
Misguided, his guardian scoffed.
“He’s enslaved his people for his own selfish gain.”
The priest frowned, directing them down a long hallway. “It is not my place to judge him. His fate has and will always be in the hands of Vaasna.”
There was a commotion from somewhere up ahead a moment before a stabbing pain pierced his neck and a heart-wrenching scream filled the air. The connection he shared with Maylu vibrated.
No, no, no!
Zaheer took off with the pack on his heels as he burst through an entryway. It opened up into a large, brightly lit room, and the scene that unfolded before him nearly brought Zaheer to his knees. His cousin kneeled in the middle, her arms and legs bound, covered in blood and clearly beaten. She was screaming something as she fought against the threads, thrashing back and forth.
Across the room, Pumo stood over Maylu and Clara’s bodies, a bloody dagger in his hand and a look on his face that spoke of the depths of his depravity. The bond that connected Zaheer to the male shuddered violently just before it snapped, severing them forever. A gaping, throbbing hole opened up within his chest, and he staggered forward with the force of his guardian’s shock.
The air in his lungs turned to broken glass, tearing him apart from the inside as he struggled to breathe. Maylu’s body moved, and even though he’d felt his packmate’s life end, Zaheer couldn’t help the spark of hope he felt at the sight. A glorious, blood-coated white body darted out from under Maylu’s lifeless form, raising up and lunging at the High Priest. He stumbled backward, sliding in the pool of Maylu’s blood as he slashed the dagger through the air.
The last thing he saw before he gave into his guardian was Clara dodging the swinging dagger. Without any thought at all, Zaheer’s body reshaped itself, transforming him into the beast Pumo had accused him of becoming. He wanted to protect Clara, but it was obvious he’d underestimated his tsa. She was far more capable than he’d given her credit for. Zaheer’s guardian bristled when Pumo’s blade made contact with Clara’s side, leaving a thin scratch on her skin. A Krunkeeli blade shouldn’t have been able to do that.
“Get Ivnalth out of here!” he snapped at Ttetza, who was already working on freeing his cousin from her bindings.
Pumo tilted his head back and laughed. “Does that make you mad, female?”
Clara snapped at his arms but pulled back with a yelp when the dagger in his hands cut into her hide again. As a guardian, Clara was far more powerful than any priest, but they were still getting to know one another and simply housing one didn’t make her unstoppable.
The sounds of the outsider weapons firing filled his ears, and Zaheer ducked as one of the priests took aim at him. A spear sailed through the air, sending the priest flying backward as his weapon was knocked from his grasp. Zaheer’s father took hold of the shaft and wrenched it free as the male gazed up at him.
“Go! Help Clara!” he shouted.
His mate was still locked in battle with Pumo, each of them trading strikes. Chaos was all around him. Zaheer caught a male in his jaws, crushing his body and shaking him violently before tossing him across the floor. Krunkeeli were spilling into the room, engaging each other in combat. It hurt his heart to know that some of them were battling their own friends and family, but they’d been given no other choice.
“There is no lua!” Pumo shouted. “An outsider will never be one of us.”
A howl from somewhere in the room made his guardian hiss a moment before pain exploded through his chest. Zaheer snatched up another priest, tearing the male’s head from his body as he felt his link with Trogh pulse, then snap. Rage filled him, and Zaheer lunged again, dodging the blast from the end of the weapon aimed at his head. He swung his tail, burying the string into the other male’s neck before turning this attention to Pumo.
He watched as Clara prowled around him, her head lowered and her body coiled, ready to attack. Pumo stumbled backward, attempting to put some distance between them, but his foot caught on Maylu’s body and Clara seized her opportunity, lunging forward and catching Pumo around the throat as he lost his balance.
The High Priest screamed when her teeth punctured his flesh, his arms thrashing wildly as he swung the blade, hitting her cheek and shoulder before she shook him. Zaheer raced toward her, hissing when a bolt of blue light skimmed over the top of his back.
Pumo’s bones cracked and popped as Clara whipped her head back and forth before dropping him to the ground. “That’s for Maylu and for everyone else you’ve hurt.”
His black eyes widened when he saw Zaheer, and nothing more than a gurgle left his mouth. The male who had done so much to separate his people, to enslave them, lay broken and dying on the ground, and even though Zaheer had known him his whole life, he felt nothing but disgust looking down at him now. “We do them a kindness by sending them to their creator.” Zaheer whispered before rearing up and bringing all of his weight down onto Pumo’s chest, crushing the bones with his massive front paws.
It felt like the battle
had raged for oueas, but it had likely only lasted mere minill. Shouts and calls for help went up all around the room and he could hear the pack in his head, taking stock, making sure each of them was accounted for, but Clara was silent. She paced beside Maylu’s body and tilted her head up, letting loose a haunting croon for his fallen packmate. He’d never heard a guardian make that noise before, but it tore at the raw edges of the severed bonds.
The room went silent as Clara sang her melancholic song. Zaheer looked out over the carnage of the room and his gaze immediately locked onto the seer’s milky white eyes. They watched one another for a moment before she bent down to assist one of the Krunkeeli who’d come from the village.
Clara’s high-pitched whine set his guardian on edge and he paced toward her as she nuzzled Maylu’s body, dropping to the ground beside him. When his father approached, a low warning growl vibrated through the air.
“Tsa,” Zaheer said, lowering his head as he stepped closer.
“He’s gone. Maylu’s gone.”
The night before, Clara had told him that she loved him, and it wasn’t until that moment that he really understood and felt her words. He wasn’t the only one she cared for. She’d fallen in love with his pack as well, people she’d barely known. Clara grieved for Maylu, and when Trogh’s body was brought over she grieved for him as well, whining and whimpering as the pack gathered around them.
Zaheer would have chosen his female over all of Inore if he’d had to, but as he curled himself against her side he thanked the goddess for dropping the speckled female into his forest. She’d done far more than change his life. She changed his entire world.
Chapter 29
Clara
They watched quietly as Maylu’s family carefully wrapped his body, encasing him in their webs. His mother and father’s tears tugged at her already broken heart, and Clara swallowed past the lump in her throat as she held back tears of her own. The rhythmic vibrations of drumbeats moved through her, and she glanced to her side when she felt Layla’s hand tighten around hers.
