Suffer the Knight

by B. A. Stretke

  "I've withdrawn the citation to the Council, but the letter to my Alpha has already been received and will be addressed by him," Kai admitted to overreacting without actually admitting to it. The gorgeous dragon watched and accessed his every move, his every word. It was unnerving not in its scrutiny, but its intensity. Kai had never met a man who unnerved him the way this man did.

  "I am Jude Adair, and I express regret for the behavior of my brother Grey. Our intent was to apologize for the destruction of your property and to make restitution, and that continues to be our intent." His words were firm but not angry or bullying. He was a man doing a job, and that fact seemed to upset Kai's wolf. Kai found his voice and tone very pleasing but forced himself not to dwell on his reaction or that of his wolf. But concern over its meaning was building within him.

  Jude was impressed that the wolf immediately made it clear that he’d retracted his complaint to the Council. It took a big man to back down even if he knew he was in the wrong. It was more than Jude had expected from the isolated yet hot-tempered man.

  "I accept your apology and accept the restitution, as stated by your brother, who was here before if it still stands," Kai stated. Jude shifted from one foot to the other as he studied the man standing before him. He was not argumentative or unreasonable and clearly in a big hurry to have this over with.

  He scared Kai but not in the usual way that Jude expected. He was a rough-looking character, and many tended to give him room rather than confront, and he was used to that sort of reception and fed into it. But Kai wasn't afraid of him he so to speak, it was more a sense of uncertainty that made him tense. He wasn't threatened, he was worried, Jude could see it in his eyes, and in the posture, he was taking.

  He wanted the matter resolved, and he wanted everyone to go away. Jude felt his uneasiness as the emotions Kai was experiencing touched him. The fact that he was tuning into this wolf so acutely confounded him, but perhaps it was simply the intensity of the emotions. As Grey had described, the scents were muted, and the wolf came through just subtly, if it weren't for the man's agitation, Jude would probably scent nothing at all.

  "Our original offer still stands, and I am authorized by the King to include an additional five acres to the East of your property in the restitution package. The paperwork will be completed and given to you by week's end." It was supposed to be a last resort offer, but the wolf's anxiety was getting the best of Jude, and he wanted to give him something to show he had nothing to fear from them. The sudden shock by being given such a gift shown clearly in the wolf's expression.

  “That is very generous of your King.” He said with a tinge of disbelief.

  "We don't want to fight with you, Kai. We want to be good neighbors even though we sometimes get carried away in our activities. We will strive to take into consideration your proximity and show the proper respect to you and your property.” Jude took a tentative step closer, the need to get a proper lung full of this man was pushing him. But Kai saw the move and took a corresponding step back.

  Kai stared at him, wordlessly for a few moments before nodding. "Thank you and thank your King." He said, and Jude took the opportunity to step forward, not too close and reach out his hand. The man could not refuse a handshake following such an agreement; to do so could be construed to be offensive.

  Kai looked at the hand and slowly raised his own and against his better judgment took the offered hand in his and held it just for a moment, but it was long enough for him to know the truth. The truth he tried to deny since first laying eyes on the handsome Viking warrior. He pulled away and quickly turned back toward his house. "I have things to attend to." He said as he rushed away. This couldn't be happening to him, not now, not with that man.

  He could feel the dragon's eyes on him, assessing and scrutinizing once again, and he desperately wanted to turn around, but he focused on the cottage and kept moving. The sooner he was inside, the sooner the pull would be less, and he could compose himself.

  Jude watched as the man hurried away from him as if being too close was uncomfortable. He wasn't familiar with Kai Becket, so he wasn't sure if this was unusual behavior or not, but it did feel odd. He watched until the man disappeared inside his little home, and then Jude turned and went back to his vehicle. The limited interaction left him feeling anxious and unsettled as if something important were being missed.

  He sat in his SUV for a few minutes and stared at the small cottage and the surrounding grounds and forest. Kai had made a fine home for himself here nestled at the base of this mountain. According to Lyle, he inherited it from his father, who died many years ago. Jude wondered what it was that pushed such a nice-looking young wolf to isolate himself even from his own pack.

  "Not my business." He said with force as he pulled out of the drive and headed to his home on top of the mountain. He drove slowly while his instincts refused to let go of the dusty blond wolf living on the edge of his mountain. He was handsome, but that wasn't what spoke to Jude, there was something else there beneath the tension and attitude that needed his attention. But he couldn’t put his finger on what it was. It would bother him until he figured it out.

  …

  Kai went straight to the kitchen and started splashing cold water on his face over and over, trying to get his heart and his mind back under control. His wolf was fighting hard and not at all pleased to stand down in the face of this discovery. He reached up and grabbed the dishtowel and dried his face while leaning back against the counter.

  His fingers found the small golden medallion that hung around his neck. It was a gift from his father when they moved to the mountain. He said it would keep Kai safe and keep the outside world away. It hid his scent and allowed him to appear human to everyone who did not know him. The dragons could not be fooled though, they scented his wolf early on, but even they could not fully determine who he was, just that he was part wolf.

  Jude Adair scented more than his wolf, it was there in his eyes as he kept studying Kai and looking deeper and deeper. Kai stayed back and left as soon as was appropriate, but he feared the damage was done when they clasped hands. His wolf touched Jude's dragon, and there was recognition, Kai had felt it, but Jude seemed uncertain concentrating on the aroma rather than the aura. If Jude knew the truth, he would not have let Kai walk away, so maybe he was safe, for now.

  Dragons were the apex of the supernatural world, beasts who answered to no one but their own leaders. They followed the rules of the paranormal world only because they chose to not because they had to. Their generosity today was beyond Kai's expectations, but he'd been taught from an early age to trust no one, especially powerful paranormals. He could not succumb to this man, this mighty dragon.

  Jude Adair, Viking warrior, Second Knight of the Dragon King was his mate. There was nothing more powerful than a dragon; there was nothing more powerful than Jude. He would not lose himself to such a man, he would not be controlled or owned by the Dragon Circle. His father warned him about mates and the improbability of love. It was simply obsession, debilitating obsession, and rarely involved love. He would not become the plaything of a Dragon Knight.

  Thank goodness he still wore the medallion; otherwise, he would probably already be marked and claimed as the Knight's unwilling concubine. He had no defenses against a dragon, and he doubted anyone would support him in his desire to stay single and solitary, considering mates trumped everything in the paranormal world.

  He scoffed at the thought because there was nothing magical about mates, it was just hormonal, nothing special. He had to keep this secret, and he had to stay far away from Jude Adair.

  …

  "How did it go?" Duncan asked as Jude walked into the expansive living room. Duncan and Lyle were cozy on the loveseat while Rafe and his mate Noah sat together in the oversized recliner. Grey was on a chair near the fire, and Locke was standing at the far end of the room, looking out the large picture windows. That man was always on patrol, always keeping an eye out for trouble; it was h
is nature.

  "He accepted our offer," Jude said and took a seat next to Grey, who shot him a playful sneer at word of his success. Jude just laughed. "Next time, try a little patience and understanding." Jude mocked.

  “I hope there never is a next time where our wolf neighbor is concerned. Out of sight and out of mind forever.” Grey stated.

  "Next time, send Jude first," Rafe interjected.

  "I'm with Grey on this, I hope there is no next time," Duncan added his two cents. "Did he settle for Grey's offer, or did you sweeten it with the acreage?" He asked.

  "He drove a hard bargain," Jude told him while avoiding eye contact. "I had to offer the land which he accepted. He's already retracted his complaint to the Council, but apparently, the letter to his Alpha has already been received so that cannot be retracted."

  “So, what does that mean?” Locke spoke up as he turned from the window to regard the room.

  "It means Duncan will be getting a call because the Alpha has to address a grievance once it is received regardless of whether or not it is still valid," Jude explained further. "But the matter is resolved, so it shouldn't amount to much."

  "What did you think of Mr. Kai Becket?" Grey glanced over with mischief in his eyes. "Quite the enigma, wouldn't you say. Strong, handsome, relatively intelligent for a wolf, and yet he hides away isolated and alone on the side of our mountain."

  "I'm sure he has his reasons, and it's only been our mountain for a few years, so he probably still views it as his own," Jude commented lightly, not sure how he really felt about the wolf.

  "We'll give him time to adjust but, in the end, we will defend what is ours," Duncan affirmed and then made eye contact with all his brothers making sure everyone understood.

  “He fears the wall.” Jude let drop.

  "You're not really going to wall him off from the rest of the mountain, are you Duncan?" It was Lyle who made the plea. As his Royal Consort, Lyle was the only one who could question King Duncan so openly and in such a manner.

  "If he pushes us again, I will wall him off." Duncan declared, and everyone nodded, but no one commented. When the King lays down the law, it is final. Jude just hoped that Kai did not decide to push them again.

  He was aware that the threat of the wall was a huge impetus for Kai to negotiate and work out a solution to their difficulties. He agreed to everything too quickly and gave no opposition because he was worried. The wall would affect his property, his livelihood, and his life by cutting him off from the flow of wildlife and nature, not to mention proper sunlight depending upon how high Duncan built the thing.

  Kai's twenty acres or rather twenty-five acres wasn't much, and to be walled off from the mountain proper could suffocate the land and also the man. He found himself caring about the man much more than he should be. Kai Becket was an adult and could make his own decisions. Kai Becket was not Jude's problem.

  "What's on your mind, Jude?" Duncan had clearly noticed Jude's internal battle with thoughts of the wolf.

  "There's something about Kai Becket that has my dragon on edge. I got the impression today that he was hiding something besides the obvious issues we're having." He tried to explain as best he could since he wasn't sure what it was he actually felt.

  “What do your instincts tell you?” Duncan asked.

  "I should keep on him and dig further." Jude smiled at his brother. "I could be simply coloring the man with suspicion because he's a wolf, and I don't trust him."

  "Do you believe that?" Rafe interjected, and Jude shook his head. "My dragon is watchful and curious in a way that beckons me to investigate." Jude then turned to address Grey, who was presently poking the fire and adding more logs as if he were not listening, but Jude knew better.

  “What do you know about Mr. Kai Becker?” He asked.

  Grey sat back down and turned to him before responding. “Clan Keith has a thick file on him. They’ve been trying to buy his land for years now and have done some extensive background on the man.”

  “Anything interesting?” Jude prompted.

  "Plenty, but rather than me highlighting it here, I'll send you the file, and you can read it at your leisure." Grey smiled and then went back to tending the fire. "I skimmed it and didn't find anything that alerted me or that I thought would make him a problem beyond the pain in the ass he has become." Jude chuckled as did Rafe.

  "Dig further, Jude, and report back to me," Duncan told him, and Jude nodded. "Your instincts are always spot on, don't doubt them. Find out what bothers you about the wolf, and if he's trouble, take care of it." Duncan leaned over and kissed the top of his mate's head and pulled him closer. "Our people are new to this land and getting adjusted. We have a strong and fruitful future ahead of us, and we don't need trouble resting on our doorstep."

  "Yes, sir." Part of Jude wished he'd taken greater care to keep his thoughts to himself. He really didn't get the sense that Kai was a danger to them but rather that he was hiding something about himself. People have a right to their privacy, but Jude believed whatever Kai was hiding involved Jude; otherwise, his dragon would not have reacted as he did.

  The inhibitor that Kai was using most definitely played a role in Jude’s confusion. If he could remove that block to his senses, all about Kai would be revealed to him. The file Clan Keith put together might give him a clue as to the substance or rather magic that Kai is using. The questions in his mind just kept nagging at him.

  He knew he would wrestle with this until he figured it out, so he might as well get started on the file Grey sent him. He excused himself as did Grey and Locke, letting the mated couples have the comfort and romance of the main room to themselves.

  "I'll do surveillance on the wolf tonight and let you know what I see," Locke said over his shoulder as he headed out the back door.

  "Thanks," Jude said, and with a nod, Locke was gone. Jude continued up to this bedroom, which was a sprawling space because he hated being cooped up. It was easily twice the size of the wolf's little cottage. Kai wasn't a small man, but he seemed content with the little structure with its flowers and greenery. Was he content or just complacent, Jude wondered? Kai didn't look happy or at ease, and it wasn't all about the property damage or Grey's harassment.

  Kai's attitude and personality seemed in contrast to the calm and subtle beauty that he surrounded himself with. In many ways, the suppressed and edgy fire in his eyes did not fit with his environment. Perhaps that anomaly was what had Jude's dragon concerned; he would find out as his King had commanded.

  He settled down at his desk and opened the file on his computer; possibly this would provide him answers.

  …

  Kai gave up trying to sleep and got up for the day at four. Usually, his day started around six with coffee on the porch, but the sun had not started to rise yet, so he opted to sit at his kitchen table and ponder the implications of yesterday's discovery. He thought he could just forget once the dragon had left but that was not the case at all.

  His wolf yearned deeply for the dragon, pushing to get free and seek out his mate. The medallion kept Jude from recognizing him but did nothing to lessen the drive he felt to be with the dragon. Kai wondered if Jude was feeling anything or if the lack of scent has kept him disconnected from the truth.

  Kai struggled with how that made him feel. His father was adamant that mates were a bad deal and were to be avoided and denied. His mother served as a terrible example for that belief. His father said they were mates, but she had no desire to be loyal or true and he said that the legend of fidelity was a lie.

  She ran off with the first man with money who happened along, according to his father. Last Kai had heard they were part of a pack up in Montana. He never wanted to suffer the way his father suffered and became so angry and detached, no he would never give in to the obsession of a mate. He shuttered to think about how he would be treated by a dragon mate.

  When the sun started peaking over the hills, he stepped out onto his porch with his coffee and sat down.
The morning air was full of scents and sounds that eased his mind and comforted his soul for a few minutes until his wolf began to search the air for his mate.

  …

  Jude was up early and dressed, waiting for Locke in the kitchen with coffee and cinnamon toast, Locke's favorite. He'd spent a good portion of last night going over the file on Kai Becket, and still, he didn't have a clear understanding of the man or his motivations. He hoped that Locke overheard or observed something that would make sense of the feelings he was having for this solitary wolf.

  According to the information the Keith's had gathered, Kai moved to the property with his father after his parents split. Kai was about four at the time. He lived there with his father until he died about fifteen years ago. Kai left for a couple of years but then returned and has lived there ever since. The Keith’s believe it was the interest that the dragons were showing in his property that prompted him to return.

  Locke arrived just after seven, and they sat together silently, having coffee and toast before getting to the purpose of their meeting. "Something is weighing heavy on him." Locke began. "He was up and down all night and finally got up around four and stayed up. He appeared bothered, agitated, going by his expressions and demeanor." He took a sip of his coffee before continuing.

  "He sat at his kitchen table, staring off into nothing for over an hour before moving out to the front porch once the sun started to rise. He's a troubled man, but I didn't get any insight into what's troubling him." Locke stated and finished the last of his toast in one bite.

  "Did he contact anyone? Was he alone the entire night?" Jude blurted the questions, not sure why he needed to know if Kai had been with another, but he had to know.