I saw him, curled up and chained to the wall. His wrists were raw from shackles, though they no longer adorned his arms. I saw the twisted, festering wound on his shoulder and tried not to gag. Maggots were crawling under his skin, making his flesh wiggle.
“Oh God…” My father. The man who had tucked me into bed every night and told me tales of the great wolf king and his son. He’d come back to his people in their time of need, only to be rewarded with this? I felt pressure burn behind my eyes and I shuddered.
“What have they done to you?” I asked no one, knowing this was just a vision, knowing he couldn’t hear me.
I was surprised when his wounded golden eyes burned into mine.
“Kia. You’ve grown up.”
My heart stilled in my chest, then took to hammering out a beat like a drum. I gaped at him and his lips twisted into a wry smile.
“I’m sorry. For everything. You don’t belong here, in my world. I never meant for this to happen. I never thought…” He shook his head, eyes softening. “You’re confused.”
“Uh. Yeah? How can you see me? Hear me? Am I psychic?”
“No, you’re a seer. You’ve inherited the trait from me, I suppose. Another thing that I’m sorry for.” He looked forlorn, then. He ran a hand through his greasy tangles of dark hair, then dropped it to his lap, as if it took too much energy to hold his arm up.
“I’m going to die here. That’s simply how it is.”
I blinked in alarm. “What?” But I knew it was the truth. He’d need intensive care, multiple rounds of antibiotics. The arm might be amputated so it didn’t turn gangrene. I shivered. The smell was enough to make me wonder if it already hadn’t turned.
“What if I get you out of here?”
He shook his head slowly. “No. I’m not the one you have to worry about, Kia.” His eyes darkened.
“Kanzi’s plotting to burn Altehrei to the ground. He claims he has a mastermind behind it, someone from our side working for him. He said that she’s going to burn you out. They want Skoll’s reign to end.”
I saw flashes of red and gold, fire flickering against the wall. I smelled the rich, hot scent of burning wood, and then the sickening smell of burning flesh. I whined hoarse in my throat.
“This is insane…”
I knew he spoke the truth—it resonated within me, like strumming a chord. I wrapped my arms around myself, stepping closer to him. I saw the gleam of white bone, his leg hacked off at the knee and turning black, trailing red lines up his thigh. I swallowed.
“I’m getting you out of here.” My head swam.
He reached up and touched my face, stroking his thumb against my cheek. “Save our people, Kia. That’s all I ask of you. I will die a happy man knowing you’re taking care of them.” He said this without a tear shed. Then he gave me a little shove back.
“Thank you,” he murmured as I stumbled, and as I stumbled, the world faded back to white.
I was shivering with snow clinging to my hair, looking into the frantic blue eyes of Arii. I thought of my father, of his wounds… I knew that he’d probably never make it back alive, no matter how hard I tried. I ground my teeth together and swiped at the tears forming in the corners of my eyes.
“Kia. Please. What’s going on,” she begged as I struggled to sit up, my heart heavy as lead.
Dazed, I glanced around. “I didn’t kill the rabbit.”
“No, and hunting lessons are officially over. Something’s wrong. What happened?”
The flicker of fire warmed my brain, igniting a panic in my heart and soul. I rushed to my feet and wrapped her in my arms, hugging her to me and feeling the way our hearts raced together.
“I promise I’ll tell you later. I have to call a pack meeting, Arii. We have to get back to Altehrei.”
Her only reply was a sharp nod as we switched forms and loped back towards the village.
Relief pounded my heart like a torrential rainstorm as the village—safe and sound—came into view. No smoke, no burning fire. No one was hurt.
I heaved a sigh of relief, but made a beeline for the fire pit. Arii was plastered against my side as I threw my head back and let loose a warbling cry that would get everyone’s attention. This would be the first pack meeting under my reign.
Did I know what I was doing? Hell no.
Was I insane for even bringing this up? Maybe. I was a seer, despite the fact that I had Skoll’s eyes. And let’s face it, most of Altehrei despised wolves with Hati’s Sight, their hatred born from fear. I didn’t want them to fear me or ostracize me, but…
I thought of my father, thought of his desperate need to save the pack with the last of his strength. His pack. My pack. I couldn’t just ignore this vision, even if it meant I became an Omega.
My stomach churned. I sat down and bolstered my courage as people came out of the wood work. I howled once more for good measure, sharp and piercing. When I was sure I had everyone staring at me, I shifted back and found my voice.
“I can’t explain right now, but I’ve been tipped off that Kanzi’s planning a direct attack,” I announced.
People shifted glances back and forth and I saw Tallys push to the front, urgency in his gold eyes. He looked straight at me.
“I’ve got reason to believe that one of our loyal people…is not so loyal.” And Kitane had said she. ‘She’s going to burn you out.’
My gaze landed on Sikta, on her narrowed red eyes, her features indignant and challenging. Despite the fact that she hated me, she couldn’t have been the one playing us. In my visions, Kanzi wanted her and she wasn’t coming to him. He was offering her the chance to be queen. And yet, here she was.
I glanced around, picking out the women in the crowd. Zephyr. Marrie. Rana. I hated to suspect any of them, but even though I didn’t know my father, I felt the need to trust him. He loved his people enough to leave his wife and children behind to save them. I wouldn’t let him down.
“That’s preposterous,” someone said. There was a flurry of hisses and whispers. Among them, I heard conviction that I was becoming paranoid in my short time as king. I shot them a smoldering look, despite my skittering heartbeat. I willed myself to be strong.
“And who exactly dropped the hint?” Tallys demanded.
Damn. My mind scrambled for an answer. “I can’t say. Still, I’d like to up the security around the village, especially around the Den. I want people checking the borders twice a day, picking up scents first hand. Tallys, even you’ve said that Kanzi’s trying to expand his borders.”
“How exactly is this attack going to happen?” Lyra’s voice rose above the others.
“My source thinks someone’s going to burn us out of the village and into the woods.”
Her eyes flickered, widening a little and then quickly narrowing, as if she couldn’t believe it. For a moment, she just stared at me.
Then, with a grim look, she said, “I’ll have security upped. I’ll send out scouts to the boundary lines, have them set up camp. They’re my most loyal people. Sentries will be posted outside the Den. Altehrei won’t be touched under my watch. I vow it.” She bowed and began to bark orders.
I stood back, watching the scene play out as people began to scramble to follow Lyra’s command.
“That is all.” My voice was carried away by the riot. I shook my head as my eyes met Arii’s. She stared at me with such a forlorn look that it crushed my heart.
Pulling away from the pack, I headed over to her, touching her cheek with the palm of my hand. “Arii. It’s going to be alright.” I twined my fingers through hers and together we headed into the forest.
“I’m worried about you…” she whispered finally, burying her face in the side of my neck. I felt her tears hot against my cold skin and hugged her tightly, kissing the top of her head. I just prayed that Kitane’s warning rang true and that we could stop the culprit before something happened.
She twisted out of reach, her eyes flashing with sudden anger. “Tell me what happened. W
hat is happening to you, Kia?” I clamped a hand over her mouth to muffle her outcry, despite the distance between us and the rest of the pack. The forest could have ears.
Hell, maybe I was becoming paranoid…
She growled low and I led her by the elbow deeper into the woods. After a few paces, she yanked on my arm, spinning toward me with heat in her voice.
“Tell me.”
“I don’t know if this will make sense,” I said, letting out my breath in a whoosh of air. “But back in the graveyard, that man—he touched me. He like, opened something in my head, a goddamn can of worms. Hell if I know. But I’ve been…seeing things. Things I shouldn’t be able to see.”
She frowned. “Like what?”
“I saw a woman chased down and murdered by the Rashti, in gory detail. I saw a little boy with blond hair, but I don’t know who he is. I saw Kanzi. He was talking with his pack. I think Kanzi wants Sikta as his queen, because her eyes are red like Astridr’s were in the legends. I think he actually thinks he’s Hati.
“And…today I saw my father. Kanzi’s keeping him as a slave. He’s wounded. Terribly.” I took a deep breath. “He told me someone in our pack was working against us. That someone is going to try and burn the Den to the ground. And that I’m a seer.”
“So he’s still alive?”
“Yeah, well. I think so. For now.”
“Why didn’t you tell me before, Kia?” She backed away from me, wrapping her arms around herself, as if she couldn’t keep warm. I gazed deep into those terribly wounded eyes, into the tears lurking, threatening to overflow.
I groaned and rubbed my face with both hands, turning away from her to take up pacing. “God, Arii. I dunno. Afraid of rejection, I guess? Kanzi was hated because he saw things. I was afraid maybe the pack would exile me or something if they thought I was dangerous.”
“But you have Skoll’s eyes.” Like that made a difference. I was beginning to think that Kanzi, just like Hati, had just been unfortunate enough to be a powerful seer. That maybe it wasn’t the color of their eyes at all that made the difference.
Her hands found my face, stroking my cheeks with her fingers.
“Kia, I would never turn you away. I love you, you idiot. Don’t you realize that?” Tears burst and spilled down her face, diamonds tracing her cold-flushed cheeks. She shook her head, backing away.
“Don’t keep anything else from me. Please, Kia, promise me!” She clenched my hands in hers, kissing the knuckles fervently between her sobs.
“Arii.” I reached for her. She shot me a look and I sighed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know what to do, okay? I was scared. But I promise. No more secrets. That means you too.” I tugged my hands towards me, pulling her to my chest. “No secrets between us from now on. We tell each other the truth.”
I kissed her gently on the lips and a strange light came to her eyes, an almost frenzied, panicked look. Like the cat who got caught harassing the canary, with plans for fine dining on little birdy bones.
“Kia…”
“Hm?” I kissed her again, her lips soft against mine. I slid my tongue across her bottom lip, then nibbled it, drawing a shiver out of her. She squeaked, then pushed away from me, using both hands against my chest. We stood there for a moment, our breaths little puffs of icy air. Another tear streaked down her cheek and I kissed it away. She shook her head.
“No. Kia. Listen. I… I have a secret too. But if I tell you, you have to promise not to get mad. It no longer matters, okay? I love you.” She kissed me again, so feverish that it sent sparks flying across my vision.
When they cleared, I smiled. God, she was beautiful…
“Alright, shoot.”
She looked me in the eyes, then dropped her gaze to our joined hands and her words stopped the air in my lungs. “I came to your world to seduce you.”
Chapter Seventeen
For a moment I just stood there, staring at her. Gaping at her. Jerking back aware, I picked my jaw up off the floor and narrowed my eyes. She squirmed under my gaze, shuffling her feet. Her blue eyes were sorrowful.
“Kia, don’t look at me like that. It’s not what you think,” she said, squeezing my hands. They felt numb in her grip and I slowly pried them away.
“Explain.” My voice was strangely calm. I needed to know what she meant. My reality was quickly spinning out of control.
She wrung her hands together in front of her, but her eyes were pinned on mine.
“When Aliel was born with Hati’s Sight, it threatened to tear my family apart. My father was a well-bred hunter, but he knew the risks when he fell in love with my mom. She had pale eyes, but they just didn’t think it would happen to them; you never think that something bad will happen to you until it does.” She shook her head.
“My mama was frightened—she loved us so much, but Tallys…ever since his mate had been killed, he had become harder. A ticking time bomb. No wolves had been born with Hati’s Sight since Kanzi, and he was determined to keep it that way.
“Mama hid away from Altehrei, on the outskirts of pack territory, afraid that Tallys would find out she’d birthed a pup with Hati’s Sight. She hid Aliel away, while Father and I stayed in the pack, taking her food.
“Tallys eventually found out—he tried to ban our entire family from Altehrei. My father was furious and stood up for us. He and Tallys nearly came to blows and the only thing that kept Tallys from exiling us was the fact that several members of the pack rallied. They threatened to split off again, just like Kanzi had done.
“Tallys finally gave in, but deemed our entire family Omega. He cut Father from the hunting groups and we weren’t allowed to live in the Den. What was worse, Aliel was mocked by people, behind his back and to his face. I watched my happy, forever-smiling baby brother turn into a brooding, backwards pup before he’d turned six.” She frowned.
“Mama died a few years after Aliel was born, leaving us with Father. He tried his damndest to keep us safe, keep us out of harm’s way. He taught us how to hunt and how to craft, how to wield a blade and fight like a wolf. He even schooled us before Kuska stepped forward and took Aliel and me into her class. Tallys didn’t bother us, between Kitane’s efforts to keep the peace and the fact that Father would follow up on his threat to leave and take a chunk of Altehrei with him. We lived an alright life.
“Three years ago, Father died in a Rashti ambush, protecting Al and me. There was no more risk of Father splitting the pack up. Tallys overlooked the bullying, the stares and snaps and barrel rolls of the wolves showing us who was boss. We were the Omegas. I went to Kitane and he stepped in. Things settled down.
“Then, when he was thirteen, Aliel had a crush on a girl. He befriended her, but she turned him down. He was crushed. He became depressed and I got desperate. I wanted to help him, to save us from this life of hardship. I missed our parents so much. We had Kuska; she took us in when Father died, and treated us like her own, but it wasn’t true family. I vowed to protect us, no matter what.”
I took a deep breath. No wonder Kuska took them in—her own son had endured the same hardships, the same frustrations. Did Arii know that Kanzi was Kuska’s son? I shook my head.
“Keep going,” I said, my heart clubbing.
She smiled, her lips a tight, thin line. “Okay. So Kitane disappeared and Sikta wanted to lead the pack. She’d been queen for a short amount of time when she’d been with your uncle, Kaughlin, but she wanted more. Tallys…I dunno. He didn’t want her to lead. Protective of his only child, his only remaining tie to Brennekah. He refused her.
“I overheard him talking about convincing Kitane’s half-blooded son to join Altehrei and lead as king. I did the math—you were my age. And it spawned a plan.” She dropped her gaze to her feet. “I offered my skills, offered to be the one to brave the other side. To bring you home. He refused, said I’d mess it up. I told him I’d go on my own, without help from the pack, and he laughed at me. So I did. I started stalking you at school.
“I thought
that if I could get you to fall in love with me, that maybe you’d follow me back. Sikta’s attack threw a monkey wrench in things, and you saw what we were too early. Desperate, I tried to make things right, but you were wary and rightfully so.
“I thought that if you loved me, when you were crowned king, you’d make me your mate. Kuska told me the only way an Omega could rank up in the pack was by taking a higher-class mate, and Alpha I just couldn’t beat. I didn’t want to rule—I just wanted my brother’s life to be easier. To give him a chance to love someone without being judged.”
“So you came to my side… and toyed with me? The kisses we shared? Were those just a lie?” I could still feel the heat of her lips on my mouth from our kiss only moments ago. My heart felt bruised, like it was being pressed in a vice and slowly but surely was turning black and blue.
Her cheeks turned pink. “I know it sounds bad. Yeah, it started out that way, but I felt a kinship with you. I felt safe with you. I even pondered staying behind, on your world, to enjoy my time there with you, just another human. There was nothing to go back to if you didn’t come home with me… Except Aliel. I had to go back for him. You told me you wanted to stay, and I respected that, I swear. Saying goodbye was the hardest thing I ever had to do. You already had your hooks in my heart, even though I knew there was no way I could ever make you love me enough to leave your home behind.” She took a shaky breath in, pressing her eyes shut.
“And then they brought you over to our world, beyond your will. And I realized I was in love with you when you accused me of being involved and it hurt.”
“This hurts,” I said, pounding my hand against my chest. “I was just, what? A conquest? You claimed you loved me, Arii…”
“I did! I do!” she cried, backing away like I’d just slapped her across the face. She fought for control, biting her lip and I saw her teeth sharpen, razors against her flesh. Blood beaded. “Please, Kia. I do love you. I swear. I want to make this right, please. Let me make it up to you. I love you. I need you.”
Wolfsong Page 17
