by Jade White
“The Teal Warriors.” Gravestone nodded solemnly. “They are a strong, solid pack, with lots of good fighters.”
“You think they’ll want to help us when they’re already in danger?” Peace scoffed.
Miera glowered at him. Did the man care anything at all for ensuring everyone’s safety? Was he even part jaguar? “We could help each other,” she said testily.
“How?” Her father crossed his arms, staring down his almost hawk-like nose at her. Thank goodness she’d inherited her mother’s dainty nose.
“Why, by combining our packs,” Miera said easily, hinting that the thought should have already occurred to them all.
“How?” her father repeated, but she could see the dawn lighting in his eyes, and he was nodding as she added:
“Marriage. Through marriage.”
“And who will be getting married?” the alpha asked.
As if he didn’t already know where she was going with this.
“Me.” She jerked a thumb to her chest. “I’ll marry their heir. Our packs will be united then, and we can help each other stand against the Brutal Claws.”
It wasn’t something she actively wished for—a marriage arranged for her simply so that the pack might survive instead of based on love or even just affection—but she would marry the moon if it would help her people.
Her father put it to a vote. Everyone was in favor. While that didn’t surprise her, it made the realization that she would soon be wed a lot more real.
Miera gulped. Going to the chapel…
CHAPTER TWO
Beric was perfectly fine with turning over the sewage drainage issue to Lukas, but his new assignment wasn’t one he relished either.
I should be helping to fortify our defenses, not going off to talk to someone from the Blood Roses. The pack in question was more than double in size than their own at five hundred, but they were different than most were-jaguar packs. For one thing, while they had an alpha, they were ruled by a council. For another, they tended toward peace and would not kill more animals than they needed to feed their people. Not that the Teal Warriors killed recklessly, but sometimes it was important to hunt, to remain sharp, to hone their fighting prowess. Now more than ever.
But when his father told Beric to do something, he had no choice but to obey. His father was also his alpha. There was nothing else to be done but to go and see this Matthias guy.
Of course, the Blood Roses had chosen a meeting locale much closer to his pack than that of the Teal Warriors’. Even more wonderfully, it was high up on a mountain, meaning Beric had to climb.
As he started his ascent, however, he realized he didn’t quite mind the time away from his home. The chance to spread his legs was welcome, and with each step, he could feel some of his worries melt away. If only he could shed this form in favor of his jaguar form and race up the mountain to the cave in no time.
But the sun was beating down on him, and he couldn’t risk being seen. Humans didn’t know about were-jaguars, and the weres weren’t interested in that changing any time soon. Humans were too prone toward fear, which in turn made them too prone toward violence. In a way, they were even worse than the Brutal Claws.
The sun reached its apex by the time Beric entered the cave Matthias had instructed would be their meeting location. A fire was lit, the smoke billowing out of the entrance. Inside, he found a tall, thin man turning a chunk of meat over the flames. The scent of charred meat filled Beric’s nose. His stomach rumbled, and his mouth watered.
“I thought the climb might make you hungry.” The man who must be Matthias grinned. “It’ll be done soon. You must be Beric.”
“I am, Matthias.”
“Good, good. We can talk after we eat.”
The deer was delicious, and Beric ate more than he probably should have. Matthias had also brought up a skin of wine that they quickly drained. It felt good, almost relaxing, to enjoy this meal, but in some way, it also felt like a farewell meal too, which set Beric ill at ease.
The Blood Warrior eyed him after the finished their meal. “You are the alpha’s son?”
“Yes.”
“The heir to the Teal Warriors?”
“Yes,” Beric repeated. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall of the cave. The floor wasn’t that uncomfortable, or maybe the wine was helping with that. As a rule, he did like nature, but he would almost always prefer his bed to a cave.
Matthias nodded. “I am the son of our alpha.”
“You’re the heir?” With the Blood Roses, that meant a seat on the council. The most important seat, yes, but the alpha still had to listen to the majority, at least from what Beric had been told. It seemed like such a strange way to run things. Packs were fiercest when led by a strong alpha.
Then again, if the alpha was weak, a council might help save that pack.
“No. I have an older sister. She’s the heir.”
Interesting. Female alphas were not completely unheard of, but they were still rare. Beric didn’t care if he had a girl or a boy first. His firstborn would be heir.
“Why did you wish to meet me?” Beric asked.
“I have a few more questions for you before we get to that, if that’s all right?”
Beric nodded. Sure, fine. Maybe drinking so much wine hadn’t been smart, but he felt loose, easy going. He’d go with the flow. For now.
“Are you mated?”
Beric coughed and pounded a fist into his chest. Not where he had expected this to be going at all. “No.”
“Engaged?”
He shook his head.
The Blood Rose’s face was blank as he asked each question. “Do you think you’ll make a good alpha?”
Beric opened his mouth but hesitated. Something made him want to speak honestly. “I don’t know. It’s something I want to be obviously. When my time comes, I will try hard to be a good one, yes.”
“Fair enough. What are your hobbies?”
“What is this?” Beric blurted out. His head was swimming from trying to figure out where this was going. “Twenty questions? To what end? What do you want from me?”
“I don’t want anything.” Matthias appraised him. “It’s my sister who does.”
“The heir of the Blood Roses.” Something clicked into place. “The Brutal Claws are coming after you guys, too.”
“Yes, they are. We—our council—thought that maybe a union between our packs—”
“You mean a marriage between me and your sister.” Beric was careful to keep his tone neutral and his face a mask.
“Yes. It would strengthen us both against the Brutal Claws.”
Beric watched the other were-jaguar for a long moment. Matthias tried to give off a calming presence, but his fingers were tapping against his leg and his gaze never stopped moving. He’s anxious. Worried. Maybe even terrified.
“How many have you lost so far?” Beric asked quietly.
“Even one is too many.” Matthias lifted his chin. “If you were alpha, wouldn’t you want to do all you could to save your people, to give them their best chance at survival?”
“Yes,” Beric answered immediately. He couldn’t deny that.
“Then will you consider my sister’s proposal?”
Something in his tone made Beric guess, “This was her idea.”
“It was. She is a strong were-jaguar. She’s fierce and loyal, and she will do anything for her people.”
Including marrying a stranger. Beric should be willing to do the same.
“What is her name?” he asked.
“Miera.” Matthias pulled out his cell from his pocket. After fooling with it for a moment, he slid the phone across the ground to Beric.
He picked it up and examined the photo. Not the best quality, but the woman shown was beautiful. Her hair was red and fiery, her eyes wild, wide, and a reddish gold color, and her smile was so infectious he found himself smiling down at her.
Reluctantly, he slid the phone back to its owner. “I woul
d have to talk with my father first before I can make a decision.”
“Of course.”
“And I would like to meet her first as well.”
“Understood.”
Beric stood. “If you would follow me back to my camp, I can introduce you to my father. If he gives the go ahead, we can set up a meeting immediately.”
“That sounds good to me.”
They dismantled the fire and headed back to the Teal Warriors. Several were working hard on the fences, but still, Beric felt like more should be out there, himself included. Even after the fence was fixed, would he be able to relax any? He doubted it.
Beric presented Matthias to his father in their calling room. His father appraised the Blood Rose as he explained the purpose of the meeting. The alpha sat at the square table, his hands flat on the table. “Your sister did not come to ask my son’s hand herself. Why?”
“Because not all packs are good ones,” Matthias said frankly. He had remained standing, and so had Beric. “The council would not want her to merge our pack with someone who could one day grow to become another alpha like the one running the Brutal Claws, and they sent me here to see for myself what kind of were-jaguars you are.”
“Admirable or cowardice?” His father turned to Beric. “What do you think?”
What a question. He peeked at Matthias. The other were-jaguar did not seem upset about the inquiry at least. “Admirable. It is never a bad thing to be cautious.”
“Being cautious can be good,” his father said begrudgingly, “but it can also mean that you are moving too slowly. Matthias, if you will, I would like a moment to speak with my son in private.”
Matthias nodded, almost bowing his head, and exited the room.
“I will do it,” Beric said before his father could say anything.
His father snorted. “Because he showed you a picture of how beautiful she is.”
Beric blinked. “You know her?”
“Of course. You already met her yourself, although you were only three at the time and she a baby.” His father shook his head disapprovingly.
He felt like a fool. Of course his father would want to know all of the alphas of the nearby packs. That should come as no surprise. At least his father hadn’t been so condescending while Matthias had been in the room.
“Do you think this is a wise move?” His father’s stare was watching, already judging him.
As if this were a test.
“Of course it is,” Beric said smoothly.
“Why do you think so?” His father’s tone made it impossible to tell what his father thought.
“We need the numbers. Even with the Blood Roses, we’re still outnumbered. The Brutal Claws have nearly three times the amount of our packs combined. If they were to send even half of their force at us, the Teal Warriors would be slaughtered. Yes, we’d kill some, but it wouldn’t matter. They will just find another pack that is more to their liking and who would be willing to join them to replace those we might kill.”
“The Brutal Claws. A more apt name for a pack there isn’t.” His father stood and walked over to the window. “Andreas the Bloodthirsty is what they call their alpha. Again, apt. They say he killed a human when he was just five. Pushed a man from the roof of a five-story building. He killed his first were-jaguar at seven. A blade to the gut while the man was sleeping. Every month since, or so they say, he’s killed someone. Some say he’s pure berserker, like the ones from the olden days.”
“Berserker?” Beric shook his head. That race was said to have been the one from which all different were races had first evolved: jaguars, wolves, lions, bears… “But they could be any animal they wished. Andreas the Bloodthirsty is only a were-jaguar.”
“But he has their bloodlust, the craving for flesh, the need for blood. Yes, we must do everything we can to keep our pack safe. Fleeing is not an option.”
Beric wasn’t one to scare easily, but he shuddered. Two years ago, a severely wounded man by the name of Henry Lunar had reached their camp. He and the rest of his pack had tried to flee from the might of the Brutal Claws. They had only marched for two days when they had been slaughtered. Only Henry had gotten away… for whatever good it did him, as he died that same night.
They aren’t jaguars. They’re monsters.
“Fleeing isn’t our style.” Despite the seriousness of their conversation, Beric grinned. “We are warriors after all.”
“Yes. Heavily outnumbered warriors, as you already pointed out. I’m glad you are willing to do this for our pack. I do not know much about Miera personally, but a union like this would help us both.”
Help, yes, but would it be enough? Only time would tell.
CHAPTER THREE
It was ridiculous how nervous Miera felt. It wasn’t as if this was her wedding day. No, just the day I meet the man I will one day marry, though.
Her brother wrinkled his nose when she stepped out of her room.
“What?” she asked, not appreciating his expression.
Matthias shook his head and sighed. “You’re wearing that?”
She glanced down. Black pants, a gray tank top, neither tight. She preferred somewhat loose clothing so she could move easily move. Having movement restricted meant slower reaction time, and with things being dangerous, she couldn’t risk being anything but her quickest.
“Yes, I’m wearing this.” She crossed her arms, daring him to suggest she change.
He sighed again, a deep, heavy sound. Her younger brother was wearing nicer clothes than she had seen him wear lately, a blue suit that suited his fair skin. No tie, at least, but still fancy, and he made her look even plainer.
“You’re the one who looks like he’s on a date,” she teased.
Matthias flushed. “I do not—”
“Think you’ll see Sierra along the way?”
“S-Sierra? No. No. I don’t know—”
“Oh, please. You know you love her.”
His amber eyes bulged. “Love?” he croaked. “We’ve known each other forever and—”
“Yes, but when she left to go and be a ward of another pack to see about being allies down the road, she had been a scrawny girl of ten. Now she’s returned, and she’s all woman, as I’m sure you noticed.” She nudged her elbow into his gut.
“It’s too bad the Jeweled Ones have decided to relocate.”
“Across the country. Pennsylvania.” Miera sniffed. “Who wants to go there?”
“They figure the Brutal Claws will never go that far east. Plus, the Brutal Claws haven’t looked in their direction. It would have only been a matter of time, so maybe they were smart to—”
“To run away like cowards.” Miera rolled her eyes.
Other packs had resisted the Brutal Claws before. The result had always been the same: the utter destruction of those packs. The only other option was to join the Brutal Claws on their quest for rampage. Many opted for that choice, and they became as brutal and harsh as the original members of the pack in short order.
Running wasn’t an option for them. Not after the blood that had already been shed. Plus, the Brutal Claws would hunt them down should they show signs of leaving. That would definitely provoke them into action.
“Well, we should be going.”
“We?” Miera shook her head. “No. I’m going alone.”
“But—”
“But nothing,” she said firmly. “You go and get reacquainted with the lovely Sierra.”
“I can’t—”
“You can, and you will.”
“But—”
“No buts,” she said firmly, putting her hands on his shoulders and shoving him forward. “Go. Now.”
He glanced back a few times but did as she bid.
Good. She didn’t want an audience for this. It was bad enough she hadn’t been able to propose to the were-jaguar herself, that Matthias had done it for her. The council had agreed to her marriage idea, but they hadn’t thought she should be the one to deliver it to Beri
c, as she had learned was the name of the heir of the Teal Warriors. “Too dangerous,” they had said. “Where would we be without you?”
As if she was irreplaceable. No one were-jaguar meant that much to the Blood Roses. They were like a massive bush. All of the roses were beautiful, so long as they were nearby and close to each other, sharing water and light and roots. A single rose would not make or break a bush.
In the end, she had relented despite worrying Beric would think less of her for not seeking him out personally. Her brother had assured her that Beric seemed like a competent enough were-jaguar, but considering they had only spent an hour together, how well could her brother really know anything about Beric?
What did he look like, her future husband? What was he like? Would he listen to her, heed her advice, or would he think he knew best? The few were-jaguars she had met from other packs had all been rather misogynistic. Not all packs viewed females as equals to males, although there were a few packs with female alphas. That they, the Blood Roses, were ruled by a council headed by an alpha was even rarer.
Beric would need to be made a member of the council. Will he want to expand it, to add more Teal Warriors? That seemed only fair. There was so much to consider, so many changes that might happen as a result of their union, but would it be enough to save them from the destructive horde that was the Brutal Claws?
There wasn’t anything else she could think of, no other plan. There were other packs in the vicinity, but they were smaller ones, not even numbering one hundred. They might be lost in the shuffle, small enough to be overlooked by the Brutal Claws, but the Blood Roses were already on their radar. I hate them.
It was a long drive to reach the Teal Warriors. Miera rolled down her window as she drove up to the fence. Two were-jaguars opened the gate before she could even introduce herself, but then, they were expecting her.
The one closest to the driver’s side approached her. “You can park right here.” He gestured to the parking lot behind him. “I will escort you to Beric.”
“And you are…” She couldn’t help pursing her lips. Yes, they had anticipated her arrival, but this was ridiculous. Were they all so lax about everything? The fence was solid steel and rather tall, but it could be breached. Maybe this was a mistake. If the Teal Warriors weren’t taking enough precautions, they wouldn’t be able to help the Blood Roses against the Brutal Claws. They needed to have a solid plan, one that took precautions into consideration. Maybe it wasn’t too late to back out.
