For me, it’s an entirely different issue. For everyone who ever told me while I was growing up that I wasn’t going to amount to anything or possess the moral integrity of those who grew up in “better, stable homes,” I’ve been all the more determined to live by an inflexible ethical code. It’s imperfect, formed around my needs and ideals as a witch, but I do my best to live up to it. Lying is a big sticking point for me. Secrecy is one thing and goes hand in hand with being a witch, but intentional dishonesty eats at me. Still, Jinx has a point and I hold my tongue for the time being.
Arawl is watching us now, his green eyes narrowed. Jinx holds up his hands and steps away, but the look on Arawl’s lupine face is suspicious as if we were plotting something. I cross my arms over my chest impatiently and cock an eyebrow. His fur bristles slightly at my aggressive posture and it seems that everyone in the room freezes, their eyes swinging between us until finally Arawl snorts and shoves away from the table. I swear I can almost hear a collective sigh of relief, although I am not sure what exactly they were expecting. I hardly believe he would have attacked me.
Then again, dominance displays can get pretty aggressive among wolves. Who’s to say it’s not the same among werewolves? I shiver as the thought slides over me insidiously. It is plausible that dominance displays would be an important part of maintaining social order within a society of aggressive predators. In which case, perhaps it was a near thing. My entire body is hyperaware of his presence with that thought as he slides behind me. I remain still, a scowl fixed to my face, but my muscles and skin are taut in preparation for anything, and a trickle of sweat beads down my back as he pauses to sniff the back of my neck.
Finally, he moves away and heads toward the door while the rest of his boys hurry after him, each of them careful to not so much as graze me as they pass. I can feel his eyes on me as he waits impatiently by the front door. Jinx pulls up beside me, his hands shoved in his pockets and a lopsided smile on his face.
“Damn, I was almost worried for a moment there. Crazy thing to go challenging a dominant male. And you say I’m the one who likes to live dangerously?” He chuckles and shakes his head. “Still... I would put my money on you if it came right down to it, at least until he made you eat crow. Then I would have still stuck around to scrape you off the floor after he got his point across.”
I turn my scowl on my best friend. “Awesome. Thank you so very much, Jinx.”
He smirks and ambles by as I pick my pride off the floor. I know I must stink with fear, but I still keep my head up as I swing my pack onto my back and meet Arawl’s gaze with a cool glance. His ears turn toward me, and I suspect that he is trying to feel out my change in temperament. I give him a toothy smile.
“Let’s go get this shit settled so I can get back to my life.”
He flattens his ears and bares his fangs subtly, silently bidding me to check my tone. Not that I give a fuck. Still, it makes my skin quiver with... something. No, I don’t think I would have cared to have my submission enforced.
Chapter 8
Arawl
Ana tests my patience. She has a volatile temper that would fit in among the most assertive females among the tribe, and yet has iron self-control that is rare to see. My oldest brothers who lead the tribe rarely bother with it, though they need to learn it the most.
I grimace at the thought of Baru and Falo. Neither is fond of humans. I dread the merciless treatment that Ana will have to endure from them until we are able to leave. She will not receive help from any corner other than mine and maybe Eral who, as an enforcer, has been known to force our brothers to behave more reasonably when their antics get out of hand. I keep wishing that he would challenge Baru for leadership, but he never does. On a whole, no one dares to interfere with the alphas. Especially not the prime alpha, Baru.
Not that Falo is an easy male to deal with either. Although Falo is often introduced to those outside our tribe as the beta, the truth is more complicated. The tribe is ruled over by a pair of brothers bred from the prime alpha. Falo may be considered the “beta” of the tribe in a more general sense in that he plays as beta to Baru, but he is not a true beta, not like Rashi is. Rashi, only one among a number of true betas within the tribe, occasionally needs correcting for being a bit of a dick to the omegas at times, but he is generally a good male who protects those weaker than him like most betas will do. My older brother doesn’t belong among their number. He submits to no one but Baru and is capable of being equally cruel in his displays of dominance, much to the shame of our ancestors.
Baru particularly enjoyed tormenting me as a kit for my stark white coat because it made me easily visible as a target for their bullying. Thankfully, this last season they’ve left me alone when I reached another maturity cycle as an adult, my white coat dulling to a pale silver and my body filling out to its full imposing size. I faced all the challenges placed before me by the elders and succeeded at every one to prove myself as an adult male of thirty seasons. I have no doubt that if it becomes necessary, I will be able to hold my own against my brothers to protect my female until we can get our situation resolved.
I definitely don’t want them to know what I have planned. As much as they dislike humans, I’m afraid that their passion for cruelty would make them desire to see us forever tied together for their amusement. To make matters worse, if they wanted to exert their will against us, we would receive no help from the tribe if we went against their orders with the backing of the elders. I am still uncertain of what emergency I can invent that will send us traveling north through the territories, cutting close to the Warue border. Since our battle with them the season before, with the aid of the troll kingdom and the orc chieftain, we have heard little from the other werewolf tribe. Certainly not enough to demand we scout our northern borders.
As much as I dislike the thought, we will have to wait in the tribal village until an opportunity presents itself.
I cast a sidelong look at Ana as her small frame moves swiftly beside the larger one of Jinx. They follow close behind. A couple of unfamiliar betas who’ve joined my carousing companions on this visit to the human realm watch Jinx with increasing hostility. I bristle, my hackles rising. I have no love for the male, but he is clearly under my protection. That they would dare makes bile rush in my throat. It is only a small relief that I am not the only one who notices their unpleasant behavior. My friends have also distanced themselves from them.
I am not even sure who invited them to join our company. I glance at Rashi but he shakes his head. Despite his cunning mind and volatile temper, he actually enjoys humans more than most werewolves. It hasn’t gone beyond my notice that he’s been watching them with concern intermittently since we left Ana’s home. Perhaps that is what made me turn my attention toward them. Obviously, in our time apart, he saw something that made him wary around them that I am only just now noticing. If he were in his true form, I have no doubt that his hackles would also be raised.
Worry digs its way deep and festers with every step we take closer to the portal. It is so strong that even the wretched smell of refuse and urine in the alley cannot detract my attention from it. My fingers curl with the temptation to strike and save myself the trouble. I’ve never before disagreed with our laws that forbid killing another member of the tribe without authorization from the elders and alpha—until now, that is.
It is only the reminder that such an action carries serious penalties that stays my hand. It doesn’t stop me from growling loudly, especially when I catch them regarding Ana with looks of predatory sexual interest. They tear their eyes away from her, their strong frames quaking for a moment before their eyes narrow on me with clear hostility. They thought I wasn’t watching but even now, after being caught, there’s is nothing repentant within them. There is only anger and avarice in their eyes.
I wonder if they are spying for my brothers. They joined us after we left Ana’s dwelling and so were not privy to the information I shared only with my closest brethren
. That is at least one thing in our favor. But if my brothers are involving themselves with such unscrupulous males, how will I keep these humans safe for however many days it takes to manufacture a reason to leave the village?
My stomach turns. I did not wish for this.
Humans are weak and vulnerable. Case in point that they already appear to be tiring as we approach the portal. The milky green light shifts between two buildings at the end of a long alley. We’ve kept a brisk pace to arrive quickly and, though Jinx seems to be holding up fine, Ana leans against one wall panting for breath, her normally golden complexion flushed darker from exertion.
I turn and push my way back to her side, my eyes raking over her. My nerves are on edge now, my instinct clamoring to move faster. Demanding that I hide her in my den where the males will be unable to so much as sniff her. It both overwhelms and irritates me.
“What is wrong with you?” I demand.
Ana’s head snaps up and her face tightens angrily. “Look, my legs are shorter than every guy here. It takes twice as much work for me to keep up with your ridiculous pace, so excuse me for being a little tired after practically sprinting across town.”
“What would have me do? Crawl like a kit?”
“If that’s what it takes!” she retorts. “Maybe I should call you that just so you won’t forget to walk at a reasonable speed. Sound good to you, Crawl?”
I lean in and snarl. I will not be chided like a kit, nor will I be mocked. My breath causes a few dark, wispy curls to fan away from where they were stuck to her skin. Neither has more than a minimal effect on her. Her skin shudders in reaction, and I can taste a tangy hint of fear on the air, but she never so much as shifts her eyes away. Her glare merely intensifies with displeasure. I am struck so intensely with an overpowering surge of lust that I end up being the one to retreat, a low growl filling the distance between us.
Someone in our group snickers and I immediately stiffen, but I refuse to react to it. I am in control as I spin back around and head toward the gate, albeit at a slower pace. “Let’s go,” I bark. I stop at the side of the portal to guard the rear as one male after the other steps through. Jinx, with his typical human flamboyance, lets out a strange bellow, rising abruptly in pitch in a way that makes my ears flatten as he leaps through the gate. I sigh and turn my head to Ana, my ears pricking forward as I watch her approach the gate. Its glow is reflected by her dark eyes as she slowly extends one hand and giggles, no doubt feeling the tingle of energy washing over her at the contact.
I am so caught in the moment, experiencing her wonder with her, that the sense of urgency that’s been plaguing me slips away. There is nothing but the two of us and the mesmerizing, playful beauty of the portal. Ana slips one hand over it, then the other. She teases the surface of the portal with her touch, pressing one arm through and pulling it out again, testing with the same curiosity as a kit when it sees the water for the first time.
The smile she turns on me then is broad, lighting her face up and taking my breath away. She is still looking at me as she steps through, the light flaring along her features the final moment as she turns away to look through the portal as she passes through. I linger only long enough to take one final look around the alley, my senses searching for any that may be watching, any hint of danger, before I too plunge into the portal after my female.
As usual, the light washes through my senses. All sensations of sight and sound disappear in a rush until I am spat back out the other side. I manage not to stumble, though my stomach turns violently—one of the hazards of using the portal. Instead, I step forward to steady myself and blink my eyes as the world swims into clarity.
The thick trees of our woods surround me, and the scents of my home rush into my lungs as I breathe them deeply in. Peat, moss, and oak are the strongest among them, mingled with the scent of numerous other trees that make up our home territory along with the hot woodsy scent of the community fire lit and the delectable scent of something roasting for the morning meal. Beneath it all, I catch the scent of birds in the branches above us and the trace smells of game some distance away.
Sunlight pours through russet and golden autumn leaves, and my eyes drop to search out my mate. She is sitting in a thick collection of dry leaves that she evidentially sank into in her disorientation. Jinx is sitting on a log just off to the side, his head pillowed in his hands. Both humans look pale and slightly green as they wrestle with the bout of nausea that grips everyone. It is always worse the first time. Each of us remembers our first time through and it doesn’t surprise me that my friends watch on with sympathy. Everyone except for the two unfamiliar betas. A quick glance around confirms that they didn’t linger at all at the portal.
I tip an ear at Rashi, the male, once again like the others, in his true form. “Where are the betas?”
“They took off with considerable haste within seconds of coming through the portal,” he says, confirming my worst suspicions.
“Baru and Falo must have sent them,” I snarl, the offense of my brothers spying on me cutting deep.
Rashi flattens his ears. “To what purpose? What could they possibly be interested in enough to send spies among us?”
“I don’t know,” I mutter, my eyes landing on Ana with concern. The betas had been curious when I introduced her as my mate, confirming what they would’ve been able to easily scent themselves. Were they making haste to tell Baru that I have a mate? Why would he even care about my mating if it was assumed that I was content with it?
Rashi grips my shoulder, conveying his concern. “Be careful, Arawl. Watch your back around them.” He turns to leave and then pauses, a grimace creasing his face. “Send that male, Jinx, to my den. I will provide a temporary place for him.”
I nod and briefly return the touch in thanks. We break apart and Rashi disappears through the trees with the other males, heading toward their dens. I am left completely alone with the two humans who are eyeing me expectantly. I sigh at the burden of increasing responsibility.
“Come with me,” I mumble. “Ana, you will be staying with me in my den, but we will need to see Jinx to his accommodations first.”
“Maybe it would be better if I didn’t stay in your den.” Ana’s voice is uncertain. I understand her discomfort at the idea, but it is non-negotiable. I shake my head wearily and draw near so I can speak low enough that we won’t be overheard.
“Even if the bond would allow us to be separated for hours every night, we have to keep up appearances if we want to have a chance to travel north without arousing suspicions. You know what was said about the elders, but I am afraid that my brothers are the biggest obstacle and for no other reason than their sadistic amusement.”
“Your brothers? How would they...?”
“They lead the tribe.”
She stares at me with an unreadable expression for a long moment.
“So, you are telling me that your brothers, your family, not only leads the tribe but are going to be worse than the elders? And they have sadistic tendencies?” she whispers fiercely in alarm as one small hand reaches out to grip my forearm, her fingers digging into my fur. “You’re telling me that your entire tribe is led by a pair of sadistic assholes? Why the fuck would you allow it?”
“My father turned the tribe over to them before his death. He was convinced that their strength would be the best option for our tribe, especially since our relationship with the Warue tribe to the north of us was strained even then,” I confide. “They were good at keeping the worst of the proclivities hidden while he was still alive, and even for a time until our uncle finally died, leaving full control of the tribe to them. Few in the tribe are strong enough to successfully challenge them to become alpha.”
“Leadership by the strongest,” Jinx says as he looks around the forest with interest.
“Exactly what I would expect with werewolves.” Ana sighs. “But I had kinda hoped that it wouldn’t be the two biggest assholes we’d literally have to watch our backs a
round.”
“Not only them,” I grumble in distaste. “There are a number of betas who are loyal to my brothers. They like the way things are in the tribe and the power that they are permitted over the omegas when Eral is occupied. Even when they are caught, my brothers dismiss the charges. Eral is helpless to override it since he is limited to what he can do without the permission of the alphas. He has been less cooperative with their rule ever since our sister was recovered from the Warue territory, but he won’t share his suspicions with me.”
“Great,” Ana murmurs. “Nothing can ever be easy.”
I offer a small, sympathetic smile but they follow me without complaint as we cut through the woods that will eventually open up to the denning grounds. Once Jinx is settled with Rashi, I will be alone with Ana. The thought fills me with both dread and a strong current of excitement that I can’t squelch.
Chapter 9
Ana
Arawl’s den is tucked into the roots of an enormous tree. It’s more of a carved out burrow, but despite its simplicity it’s comfortable enough. If Rashi’s den is anything like Arawl’s, I’m sure Jinx feels right at home. The furnishings are sparse but clearly built for maximum comfort rather than aesthetics. Although I can see other halls leading off from the main room, he has a giant stuffed cushion in front of the hearth where a number of soft hides and woven fabrics are piled into a kind of nest. I bite back a smile. It looks like he just plopped his bed in the most spacious and comfortable place in the den. I wonder what the rest of the rooms look like if he’s camping out in the front of the fireplace.
His ears twitch, and he plants himself in front of the bed while one thick paw swipes to kick back the bedding in an attempt to make it look more orderly.
“I wasn’t expecting company,” he says. “Let me show you around.” He steers me out of the main room, directly into a connecting room that seems to serve as a pantry and kitchenette.
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