by Sara Fields
“I won’t hurt you. I just want to know more about the man Freya was with before she was hurt,” I added, smiling as to not appear threatening in any way.
“Okay,” she answered timidly, taking a seat beside me. Her back remained stiff as she sat by me. Nervously, she folded her hands in her lap and waited for me to begin.
“Can you tell me the name of the man she was meeting with?” I asked. I hadn’t recognized him when I’d seen him crouching over her, but I recalled that he was at least dressed like a man with means and that his appearance indicated he wasn’t from Valgertha, but perhaps somewhere else.
“His name was King Thranar,” she replied softly, and I stiffened immediately.
I may not have known his face, but I certainly knew his name and so did the Alpha Brotherhood. Thranar was the reigning king of Ravenrath, but that’s not all he was. I knew that he was a member of the Cult of the Blood Moon, which meant that his attack against Freya may go far deeper than I had initially realized. If they had sent him here to handle Freya as well, it would probably mean that they intended to kill her and would do anything they could in order to ensure that they did. None of us knew how high Thranar sat in the fundamental power structure of the cult, but as a king, he had to be pretty far up the chain.
I knew what this meant. My mate would be in danger if we didn’t figure out how to put the cult back in their place and quickly. I would have to take care of Thranar in some way, but I was going to need the help of the Brotherhood to do it. It went deeper than Thranar though. The cult was coming for Valgertha too and I needed to inform the Ghost right away.
“Was he stopped on his way out? Or did anyone follow him?” I asked next and she shook her head.
“No, he seemed to have been prepared for a quick exit. From what I understand, he escaped out of a rarely used servant passage to his men and took off into the night,” she answered. Her voice was slowly becoming more confident the more she spoke to me. I was careful not to show any emotions on my face either, because I didn’t want her to recognize just how concerned I was over the information she was telling me so far.
“Do you think she’s going to be alright?” Ariana asked, drawing her knees into her chest. The look of concern on her face was more than apparent. She cared for my little redheaded queen and I smiled gently in her direction, cocking my head to the side in approval. The servant girl relaxed just a bit and she returned my smile, although more tentatively.
“She’s doing much better. Thranar hit her head really hard though. Her knife wound is healing well and she’s breathing normally. She should wake soon, Ariana. I’m sure of it,” I reassured her.
“I’ve never seen her lose a fight,” she whispered, charmingly chewing on her lip again.
“Thranar is an opponent that should be feared,” I answered simply. “To be honest, she’s lucky to be alive.”
Ariana shivered beside me.
“I didn’t know he was that dangerous,” she replied. Her body language had relaxed, and I smiled softly.
“He is, but Freya has me to help protect her. And now she has you too. Can I count on you, Ariana? Will you help her with me?” I asked her. Right now, I had to come up with a plan. If this little omega was game, I could use her help. She was a member of the working staff. She could slip in and out of rooms virtually unnoticed, picking up information that I might not be able to. She could be my eyes and ears of the castle.
She turned toward me, shrewdly appraising me now. It was clear she was finally comfortable with me and was deciding if she could trust me with Freya, who was someone that I could see that she very much cared for and considered her friend.
“You are her mate now, yes?” she asked. Her eyes were leveled with mine. I could feel her assessing me and judging if I was worthy of her queen.
“I am,” I answered, finding myself oddly proud of this omega’s fiery nature.
“Are you bonded to her? Do you vow to protect her with your life?” she pressed boldly. I grinned wider. I liked this feisty little thing. She would prove useful; I had no doubts about that.
“We are pair bonded. I think you can understand I would do anything to protect her,” I responded.
“Then I will help you,” she said simply.
“Good,” I replied.
“What would you have me do?” she asked.
“Find out everything you can about Thranar’s visit here. Where did he go? Who was he with? Did he talk with anyone inside the castle?”
“Why?” she asked.
“I don’t think he could have escaped the castle without help from someone here and I want to know who that was,” I responded.
She nodded with understanding.
“I will let you know what I find out as soon as I can,” she said.
“And Ariana?” I added.
“Yes?”
“I will ensure you are taken care of for all of this,” I offered.
“I don’t expect anything. Freya is just one of the strongest, kindest, and fairest rulers that Valgertha has ever seen and I want to help protect her rule. No one has ever been as kind to me as she has and I have a deep respect for her,” she said softly.
“You’re a good friend, Ariana,” I replied.
She smiled, trying to cover up a sad look that crossed over her face. I said nothing as she turned away and took her leave with the emptied basket. I watched her walk out of the room as the feeling that I’d made an incredible valuable ally crossed my mind. In my segment of the Brotherhood, I mainly guided a number of alphas and a few betas. I had never had to privilege of leading an omega and I had a feeling that I was going to learn more about them just from the spirited package that was Ariana.
That night, I gathered a few supplies to signal the Brotherhood and more specifically, the Ghost. I needed to inform him of everything I’d learned so that I and the Brotherhood might be able to prepare for whatever was to come. I slid open the window and tied a black scarf to the ledge. Then I closed it and lit a candle on the windowsill, watching as the flame flickered in the glass reflection.
The Ghost would come. I had only to wait for him to arrive.
* * *
It took less than a day for a loud knock to bang against the door. It was the middle of the night and Freya had still not woken up, so I answered it myself. I unlocked the door and swung it open slowly. There were no servants to be seen in either direction. When I saw the Ghost’s eyes through his mask, I immediately dipped my head in acknowledgement and moved aside so that he could come inside. He didn’t stop in the entryway as I expected him to. Instead, he walked up the stairs and moved immediately into the planning room upstairs next to Freya’s bedchambers, so I followed silently. He closed the door and peered up at me.
“It’s good to see you, Ghost,” I said respectfully.
“It is good to see you as well, Aric. As soon as I received your message, I came. Tell me, what have you learned?” he instructed firmly, and I began to tell him what had come to pass since I’d entered Valgertha’s gates.
I filled him in on everything, from the way I’d broken into the castle, to the growing pair bond between Freya and me, and eventually to the attack against her and who the culprit turned out to be. I couldn’t see the Ghost’s entire expression, but I could see the lines around his eyes tighten with tension when I mentioned the name of the king who had gone after Freya.
“This is more serious than I had originally thought, Aric. If the Cult of the Blood Moon is moving against Valgertha, they are either preparing or ready to move against the Brotherhood as well. I have no doubt that they know this too. Ravenrath has always been a stronghold for them and it may be possible they are looking to expand their reach here too. They likely mean to push us out,” Ghost replied, his tone gravely serious.
He walked back and forth, rubbing his thumb and forefinger thoughtfully against the bottom of his mask.
“You have the members of your branch in place here in Valgertha as well?” he asked finall
y, and I confirmed that I did.
“Meet with them. Send a few into Ravenrath to find out more about what is happening within their city walls. Gather information, both here in Valgertha and in the cultist stronghold. I will do my part as well,” he continued.
“I will do that,” I replied.
“And Aric?”
“Yes, Ghost?”
“It is highly likely that this will end in battle and in worst case scenario, an all-out war. Prepare both yourself and your queen for that possibility. I would like to count on what is now your city to fight with us. The Brotherhood would find the warriors of Valgertha quite useful on the battlefield, both on land and on water,” he said carefully. His eyes were pensive. His gaze bored into mine, both in warning and expectation. He didn’t have to say it out loud, but it was my mission to ensure that Valgertha stayed in the Brotherhood’s control and it would be a grave mark against me if it fell out of our hands.
He’d granted Freya to me. He’d given me Valgertha as a result. He wanted to know that I would still continue my duties to the Brotherhood, even though I was bonded to another in the most basic and primal sense.
“I will do my part, Ghost. Without question,” I replied confidently. I would do whatever it took to show my loyalty. I owed the Brotherhood my life.
“Good,” he replied carefully, still searching my face for something I wasn’t quite sure of.
“I will start having supplies smuggled into warehouses close by. You will be fully stocked with food, water, and weapons in the case of battle or a siege. This city and your queen will have the silent backing of the Brotherhood. I will make sure that you are prepared to go against Thranar if that is what the gods intend,” he added.
“I will guide Queen Freya to begin her own preparations. Together, we will take down the cult. I would ask for one thing though,” I replied carefully.
“What is it, Aric?”
“I want to be the one to rip Thranar apart,” I snarled. I would look forward to being the one to tear him limb from limb for what he did to my Freya.
He stared at me for a long moment before nodding in understanding. His eyes wrinkled and turned up, revealing his amusement.
“The honor will be all yours,” he said firmly.
Chapter Seven
Freya
I didn’t know what I’d done to piss off the gods. Maybe Zymos was displeased with me and I hadn’t been prepared enough for battle, but holy spirits, was I not prepared to wake up to this kind of pain.
Fuck. Everything hurt. From the tips of my fingers to the ends of my toes, my entire body ached. My shoulder throbbed hard enough to make me cry out quietly, but that all paled to the pulsing headache that pierced at my skull, again and again like I was being stabbed with a knife. My tongue tasted of cotton and I groaned, feeling utterly miserable to be alive. Even after battle, I’d never woken up in pain like this. This was something else altogether.
“Shhhh. Don’t rush to move, my sweet omega,” a voice murmured in the distance and I furrowed my brow, trying to figure out where and who it was. The sound was hazy, and my head felt so foggy. For a long moment, I struggled to open my eyes and when I finally did, the world looked so blurry that I just closed them again, not wanting any of this to be real.
“It hurts,” I moaned.
“I know, Freya. But you’re alive. Praise be the fates,” that same male voice replied. It seemed familiar and for some reason, the sound of it comforted me. A strong hand curled around the back of my neck and lifted my head. A rim was placed against my mouth and the feeling of cold liquid edged against my lips.
“Drink. You need water,” he guided.
I obeyed, drinking down everything in that glass. When all the water was gone, I sighed in relief and my head pulsed just a little less.
“Good girl,” he murmured.
A warm thrill tingled down into my heart and I pressed the side of my head against the strength of that palm. Finally, when I was ready, I opened my eyes and looked up to see the man that I was to spend the rest of my life with.
“Aric,” I breathed softly.
“You remember me,” he replied in relief. “Thranar hit your head so hard that I was worried you may have lost your memory.”
I lifted my arm and groaned at the stiffness in my shoulder.
“He dislocated your sword arm too. I put it back into place,” Aric explained gently.
“Bastard. I would have kicked his ass if he didn’t,” I scoffed.
“I’m sure that you would have,” he replied with an amused chuckle.
His hand holding my head moved to cup around the side of my face. His touch was soothing, and it made me feel safe, even though I was so hurt.
“How long have I been out?” I asked.
“Five days,” he answered. I could pick up on several different emotions hidden beneath his words, his sadness, his worry, and his fear. There was something else though. There was also love. I swallowed, remembering that I bore his mark on my neck, but I had yet to mark him in the same way.
Tenderly, he pressed a thumb to the side of my head, and I winced. “Your skull wasn’t broken or fractured from what I can tell, but you’ve got quite the bruise on this side of your head,” he added.
“Does it make me look fierce?” I asked.
“It does. I’m already quaking in my boots just from the sight of you,” he answered lightly, and I laughed softly in return.
“When you’re ready, I’d like to change your bandages and check on how the wound on your chest is healing,” he murmured.
“Let’s get me all cleaned up then, I suppose,” I replied. He nodded and carefully propped me up into a seated position with a bundle of soft pillows. I tried to hide the grunts of pain as he moved me, but he caught them all. I could tell the way his jaw tensed with restrained anger, but I knew it wasn’t directed at me. It was intended for the person who did this to me.
Aric was an alpha and a decidedly strong one at that. He wouldn’t be able to quell the instincts within him demanding that he protect me. He would want to take out his anger on Thranar and ensure that he could never hurt me again.
I watched him as he gently unwound the fabric covering my chest. His movements were careful, full of adoration and concern as he made sure that he didn’t go too quickly and hurt me. When he unwound enough so that he was just approaching the wound at my chest, he went even more slowly and dribbled a bit of water on the bandage so that it didn’t stick to my skin.
He hummed in satisfaction.
“It’s still quite raw, but you’re healing well. It was deep enough that I had to stitch you together,” he murmured.
“Will it leave a scar?” I asked, gazing down at my bare torso.
“It likely will, my queen,” he replied softly, lifting his gaze to meet mine. His expression was one of sorrow and I quickly shook my head, wanting to ensure that he didn’t worry about such a thing.
“It gives me great pleasure to bear that scar. It’ll make me remember that even the great King Thranar wasn’t strong enough to kill me,” I responded with a grin. He smiled in return.
“I’m glad,” he said quietly.
I sighed, pressing the back of my scalp against the pillow. The moment Thranar had lifted his arm to strike against me, I had known it was the start of something far bigger. King Thranar’s actions would demand justice in my people’s eyes. They would expect me to go after him and if I didn’t, they would likely go in my honor in search of vengeance for their queen.
My small acts of conquest were now very likely to result in war between Valgertha and Ravenrath and I would be the one expected to lead them.
“A silver coin for your thoughts?” Aric asked, his eyes searching my face for any clue as to what was going on inside my mind.
“Valgertha is going to have to force Thranar to answer for what he’s done,” I murmured.
He swallowed and I watched his gaze shift toward the wall and back to me. I narrowed my eyes and tried to
figure out what he was thinking myself.
“The Alpha Brotherhood is concerned it may come to that as well,” he began carefully.
“You have communicated with them?” I asked.
“Yes. The Ghost, our leader, came to see me while you were unconscious,” he sighed. “The Brotherhood has enemies, many of them in fact, but there is one in particular that we have been at war with for a very long time. That organization has opposed us for several hundred years. They are a part of the Cult of the Blood Moon. You see, King Thranar isn’t only just the king of Ravenrath. He’s a very high-ranking member of the cult as well. His attack on you speaks to more than just the rivalry between kings and queens. It means the cult intends to claim Valgertha for themselves,” he explained.
I licked my lips. This was very heavy information indeed.
“This isn’t going to end with a peace treaty, is it?” I questioned, but I knew what the answer would be before I said it.
“I’m afraid not,” he responded, shaking his head.
I’d led my people into battle before and earned to right to direct warriors on the field even before I’d taken the throne. Now as queen, I was the determining factor that would decide when and where we went to war, or even at all. The weight of that power was settling heavily on me. People would live and die at my word. Cities and towns may fall or be burned to the ground because of my decisions.
What I did next would determine my legacy.
Valgertha was strong, but so was Ravenrath. Were we strong enough to defeat them?
“The Brotherhood offers their full support,” Aric added quietly.
“And what would be the price of that support?” I asked carefully. I watched him closely, wanting to ensure that he was being entirely honest with me. The bond between us gave me a window into his emotions, but I still would trust seeing that truth with my own eyes.
“Your loyalty. If ever needed, the Brotherhood might call on the assistance of your warriors. King Vageir was one of our supporters and we would like to continue calling Valgertha one of our strongholds as it has been for a very long time. We just want to ensure that it doesn’t fall to the nefarious clutches of the cult,” he answered. “I want to warn you. If the cult takes control of your city, it will mean that your people’s lives would be at stake. They don’t care if children and women are sacrificed. They would sell off those they deemed profitable, force those they didn’t into battle and use your forces for their own gain, over and over until there was little left of what Valgertha once was. Your traditions, your honor and loyalty to one another, that would all be destroyed.”
