Warlord's Ward

The Hut

Warlord's head whipped and I caught further female sounds. He must've recognized them as his sister because he was already moving that direction. I caught faint whimpering coming from within a hut with an open door.

He gestured for the mages behind him to surround the camp. Framing it so they could catch those that tried to flee.

"Why not let them flee?"

"Because we can't tell which is which. But any helping Vanna Rae shouldn't be leaving without her, or they deserve to die."

Rampage gave him a quick nod and swung an arm in a broad gesture.

"We'll surround them." He nodded toward Killian. "As you bid."

Then they were gone. Dissolving into the trees with their bits of pink and silver moonlight.

I felt my skin heating and my hair tingling at the roots. My skin felt entirely alive. Like hands roved over it everywhere it was bared.

The moon's touch.

This is what a Mating Moon feels like. I realized.

I was lustful. Hungry. I looked over at Killian and saw the slight flush of his features. The added glow in his blue eyes and knew he too was very close to becoming beast.

The Mating Moon is rising.

He had told me it would be like this. That I would be nearly mad with desire as he already was.

Our run had helped cool my ardor.

But not entirely.

***

As we moved into the camp there was the heavy scent of blood and yipping of injured wolves. Some trying to drag themselves across the ground on their bellies. Their legs bloodied. One was missing a lower jaw.

They'd clearly been ravaged.

In the center of them there was a pack that had their backs to each other. Each I looked at was fiercer then the last.

There was a slim blonde with long curling blonde hair that whipped around her like a gold cape as she moved. She was growling and swiping with hands that had already turned into curving claws.

She was prideful and vicious.

And admirable sight.

She was clearly the Alpha's mate. She fought next to him viciously. Guarding his back. Hip to hip with him she moved as he did. When he veered sideways she moved back to keep against him.

So, they always know where each other is.

I realized this is what it looked like to be mated. Knowing where one was. Deeply connected to them and needing to be near them always. To guard them and to be protected by them. Their bond was obvious.

And enviable.

The others were similar.

I saw green and blue lights flaring in arcs across the cap and shooting outward from the chests of two me.

I'd seen enough of their magic to recognize that of Magus and Hawk.

They're here.

There was some immense relief in knowing that.

Though I knew perilously little about Hawk. I felt like I knew Magus relatively well.

An ally here aside from Killian.

Killian was jogging ahead of me. Aiming straight for that small hut where the sounds had come from.

The door was already open and I could see a woman on the floor in shredded rags and a scarred man moving horribly over her as though about to violate her.

I felt an immediate need to get to her. To stop it.

But a hand on my arm stopped me.

I whipped my head and saw the tall looming shadow that could only be Aviari.

"No." He whispered. "Stay here. With me."

"But she needs help! What if Killian-"

"Sweetheart, there's not enough men in there to give him a true challenge."

I stopped and looked back. Realizing that there were only three that I could see.

"But there could be more." I objected. Sharing my thoughts.

I moved forward and he pulled me back again. I shot him an annoyed look.

"He's got this, Jade. We would only prove a distraction to him if we go in there."

He means me, not him.

I understood the logic in that.

He was saying that if I went in there, Killian might be too worried about my welfare to adequately defend myself.

"I know it's hard." Aviari added as he pulled me lightly back to his side.

"But if you are to be the mate of the King of Alphas, you must learn to obey."

I looked from him back to the doorway.

"I don't mean me, other than this instance. But what I'm telling you is what he'd want."

I paused. Chewing my bottom lip.

Aviari's hand fell away.

Only because I like the sound of being his mate.

And the confident way he'd said I was going to be Killian's mate.

He knows...

But I wasn't embarrassed. I was proud.

King of Alphas. I liked the ring of that too.

"It's our sister in there." Aviari said. Watching Killian crouched over her on the floor in a defensive posture.

Ready to take on the entire room.

I glanced over at his profile high above mine and realized how tight his jaw was. How his hands reached forward at every movement or thump.

He wants to be in there too.

I hadn't thought about how much he'd want to be helping. "If you wish to go, go. I promise to remain where I am."

He shot me a quick look. I noticed there was an almost red haze in his eyes like fire burned in them.

How he looks when he's anxious?

Everything about the tall, strange man seemed to be light and fire.

"If I left you, he'd have my hide."

I laughed slightly at that. "You're far larger than he is."

"Trust me." Aviari snorted. "He's tossed me about enough times, I can ensure you he's far more vicious than he looks."

I found that unlikely since I so easily recalled how terrifying he'd seemed to me the first time I'd looked up at him with black smoke spiraling out from him like arms in constant motion. He'd stared down at me with that expressionless face. Blue eyes looking as hard as stones and that face which had seemed entirely unfeeling.

I'd been petrified.

And when he'd grabbed me, I knew that I would be entirely destroyed by his cruelty.

But that's not who he is.