The Pack Girl's Retribution (Sequel to The Pack's Girl)

Reverie

The pain I felt was suddenly overwhelming as I missed them.

Aviari came back to me in flashes of him taunting me mercilessly. A cocky smile and a jokingly rotten nature that often drove him to hold toys above my head. Or hide my favorite doll.

But then there was Baila Lae. And I saw her face in a sudden flash. Haloed by light from the window behind her as she laughingly swatted at her brother and told him to be nice to their baby sister.

As if I were something precious to be guarded.

Then I thought of dancing blue eyes and wild dark waves and knew that I was remembering Killian who was tall in his own right but nowhere near like Aviari. He looked much more human.

Normal. Almost.

But I thought he was surely the most handsome young man in the world. Because he was my hero.

And as he'd left, he'd hugged me tight and whispered to me that he'd always come back and he'd always be watching over me.

Where are you now? I wondered, feeling somewhat betrayed by the fact that he was now gone.

Impossible to find. If he's even alive.

Though I knew it was unlikely. Especially after I'd witnessed the immense cruelty of the NightHunter leader toward my little brothers.

Lord only knows what he'd done to my older ones who'd have actually been a threat to him.

The true heirs of the Gallion Pack.

***

Gallion? I was shocked how fast that thought had occurred to me.

I felt a hot tear stream from my eye and touched the table. Instantly remembering my father carving it from bits of needle tree.

I was so mesmerized by the image of him kneeling outside and whittling away bits of tiny branches. Seeing the sunlight shining over his dark hair and hearing the flinting of the wood that I had not heard the men come down the stairs.

"What are you doing here?" Magus' voice.

Hunter stopped behind him. Wide eyed. He hesitated only a moment as he shoved past him to walk to me. "What's wrong, Vanna? He caught my hands." Looking furtively over his shoulder as he asked. "Has something happened at home? To one of my brothers."

"Indeed!" I cried. Trying to sound mournful. "Vanquish fell on a rock and is having problems standing, I can't lift him to get him back to the hut."

"Really?" Magus asked from behind us. "Because he was walking the back line of the Asara wall when I left. Seeming fine."

"Must've been since then." I didn't spare him a look. Quickly trying to correct the lie into something believable.

I'm no good at lying.

Clearly.

***

"Now, now." Magus was looking slowly from me to Hunter. "How about someone here tells the truth. You two are the two worst liars I've ever come across."

"How many has that been?" I blurted. Realizing, not for the first time that I knew perilously little about the wolf-mage cross.

Where did he come from?

Why did the former Alpha value him?

And most of all, why has he remained with the Asara Pack.

"Why were you at here, Magus?" My gaze narrowed on him.

"Ah," He lifted a finger. "The very first valid question you've asked me."

I glowered at the implication that what I normally said was not as valuable.

"I happen to be looking for a particular house." He gestured around. "This one, perhaps."

Why would he be looking for my house.

Hunter was the one that said what I was thinking this time. "Why this one?"

"Now, let's be fair." Magus tipped his dark head back and eyed down his haughty nose. "How about one of you answer a question this time. Truthfully."

We paused.

Hunter looked down at me and I gave him a long look.

What choice do we really have?

***

Hunter settled on a half-truth. "Vanna Rae is curious about her past. Who she might've been before she struck her head and we led her beyond the wall."

"Reasonably curious." He added. Giving me a fond look and a quick squeeze to the top of my shoulder.

"Indeed..." Magus agreed. Giving us a long study.

He knows there's more to it then that.

"How'd you happen upon this place?"

"Looking for traces from where she came." Hunter said. "Happened upon it."

This time he didn't waver. Sensing the importance of convincing Magus that I wasn't maliciously betraying the Alpha's orders by being out here.

"Who do you think you were, Vanna Rae?" Magus challenged.

"I don't know." I shrugged. "That's what I yearn to find out. Hunter has been trying to find some blood to indicate the path that brought me to the Asara Pack."

"Any luck?"

I inwardly winced. Concerned that Hunter might give too much away. The tightening of my stomach indicated to me the potential danger we were in.

"Not much. I think that's quite enough questions for us to answer. Why are you wandering around out here looking for a house?"

"I have a friend, a former mentor really, who helped me escape the Mage's Guild."

King Detry's Mage's Guild.

It was the only one in the country.

I'd heard enough tales of it to feel a shudder at the mention of it. I knew the suffering mage's endured there as they were forcibly trained in warfare to become slaves amidst King Detry's army.

Dangerous minions. I eyed Magus who I knew to be mostly jovial and friendly but still very secretive.

I couldn't imagine him being anyone's slave.

***

"Magus!" There was a roar from further back in the trees.

An unrecognizable man's voice.

Someone we certainly didn't know.

Magus' head whipped in the direction it came. As if he'd have wished we hadn't heard it.

A dark-haired man came around the edge of the house. Vibrant green eyes landed on me and Hunter next to me.

He smelled human. My eyes narrowed on him.

Why is Magus out here secretly meeting with humans? I suddenly wondered if Hunter and I were the ones really betraying the Alpha.

"Who is he?" I asked Magus.

Magus gave me a sharp look. "An old friend."

"The mentor?"

"One of them." Magus was walking away to meet him.

"Who is he?"

"Hawk, Second Commander of the Mages." Magus shouted as he jogged to meet him. Ignoring me.

They murmured together in quiet voices. Sending me furtive looks.