Nereyda

Chapter 19 || Black Falls

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Chapter 19 - Black Falls

Braeden

My lips were still stinging aggressively when Nereyda's chariot rounded the corner. She stood tall and elegant in her wolf fur, leaning into the side of the man whose heart I wanted nothing more than to rip out. And eat. Preferably with Nereyda watching so she'd know for sure that she was mine.

The crowd of Paladian citizens watched with held breath as the chariot drew closer. I knew that the whole city hoped that this Anellian tiger would help end their suffering. Everyone heard stories of the land of Anell, how happy everyone was, how everyone was free to do as they pleased. Some of them had even attempted to run away there. Without success.

I wasn't so sure that Anell was everything people made it out to be. The few Anellians I had socialised with at prize fights had seemed nice enough, a little obnoxious, but nothing to be bragging about.

People threw white roses in front of the chariot to show their happiness at the union. I was sure Nereyda was liking that. She was where she should be. Married to a powerful man with a respectable status and standing for all her people to see.

Her expression was blank as she stared straight ahead, devastatingly gorgeous in her magnificent wedding dress. My wolf saw the white snow catching in her veil and eyelashes. I wished more than anything that I was standing in that chariot with her.

I had originally been worried about the quality of the man she was marrying, I didn't want her to end up with someone she'd be unhappy with. However, after consulting Gelina about a week ago and a few of her fancy spells later, she'd assured me that the Oscar fellow was completely harmless to Rey. My Rey.

Besides my lips stinging from her kissing another man, my right eye throbbed where Asher had punched me this morning. Gelina had told him about how I'd claimed my mate and he'd lost it. Socked me right in the face.

Good thing I had friends like them to sweep up my mistakes. I dragged myself away from the street parade to address exactly that issue.

The walk from the Promenade to Gelina's house was a familiar one. The streets that were usually empty in Paladu City were positively deserted today. Everyone was crammed into the town square watching the parade.

A ripped piece of paper flew past me in the snowy breeze. The fall was gentle at the moment but I knew that it was only a matter of time before the whole city was swamped with the icey substance.

As it was, the snow wasn't settling, and it was easy enough to ignore.

Gelina's door swung open before I could knock. I let myself in without hesitation. The smell of baking cookies wafted through the entire house and I followed the mouthwatering scent to the kitchen.

She was running back and forth between the oven and the counter, wielding a wooden spoon dripping in cookie dough.

Her flaming hair was tied back tightly with a piece of white ribbon and she hardly looked up from her work as I walked into the room.

"Braeden," she greeted me breathily, putting her back into stirring a gooey mixture.

"Gelina," I acknowledged, crossing my arms across my chest. "What are you doing?"

She looked up at this, giving me appalled expression. "What the hell does it look like?"

I sighed. "Not right now, I meant generally," my voice had raised fractionally. "What do you think you're doing with my mate, my alpha and my life?"