Souls' Collision | ✔

A K R A

~ Chapter Eleven ~

Red leant across the table — his eyes as cold as the rest of the office.

He was staring down at a large map and brooding at the faded bushes and mountain ranges. Pontus stood across from him, next to him was Abraham. The tension was dangerous, as if lighting a match in the room would make it all go up in flames.

"There." Red finally broke the silence. A slow yet decisive finger went to a small brown patch on the map. Some shapes were drowning in the color but so smudged they were barely noticeable unless you were to look really close.

Which is what the three males were doing.

"He's in Akra? What could he possibly be doing in a place like that?" Abraham was the first to question, a grimace on his face.

"Think about it. Chaos, rabid wolves and dirt." Pontus shrugged. "It's perfect for one like—"

"Do not mention the cursed one's name, pup," Abraham growled.

Pontus shrunk back. "Forgive me."

"Christian," Red got out and removed his finger from the small brown spot, literally nothing more than dirt underneath his fingers. "He goes by Christian for now. That's what we'll call him. And he's in Akra — an arena he knows to be to his advantage."

"What are you suggesting? That we don't hit back?"

He shook his head with deadly intent. "We will. Just harder than he's ever been hit before, so hard it won't matter that he knows the terrain. He's been on our necks for years. This time he won't be forgiven."

"Excuse me?" Liz chimed in from between them. She took a sip of her tea and gave the map a disbelieving look. "You're going to beat him up? That's pretty severe."

"I'm not."

She gave a relieved smile, felt a little stupid. "Oh, right, I don't know what I was thinking. Of course you wouldn't. Never mind."

"I'm intending to kill him."

"What?!"

He nodded.

"For barely hurting me?"

"Amongst other things, yes," he said, completely serious, and seemed a little surprised she had to ask. "He broke the laws of the wolves."

"Yeah, but still... How do you even know he's there? You barely looked at the map."

"We share blood. I can sense his position." His fingers grazed across the thin paper. "He's there."

"Alright. That's really cool — like, really cool. But... maybe you two can talk it out instead?"

"Wolves don't talk. The Goddess wants every subject not obeying her to be slain. We are to be warriors, not diplomats," Pontus interjected.

"And I'm not supposed to eat pork," she shot back, making the wolf jump a little. "But maybe it's time to become more liberal?"

Red stayed suspiciously quiet. Until he looked up with a severe look. "She's right," he settled on.

Liz was surprised. Especially since it was really awkward between them. She gave him a careful look across the table. "On becoming more liberal?"

"No." He straightened. "I don't know what that means."

"Oh."

"But you're right. Before we slay him in the name of the Goddess we should... talk. We have to know why he threatened Liz — what he meant by it. He might have something planned."

"It's not like him, sir. He usually prefers to simply reek havoc."

"Hold on." Liz moved around the table, got closer to Red. She didn't notice but he discreetly sniffed her hair while she pointed to Akra. It smelled like synthetic coconut and perfume. He saved the smell for later. "How old is this map? I looked over a map of Bern just a week ago and outside the town there's nothing but woods. For miles. Not another town in sight."

"Of course you'd think that. You're human. But the wolves are there. Especially as far into the wilderness as Akra, where no humans roam," Red murmured, once again reminded of how different they were.

Liz reddened and pulled back. "Oh, sorry."

"You couldn't have known. It's okay."

Pontus and Abraham shared a look.

Their alpha noticed. "We leave tonight. Bring five of our best warriors. You're dismissed."

The two men left and the office was enveloped in a tense silence. Liz felt like she was supposed to say something, but didn't want to rile him up. She crossed her arms and said, quietly, "I guess I'll be heading back to my dorm."

He tensed. His eyes shot to hers. "What? No. You're coming with us to Akra."

"No way."

"It'll only take a few days. Do not worry."

"No way," she repeated. "A few days? I have classes. Just go without me."

"I will not. My brother is... enigmatic. He can do anything. And he doesn't like me very much. Leaving you alone would be foolish."

"I don't think it's that bad—"

Red slammed his fist down on the table.

Liz jumped back, but more of shock than fear. After all, he didn't seem to be angry — more frustrated.

"I know you do not consider me a worthy mate," he said quietly, his voice breaking with hurt. He kept his gaze down. "And I will not force my customs onto you — nor my beliefs — but you have to understand how important you are to me. What a gift you are from the Goddess. I cannot lose you."

In lack of anything else to say, Liz lamely muttered, "But my classes..."

"You can bring them with," he offered, clearly not knowing what classes were. "And after this I'll... leave you alone."

"Really?"

He took a deep breath, straightened, and forced out a strained, "Yes."

Liz kept a watchful eye on him. "Alright... I just gotta pack. Then I'm ready."

Red went to the door, opened it and stepped aside. He motioned through the doorway, his head a little lower than before. "Let's go."

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