Brotherhood

Chapter 13

Pacing through the dense undergrowth of the forest, Geric kept his eyes on the tree line. Berta hadn't said a word when he had come back to her inn in the dead of night to collect his belongings, she had only handed him a basket of food and watched him leave with a grimly set mouth.

Now he hid out in a cave not far from the pond, his bow, clothes, and the basket of food stacked neatly in the corner. It felt odd being a fugitive in the land he had called home for more than one hundred years, he had spent most of the day in his wolf form hunting and had only returned to the cave just after the sun went down.

A part of him felt guilty for not telling Amy the whole truth about who he was, but in the end, the king had been right. The humans would never accept him—not if he married Amy, not ever. Amy deserved more than he could give her, all he had to offer was himself. She was willing to give up everything for him—her family, her crown, her kingdom.

The moon rose over the tops of the pine trees as Geric shifted back into his human form, pulling his pants on before throwing his loose fitting cotton shirt over his shoulders. His ears were attuned to the noises of the night, listening for anything out of the ordinary. He heard footfalls approaching and turned at the snapping of a twig, but it wasn't Amy. It was Tonraq.

"What are you doing here?" Geric snarled, his gaze hardening. "I thought I made it clear that you should stay away."

"Actually, I think that your exact instructions were to stay away from the palace," Tonraq snapped. "This isn't the palace."

"Again, what are you doing here?" Geric's mouth pulled into a grim line as Tonraq moved forward warily, his eyes never leaving Geric's.

"I heard that the king banished you," Tonraq snarled. "Imagine that, the human-loving wolf being banished from his home. They have no idea who you are, do they?"

Geric said nothing, careful to keep his face blank. Tonraq chuckled darkly, guessing the answer. "It wouldn't matter if they did, would it?"

"Get to the point, Tonraq," Geric growled, his patience wearing thin. Amy would be here any second now and he didn't want her to encounter Tonraq again.

"There have been rumblings among the packs of something big about to happen," Tonraq muttered, taking another step toward Geric. "There's an uprising coming."

Swallowing hard, Geric pushed Tonraq up against the trunk of a tree, pressing the blade of his knife into Tonraq's throat.

"What do you know?" he snarled, his heart hammering wildly. If the uprising took place, Amy and her family would be the first ones targeted.

"All I know is that there are plans to take a member of the royal family hostage tonight," Tonraq said. "This is your chance to seize power, Geric. To lead us out of the shadows."

Geric's mind began working rapidly as he studied Tonraq carefully. He knew he had to ask his next question even though he feared he already knew the answer.

"Which member of the royal family?"

Tonraq shrugged carelessly. "The princess is the easiest target. The king and queen are always surrounded by guards, but the princess has much less security around her."

Geric's stomach turned as he struggled to keep his expression neutral. He knew he had to act quickly. If he could convince the other wolves that he was part of the plot for long enough, he could make certain that Amy was out of harm's way.

"I'll do it," Geric muttered grimly. "The humans have been in power far too long. When it's time, I want your word that you'll help me seize power."

"You have it," Tonraq replied, giving Geric a slight bow. He and Tonraq had their differences, but all the same he had always been more or less loyal to Geric.

Geric crossed back into the darkness of the cave, shouldering his bow and quiver of arrows before slinging the rest of his belongings over his back. Fingering one of the silver tipped arrows, he slid it gently back into the quiver. Tonraq wasn't the one behind this, he had always been more of a follower. But in order to protect Amy, he had to find out who was behind the uprising. And the only way he could think to do that was to become one of them, at least until he could protect her.

"Let's go," Geric growled, following Tonraq into the steadily darkening forest. His pulse pounded in his ears as he fought to regain control of his emotions. All he could think about was Amy. Even if she thought the worst of him for doing this, there was no other way.