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Rager lifted a hand to caress her cheek to soothe her but paused at the sight of blood on it. He felt a pang of self-consciousness about touching his mate’s skin with a hand covered in the blood of the huntsmen. To his surprise she pressed her cheek into his hand with acceptance, her eyes watching him. He didn’t see disgust in her eyes, and that relieved him more than he could possibly say.
Arie was covered in blood but held safely enclosed in the arms of her mate as Rager walked past the remains of humans slaughtered on her behalf. Part of her wondered if she shouldn’t feel a little horrified at the evidence of what her mates could do to a human, but she felt nothing but the swell of triumph and joy. Her triad had come for her. Not only that, but she hadn’t cowered helplessly as she might once have done. Instead, she’d put up a valiant fight and had even managed to stab the driver in the leg before Kyx had pulled him off her. She looked around for any sign of her knife and was startled when Warol appeared at her side with the knife in one of his hands, his stride keeping up easily with the pace Rager set. Noting the male’s intention, their lead stopped and watched as Warol slid the blade into her sheath. Her male’s eyes held warmth and pride as he nuzzled her, his lips against her cheek and then ran them up her temple and across her forehead.
“You did well, rya,” he said.
“You mean by getting lost and then kidnapped?” she replied wryly, making Rager’s big body shake against her with silent laughter.
Warol chuckled in turn. “Perhaps not so much in that, but it is something that could happen to anyone. The important thing is that you didn’t give up. You fought until we could arrive. Things might not have ended the same way if you had not.” He paused as if searching for words. “If you had died, we would have been lost and dead inside without you.”
“We wouldn’t have survived without you,” Rager amended, and at his other side, Kyx dropped his head in silent agreement.
Arie blinked back tears as she realized just what her foolishness had nearly done. It wasn’t just her life, but she had come close to irreparably hurting her mates as well. All because she hadn’t been cautious, or paid attention, enough outside her den to make sure that she remained close by. Even with the huntsmen passing along the road, clearly making their way back to Old Wayfairer Citadel, they wouldn’t have known she was there if she hadn’t ventured so far away and stumbled upon the road. And that brought with it a new worry. She met her mates’ steady gazes.
“Do you think what has happened here will bring more of them now? They said that they were looking for me.”
Kyx grimaced. “These paths are rarely used but if they are searching for you along this route, believing that you’re still heading toward the citadel, it’s possible that more may eventually come this way. We can hide the evidence and delay their discovery as much as possible.” He glanced over at Warol as he moved toward the wagon. “Help me move this.”
The pair moved quickly, unhitching the mule and handing her reins off to Rager before rolling the wagon deep into the trees and bushes until it was completely obscured from the road. Upon accomplishing that, they carried the bodies away and kicked up the snow so that the blood, too, was concealed.
Rager looked over the handiwork, sighed, and jerked his head to the left. “Come. Let’s get clean and go back to the den. Kyx, you can take this creature to your dam. I’m sure she will have a use for it,” he instructed as he handed the reins off to Kyx. Rager went silent for a long moment and narrowed his eyes on her. “There will be repercussions for this.”
Arie nodded and nestled into her mate’s embrace as they left the scene of the carnage without looking back. Out of the corner of her eye, however, she watched a pair of ravens drop from the branches and fly into the trees, to no doubt pick at the remains. Nothing would serve justice better than for the forest to consume all traces so that nothing was left to be remembered.
Chapter
Twenty-Five
Arie shivered under the weight of her mates’ stares. Upon returning to their cave, they had spent over an hour melting snow into warm water. They used leather cloths to gently wipe away every trace of blood from her body and used the excess water to thoroughly wash out her hair. As soon as she was clean and wrapped in warm furs, they repeated the process on themselves. Now they sat around the fire completely clean, but an unfamiliar silence descended around them.
Not one of them gave away what they were thinking. Rager was still and stoic as usual, and Warol’s expression remained flat except for where his yellow eyes narrowed on her. Even her sweet Kyx looked stern and unmovable as he watched her.
Arie sighed. She suspected that things were moving into the repercussions that Rager had refused to elaborate on.
Rager tipped an ear toward her, his first discernible movement in over an hour. That one subtle movement made her skin tingle with anticipation. He stood and began to stalk around her. His gaze focused on nothing other than her as he circled her slowly. Arie felt her body hum with excitement and dread as the fine hairs on her body stood up with awareness when he drew closer. Logically, Arie knew she was reacting to his predatory nature, but as a mate she was also reacting carnally to having her male so near her.
He was standing behind her when he finally spoke.
“Though this was an honest mistake, you must understand the dangers that come with this life, rya. We made a mistake as well by not impressing them more firmly upon you in our wish to keep such unpleasantness from you and give you the freedom you desire. We refuse to keep you locked within the den for your safety. To do so would be cruel. But though you weren’t born into this life, you must understand the seriousness of those dangers.” He sighed heavily. “You grievously endangered yourself today, rya. The safety of our entire family depends on each of us acting in a way that protects not only our own welfare, knowing that our family depends upon each of us, but also the sanctity of our den.”
Arie bowed her head with guilt. He was right. She hadn’t thought of anything other than her own desire when she’d left and hadn’t been properly cautious or observant in her enjoyment of her surroundings. She had been as reckless as she’d been when she’d left her village, but this time she had no excuse.
“I am sorry,” she whispered.
She felt the gust of his hot breath on her when he sighed again.
“I know you are. I know these last days have been difficult and we failed you by not preparing you sufficiently for when you’re outside the den alone.”
“I swear—I didn’t think there would be any danger. There hasn’t been for months,” Arie said miserably. “And I didn’t think I was going any farther than I usually went.”
“This is understandable,” he said at length. “But because the safety of our family depends on these things, we cannot dismiss it entirely either. Ragoru learn discipline to prevent tragedy as much as we can from a young age. Warol, kneel in front of Arie.”
The male sank down in front of her, all four of his hands gripping around her two hands.
“Warol and Kyx have agreed to voluntary submit on your behalf in acknowledgement of our failing.”
Arie opened her mouth to protest and watched in horror as Kyx lunged forward and buried his teeth into Warol’s shoulder. The latter snarled in pain, his yellow eyes closing as his brother dug his fangs in deep; other than a twitch of his fingers, not once did he tighten his hands around hers. Then the matter was done, and Kyx released him and carefully licked his wounds so his saliva would speed the healing process.
They switched places before she could protest, and then Kyx held her hands, his beautiful warm amber eyes meeting hers with a hint of sorrow in them. He winced when Warol sank his teeth into his shoulder, shuddering with pain, but he didn’t make a sound nor tighten his grip. He pried his eyes open and kept eye contact with her until Warol released him and licked his wounds clean.
