“I said, move along.”
As much as I enjoyed seeing the brooding and possessiveside of Tynan, I did not want the situation to escalate any further.
“Come on, you can’t still be going on about a fight that happened years ago,” Frid said, and my ears instantly perked up.
“I’m always here, if you ever want to set things right,” Denis said, before moving away.
I looked at Tynan, his eyes were menacing, unhinged, almost wild, as he watched Denis leave.
“What are you up to?” Victor asked Frid.
“Never mind. We have to go.” Frid pulled me along.
I looked away and sighed. It has been so long since the last time we were intimate. I could not help wondering if something had changed.
Did he even want to be with me?
I knew we were mated, but he never made any attempts to bed me, and it made me feel unwanted, pathetic, and miserable.
“What’s up with those two anyway?” Frid muttered.
“I wish you hadn’t invited Denis to our training. Things could get ugly between him and Tynan.”
“You’re right. Well, I hope he doesn’t come. Not after Tynan let everyone know that you’re off limits.” Frid stopped and took off her cloak, and I followed suit.
We ran until mucus ran down my nose, my throat burned with flames, and felt raw. I was grateful no one else could see me like that. My legs refused to go any further and I proceeded to limp along after the girl ahead of me.
“You’re making progress,” Frid cheered me on.
“I don’t... think so.” I exhaled and black dots obstructed my vision.
“It takes months to undo years of inactivity,” Frid reasoned.
“Months?” I leaned forward, clenching my stomach.
“Of course. To get to where I want you to be will be easy, keeping yourself on the same level is much harder.” She continued her slow jog.
I groaned, stumbling after her.
After hours of walking, running, lifting rocks, lunges, and sword maneuvers, I returned to Tynan’s room, feeling half-dead. There was no way to describe the level of exhaustion I felt. Every muscle, every bone in my body screamed in protest. I knew I would heal quickly, and by tomorrow most of the aches and pains would be gone, but I still had to get through the night. I could not wait until dinner, so I called for a servant and asked for a bath and something to eat.
I fell asleep in the chair while I was waiting and while the servants filled the tub, I gobbled the cuts of cold meat and crispy white bread and the freshly harvested tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. I didn't even taste the food. I was starving and would have eaten anything they brought me.
After my bath was done, I wrapped myself in a towel and walked toward the bed. My flying suit was carefully folded over the back of the chair, I looked closer, admiring the precise stitching and the soft, form-fitting leather. The magical properties of the suit were still too difficult to comprehend. The material that felt dusty and damp when I took it off, was now dry and smelled like fresh leather without even a hint of my hard earned sweat. I sighed, looking back at the door.
I was going to wait for Tynan and spend some time with him before dinner, but as soon as my head touched the pillow, my eyes closed.
Through the thick veil of my deep sleep, I vaguely noticed the feel of a hard male body, the familiar scent, and warmth. Tynan wrapped his arms around me, and I rested my head against his chest. His hand traced through my hair, and I felt a soft kiss against my forehead.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
TYNAN
My eyes darted back to the black outlines of the mountains ahead. This could not be the night. Not now. We were not ready. It had taken the clan two full days just to agree to some of my proposed changes, but the most important parts were still undecided.
Even though Hanoch was on my side, he could only do so much. The clan leader only presented the most crucial matters for a vote, but beyond that, politics reigned endlessly. In times like these, what the land needed was a single leader with unchecked power. Yet such power could corrupt even the most honorable, turning them into a tyrant. Some matters required swift action, and I was prepared totake charge – even if it meant defying the will of the majority.
I glanced back at the bed, noticing the strands of dark red hair splayed over the pillow. Alina had barely moved since I arrived. She must have pushed herself to the limit, striving to prove herself worthy of our group. Little did she know, no matter how much she trained or how strong she became, she was already one of us, and nothing that came next would change that.
