“She probably was.” Thea picks up her tea, cradling it between her hands. “I’ve never heard of a female marking a male. It’s usually the other way around, but obviously you wouldn’t have the urge to mark her since you’re not Lycan.”
She takes another sip of tea before continuing. “Rhiannon knows what both of you would face if you become a human marked by a Lycan: the laws, the prejudice, the constant scrutiny. She saw it happen to me.”
“What do you mean?”
Thea laughs, but there’s no humor in it. “You think everyone welcomed me with open arms when I first arrived? The mysterious human who somehow ended up mated to their Alpha?”
“But you’re the Luna. You’re—”
“I’m a half-Shaman hybrid who grew up in the Outer Lands serving coffee and pancakes.” She sets her cup down. “When I first came here, half the pack thought I’d enchanted Xander with magic. The other half thought I was a Shaman spy. People whispered wherever I went, if they acknowledged me at all.”
I didn’t know this. Thea always seems so confident, so assured in her position. “How did you deal with it?”
“I proved myself to them. Every day, I showed them that I earned my place here, that I wasn’t just the Alpha’s mate. I am someone worth respecting on my own merits.” She rests a palm on her belly. “It took time. I’m sure some of them still don’t fully accept me. But enough do that I can ignore the rest.”
“And you think it’ll be worse for me and Rhiannon.”
“I think it’ll be harder.” She tilts her head, choosing her words with care. “I had Xander’s protection from day one. TheMoon Goddess chose me as his Luna, which gave me legitimacy whether people liked it or not. The pack understood that Xander would crush anyone who showed me disrespect. But you and Rhiannon...” The unfinished sentence hangs between us for a beat. “There’s no divine mandate protecting your relationship. And she’s not the Alpha. Her position as Commander gives her authority, but it also makes her a target for anyone who thinks she’s gone soft.”
The guards who confronted me in the training yard come to mind, their snide remarks about Rhiannon protecting a human replaying in my head. So do Councilwoman Thora’s pointed warnings, and the way some wolves still look at me like I’m something they found stuck to their boot.
The realization sits on me like a stone. Rhiannon almost eternally bound herself to me — a human, an outsider, someone who could destroy everything she’s built: her career, her reputation, her place in this world.
“I don’t want her to throw away her life for me.” Emotion threatens to spill out with my words. “Do you think I should leave?”
“Only you can make that decision, Ethan.” Thea reaches for my hand again. “But I want you to have all the information you need before you choose. And my promise still stands. Whatever you decide, I’ll support you. If you want to leave after all this is over, I’ll make sure you get back to Creek Falls safely. And if you want to stay...” She squeezes my fingers. “I’ll defend your place here with everything I have.”
Some of the weight lifts with her reassurance. “Thank you, Thea.”
“You’re my friend, Ethan. My family.” She smiles. “That doesn’t change just because we’re in a different world now.”
I squeeze her hand. “I’m glad you’re here. I mean, I’m not glad that you being here means a cosmic disconnect from wherewe both came from, but I’m glad I found you happy and safe. And I’m glad I’m not alone in all this craziness.”
“You’ll never be alone as long as you have me.” She pulls me into a hug that’s awkward with the size of her belly, but warm and comforting all the same. “Now go save the pack with your sexy Commander.” She giggles a little, but then pulls back, meeting my eyes. “Come back safe. All of you.”
“We will,” I promise, hoping I can keep it.
Chapter 40 — Ethan
The wind cuts through my jacket like it’s made of paper. I press myself lower against Branson’s back, burying my fingers in the coarse fur of his scruff as his massive paws find purchase on ice-slicked rock. Below us, the world has become a blur of white and gray, the path we climbed already swallowed by swirling snow.
Rhiannon’s dark form leads our formation, her movements sure and fluid despite the treacherous terrain. Akila flanks her left while Conan is on her right and Xander brings up the rear. Each wolf carries a pack strapped against their body, full of armor and weapons secured for the shift back to human form. Five wolves and one very cold human, climbing toward a madman in the mountains. It’s surreal.
The barrenness bothers me more than the cold. There are no sounds of other animals, only the howling wind, the scrape of Lycan claws on stone, and the faint smell of smoke threading through the frozen air.
Something’s wrong.Rhiannon’s voice slips into my mind. I’ve almost gotten to the point where I’m no longer startled by it.It’s too quiet.
Yeah, and I smell smoke.
That’s not smoke. It’s magic residue. We’re getting close.
The temple emerges from the mist like a forgotten dream. Its ancient stone walls are covered in frost. Carved pillars depict figures I don’t recognize. Shaman symbols are etched into every surface.
Rhiannon pauses at the entrance, her ears swiveling. The others halt behind her. After a long moment, she peeks inside.
The temple appears to be vacant.
Stone benches flank the doorway. The braziers have long gone cold. Dust motes drift through shafts of pale light. But there are no signs of Holden.
