AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 12
West
Awomanwho smelled like a sparrow bumped into me from behind. A second later, a sparrow shifter jostled me to the side with his elbow. Gritting my teeth, I wove toward the edge of the courtyard. Music seemed to be clanging from every direction, only slightly louder than the cacophony of voices. And there were a lot of voices. Avians always had an awful lot tosay.
Wolves were pack animals, sure, but a proper pack was ten, maybe fifteen strong. We didn’t enjoycrowds. No room to run, no room to maneuver. How anyone enjoyed them, I didn’t have a clue. And no one here gave any deference to my status as alpha. All their attention was focused ontheirreturning leader—and, of course, the mate at hisside.
I glanced back over the bobbing heads. Aaron’s kin had set up a platform in the middle of the courtyard so that he could stand there and show off Ren. The dragon shifter was smiling and shaking hands and accepting hugs, but her stance was just as uncertain as it’d been in that canine village when she’d beenswarmed.
A twinge I didn’t like ran through my chest. The impulse to go to her, to lend my presence as support. Was she really ready forthis?
I set my jaw. If she wanted this role, she was going to have to be ready. This time I couldn’t step in and usher her away to give her some breathing room. This was the eagle shifter’s show. Anyway, she’d asked for this by consummating the mate-bond with Aaron. Let her haveit.
I wrenched my eyes away and spotted Marco at the edge of the courtyard. I’d have expected the jaguar shifter to be right there in the middle of the festivities, given the way he usually chased after fun as if it were a particularly tasty mouse. But maybe he was having a private party of his own here. He’d gathered a group of shifters around him who didn’t look at all avian. As I came up to them, I got a good whiff. Felines, all ofthem.
“What’s with the cat convention over here?” Iasked.
Marco’s gaze slid to me. He flicked his fingers dismissively. “A kin delegation caught up with me here. The vampires back in New York are throwing a bit of a tantrum. Nothing we can’t sort out byourselves.”
Vamps. I grimaced. “After that encounter on their territory, I can’t blame them for being pissedoff.”
“Well, we didn’t have much choice in tangling with them, did we? And now we get to tangle with the fae. Although to be fair, in that case the fae startedit.”
One of the other feline shifters tapped Marco’s elbow. Marco leaned in to hear whatever comment the guy didn’t want me listening in on. As if I were all that interested in their private chat. I was happy to leave the vamp-taming tothem.
Of course, I’d rather be dealing with vamps than the fae. A prickle crept over my skin as I turnedaway.
Ren was so set on taking the fight to the monarch. She had no idea what she was getting into. No idea how fucking dangerous the fae could be. They’d killed her mother to stop her from getting to the mysterious power Ren now carried—which meant they’d see Ren as twice as much of a threat. Going to them, no matter how horrendous their past crimes were, was only asking fortrouble.
But our dragon shifter didn’t like hearing the word “no,” did she? My eyes were drawn to her again where she stood on the platform. I couldn’t deny that even in her plain human clothes there was something regal about her. Something majestic she was growinginto.
Something I wanted to touch and taste andown.
A rush of desire flowed through my veins. I clamped down on it, pushing itaway.
How could I know that feeling was really mine and not just a symptom of the mate-bond, which only existed because of what we were, not who we were? Every instinct was pushing me toward her, but that didn’t mean it was the right decision. She had much more to learn—so much more discipline todevelop...
I just had to stop myself from giving into the urge to be the one to teachher.
My people were counting on me to make the right choice here. To lead them in whatever direction would servethembest. Ren was getting the chance to show who she was as a shifter now. As the dragon shifter all these people had been waiting for. It wouldn’t take much time to see if she’d shine or sputterout.
My gaze was still glued to her. Damn if she wasn’t shining right now. She beamed at a woman who’d come up to the platform to pay her respects, and her face turned toward me. I ducked my head before she could catch me watchingher.
She’d already seen far too much of the power she held overme.I had to keep my distance until I wassure.
* * *
Ren
Aaron touchedthe small of my back and leaned in so I could hear him over the noise of the crowd around us. “Doing okay?” heasked.
“Yeah,” I said, with a smile I meant. My body swayed automatically to the music pealing out across the courtyard. The nervous energy I’d felt earlier had transformed into a more enjoyable exhilaration. “Doing good. I mean, it’s a little overwhelming, but... Everyone’s so nice. What could I complainabout?”
He chuckled. “Glad to hear it. They’ve been waiting for this day for a longtime.”
And so had he. A little flare of pride sparked inside me. He’d led his people for so many years on his own, from when he was little more than a boy. And now I got to stand besidehim.
I curled my fingers into the front of his shirt and pressed my lips to his. Aaron traced his thumb over my cheek, kissing me back gently but thoroughly, until I’d lost my breath. A jolt of desire shot through me. Suddenly I did mind the crowd around us quite abit.
