AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Iwon a fight against a creature like that," I said, staring at him hard. "I got that tree to let you go.I did. Not you."
"And I said thank you," he growled low through clenched teeth.
“I don’t want you to thank me. Just don't forget that I don't need you to keep me safe. I'm not a child."
He sucked a hard breath in through his nose, letting it out slowly. "Understood."
Into The Barren Lands
Joon
The sun peekedover the horizon, rousing me before the others. I turned to sit up but stopped when I noticed Tzidal tucked securely at my side. It surprised me after she had repeatedly declined my offer to lay together.
I couldn't help but be so insistent last night. My wolf was nervous for the Omega to be too far away, and I was well aware of how desperate I had sounded, but the compulsion to have her near was difficult to fight. I needed to have her next to me, touching me.
I needed to know she was safe.
I looked over Tzidal's delicate features as she slept. She looked tired, almost worn, like the emotions she held within her had aged her more than the journey. But she was still so lovely. Her innocent eyes and delicate mannerisms called to my wolf to protect and dominate.
The urge to lean into her neck and inhale her sweet floral scent was overpowering.
"And what are you thinking about?" Lex asked, a wide grin on his face. He was lying on the other side of the dying fire, with his head propped up in one hand.
"I guess it was too much to hope your meal would end up eating you last night instead," I groaned, standing up to kick dirt over the smoldering logs.
"Oh, she did," he winked.
"You wink an awful fucking lot."
"You love it," Lex whispered, blowing me a kiss and winking again.
I frowned, then turned to wake Tzidal.
"Omega," I said in a quiet tone, placing a hand on her shoulder and shaking her gently. My eyes lingered at her exposed collarbone. Her skin was soft and dewy in the early morning light. For a moment, I lost myself in the desire to drag my fingers over her warm body, but I jumped up before I could act, all too aware of Lex's eyes on me.
"Tzidal," I said loudly, standing stiff over her petite body.
She jerked awake and looked up. She held a hand up to block out the early morning rays and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "Time to go?" she asked, her voice rough.
"Yes. We should fill up on water. Carry what we can." I grabbed my satchel, walking off into the woods toward the stream, hoping they'd get a move on. We needed to start our trek into the barren lands before the sun got too hot. It would take several days to make it to Stone City, and I was hoping I'd catch Byna there.
I reached into my bag, pulling out my water canister, causing the silver necklace I carried with me to fall onto the ground. It was a circular medallion with our pack's seal pressed on one side. I had traded it for a dagger my father had left me, so I could present my mate with something beautiful when I asked her to be mine. It was the only thing I had left of her.
Tzidal's musical laugher drifted toward me, and my wolf purred at the sound. I tightened my hand around the medallion as my stomach twisted with thick guilt.
My mate wouldn't have expected me to remain celibate for the remainder of my days, I was an Alpha, after all, but my pull to Tzidal wasn't just one of lust. My wolf had laid a deep-rooted claim on the Omega the second I scented her, and everything about her intrigued me. It was like the first time I met Fennah, and it was ripping me apart.
She was the love of my life, a wolf that no one else could ever compare. And it felt like a deep betrayal to think of Tzidal, an Omega I hadn't known very long, in the same vein as her.
Fennah was a fierce Beta who worked tirelessly, training and studying to meet the requirements to patrol our village's borders. Very few Betas had ever had the honor, as they rarely met the physical requirements, but she was determined and strong. When she set her mind to something, she did it. It was a quality that always impressed me. The fact that Fennah was able to will herself to be better than what she was born to be made me want to take her, love her, mark her.
My wolf preened with pride when she finally agreed to be my mate. Having such a strong, capable partner that would submit to me, and only me, was thrilling. But it also made for many passionate arguments, neither one of us wanting to yield easily. She was wild and unpredictable, and I missed her dearly.
"This is freezing!" Tzidal squealed as she dipped her toe into the water.
"Well, push through it, pretty puppy," Lex laughed as he tossed away his robes and sank into the water. "This might be the last bath you get in a while."
"Lex is right," I said.
