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"That's your problem. Not mine."
I had hoped the desert would cure my wolf's infatuation with the Omega, refocus me on my task and keep me from wanting to scent her, touch her, and feel her. But I was wrong.
I still wanted to touch her.
I wanted to throttle her fucking neck.
Stone City
Tzidal
The next daywas pretty quiet as we trudged further into the desert. Joon woke up sulking like a big baby, and hadn't said more than two words to me all day. I was fine with it. I didn't need him ordering me around when I was capable of taking care of myself.
Just past mid-day, Stone City came into view, and Lex started squealing like an excited pup. Joon quickly squashed his excitement by stating that it was still many miles away, and we probably wouldn't reach the gates before sunset.
I wanted to ask the Alpha how he planned to find the three wolves once we entered the city, but I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of being the first to break our game of aggressive silence. His hostile display the night before, practically demanding my submission, still didn't sit well with me.
Many Alphas had flexed their muscles and ordered me around in the past, but this was different. I was Joon's equal in this. We had a common goal. I had also saved his life in the Shadow Forest and managed to hold my own more than once. But, the way he acted last night...it was like he saw me as a pup. A burden in need of supervision and discipline. It was insulting.
We stepped onto a properly paved road just as the sun kissed the edge of the desert in the distance.
"Oh, praise the Gods!" Lex groaned loudly.
The smooth path blended in with the surrounding dirt, only standing out by its texture. It led right through an arch into a large, bustling city. The silence of the desert was quickly overthrown by the overlapping chatter and shouting of creatures, various beings, and even a few humans.
The buildings were all made of the same beige stone as the street, giving everything a gritty and monotone feel. After walking for days on end through the harsh desert, I was worried our appearance would draw attention. But most everyone looked as rough as we did: dirty, tired, and in need of a good, strong drink.
"Come," Joon snapped, cutting through an alleyway.
He moved quickly across the congested streets and down narrow passages that hid easily amongst the crowd. We passed a particularly hard-looking group of trolls, causing Joon to motion for us to pick up our pace. They were arguing loudly about gambling debts and unpaid bar tabs. Their aggressive mannerisms made my wolf very nervous, and I edged closer to the Alpha.
"Here," Joon said, grabbing a thick blanket hanging from a wall and pulling it aside to reveal a doorway.
Drunkards yelled and laughed in the dark space as music played and glasses clinked. It was cramped, and the dirt from outside seemed to have settled in the air, making everything hazy.
Joon walked straight up to the bar as Lex smiled sweetly at a pair of scary-looking Targon elves. They licked their lips and smiled back at him. It was odd seeing the fierce creatures so far from their territory. They were rarely seen outside of Targon, and when they did leave, it was never a good thing.
"I'm starving," Lex whispered in my ear. "I'll definitely find something good here, though." He scanned the room before walking quickly over to the elves.
An Alpha at the end of the bar leered at me, running his tongue over his teeth. I thought about pushing my hair back to show my mating bite, but I doubted it mattered to a wolf like that in a place like this. He flexed his muscles and narrowed his eyes, sniffing the air in my direction.
I rushed after Joon, not caring for the feel of the Alpha's eyes on me. His glare had a violence to it that caused my wolf to tremble. I hopped into the seat next to Joon and wrapped my arms around his middle. I eyed the scary Alpha hard, trying to make it clear I was taken.
Joon looked down at me, eyes wide and his hand hovering just over my back. It was as if he was scared to touch me. "You okay?" he whispered. He seemed caught off guard by my behavior, which was understandable since we hadn't spoken to each other all day.
"I'm fine," I said, not wanting to draw attention to the Alpha at the end of the bar. The last thing I needed was for Joon to feel validated about the way he acted last night. I did not need his protection, and I refused to acknowledge how ridiculous that thought was as I tightened my grip around his waist.
I flicked my eyes back to the scary Alpha, hoping he had turned his attention back to his drink, but he was still looking at me. His glassy eyes were bright at the challenge I was presenting him.
Joon followed my gaze, turning to see the drunk Alpha snarl at him. He jumped up, forcing my hands free from his body, and crossed the bar in three quick steps. Then, before I could register any movement, he punched the wolf square in the jaw.
Unable to stop myself, I let out a sharp scream, then ducked behind my barstool. The drunk Alpha reared his fist to return a blow but swung too slow and too broad. Joon leaned back, easily dodging it.
I slapped my hands over my mouth to suppress another scream, and my wolf let out an excited trill as Joon defended me. I hated how much I loved it.
Joon held the Alpha's collar and punched him repeatedly in the face. No one in the bar moved, the fight not phasing anyone but me. Their lack of response scared me even more. Wolves and elves continued to chat and drink as Joon pounded his fist into the bloody wolf.
The Alpha grunted and held his hands up in surrender. "What's your fucking problem?" the drunkard yelled, his words slurred.
