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Fuck.
Through The Vaesen Forest
Tzidal
For the next few days,we walked in nearly complete silence. I was still weak and a bit dizzy from Joon forcing his dominance over my wolf, and I would never forgive him for it.
He crushed and humiliated me, all to satisfy his pride. I hadn't spoken to the Alpha since. He tried apologizing the following morning, but I slowly walked away from him without a word. No fight left in me. When he approached me again to talk, I continued my reign of silence, refusing to look at him. My wolf demanded I respond to the Alpha, but it was easy to ignore her if I didn't look Joon in the eye.
Byriel seemed comfortable with the silence, traveling in peace and trying to be helpful when he could. He didn't even argue when I took his belt and dagger, hitching it to my hip and telling him I wasn't comfortable with him having it while we slept. He simply nodded in understanding.
The silence, however, was killing Lex.
He groaned and whined that he was bored, insisting we all stop being so huffy and entertain him. I just didn't have it in me. My heart hurt too much to fake happiness for my friend, which left him very moody.
We approached the edge of the forest just before sunrise. We had agreed it would be best to enter the city around dusk, allowing us to rest for the day. It would also mean the city's streets would be at their busiest, and the guards were more likely to be distracted.
The King frequently stayed in a castle just off the coast, but we wouldn't know if he was in residence until we entered the city. Byriel explained that it would be easier to sneak in if his father wasn't there since they only kept half the servants and guards on staff when he was gone. But he was confident Hida would be there.
"I guess I should eat before we enter the city," Lex said, looking around the brightly lit forest. The morning sun cast a vivid light over everything it touched. "Should be plenty to choose from out here. I just wish it was night."
"Do sirens not hunt during the day?" Byriel asked him.
"Not really. No one with good intentions sneaks around the woods at night. It lets me eat with a clear conscience."
"Lex," I gasped dramatically, mimicking his usual flirty tone. "You're such a softy."
"I am not," he snapped.
"Yes, you are," I teased. "You care who you kill."
"I do not, and I will not take this kind of abuse from you," he huffed, twirling his robes behind him as he stalked off into the trees.
"He seems to hunt a lot," Byriel said, watching Lex disappear. "Do sirens need to kill so frequently to live?"
"I think he just really enjoys it," I shrugged. "I try not to think about it too much."
"I bet it's hard to befriend a murderer while trying to avenge your murdered mate," he said a little too casually for my liking.
I shot the Alpha a fierce glare, and he immediately looked down, mumbling an apology. At least he had the grace to look shame-faced.
"Lex isn't a murderer," I said as calmly as I could. "He's a hunter. There's a difference." But even as the words left my mouth, I wasn't sure I believed them. I had spent too much time trying not to think about Lex's victims and their families.
"You're right," the Alpha said. "I apologize. I didn't mean any disrespect. I've just never met a siren before, and I wasn't thinking about it properly."
"I've never seen an Alpha bow down to an Omega so quickly," Joon said, giving him a piercing glare.
Byriel squared his shoulders and tilted his head back. His eyes narrowed, but he didn't stand up to challenge Joon properly. "I offended the only creature here that's shown me any mercy or kindness. I'm not bowing down. I'm showing respect. I insulted her friend, and I'm sorry," he said in a loud, firm tone.
Joon pushed out a soft growl but didn't respond.
I couldn't help the smile that pulled at my lips, and I quickly turned my attention to the firewood in my hands to hide my face. I didn't want to encourage a fight between the two.
Sitting down next to Byriel, I arranged the sticks in the center of a circle of rocks. I could feel Joon's eyes on me, but I refused to look at him. Still too angry.
"Let me see your wound," I said a little more forcefully than intended.
Byriel immediately obeyed, tugging his shirt over his head and exposing his toned abs. I gently pulled at the bandages I made out of leaves and dried moss. Joon moved closer, the tension in his muscles almost audible, but his nervous energy was distracting and unnecessary. If Byriel wanted to kill us, he'd had plenty of opportunities over the last several days. While I didn't trust the Alpha, I didn't fear him either.
