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“But that’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, Axanar, she’s not like the women from our pride. I don’t think the dynamic between her Alpha was the same as the dynamic with you. If you want something from her, then you’re going to have to get to know her better, and you might actually have to make a compromise.”
“Compromise?” I laughed as I said this. Alphas did not compromise.
“This is a strange situation for all of us and we all must learn new skills. I believe that, if she is going to harness her power, then she needs to feel comfortable and relaxed to explore it, but that’s not going to happen if she feels like a prisoner. We are going to have to show her that she belongs.”
I turned back to the world outside and thought on his words. In the glass, I could see the shadows of our reflections, but I also looked to the jungle that awaited me in the great hunt. I ran my tongue along my teeth and a thought occurred to me.
“Then I know a way that this can be accomplished.”
“You do?” Volkan asked, the hint of astonishment in his voice.
“Yes. I know of a good way for us to get to know each other better. I think she should join me on the great hunt.”
“No,” he gasped.
I turned to face him, shooting him a questioning look.
“She’s from another world. She has no idea what the great hunt means. You can’t possibly mean to take her there. She could die.”
“Or she will be able to show me that she is worthy of being seen as an equal. Do you know she actually claimed that she was the Alpha of her pride because she is the only one left, as far as she knows? I think she is the one who is arrogant. Being the Alpha is more than that. Clearly there are lessons that she has not yet learned, and it is time for her to be taught.”
“But this is risky. If she should die, then we are going to lose her abilities as a world walker. Who knows whether another is ever going to return to us?”
“At the moment, she has not shown any display of her power. She is not a world walker yet, so if she does die, there will be nothing lost, but if she learns how to fight, then perhaps she will see what she is capable of, and perhaps she will understand why I am the Alpha.”
“Please Axanar, I beg of you to think about this more before you take her on the great hunt. She is not ready for this.”
“Then it is your job to make her ready,” I said. Volkan continued staring at me in dumbfounded disbelief, so I added that it was an order. He knew better than to question my judgment. He turned his back and slunk away, and I went back to looking out of the window. The great hunt would reveal much about her to me, and perhaps we could put an end to this. Gonshu awaited us, and many lessons would be learned.
Chapter Sixteen
Volkan
“Put this on and come with me,” I said as I stood in the doorway of Kara’s chamber. She gave me a questioning look.
“Am I going to see the almighty Axanar again? Did you know he wants to mate with me?” I looked away, a little ashamed of this. That was all she needed to confirm her view.
“You know Volkan, I actually thought that you might be a decent man. You’re just the same as him though.”
I bore the insult and did not reply. I was not there to argue with her. “Kara, please. There is something we must do.”
“No. I’m not going to do anything. I will sit here and I will eat the food you bring me, but that’s all. I’m done playing these games and jumping through these hoops. I’m not here to be the Alpha’s mate or to send you flying off to other worlds,” she dug her hands in her armpits as she crossed her arms tightly over her chest and she sat on the bed, giving off the impression that she wasn’t going to leave at all. I knew this had been a bad idea, but it was my duty to carry out Axanar’s will, and if I did not prepare her, then she would be a feast for Gonshu.
“Axanar has decided to take you on the great hunt with him. He hopes that it will make you see that you have a place here, and remind you of the power of this pride.”
“And if I refuse?”
“There is no refusal. He will take you with him no matter what, even if he has to bind you to his wrists and drag you there by himself.”
She made a scornful noise and rolled her eyes. “Great, the Alpha always gets his way. You know it doesn’t have to be like this, right? Where I come from, the Alpha only guided the pride. He did not control it like Axanar does.”
I regret what I said next, but I felt it was a pertinent point. “With all due respect, your pride has been destroyed. Perhaps that way was not the best way.”
Kara flinched at this and looked sickened. I continued speaking quickly, hoping that she would not have time to dwell on her feelings. “If you excel at the great hunt, then you may win Axanar’s respect. You must understand that he does not see things as you do. This world is different, filled with more tradition than your own. He is the Alpha and here the Alpha is the one who moves the pride forward. He is used to people obeying him because he has deserved the right. He has excelled in all forms of combat. He is the finest hunter in the pride. He has followed every rite and every ritual, and he has proven himself the strongest. You do not know the burdens he has to carry with him, but the same is true for him with you. If you can show him that you can succeed in the great hunt, then perhaps he is more likely to listen to you.”
“I don’t have to prove myself to anyone.”
“You do if you wish to return home,” I said.
