AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She nodded. “It is pretty crazy when you think about it, although I don’t think that I’ll be visiting that particular world any time soon.”
“No. There was no beauty to it.”
“Aside from that flower,” she said. I held my tongue. There was something I wanted to say, but I wasn’t sure how to say it. “Do you think that Tania is going to be able to make the antidote?”
“I have every faith in her. She is the wisdom. She knows what she’s doing,” I said. “Axanar will not die today. He is too strong for that.”
She sounded uncertain when she spoke next. “What if… what if he does? I mean… what would happen to the pride. Would there be a new contest to see who the Alpha is?” she asked. I wasn’t sure why she was asking this now. Perhaps it was just a way to pass the time while we waited to find out what happened to Axanar.
“That is usually the way things go, yes. We would send Axanar to the Great Plains and then we would look to name the new Alpha. I’m sure there are many men who would want the position.”
“Would you?”
I thought about it for a moment, and then shook my head. “Axanar will always be my Alpha. I know I would pale in comparison to him.”
“And what if… what if Axanar named his successor, would that be respected?” she asked.
“It has been known to happen before. It is possible that some would challenge it, although I cannot imagine anyone who would challenge Axanar’s notion if he did name someone.”
“And what if he named… me?” she said. Her voice was small, and her expression was uncertain. I frowned, wondering if this was some joke that I did not understand, but she was not laughing at all.
“You?” I asked.
She swallowed a lump in her throat and took a deep breath. “After it all happened, he whispered in my ear. He said that I had proven myself to be worthy of becoming the Alpha. He said that I had slain Gonshu, that I had already done the duty of the Alpha. I… I don’t know if he was just made crazy by the poison or something but…”
“He would not say anything he did not mean, especially when it regards the Alpha. He has seen something in you, Kara.”
“But I don’t see it myself. I’m just an ordinary girl.”
“You are a world walker.”
“Yes, but what good is that? I can take people places. I can run away… that’s all I’ve ever been good at really. I ran away from my pride when they needed me most. I left my parents behind, and I came here. It’s all well and good that I’m safe, but what about them? I’m just a failure, and now I’m alone. I could never be an Alpha,” she said, and she seemed so emotionally drained that she was close to tears. I put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close into me. I breathed in the heavenly fragrance of her hair and closed my eyes.
“You’re not alone, Kara,” I said. “You’ve lost a lot, but we all have. That is what binds us as lions. You walked through a world to get here. You did not fall to your knees upon seeing the Alpha. You excelled in the hunt. You slew Gonshu. You went to another world to find the cure that might save Axanar. All these things you have done, and you sit there and tell me that you are not great? You are magnificent, Kara. You are the stuff that legends are made of and I… I am in awe of you,” I said, unable to stop myself from offering my feelings to her. I could not hide them. I did not wish to hide them any longer.
“You could ask anything of me, and I would do it, Kara. If you did become Alpha, then I will serve you as loyally as I did Axanar. I am always here for you. I have known loneliness too,” I said.
Kara looked at me with her wide, crystal eyes. Strands of dark hair drifted across her face. She reached up and placed a hand upon my cheek. Her touch was soft, gentle, and I knew that I could have fallen into her with wild abandon in that moment. I was standing on a precipice with her, I was worried about Axanar, and I think that is what brought us together in that moment. We had a shared bond of pain and loneliness, and I think we just wanted something to cling to, something good. It was as though the strings of fate were drawing us together as she leaned up and I leaned down. Our lips pressed against each other softly, and then the kiss grew deeper. Passion flickered and stirred within my heart. Her hand ran around my smooth head, while I felt the small of her back. I enjoyed the soft moan that flowed between her lips, and then she pulled away. She nestled her head against my shoulder, and I knew that this was as far as it would go this night, but that was enough for me. I had her in my arms, and this was the greatest triumph I could ever know. I kissed her head and within moments she had fallen asleep. I laid her down on the bed and pulled a blanket over her. The warmth and her sweet taste lingered on my lips, and I sat watch over her, waiting for news about Axanar. I prayed that he would recover, but if not, then I felt as though we would be in good hands.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Axanar
My mind was a swirling mass of pain and agony. Every breath I took felt as though daggers were being pressed into my lungs. My body ached and all I wanted was to have my flesh peeled away. All I wanted was the pain to be over. In the vague distance, I could hear people talking, but their voices were like whispers and they were elusive. My vision was blurred, and I could not tell reality from a dream. The only thing that was real to me was Gonshu. His eyes burned into my soul, and I knew that, even though he had been driven back, he had emerged victorious. I also thought of Kara though. When I had first met her, she had been nothing but a stubborn intruder, but over time, she had proven herself again and again. She was a fine hunter, and it was clear that the best qualities of lions were alive in her blood. She may not have known of Orestes before she arrived in our world, but she was most definitely worthy of staying here. In my weakened state, I had seen her climb atop Gonshu’s back and pierce his neck with an arrow, causing him to retreat. To defeat Gonshu was the mark of an Alpha, and I could no longer deny that she deserved to be a part of this pride. Perhaps she even deserved to be my mate, and not just because she had the power of a world walker inside her. No, she was far more than that.
But such thoughts were becoming futile. I knew what Gonshu had done, and I knew that the stores were empty of the antidote. I could feel my life slipping away as each moment passed. I never thought it would end like this. I suppose it was natural for anyone to think that they were going to live until they were old and decrepit. At least, this way I would not have to worry about turning into my father. At least, I could die in my prime, and leave behind a good example for the pride to learn from. My rest would be upon me soon and I could look down on Orestes from the Great Plains, and I could know that the pride was left in good hands.
As I was soon to learn, fate did not have that in store for me. I cracked my eyes open and awoke. Pain blazed through my body, and I could barely move, but there was something different about me. My mind was clear and the haunting dread within my heart had dissipated.
I looked up and saw Tania standing there. She placed a hand on my forehead. It was still difficult to breath, but it was not as arduous as it had been before. I whispered an order to her, and she went away to follow it.
*
A short time later, Kara was beside me. I had regained my strength quickly, although it would still be a while before I was able to get out of bed. I had some water and food, and this helped. I was still lying down. Kara sat on a chair beside the bed. She had a relieved look on her face, and I could tell that tiredness reigned within her mind.
“Tania told me what happened. You learned to walk between worlds,” I said. My voice was brittle and dry. It was a cracked thing, just as broken as the rest of me.
Kara nodded. “I think I finally figured it out. It was incredible, Axanar. I was there, in another world, although it’s definitely not the kind of world that I’d want to visit again soon. It’s no wonder Gonshu is that terrifying when the world he comes from is bleak and dark and like hell itself.”
