Authors: Scarlet Hyacinth
Tags: #Romance
That relieved Graham a great deal. He hadn’t seen any wolves from his pack imprisoned in Sacramento, but it would have been entirely possible for the draechen to send them to other prisons.
“Then we should probably gather around and leave. I do believe Alpha Hugh isn’t willing to keep us here for much longer.”
He was deliberately ignoring whatever doubts his pack might have had about his mating, although he had no doubt that they’d question his authority eventually. Werewolves were like that. Whenever they saw one sign that might suggest their leader was becoming weak, they lashed out, very much aware that the Alpha was the only thing between them and being the draechen’s slaves.
“Wait a second,” Monroe piped up. “If you’re free, where’s Taryn?”
“I don’t know,” Graham admitted, knowing the other Alpha would be furious at the reply, but unable, no, unwilling to lie.
Monroe’s nostrils flared, and he clenched his hands into fists. The scent of blood filled the air as Monroe’s claws dug into his own flesh. “You fled like a coward and left him there? What kind of Alpha are you?”
Graham’s wolf reared up inside him, snarling in fury at the insult. He struggled to calm down his beast and began to explain, “We freed everyone in the prisons. Taryn wasn’t there.”
Monroe narrowed his eyes at him. “He was taken with you. Surely you must know something.”
Graham hesitated. Yes, Taryn had been there, and in the cell right next to him. But after that, he didn’t know what had happened.
“What does his brother look like?”
Caelyn asked through their bond.
Graham summoned a memory of Taryn as he had been during the meeting of their packs. He felt a pang of shocked recognition course through Caelyn, and the knowledge of the reason filled Graham’s mind. His mate had seen Taryn in Hareematek’s quarters. Truly, he shouldn’t have been surprised since he’d overheard them taking the younger wolf, but the certainty of it filled him with frustrated anger.
Monroe must have noticed his pause. “You do know something.” He took a threatening step forward. “Tell me.”
Caelyn shared a look with Graham.
“Should I answer him?”
Graham was reluctant to put Caelyn in any way in the center of attention.
“Let me try,”
he replied.
To Monroe, he said, “He was seen in Prince Hareematek’s quarters, wearing very little.”
Monroe’s eyes widened, his skin rippling as he fought the change. “Seen by whom?” he inquired, his voice a low growl.
At this point, there was nothing they could do to hide Caelyn’s involvement in this. Caelyn must have known it because he said, “By me. I’m very sorry. I didn’t know who he was until Graham showed me an image of him.”
“You were there, you saw him in that position, and you did nothing?” Monroe looked a step away from lunging at Caelyn. “What kind of person are you?”
“I think the real question is what my son’s supposed mate was doing in the draechen prince’s rooms,” Graham’s mother said, her shrewd eyes scanning Graham’s face, then turning to Caelyn. “Anything you’d like to share with us, son?”
Graham didn’t even want to think about how his family would react once they learned that Caelyn had been engaged to Prince Shtamakarein. It still didn’t sit well with him, although his reason was, naturally, jealousy.
“They’ll hate me for it, won’t they?”
Caelyn asked softly.
“They’re predisposed to hate you either way,”
Graham admitted with a mental sigh.
“There’s nothing we can do about that right now.”
Caelyn still seemed pained, but nodded. Taking a deep breath, he started to explain, “I was supposed to marry Prince Shtamakarein Tersain. That’s why I was there. Prince Hareematek wanted to throw an engagement party for us.”
“So let me see if I’m getting this straight,” Hugh drawled. “The two of you somehow managed to piss off the greatest enemy of our people. You’ve humiliated the Dog-Catcher in the worst way, and now, he’s likely hunting you down to avenge his honor. And you’ve brought this bane upon us as well by coming here.”
“What were you thinking, boy?” Tate asked. “You know better than to get involved with the whore of a draechen.”
Graham had had enough. No one, not even his father, was allowed to talk to Caelyn like that. Graham could stomach any insult addressed to him, but not to Caelyn. With a growl, he melted in his wolf form.
“You’re going to regret saying that,”
he sent out.
“You’ll regret ever slighting my mate.”
Tate’s eyes widened. He obviously hadn’t expected that reaction from Graham, which was actually kind of foolish. But then, he likely still saw Graham as the young wolf he’d been when he’d left home.
Sadly, Tate also remained as arrogant as ever. Ignoring Graham’s words of warning, he turned into his wolf shape as well and lunged at Graham, obviously believing he could teach him a lesson.
It had been easy to deal with the young pups, and Tate wasn’t much more difficult to handle. He represented a greater challenge from a strategic perspective as his age granted him valuable battle experience. However, Graham had the advantage of both skill and youth on his side, and he was an Alpha. It was foolish of his father to even attempt to stand against him.
Leaping to the side, Graham avoided Tate’s attack. As quick as lightning, he countered his father’s assault, jumping on top of the other wolf’s back. They fell to the ground together, with Graham on top, his claws raking over his father’s side. Tate tried to push him back, and for a few moments, it almost seemed like he would succeed. However, Graham was determined to get his way. Using his superior strength, he succeeded to pin his father down and threateningly held his sharp fangs against the older wolf’s jugular. Not even Tate’s thick pelt could protect him if Graham decided to rip his throat out.
Graham didn’t actually want to do that. He’d proven his point, and he had no interest in committing patricide. Even so, he didn’t immediately let go, instead choosing to telepathically speak to his father.
“Yield. Yield to me.”
Fortunately, Tate finally wised up and tilted his head in submission.
“Shift,”
Graham added.
As his father obeyed, Graham changed shapes as well. “Does anyone else want to challenge me?” he asked. Feeling his brother’s gaze on him, he threw a look toward his sibling. “Stuart?”
Stuart shook his head. “I’m your beta and your brother. Even if I might not understand you, I’ve got your back.”
Thank the gods for small mercies. Graham might have been willing to fight his father, but he wasn’t so eager to do the same thing with his brother. Graham might have been older, but it was only by a couple of minutes. They’d actually shared a litter, grown up together, fought and bled together. Stuart’s rejection would have hurt him far more than that of his parents.
As Graham got up, Caelyn rushed to his side, hugging him tightly.
“Are you all right?”
he whispered in Graham’s mind.
“I’m fine,”
Graham replied.
“Just frustrated with this foolishness. I can’t believe my own family is being so absurd, and Hugh even worse than them.”
As if to confirm Graham’s words, Hugh glared at him and asked, “What are you trying to prove, Graham?”
That he was a strong Alpha, a reliable wolf? That mating hadn’t changed him in that regard? That his bond with Caelyn had to be respected no matter what? For fuck’s sake, was it so hard to understand that he wanted his pack and his mate to get along?
Shaking his head, Graham answered, “I have no quarrel with you, Hugh,” he replied. “I’ve done what I came here to do. My pack and I will be leaving now.”
“And still, I have no answer regarding Taryn,” Monroe said. “I’m running out of patience here.”
Graham almost snorted. When had Monroe been patient to begin with? Caelyn, on the other hand, proved to be far kinder and calmer than the rest of them deserved. “As I was saying, I just saw him that one time. I don’t know what happened after that, and I’m afraid that, no matter how much I’d have liked to assist him, it simply wasn’t possible. If I’d said anything at all, they’d have figured out what I intended, and it wouldn’t have helped anyway.”
“Is that what you tell yourself to justify your cowardice?”
“Monroe, I understand your anger and your pain,” Graham said, “but I think we’re running in circles. There was nothing my mate could have done. It’s not like the Tersain randomly listen to the opinions of others with regard to their prisoners. None of this is Caelyn’s fault. Surely you realize that.”
For a few moments, Monroe didn’t speak. Graham actually thought he’d failed in reaching out to him, but as it turned out, Monroe nodded jerkily. “You’re right. The draechen are the enemy here.”
Finally, someone was listening to reason. Graham almost couldn’t believe it. Stuart joined him, as did the members of his pack who were present. Many of them seemed uncomfortable, but they didn’t look very willing to challenge Graham’s leadership either. Graham knew that he’d won one battle, if not the war.
One of the wolves in question, a woman named Kimberly, said, “Everyone else is still with Alpha Crane’s pack. Perhaps we should go pick them up?”
She said the words inquiringly, almost hesitantly, uncertain of how Graham, or perhaps Hugh, would react. Graham just nodded. “If it’s all right with Alpha Hugh, we really must be on our way.”
The older wolf was silent, but gestured them to follow. As they walked through the forest, Graham held onto Caelyn’s hand, aware of how very self-conscious his mate still felt.
“It’s okay, angel,”
he whispered through their bond.
“The worst is over.”
“Let’s hope so,”
Caelyn mused. The whirlwind of emotions inside him echoed within Graham’s own heart, unsettling him.
Everyone remained silent during the walk, but that didn’t mean they’d suddenly changed their minds about the situation. Under the circumstances, it was a great relief for Graham to finally reach their destination.
When Graham had told Caelyn that he’d lived in a town, or even a settlement, it hadn’t been exactly true. Homes weren’t possible for any ninth caste rebel. However, Hugh had endeavored to grant his pack a place that at least gave them a measure of stability. The end result was a sort of camp, with tents that could be gathered and moved whenever the need appeared.
Right now, around those tents, a lot of familiar figures were gathered. Many of them perked up upon seeing him approach, erupting into cheers. That might have made him smile, except those cheers quickly died when they saw Caelyn with them. Did they have to start over with all the explanations and accusations? Graham didn’t think he’d be able to take that without snapping.
As he stepped in front of the members of his pack, he said, “Before anyone thinks of saying anything, I’d like to introduce my mate, Caelyn. His presence is not debatable. He is not a traitor or a spy. I don’t care that he is a man. Any other argument that you might want to bring to my attention will be ignored.”
Caelyn pressed a hand to his shoulder.
“Breathe, beloved,”
he said through their bond.
“Calm down.”
Some of the tension drained out of Graham, and he actually wanted to laugh. Sometimes, Caelyn amazed him. He’d always known that he’d be protective of his mate since it was a natural werewolf instinct, but the way Caelyn always wanted to shield him and soothe him somehow still managed to surprise him.
Finding strength in Caelyn’s love, he added, “I don’t mean to be curt, but so far, my mating has only been received with insults, and I can’t accept that. Just know that I’m the same man, only happier.”
For a few moments, the members of his pack remained quiet. “We wouldn’t dream of being insulting to your mate,” a young wolf finally said, breaking the silence. “I can’t say I’m comfortable with it, but I have faith that you know what you’re doing, Alpha.”
As if his words caused a domino effect, the other wolves started to react as well. There were nods all around, small smiles, and even some congratulations. Not everyone was so closed-minded as Hugh and Tate. Of course, there was bound to be some uncertainty, but Graham had faith things would become smoother as the pack adjusted to Caelyn.
Sadly, it was too good to be true, and Hugh didn’t seem inclined to let things go so easily. “Before you all make a decision regarding your future, you should know that Lord Caelyn Sutharlainn is a very important sprite noble and the Dog-Catcher’s ex-fiancé. Suffice to say, the separation between him and Shtamakarein Tersain wasn’t an amiable one. I advise you to take that into account.”
Once again, silence fell, tension flooding the gathering. Graham almost wished that they hadn’t told his family about Caelyn’s connection to the Tersain, but in his heart, he knew he’d done the right thing. As an Alpha, it was his duty to keep his people informed so that they could do what they felt was best for them. That was the difference between a good leader and a tyrant.
Hugh, however, had no qualms in exploiting the information Graham himself had provided. “I can see that everyone here is very conflicted about these new revelations,” he said. “I don’t normally do this, but I’d like to extend an invitation to all the members of Graham’s pack to stay here on a temporary basis. I feel that those who follow him would be in danger because of his mate.”