Page 42 of Whisker me Away
Freya stared at him with a mixture of frustration and understanding. He could feel her own protective instincts flaring, her magic responding to his distress with sympathetic energy.
"Fine," she said finally. "But I'm not hiding in my cottage while people suffer. I'll work from the inn with Miriam, help coordinate supplies and treatment for anyone showing corruption symptoms."
It wasn't ideal, but it was better than having her out in the open where the Thornweaver could target her directly. "Deal. But you don't leave the inn without me. Promise."
"I promise." Her hand squeezed his. "Just... be careful out there. I can feel your tiger wanting to hunt something, and corruption isn't an enemy you can fight with claws."
The evacuation took four hours of controlled chaos. Kieran coordinated with Maeve and the other council guards to move families with young children and elderly members to the outlying farms with private water sources. His tiger paced restlessly through every interaction, hyperaware of the danger spreading through their territory while his mate remained vulnerable.
"Thirty-seven families relocated," Maeve reported as they finished loading the last transport truck. "Everyone else has enough bottled water and purification supplies to last through tomorrow night."
"Good." Kieran wiped sweat from his forehead despite the autumn chill. "Any word from the water treatment plant?"
"Edgar says they've contained the immediate spread, but the corruption's too established to remove completely. We're looking at weeks of contamination, minimum."
Which meant they had no choice but to attempt the binding ritual tomorrow night, ready or not. The Thornweaver had forced their hand by escalating beyond anything the town could handle long-term.
"Council meeting in an hour," Maeve continued. "Emergency session to discuss the binding ritual. Elder Varric wants your report on Freya's preparedness."
Kieran's jaw tightened. "My report is that we're out of time and options. The ritual happens tomorrow whether the council thinks we're ready or not."
"Yeah, well, good luck explaining that to Elder Bram. He's been asking pointed questions about your qualifications all afternoon."
The five councilmembers sat in their stone circle with expressions ranging from concerned to openly skeptical, their attention focused on Kieran with uncomfortable intensity.
"Mr. Holt," Elder Varric began without preamble. "Given today's developments, we need to assess whether Miss Bloom is truly prepared for tomorrow night's ritual."
"As prepared as anyone can be for something this dangerous," Kieran replied carefully. "She understands the requirements, she's studied the available texts, and she's accepted the mate bond necessary to power the spell."
"Ah yes, the mate bond." Elder Bram leaned forward with cold interest. "Tell me, how exactly does a rootless tiger with no pack connections provide the stable magical foundation required for such ancient magic?"
"My connection to Freya is what matters," he said evenly. "Not my relationship with other shifters."
"Is it?" Elder Bram's pale eyes glittered with skepticism. "Because binding spells of this magnitude require absolute magical stability. The kind that comes from deep roots, established territories, generational connections to the land itself. What can someone with no ties to anything offer except reckless passion?"
Kieran's tiger snarled at the dismissal, claws threatening to extend. "I can offer my life. My strength. My absolute commitment to protecting this community and everyone in it."
"Pretty words from someone who's never been tested by real sacrifice."
"Enough." Freya's voice cut through the glade like a blade as she stepped from the shadows between the trees. Her eyesblazed and her magic crackled visibly around her. "How dare you question his commitment after everything he's done for this town?"
"Miss Bloom," Elder Varric said carefully. "You weren't invited to this meeting."
"And Kieran wasn't invited to be insulted by someone who's never put his life on the line for others." Freya moved to stand beside Kieran, her presence immediately calming his tiger despite the anger radiating from her. "You want to talk about roots and stability? Kieran has spent fifteen years protecting this community without asking for recognition or reward. He's earned the respect and trust of everyone who matters."
"Has he?" Elder Bram's voice carried cold challenge. "Because from where I sit, he's a drifter who happened to stumble into a mate bond with our most important magical practitioner. Hardly the foundation for ancient binding magic."
"You're wrong." Freya's magic flared brighter, responding to her emotional intensity. "Kieran is the strongest person I know. Not because of pack connections or territorial claims, but because he chooses to stay and fight when he could easily leave. Because he protects people who can't protect themselves. Because he'd face an ancient evil tomorrow night knowing he might die, just to keep others safe."
The fierce loyalty in her voice, the absolute conviction that he was worthy of her defense, hit Kieran hard. He could hear her genuine belief in his strength, her trust in his ability to face whatever came next. The woman who meant everything to him thought he was brave enough to deserve her love.
For the first time in his life, Kieran truly believed he belonged somewhere. Not because Miriam had taken him in or because the town needed his skills, but because his mate saw him as worthy of fighting for.
"The connection between Miss Bloom and Mr. Holt runs deeper than any of us initially understood," Elder Varric said into the charged silence. He held newfound respect as he studied them both. "And perhaps that depth is exactly what we need."
"What do you mean?" Kieran asked.
"We've been analyzing the corruption's spread pattern, trying to understand why it moved so quickly through our defenses." Elder Varric gestured to the ancient stones around them. "What we discovered is troubling. The Thornweaver hasn't just been feeding on individual plants or magical practitioners. It's been feeding on the town's connection to the land itself."
