Page 69 of Blood of the Fallen
“Sorry.”
“Not so long ago, I lived in a completely different world, and to say that everything got turned upside down is an understatement. Now, I’m a shifter. I’m alpha to this triad. I have a family, and I just lost… my mother. I don’t think I can handle anymore right now.” Tears pooled in my eyes and I fought to keep them back.
Kall stopped abruptly. Without saying a word, he wrapped me tightly in his arms.
At first, I wanted to push him away, but the embrace was comforting. It soothed my frail nerves and made me feel safe—something I hadn’t felt in a while.
“I want nothing from you,” he said, his deep voice rumbling in his chest like the purr of a cat. “You don’t have to do anything, Sheela. You don’t have tobeanything. To me, it’s enough that you’re with me. And I don’t care how much time you need, I will be here, without expectations, without demands.”
His words undid me. They were exactly what I needed to hear from him, and it was probably the bond telling him exactly what to say, but that didn’t make it wrong.
The way I’d been brought up made me distrust the connection, but that was all prejudice and ignorance. I realized then that a mate bond wasn’t something to fear or reject. Maybe I couldn’t accept it just now, but I shouldn’t be afraid of it—not when it could make everything feel right when my heart needed it most. When it could provide so much more than a relationship based on guesswork or familiarity could.
I had his patience and understanding, and that was all I needed right now.
CHAPTER 27
Afteraboutanhourof trekking through the woods, the path widened, and the foothills of a steep mountain greeted us. We maneuver through the rocky terrain toward the dark mouth of a cave. Kall held my hand as we entered a tunnel wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side.
I expected someone to light a torch, but we continued on in the pitch black. At first, I stumbled blindly, my heartbeat picking up as my mind conjured shadowy ghosts. But quickly, my eyes adjusted. The edge of panic subsided, and I stopped constantly watching over my shoulder.
As the tunnel widened ahead, a warm glow shined against the damp walls, and the din of conversation reached us. Soon, we came to a spacious cavern with a tall ceiling and concave walls. The sight of people milling about made me do a double-take. There were a few fires, and the smell of roast meat hung in the air. My stomach twisted in response. We had eaten nothing since we’d stopped for our mid-day scraps.
A tall woman, nearly six feet tall, approached us. She had honey-colored hair like Maki’s, and it was shaved on the sides and long on top. Her eyes were a piercing blue and a black line of paint cut across them. She wore a mid-thigh buckskin skirt with a split down the side, and a thick belt with a couple of knives and a hatchet hanging from it.
“I see you found them,” she said in a deep, scratchy voice. She scanned us, taking special attention as she got to the triad and me.
“Yura succeeded in completing the tetrad,” she stated. “I’m saddened that she isn’t here.” She placed a hand on her chest and bowed slightly, meeting the eye of every pack member left. “My name is Lawana. I’m the Chieftess of the Samaqan pack. The other seven packs are already here. You must be tired and hungry. You have time to rest and feed before we proceed with the Pack Rule meeting.”
She walked away, and the witches followed. Slowly, everyone trickled into the crowd, joining different groups of gathered shifters. Bethel went with her mother, their kind forming a separate group off to the side. They were the only witches here. Their coven seemed to have a special connection with the packs… or at least with ours.
Novuk threw a wistful glance at Bethel, then walked in the opposite direction as Kall approached one of the groups sitting around a small fire.
He greeted an older man with a small nod of the head. The man stood and came to meet Kall. They spoke in hushed tones, giving me the impression they were acquainted with each other. Soon, they welcomed us into their circle, making room around the fire and passing around wooden bowls with pieces of roasted meat and vegetables.
We ate in silence, everyone looking weary. When we finished, a young girl gathered our bowls. She piled them on top of each other as she weaved in and out of the group, moving gracefully. Her slight shape reminded me of Nirliq. I ground my teeth and rose to my feet.
Kall gave me a questioning look.
“I need to use the facilities,” I said with a shrug. It was partly true, but I also just wanted to get away for a moment.
As I turned to leave, Desna stood too. I kept going and only stopped when I realized she was following me. I faced her, worried she might jump me and cut my throat. Kall watched wearily, looking ready to come to my aid if necessary.
Desna’s right eye twitched as she took a step closer.
“Can I help you with something?” I asked, doing my best not to sound rude or defensive.
“I just wanted to… say thank you for helping me.”
I blinked in surprise. That wasn’t what I’d been expecting. “You’re welcome.”
She opened her mouth as if to say something else, but then she snapped it shut, whirled on her heel, and marched away.
I blew air through my nose, feeling a bit confused. It was obvious that expressing her gratitude had been difficult for her. She would’ve probably rather faced an angry bear than do what she’d just done. So I figured… I should appreciate the effort, no matter how awkward. Maybe someday, we would even become friends. I rolled my eyes at the thought. That was a stretch.
I meandered around the large cave until I found a quiet spot to sit and simply think. The light from the fires barely reached the dark corner, and the rock where I sat was hard against my rear, but sitting alone helped me get my thoughts in order despite the damp chill in the air.
More than ever, I felt the urgency to expose the Academy. Their lies had gone on long enough, and even if I had to dedicate my entire life to bringing them down, I would have no regrets. It would be worth it. But we couldn’t fight them head-on. The packs’ numbers were simply too low. A plan started to take shape in my mind.
