Page 45 of A Warrior's Fate

He’d had enough sense then to leave it for her, though she was broken and unconscious. He knew her at that moment.

So, what had happened? Where had he gone after he left it? She’d emerged only yesterday and had been found maybe a day or two’s walk before. Not that much time for him to lose all sense.

Isla shook away the questions. She couldn’t worry about that. Not now. Right now, she had to help him. Now, while she could. Then they’d worry about his memories.

Then they’d have their talk.

“Stop!”

Isla jumped to attention at the familiar voice. Adrien pushed his way to the center of the fray, and relief washed over her. If she knew anything about her friend, he’d be the last to support whatever vigilante-esque brutality was about to occur. The pack relations nightmare would be the least of his problems.

“Imperial Heir.” The guard sketched a shallow bow but kept his foot firmly on Lukas’s neck. Beneath him, Lukas grew more sluggish, losing his fight for air. For consciousness.

Bastard.

Isla snarled and moved a few more steps.

The tug came again, harder this time.

For the love of the Goddess. Leave me alone.

She whipped around to Kai just as he leaned back against the Wall and folded his arms across his chest. Almost like he was about to run out to stop her, but for some reason, elected not to bother.

He was the picture of confidence, of coolness, and never broke eye contact as he shook his head as if telling her no, to stay back, to not get involved. Isla initially ignored the way her mind began to feel fuzzy—itchy, if that were any way to describe it. Instead, she narrowed her eyes, ready to slice him with them…but then she stopped, and her features softened in realization. In shock.

She looked away, but not before noting their lack of proximity.

It wasn’t possible.

At least twenty paces lay between them, only their wolfish senses allowing them to see each other from the distance in the waning lights. She noted the lack of high-scale emotion—no burning lust, no all-consuming, shuddering fear, at least for her, and if he feared anything, he didn’t show it. He rarely did.

Both of those things had seemed necessary when their bond had connected them and allowed them to communicate in the most primitive ways. A pull here, a tug there. Unintentionally. Without much control over intensity or true knowledge of the repercussions.

But this…

Kai had wanted her attention, called to her for it, through a link, their bond, whatever it was, and had got it. Once. Now twice.

Isla’s hand went to her head, her fingers wedging in her hair, scratching at her scalp to no avail. The itch wasn’t physical. Not tangible.

But they hadn’t touched. They weren’t completely bound. Communicating like this, it wasn’t…it shouldn’t…

She looked at Kai again, who returned her gaze with raised eyebrows. She glowered. Get out of my head. She hoped he could hear it. That he could sense how angry she was for whatever he was doing, how ever he was doing it. You get the hell out of my head, or so help me.

She wasn’t sure if it was her outcry’s doing, but the sensation faded to nothing. Her chest rose and fell with every sharp breath as she brought her hand to her side. She ground her teeth so hard that she waited for them to break.

Too close. For keeping things separated, for keeping their bond broken, that was too close.

“Bring him up to the infirmary.”

At Adrien’s demand, she drew her attention back to the mob, to Lukas.

Any formality and respect the guard had shown earlier faltered. “Are you insane?”

Nearly everyone tensed at the out-of-line proclamation.

Adrien’s eyes flashed, a deep, smoldering fire that was not quite the blood-red of an alpha, but not the bluish luminescence of a common wolf. A reminder. In this crowd, he was the hierarchy. A conduit of his father’s highest power. His decisions were law until deemed otherwise.

“Bring him to the infirmary,” he repeated. “He’s one in a list of anomalies this week, and lucky for us, unlike everything else, he can speak. He may be able to give us some idea of what’s going on out there.”

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