Chapter 21
A smug look spread across his mouth as he raised his hand to brush the speck of blood from his cheek where my fingernail had cut him. He hadn’t given so much as a flinch to my slap and I stepped back, my power having diminished.
"Marek, you good?" He shouted, making me jump.
Marek, who was looking awfully queasy, rose his head from his knees and held his thumb up.
It looked like a massacre had happened here. Blood sprayed the sides of every building and bench. Darkened earth clumped together where blood had puddled.
Every man was injured, Jax looking to have taken the worst of it. He rocked in the dirt, cradling his elbow that looked to have bent the wrong way. He rolled onto his stomach and pulled his knees into his chest. Tucking his bad arm between his legs, he jerked himself up and a cry followed a cracking noise.
"Good, we need to go after that alpha before he gets too far," Dominic called out and turned back to the village homes. I quickly followed, my courage returning.
"You said you would keep him alive. How could you?"
"Are we not going to talk about what the fuck just happened?" Jax yelled behind us, struggling to get to his feet.
Dominic entered one of the huts, letting the door slam behind him. I swung it open, determined to find answers.
"You attacked an unarmed man tied to a damned tree after promising me you wouldn’t hurt him."
He sighed with exasperation while pulling on a pair of pants, "It was better that way. You would have been mad for a few days then you would’ve seen we were right. He’s not a good man and if you wouldn’t have come back early then you would’ve seen that too."
A lightbulb hit and I was stunned. Back early? Was everyone in on the plan to kill him? They had planned for me to leave with Julien so they could execute him without my interference.
My heart stung at the thought of Julien betraying me. Even though I only met him yesterday, I thought we shared something.
I felt so childish, letting a silly crush blind me with undeserved trust.
These were all strangers to me. Fear for myself crept into my skin, Grayson was right. I wasn’t safe here. But I wasn’t safe with him either. Uncertainty clouded my thoughts.
"Go back to your room. I’ll send Julien to watch over you while we hunt him down." He scowled with authority.
"I won’t let you hurt him," I countered, finding strength in defying his command. My resolve still stood and now I had my own power to back it up, though I wasn’t sure I could do...whatever I had done, again.
Suddenly, he grabbed my shoulder and pushed a hand into my chest, backing me into the wall behind me, then pointed a finger in my face as his body became too close for my comfort. I went rigid under his dominance.
"If you want to blast me again go ahead, but I won’t be told what to do by some alpha plaything."
I gasped and his hand moved to the wall beside me so he could bend down toward my face with his.
"Though, maybe I should just claim you for myself. If you were important enough for Grayson Bale then there must be something about you worthwhile. What are you?" He asked, moving his other hand from my shoulder down to my waist and brushing the sides of my breasts as he did so.
"Some sort of witch? Is that what you did before, cast a spell?"
I held his look with a defiance in my eyes. I tried hard to steady my breathing, I couldn’t let him see my fear. "Maybe, I am." I challenged. "Maybe you should be afraid." I did my best to portray fearlessness in the squint of my eyes.
He leaned even further down, so close our noses were about to touch. The room was dim, making his already dark eyes look like black holes, ready to consume the entirety of me. With each breath he let out, I felt like I was taking more of him in.
His finger traveled slowly up my sternum and along my throat, ending at my chin. "Is that what you want?" He asked with a glint in his eye. I readied myself to tell him off but was interrupted by a swish of wind as the door swung open.
Jax burst in, fully clothed and weapons in hand. He paused when he saw Dominic looming over me.
"What’s happening here?" He asked cautiously.
"Nothing," Dominic stated and backed away. My whole body relaxed and I slid behind Jax before escaping through the doorway.
Outside, I limped my way behind the huts and searched for a break in the trees to disappear in. A hand grasped my bicep and I swung a fist backwards. Julien dodged my throw, letting go of my arm.
"Where are you going?" He asked, actually looking hurt at my aggression.
"Away from all of you."
"I didn’t know, I swear Rebel." He grabbed my hand as I turned away to leave. "Wait! They’ll hunt you down too if you leave."
I stared at the path in front of me, I had been so close. Turning back, I asked, "You really didn’t know?"
The question shouldn’t bother me so much. It shouldn’t matter if he knew their plan or was a part of it. He was still a stranger to me.
Yet, a small voice inside urged me to know. I had grasped for his kindness like a liferaft in open water. To have him hurt me felt unbearable. I searched his eyes for deceit.
"I promise. Dominic asked me to take you to find some clothes, he didn’t tell me what they were going to do. I would have stopped him, you have to believe me."
Dammit, I did believe him. Or at the least, trusted him more than the rest. His voice was shaky with desperation, making my heart melt at his honesty. It made me feel relief beyond measure along with uncertainty. I needed someone to rely on and Julien was the closest I would get.
"Dominic is a threat to me, a greater one than Grayson I think."
He studied me, decoding the meaning. I didn’t want to tell him about what Dominic had said in the confines of his hut. If I were to stay with them, I had to be careful to never be alone with Dominic again. I also had to be careful with what I said around them. I had to assume their loyalties were with each other.
Julien was right though, I couldn’t leave. The pull I had for Grayson before was gone, I could tell he was still alive but knew I wouldn’t be able to find him if I wandered away from the village. Grayson could find me with his heightened senses but Dominic might beat him to it. And there was no telling what either one of them would do if I were caught alone in the forest.
"I’ll stay with you," I told him. He let out a breath of air, the tension leaving his body. Had he really been so afraid for me, or was it just an act?
"Thank you, and Grayson will be fine. I’ve seen him fight his way through an entire pack of werewolves on his own during the Traitor’s Revolution. The man has a hard time dying."
My curiosity sparked at this, I hadn’t known who he was before I saw his name on the contract my father made me sign and now I’ve met someone who’s heard war stories about him. I was dying to learn more but was distracted by the others gathering by the fire.
Julien held out his hand and I took it in mine as he led me to the pit.
Voices hushed as neared and I could tell they were readying for battle. Each face wore a different expression: Dominic’s was one of anger, Jax was determination, and Marek’s pity. Marek was only following orders, I realized, and the thought that only Dominic was out for blood crossed my mind.
Dominic nodded to Julien who turned to me. "Let’s get you back to your hut," he said, gently tugging at my hand in his.
"Actually, I was hoping I could stay in yours"
The corner of his mouth curved. "You sort of already are. I’ve been bunking with Marek."
The more the merrier, I thought. It was Dominic that set my senses on edge. "There works. I’d feel safer."
He nodded reassuringly. "Leaves to protect the flower bud from the rain."
I smiled up at him as we walked away from the group. My heart felt confused, like I was playing chess for survival. Every choice felt like the wrong one, every decision shrouded in the possibility of danger.
I turned my head back to see the men leave camp, leave to hunt down my bonded mate.