Chapter 19
Grayson watched us curiously, his interest peaked as to what I might say. Dominic placed his hand on the small of my back, a gesture of comfort.
"We can’t let him go," he told me. I knew that, of course I knew that but what was the alternative, death?
"You can’t keep him tied up forever either."
Dominic let out a breath of air, hesitance heavy on his brow. He was between a rock and a hard place with this predicament.
There was no good answer and I wouldn’t let them hurt him. I shouldn’t care what happens to the jerk but it wasn’t right to just let him die.
I was choosing to be better than Grayson, to save his life. "Have him be a servant or whatever. Just don’t hurt him," I begged.
"He’s too dangerous."
"He’s killed like hundreds of innocent people," Jax chimed in.
"They weren’t innocent." Grayson’s voice was loud and defensive.
"See, he doesn’t deny it. Rebel, you would be doing the world a favor," Jax retorted.
They obviously knew more about his reputation than I did. I only knew what I’ve seen in the last few weeks and even that didn’t leave a good impression. He was ruthless, cruel, and dominating. A true alpha of the beastly kingdom.
But he had also saved me from drowning after the plane crashed into the ocean. He had carried me to safety and built me a shelter. He had fed me and brought me fruit as a kindness despite his rude attitude.
Dominic moved his other hand on top of mine and a jolt of electricity went up my arm. I looked into his eyes, having forgotten how deep and soulful they were. Impossibly dark like there was no pupil only vast portals to a place I longed for.
"If he’s gone, you’ll be free of your bond." His hand turned mine over, putting Graysons mark on display.
An invisible string pulled at me, causing me to catch Grayson’s stare. It was undeniable, the tether between us. I hated him and wanted him simultaneously. I glanced back at Dominic who waited patiently.
Tears threatened to well up in my eyes and I was unable to speak, to describe the confusing secrets inside me. Something told me he understood. I couldn’t let them hurt him. And just like that, the conversation was over. He let go of where he held my wrist and stood.
I was left where I sat, watching Grayson from afar. A smug smile crossed his lips and I was struck with the pain of knowing he had won again.
The men went about their chores silently. I felt awkward not knowing what to do or where to go. It was obvious they all had a role to play. Each had an unspoken task, a part to play in their pack. I rubbed the mark on my wrist, feeling the shape of the raised skin like a branding until Julien stood in front of me.
Looking up at him, he held out his hand. "I was hoping you might accompany me back to your camp for your things, and maybe some better attire."
I looked down at the hide around my lap. More skin than I wanted was showing and I pulled at the edges to cover the plumpness of my thighs.
"I don’t have any things and my pants aren’t at camp, they were at a waterfall that I don’t know how to get to."
He continued to hold his hand out, waiting. "I can find it, werewolf senses." He smiled sweetly and I blushed in return.
All of these men made me feel things I had never felt for other men before, even Grayson. I couldn’t put words to it except for Julien. With him I felt giddy, like a giggling school girl. He was handsome and poetic and so sweet.
I took his hand and let him lift me to my feet. "You could limp your way there but it is a long walk so if you don’t mind, I’d like to carry you." My stomach skipped a little.
Nodding, he lowered down and I climbed on his back. I wrapped myself around him, hugging around his neck as his hands gripped into my thighs, hoisting them around his midsection. I liked this feeling. His hair smelled like pine and the honey glazed softness made me wonder what it would feel like between my fingers.
I liked boys in school, more than a few had caught my attention but around Julien it felt different. I was crushing on him...hard.
I made sure not to look back at Grayson as Julien carried me away from their small village. A part of me worried for him, his gag was still off and he was sure to say something stupid. I just hoped he wouldn’t get himself killed while I was away.
The start of the walk was quiet and awkward. My makeshift skirt had undone and fell behind us. I decided to let it go, letting my legs rub against his sides.
"So...how long have you been here?" I asked, desperate to ease the silence.
He didn’t seem to mind it, like he was comfortable in his own mind. "A little over three years."
"Wow, three years. That’s a long time to be stuck here."
"It is, but it’s better with you here." I could hear the smile in his voice even though I couldn’t see his face.
I rested my chin on his shoulder. "What was your home like?"
"Blackwater? It’s a beautiful place; mountains in every direction, rivers so clear you can see every rock. The sun sets later up north and the sunsets are so surreal, you could cry at the twilight colors."
"What about the people?"
He paused for a moment, too long before answering. "I miss my mom and my sister. Everyone else was... not so great."
"What happened?" I urged.
"Family matters. My father was the alpha, I was supposed to be his successor but..."
He was lost in thought for another minute and I wondered if he would finish the story.
"Let’s just say I didn’t belong in that pack. They were sending me to the syndicate when we crashed here."
I had so many questions but also didn’t want to push him too far. "Is Dominic your pack leader now?"
He chuckled a little, "he’s probably the closest to the alpha that any of us would allow. Jax and I stood to lead the packs but Marek and Dominic actually did. We were all meant to be the alpha and now we’re all trapped here together. We don’t challenge each other and we don’t name a single alpha, though if we did, my money would be on Dom."
Or Grayson, I thought.
Julien cut through a tree line and climbed over some rocks. I struggled not to fall off his back as we made our way across the terrain. He stopped at the edges of a creek and I slid off of him, catching his hand on the way down.
I took a handful of the water and splashed it on the back of my neck. The day was heating up and the mugginess clung to me. "How much farther do you think?"
"Well, we haven’t traveled very far away from base. There’s still awhile to go. But don’t worry, I brought snacks. He grabbed a leather pouch from his side and showed me the contents, smoked meat and berries.
I smiled again, it would be like a picnic. My first picnic with my first crush. He popped a berry in his mouth before tightening the pouch and replacing it by his side.
"What about you?" He asked. "What was your home like?"
The thought warmed me. "It was comfortable. My mom, she was my best friend. We spent all of our time together and I would tell her everything. I miss that the most, our conversations."
It felt like I was talking about her as if she were dead. My heart reached for her and hoped she could feel me thinking about her.
"You can talk to me, if you like. I’ve been told I’m excellent at having conversations."
It wouldn’t be the same but I jumped at the idea of having long and deep talks with him. I pictured us laying in each others arms by the fire, talking the night away about our every hope, dream, and philosophy.
He was the kind of person I could spend every minute of every day with and never be bored or feel unloved. He was the kind of guy I pictured losing my virginity to.
Julien washed the dirt from his arms and face before asking if I was ready to go. It was hard to pull away from my daydreaming of our future but I stood to mount myself on his back.
My hand was on his shoulder, legs ready to leap when a sharp stabbing pain shot through my stomach. I screamed out, looking down at my abdomen.
I felt the pain in my heart more than where the shock had been and, pulling up my shirt to reveal the bare skin, saw there was no mark there. Confused at what could have caused the feeling, another more blunt feeling hit my back.
I cried out in pain and fell to my knees. Julien was by my side, hand on my back asking if I was ok. My chest felt tight, like hands were reaching into my body and pulling at my soul, trying to rip it from my body.
The glow of my eyes brightened, illuminating the ground beneath me. I could feel it, I could feel him. I didn’t understand it but I instinctively knew what it was.
Grayson’s life force was draining, and our bond was calling out to me. The rogues were trying to kill him.