Six

Catriona's POV

"What did you just say?" I ask my sister.

"You heard me." She replies and shoves a finger into my chest. "Father, Mother, Vekra, Orion, me. We all tried to draw Eirwyn with no success and you traipse in here without an officially approved Ulfara rite and we are supposed to believe Eirwyn chose you? Of everyone? Tell me what you did Cat, why were you in the Urguen cave in the dead of night?"

Her words hurt me more desperately than I thought possible and I blink hurt tears from my eyes, glaring at her.

"I don't owe you any explanation." I say and she barks a harsh laugh.

"But you do. You owe the entire pack an explanation as to why Eirwyn chose you, the weakest wolf in all of Ironbound pack to be Khafal or everyone will lose faith."

Oh my sister knows exactly which words to choose to hurt me the deepest. I suck in a breath and push through my shock, my hurt to glare at her.

"This is not because I was chosen, is it?" I hiss. "It's because You were not chosen. Four times you went into that cave to pull Eirwyn with all that mighty strength you pride yourself over so much and every single time you failed. If you must know, pulling that sword out was as easy as cutting into bread. That sword chose me and if you have a problem with that then Sister, take it up to the goddess herself!"

I shoulder her out of my way as I pass but it's my shoulder that nearly dislocates with the impact and the entire wall back to my room, I feel my sister's gaze burning hot between my shoulders but I don't spare her a glance.

Behind my closed doors, I slip under the covers and let the tears come.

~~~

The next day, it is time to leave and it seems my embarrassment has only just begun.

Never before have I been so acutely aware of my inadequacies as a horse is made ready for my travel while the rest of the company could have easily shifted into their wolves and raced all the way back where they came from. Instead, I will ride like the wagons of my belongings; helpless as a babe.

The alpha's pack members make no comment about this, not as he instructs that we will move at the pace of my horse which will slow the entire company and take us three days to get to his territory but after yesterday, I feel incredibly sensitive and can just imagine their disgust at my weakness. I remind myself that I don't want their alpha either, that I would have been glad if I never saw any of them again so whatever thoughts they may have regarding me, they can shove up their asses, or their stubborn alpha's ass.

It's my first time seeing Dad since yesterday and I'm less mad at him now that the time to leave is here.

"You know why I had to do what I did, Cat?" Dad asks, taking my face in his hands. I clutch his hands with my shaking ones, wishing he never lets go.

"I understand." I tell him. It took me the entire day to make peace with it but if the war alpha insists on taking me, there is no way Eirwyn is coming with me. My sword must remain within Ironbound territory and Vekra will try to wield it. It's for the best, I realize. Perhaps my part in this was always to deliver the sword to Vekra to wield. She definitely deserves the honor. "I'm not mad any longer." I tell Dad and he kisses my forehead.

"No matter how far you go, you must always remember that you are an Ironbound warrior. You are to be Alpha Kael's Luna and you must ensure you are treated as such. Punish any who dare to cross you, and show no weakness. May the goddess go with you." Dad says and kisses my forehead again.

"Yes Alpha." I whisper, choking up again. I already miss my father and I haven't even left.

Mum is next, and she envelops me in a scented hug and whispers words of encouragement. Vekra claps me on the back, nearly sending me to the ground with the force and she swears that she will use Eirwyn well and when it's Orion's turn, I'm enveloped in a bear hug.

"Send word if you need me." He whispers in my ear.  "I'll burn the world to the ground if you need me to, Little Sis."

"I hope it doesn't come to that, where will we stay once everything is burned?" I ask.

"I didn't think that far." He muses out loud and I laugh, feeling better.

My heart pangs again when I look around and don't find Hela. I don't like that the last words we exchanged were so ugly and I thought she would at least come to see me off but I should have known better.

"Alpha Kael." Dad addresses the war alpha in his sternest tone, the tone that usually has males and females shaking in their boots but the incorrigible bastard only stares down at Dad through his lashes. "I have entrusted my daughter into your care and should any harm come to her-"

I groan internally and lower my eyes. I've been doing that alot, I've not even looked the war alpha in the eyes once since we came out.

"Where is Hela?" Vekra whispers with a frown as Dad and the alpha continue talking and I wince, wondering whether I should bring up the fight and deciding against it. I'm about to tell her not to worry, that we already said our goodbyes when the front door is thrown open and footsteps pound as Hela races out, dragging a heavy bag behind her.

"What is this?" Mum asks, stepping forward.

"I'm leaving with Cat." Hela declares and I wonder if I heard her right.

"We never agreed on that." Mum argues and Hela throws her shoulders back and dumps her bag into the wagon with my belongings.

"My decision has been made, Mum. I'm going with her." She says in that stubborn tone that brooks no argument.

I'm still speechless, why would she voluntarily follow me into enemy territory and leave behind the sword she is so obsessed with?

"Well, I think that's a brilliant idea." Vekra says as the commotion draws Dad and Mum tells him everything. 

"Very well, you will watch over your sister Hela, and make sure she is well adjusted before your return." Dad commands.

"Yes Alpha." Hela replies and Orion drags her into a hug.

"Go make hell, Sister." He tells her and she laughs.

Her words from yesterday still echo in my ears but I'm ready to put that behind us and I step forward, clearing my throat.

"Hela-" I start but she turns and marches away, as if she didn't hear me.

I stop and Orion and Vekra give me identical questioning glances and I shrug, swallowing past the lump that has formed in my throat. So that's how it's going to be. I turn around to find Alpha Kael's eyes on me as Dad talks to him and I jump, my cheeks heating with further embarrassment as I rapidly turn away from him. Well fuck, it's going to be one long, miserable trip.

~~~

The journey is slow going. The wolves are all spread out in the trees, their pace slowed to match the pace of my horse and that of the wagon-horses. I've since lowered my hood to lessen the sweltering heat but that means that I have to deal with the burning sun. I resist the urge to prod my horse into a run because the journey is long and I cannot exhaust her.

Occasionally, I see the smooth ripple of a wolf darting between the trees and their occasional howls let me know I am not alone but I am still bored and irritated.

I've not seen Hela since she stepped out, shifted promptly and joined the wolves at the front. Not even my so-called mate has bothered to check up on me since the journey started and my pout is now a permanent fixture on my lips. We ride until my ass feels as bony as a horse's back and the sun sets. I didn't want to be the person to complain but I can't take the punishing pace one more minute and I'm sick of nibbling on bread and the cured beef that Reynee stuffed into my bag.

I pull my horse short and jump down, feeding her some carrots and it doesn't take long before the massive shadow of the black wolf emerges from the trees and morphs into a man. I keep my eyes averted as he walks up behind me, the night air heating up by his mere presence.

"Is there a problem?" He asks.

"None, I'll retire for the night." I reply.

"Right here?" He asks and I actually feel him take a step closer. "It's dangerous."

I shiver and turn around, forcing my gaze on his face and doing my best to ignore the miles of miles of tan naked skin begging my eyes to explore but it's more difficult than I thought.

"Is it less dangerous for me to fall off my horse in my exhaustion and break my head open?" I ask.

"You're exhausted?" He asks with disbelief. "How? You were sitted on a horse all day."

My cheeks heat with embarrassment but I refuse to back down.

"Yes, it's such a privilege that my ass was planted on that hard saddle for hours, why don't you give it a try  tomorrow and see how long you last?" I snap.

He rakes a hand through his hair, his muscles rippling with the movement and I stare, enthralled. My gaze slowly trails down over the broad tan expanse of his chest, smattered with a light coating of dark hair and even darker nipples- I snatch my gaze back up before it can go lower to find him scanning our surroundings.

"You don't understand, there are creatures out here that belong in the dark. It's not safe, especially for you. Come, I'll carry you if you're tired." He makes a move for me and I back away hurriedly.

"Don't you dare lay a finger on me." I growl. I'd rather ride until I can't feel my legs than let him carry me like some swooning princess. "I can't travel any further, Alpha. If you're so put out by that, it's not too late to head back to my father and switch brides." I say with a saccharine sweet smile that causes his eyes to narrow.

"We'll make camp." He replies and I bite the inside of my cheek to hide my victorious smile.

"Very well, Alpha."

A few minutes later, the camp has been set up. Fire blazes hot in the middle of the camp, deer roasting on the spit thanks to one of his men's hunting prowess. Wine is passed around and I sit by the fire, warming my hands and letting their raucous stories flow over me.

The storyteller is called Inoch, a tall wiry man with a scar running down his cheek and his talent is undeniable. He is talking about an altercation between Alpha Kael and one of the smaller territory alphas who thought he could outwit him. He paints the tale of brutality when he was caught so vividly that it is as if I was there, the smell of blood thick in my nose as I practically see the overambitious alpha whom Alpha Kael disemboweled and fed to wild dogs. The men around me laugh and hoot like it is the funniest story they ever heard and I frown, wondering what sort of barbaric man I found myself loped with.

I take a quick glance around the clearing and find Hela in the middle of the wolves, digging into her share of the deer and laughing wholeheartedly with them. My heart pangs again and I shift, uncomfortable with the distance opening wide between us. I tried to find her immediately we made camp but it's like she's doing everything in her might to avoid me.

A shout to the right startles me and I look to find a male and female on their fours in the grass, expressions of ecstasy on their faces as they get into it right in front of everyone and I dump the rest of my meat into the fire and stand. I've had enough.

Craving the privacy of my room, I settle for solitude, the raucous laughter of the wolves and the couple's cries of ecstasy fading as I head deeper into the night.