reaper’s carriage

Amara Eldwood

I had his attention now. One of the most powerful shifters in Inifinty Fortress and he was completely focused on me.

Even for a few minutes, the heady thrill of power that tingled through my body was unquenchable.

“Back at the throne court, Ronan…I…well, I think the Confessor took something from me,” I started, stammering when I realized there was no sane way to put it.

The look in his eyes had not changed, and if it weren't for the way his large hands balled to fists in the fluffy white duvet, I would have been sure my pain had no effect on him.

Tears welled up in my throat when the rush of emotion from thae trial suddenly clawed at me through my memories.

“That day…just before she, You know…just before the confessor slipped into my memories. She uttered two words to me. She asked me to kill myself.” 

The note of conspiracy in my voice made me breathless, but the look on the white wolf’s face remained void.

“You don't believe me.” I didn't mean to hash it out the way I had, and with such venom too, because it didn't make any sense.

A ravishing beauty like her…ehat could she possibly want from me that she didn't already have?

“Using hypnosis to manipulate a shifter’s into self-destructing is against pack law. The Confessor will be stripped of her powers and hanged if this is true. Are you certain of this?” 

My jaw trembled before I ground my teeth, jutting my chin at him.

“I might have been ill from her magic’s poison, Your Grace, but I am not an idiot. I know what I heard.”

I was grateful for the way my voice remained steady as I met his sharp hazel eyes.

It wouldn't matter when I was far away from this place, but I wanted that scheming woman to pay for what she had done to me.

It was unforgivable, and I would sleep easier watching her dangle from the executioner’s noose.

“You’re going to do something about this, aren't you?” I stammered when he said nothing still, his gaze flickering away from my face to scan the room.

“You must be cold. I’ll have your handmaiden come up with more wood and your medicine.” He started before I cut him off, not caring if he would punish me for that too.

“I mean, After all I’ve been through in those cells and then with this confessor woman I deserve SOME form of justice don't I?” I seethed, my voice breaking as tears pierced through my throat like rusty iron tacks.

If I had just gotten my wolf in the first place like all of the goddess’ other shifters then I would not be in this situation in the first place!

I would have never come to this fortress where everything seemed to be out to hurt me.

“At least no one ever tried to kill me in my old pack before I left—” I stammered, stubbornly brushing the tears from my eyes and stiffening when he leaned in to catch my wrist.

“Enough,”

“Dont touch me,” I snapped, trying and failing to shrug off his hold when he caught my other wrist, pinning them both in my lap with one hand.

It was like wrestling with a brick wall.

“Enough, alright? I’ll look into it,” He intoned, cocking his head to the side before leaning in to brush my tears away with his knuckles.

“Pretty women shouldn't cry,” He muttered, and the root hairs on my scalp went numb.

THE Ronan Ironside thought I was pretty?! 

He was so close to me now that I could have tipped my head and kissed him, staring at me with such vulnerable devotion that my heart cramped up in my chest.

What was stopping me? 

Why wouldn't my body move?

“If you kiss him, Mara, and end up leaving, the way Leila left Dante, he would never forgive you,” I chide myself, gulping reflexively.

Ronan‘s malice would have been a heavy burden to carry.

But, this could be the one chance I had to find out if we really were mates or not, and instead I was wasting it by being a coward.

My mother never would have hesitated like this!

She was a woman who did what needed to be done when it should be done.

Hell, it might have been favorable to throw myself at the former Beta if only to buy myself a few more nights in the castle before I made my escape instead of having them throw me out.

But that was not why I wanted to kiss him, not exactly.

“Mara. I can smell your essence from here. This…this isn't a good idea,” Ronan growled, his jaw tightening as he stared into my eyes, making the breath seize in my throat.

He could smell me? 

Oh my goodness! 

My throat hummed an embarrassing squeal and I clapped my hands over my face.

He could smell my arousal!

My…my pussy! 

That was what the tactful beast wanted to say!

I clamped my thighs shut almost instinctively, screaming inwardly until I could have sworn my brain had started sizzling like pig fat in an oiled pan.

Embarrassment made my cheeks warm and I bit down on my lip absent-mindedly, horrified when his gaze flickered down to follow the movement.

His hands tightened on the thick wood of the mahogany headboard before he pushed himself off, falling back a step as his eyes roamed carefully over my body.

“Rest. I’ll have one of my brothers check on you in the morning,” he muttered, chuckling slightly at my embarrassment.

Well if that isn't the nicest let down i’d ever gotten I wasn't sure what was. 

It didn't mean I wouldn't contemplate leaping to my death from the window when the shame was close to overwhelming me.

I could tell it was taking every morsel of control he had to respect the doctor’s wishes and not touch me, but somehow, a deep hidden longing in my belly wished that he would break it.

A knock came at the door before I could say anything else and his brows narrowed in askance.

“No one…I’m not expecting anyone,” I hurried to say, mentally face-palming when he glanced back at the door with a slight frown.

“Show yourself,” He bellowed, the hardness of his voice making me jump.

I had faced hard words from everyone except Ronan. 

What would I do the day he spoke to me like that? So sharp and emotionless?

A petite maid I had never seen before stood in the doorway when it finally creaked open, her eyes widening when she saw the old Beta standing in my room.

I could see his shoulders relax ever so slightly, and I cringed inwardly, knowing the news of his presence with me would spread in the castle before daybreak.

Stupid Mara…so freaking stupid!  

Why couldn't I have just let him leave?

“A-Apologies, M’Lord, I didn't know you were in here,” She stuttered, small beady eyes darting from the tall wolf to my face as though she would rather have been anywhere else.

“What do you have there?” only after the old Beta’s voice resonanted in the room did I notice the small cryptic box the maid held in her hands.

My feet went cold on the dark tiles and I braced myself on the mahogany vanity when Ronan’s sweeping gaze met mine.

Whatever chemistry we’d had earlier had been cut short…severed even, when he dropped his hand from his chest, to pad over to the center of the room where he stood like a gloomy dark tower.

“It’s a package, Miss lady. Says right here its from Shadow Pack.” The maid stammered, before the weight of her words registered and her eyes grew so large that it looked like it was near ready to pop out of her head.

My heart slammed mercilessly into my chest and I sucked in a harsh breath, realizing my mind had gone blank.

Shadow Pack? 

What on earth did Kiernan and his band of snobs want with me?

“Aren’t you gonna get it?” The white wolf’s question was gentle but even I could sense the malice simmering beneath it.

No…no, this couldn't be happening right now!

Not when I was finally in a good place with Ronan! 

I’d tried desperately to get my foot in the door with him, but it was just like fate to slam that shit in my face after all my hard work!

I could feel the towering wolf’s heated gaze as it swept between the woman and me, making the blood drain from my face.

“I- I…”

I opened and closed my mouth wordlessly, my jaw trembling from the wave of horror that drowned out any thought or reason I’d had a second ago.

Ronan said nothing, but I could feel his energy shift like a freaking pendulum when his knuckles whitened on the metallic helm of my vanity chair.

“No…I-I that’s okay, you can throw it out, I bet its nothing important anyway—” I stammered, trying to wave off the maid before seeing the Beta hold his hand up out of the corner of my eyes.

“Why so? I say we open it up, Mara. Wouldn't you say? Maybe its from someone important? Family? Maybe?” He growled, and I watched the maid’s polite smile flutter as her wide brown eyes snapped to me and the muscles on my face went stiff.

What would we see? I knew almost for a fact it couldn't be my mother.

I damned near snickered at the thought of the hard, rigid woman i’d left behind suddenly developing a new personality during her midlife crisis and sending her useless, exiled daughter a heart-felt note.

Fantasies like that were cute, but even I wasn't stupid.

I leaned back against the chestnut wooden sill of the windows, trying to breathe in air through my nose and wishing the ground would open up to swallow me.

“Why don't you take your package and let the maid be on her way, Mara? I for one, am dying to know what’s inside—” Ronan’s tepid voice made the hairs on the back of my neck stand straight and I marched woodenly to the door, almost as if his voice had put me under some sort of spell.

The thick manilla carton fit completely in my cupped hands, lighter than I had imagined.

I let my tongue dart out to lick my lips when I placed it on the marbled vanity counter, catching my expression in the mirror.

My face had turned white, with the tan-colored bags under my eyes showing the nights of agony I was only just recovering from.

Long curly red hair twinned over my forehead and around the sides of my face in short curtain bangs before extending down my shoulders and back.

I looked hauntingly beautiful. Like a weak, frail mermaid haunting the seashores only at night.

“Here goes nothing,” I muttered inwardly, snapping my eyes away from Ronan’s dim hazel eyes in the mirror when he came up behind me.

His hand rested almost deceptively around the brown leather strap of the bandolier that extended around his waist, holding his sword guard.

So close! 

He was so close to me that the heady scent of wet earth and rock washed over me as hic chest brushed against my back and a tingle rushed down my spine.

Desire warped with fear in my body as I cut into the package, holding my breath when I felt his head lean across my shoulder, aware of the way his hard body pushed against mine.

I knew even without moving that if I arched my back even an inch further, I would brush up against his cock.

Crap, crap…crap!

“What to do, What could I do to prevent this?” 

At this rate I would be killed before I could even make a run for the gates!

My inner thoughts spiralled out of control as I forced my fingers to move against my will, holding my breath when the final box strap fell open and I peered inside.