He turned to face Rem, who watched him with widened eyes. He was surprised she didn't run. But then again, why would she? Clearly, the hunters were not her allies. He supposed out here, no one was.
She was a lone wolf.
As he looked her over, sympathy brewed for her, especially since blood was smeared across her face, staining her pale hair. For shifters, being a lone wolf was one of the worst fates.
He walked over to her, and she didn’t even look at him. Rather, she stared at the dead body and breathed raggedly. Ronan gently grabbed her chin. She flinched at his touch, to which he clenched his jaw.
If only he could tell Rem that, for whatever reason, Silvers like her were being targetedbythe hunters. If Warden hadn’t taken her, then she’d be halfway to Crowley by now, where they’d turn her into one of their hounds. According to their scouts, they even saw evidence that Crowley was already on their way to her village.
They didn’t know why the hunters turned so hostile on the Silvers, but this event only solidified those rumors for Ronan.
The Callons should have instructed something similar to her family when they went for her. He needed to ask Nia or Deacon to help him understand why her family hadn’t joined her or if she even knew of the hunters and their plans.
Something felt off with this one.
Detachment glossed over her clear blue eyes, like that of a person who had seen too much too quickly. The paleness of her eyes stood out against her muddied skin. A gash on her forehead slowed in its bleeding, and he was concerned that maybe she hit it too hard. He rattled his brain for words.
"Okay?" he asked in her language.
The gaze that was so full of trauma turned to life, the blue in her eyes more vibrant. No matter the scenario, it was hard to deny her natural allure and captivation, especially with a scent that was strangely calming and inviting to him.I bet the other Silvers will be similar with scents—
His eyes widened; herscent was returning.
He hoped his pack had grabbed that survivor to interrogate. Ronan hadmanyquestions.
She nodded. "I think so."
He nodded in return, not understanding what she said but it seemed like an affirmative. He dropped his hand and took a few steps back, nodding to where they came from, and began to walk back towards his pack, his boots digging into dirt and underbrush.It will take a while on two feet, especially since we cannot run.He needed to return, his mind distracted by the many things he had to do.
They didn't get but a few steps in before he noticed that she had a bad limp. He searched for the source of her pain, to which she pointed to a laceration on her calf. Caked mud covered the gash, although the tissue was clearly exposed. He hadn’t smelled it, as everything around them smelled of blood and soil.
He glanced at her, and her large eyes darted around before looking back at him, shrugging her shoulders. She sighed deeply and began to walk forward on her own, communicating that she was willing to do it.
He could tell she was exasperated.
Under any other circumstance, he'd let her walk. But he had to remind himself that she was a human from a small village and was nearly taken twice in just two weeks. He said in his tongue, "Save your energy."
He took a step near, and turned around, going on a knee to give her his back. He motioned towards it. She didn’t move, although when he looked at her over his shoulder, her hesitation seemed to stem from a fatigued confusion. She probably didn’t know if she should touch him or not.
Normally, she wouldn’t. No one would that wasn’t close family or his mate.
His pack paid very close attention to actions such as these and carrying her would sprout immediate rumors. Ronan was not fond of such gossip and preferred to avoid them all together.
He got up and carefully grabbed her arm. At the end of the day, shewasa Silver, and his mate would be one of them, and she needed to know he would not hurt her or make her live in pain.
He’d deal with whatever came after this.
Her eyes nearly exploded with uncertainty when he threw her arm over his shoulder and stood, so she’d have to hang onto him. Her other arm quickly found its way over his other shoulder, draping herself over his back. He grabbed her legs from behind, placing a hand behind either of her knees, letting her lay against his back as he walked. She was stiff, only for a moment, before giving in, realizing what he was doing.
Her body relaxed into him as he carried her, and it made him feel like he’d made the right decision. It was not normal to carry each other like this for shifters, as many were full of pride and preferred to endure their wounds, but she was not a shifter. Not yet. And he had to admit that she tugged at his heart of how alone and scared she must feel.I need to understand why she came alone. Someone should have come with her.
She also surprised him just now. Rem didn't complain or whine like other humans. There was something curious about her to him, some kind of untouched potential and resilience inside of her. There was also obedience, but not blind submission, which he would need for a Luna.
Perhaps he owed it to her to see to her comfort more, or even genuinely consider her as a potential mate. She endured the Callons, her wounds, stood up for herself just now with the hunter, and even tried to walk the entire way back.
Her scent also permeated, reminding him how pleasant he found it.
It didn't help that he hadn't been intimate with anyone for a while—a new requirement from the Elders, directed at an Alpha seeking a new mate. His people were not built for celibacy. He was grateful for her bloody, dirty demeanor to dissuade his temptation, and for his own wounds that burned.