Ever since he showed a decent side of himself by coming for her, killing for her, and even carrying her, Rem’s body seemed to betray her mind.
Imari opened the door to the home as sun burned through the darkness. The vigilant one in the corner stepped forward, eyeing the Silvers before leaving the home herself.
Imari shut the door, cleared her throat, and said, "We will leave another way, as we are going to walk behind the sovereigns, and after they make their introduction, we will proceed with our ceremony. You, with the curly hair, walk down that hall behind you. There's a door leading to the street behind this house. That's where we are going."
R O N A N
Ronan swirledthe mead in his chalice before placing it on the wooden table, looking out onto the field. The sun began its descent behind the mountains, and soon, twilight would beckon the night.
Torches came to life as human servants lit them, some adding more wood to the pyre that was staged in the center. In the middle, they erected a wooden carving of the Crowley Hunters—a dagger that struck through a circle. Simple, but Ronan knew it meant the silver daggers would pierce the moon.
Tonight would be a ceremonial burning, to welcome the Silvers into their world. It seemed less like a feast and more like a spectacle.
"So, how are you handling your Silver?" the Alpha of Novak Pack asked, his voice raspy as usual.
"With caution," Ronan replied, careful not to reveal too much of what he truly thought.
"You going to mate her?" Enzo Novak asked, sipping his mead.
"The Elders in Warden are pushing for it," Ronan said. “She is still too new to us for me to decide, but I assume I will take a Silver, no matter what.”
He thought of her being guided away, just after Caden had looked at her withtoomuch interest, and he felt the primal call to establish whose pack she belonged to… He couldn’t explain what caught his interest, but something about Rem simply did, and it was more than her feminine charm.
"Those Elders have been gaining power over the years, even if they do none of the fighting," Enzo reasoned, releasing a sigh. He tapped his fingers on the table with dull thuds, the pinky on his left hand missing from an altercation years ago.
"Yes, but the power of the Elder is undeniable. We don't have many options there."
“Unfortunately.”
Despite trying to appear impartial, Ronan skimmed the area for Rem, still stuck on images of that damned meat skewer in her mouth, or how she seemed to notice the females that were with him earlier, and was already feeling territorial.
His kind enjoyed when another felt territorial...
He had told her to be bold, and yet something about her action still conflicted him, especially with how her heart raced with panic whenever the Callons were mentioned… And there was still that concern of blackmail haunting her… But her heart steadied to a shy rhythm when she looked at him, only increasing when her pheromones did; her genuine interest was undeniable.
Andhecouldn’t deny how he enjoyed making her flustered…
Especially as he wondered if she had laid with many men… None, surely, were likehim—it excited Ronan to think about pushing Rem’s boundaries in novel ways; to be the first and only shifter male to leave his scent in her…
He pinched the bridge of his nose.
Ronan needed to be careful not to get lost in those thoughts.
Something was still wrong with her, and he knew it.
Rem guardedsomething.
Enzo turned his shoulders to allow for more mead to be poured, his long black hair moving with the gesture.
"What ofyourSilver?" Ronan asked, facing Enzo.
Scars lined the face of the Alpha of Novak more than Ronan's, the tip of his long nose crooked from where a chunk was missing. Novak Pack existed on the West Coast, and humans were fond of attacks from the ocean, especially with silver shrapnel.
Although Ronan's body was a mass of healed flesh itself.
"I mated Allannis three years ago, before any of ours were found. It's off the table for me. Since there are not enough Alphas for them all, with most of us mated, my Silver will go to one of my Betas.”
Ronan mindlessly rubbed his thumb with his forefinger, withholding a growl that crept in his throat at the thought of Rem going to another. He tutted to himself. Erik was right—an unspoken bond formed.
