Then, with my father’s bellow, all hell breaks loose.
Chapter Two
Negan:
THE EASIEST WAY to avoid a war is to roll with the punches.
By the guilt strewn across Bakog’s face, I know there’s something to the story that Varguk’s concocted. Even with my father’s death bellows echoing in everyone’s ears, I’m a fixer.
Rosemary looks miserable in hiring a guard that no one trusts.
Bakog looks guilty for inviting Southpeaks to the mating ceremony.
Hisa looks horrified that I’m an offering.
Shalia looks dismayed that my father’s been insulted.
What was supposed to be a happy occasion for them—my best friends—has broken into chaos.
“You booned my daughter? My precious Negan?” Father turns to Bakog.
“Nay,” Bakog says, scowling at Varguk and looking like he wants to smash in his face.
Varguk stands tall, refusing to back down. “But didn’t you? I could have sworn that was why I handed over the males who’d kidnappedyour mate.” He speaks with a sneer, and I think this is the normal way for him. To fight for everything, even the right to live.
All around us, people suck in their breaths. And it’s okay, because I know Varguk’s telling the truth. His own version. Bakog would havepromised anything to get his mate’s kidnappers in his hands. As how it should have been.
“Negan is like a sister to me. I would never offer her to anyone. I merely agreed to give you the chance to meet her. I did that by inviting you to my mating. Along with her father,” Bakog says coldly.
The first male starts laughing. “Figures you got tricked, bastard brother. Such an idiot. You really thought you’d gain my father’s favor by getting a boon from West Mountain? Wait until he hears this. He’ll have me in line for the throne, and you’ll be expelled like yesterday’s trash.”
It’s the expressionless mask on Varguk’s rugged features that get me. It’s pain—pure and simple. And no male that can feel that much can be bad, in my opinion.
I speak up and calm my father with my hand on his chest.
“I will stay with Aunt Rosemary,” I say loudly. “If this Varguk says he’s owed a boon, then a boon he shall have.Hemay be my guard while I’m in Creede.”
“Then the only thing left to decide is whether or not he’s the male for the job,” the other one says easily. “I challenge you, bastard brother. Son of King Vronas.”
“Don’t call me that,” Varguk snarls.
“Bastard?” the other says, a thick eyebrow raised, as if he knows Varguk can’t deny it.
“Brother.” Varguk’s tone is flat.
I give a surprised laugh—which triggers Rosemary and Hisa, followed by Shally.
My dad throws a protective arm around my shoulders and takes a step back. “Someone draw the challenge circle around them. First one to give up—or first one to die—loses.”
With a chuckle, Brachard comes to stand on the side of me and my father. I hear him asking Rosemary how she met the Southpeak whocame to be her guard. She says he’d been shopping in Creede the last several weeks and seemed friendly.
“Huh.” By Brachard’s tone, I know what he’s thinking. The male found out Varguk obtained what he thought was a boon from Bakog and thought he might sink his claws into his brother’s plan using Rosemary. Everyone knew how guilty the human woman felt. This would have destroyed her. First, having Shalia kidnapped in her care. And then to find out she trusted a male to guard against other orcs when he may not be trustworthy? By the way he taunts his own brother—bastard or not shouldn’t matter—he doesn’t seem so.
Rosemary bites her lip and Brachard rubs her arm, then motions for her husband, Paul, who’s approaching from the courthouse with the town sheriff.
Abigail and her mate, Azorr, one of King Brachard’s royal guard, come to get Rosemary, bringing her to a safer place to stand with the others.
She’ll be fine with her niece.
