Book 3 Chapter 6
764 Words
I noticed he used a fork to cut up his food while he actually gave me a knife to use. I wondered if he did it so I wouldn’t be worried or if he was genuinely unconcerned about my ability to injure him with it. I pick up the knife, and he stares at my hand for a second before looking down at his plate again, using his fork to cut his own food again. I cut a piece off before popping it in my mouth.
“Kat said you had a mate.” He says it’s not like it was a question, more a statement. I nod, chewing slowly.
“I had a mate; her name was Angie; she was killed in a pack war,” he says, and I see his eyes flicker to his beast and his hand clenched tightly around the fork for a second before his grip loosens.
“Is that why there are no women here? I can’t smell she-wolves,” I ask, and he looks up a little, shocked that I actually answered him.
“Yes, our warriors were away helping Kat’s pack; we didn’t think the other pack would attack mine; they were all killed, including the elderly and the children. Unfortunately, we didn’t get back in time,” he says, and I could tell by the look on his face that he felt guilty about what happened to his pack.
“Your mate? I see he never marked you,” he says, staring at my neck. I look at him and can see the faint outline of his mark that had scarred his neck.
“He didn’t get a chance; they killed him when they realized,” I tell him.
“How long ago?” He asks.
“Couple months ago, a packed east of here, they stumbled across him, he was nearly dead,” I tell him.
“What do you mean, near Kat’s pack?”
“Yeah, the same scent, so I assume he must have been one of her pack members. We were camping just outside pack borders; they couldn’t find food and set up there. We could hear wolves fighting when it died down. So, they went searching to see if they could find anything left. They thought it might have been a bear or something to eat. Instead, they brought him back; he was barely breathing and was torn to pieces.”
“So that’s how he died. He was dead before he could mark you?” He asks, and I shake my head.
“No, I recognized him instantly; my wolf kept talking to his wolf, keeping his wolf calm and alert for him to try to heal, and his wolf said his Alpha attacked him. When they fell asleep, I started licking him, trying to heal him, and he eventually woke up and realized I was his mate; the rogues wanted to use him as ransom, but when he realized I was his mate, he tried to break the chain, and they woke and killed him.”
“I couldn’t picture Ezra attacking his own pack members; Ezra isn’t like that, '' Andrei says.
“Well, he did, but then the rogues killed him anyway and dumped his body close to the border but not before they made me watch them rip him apart; he was in pieces by the time they were done with him.”
“What was his name?”
“Lyle, he said he was a border patroller, one their warriors,” I tell him.
“I can ask Ezra if you want to know where he is buried; they should have found his body if the rogues left him on the border; Angie was from the same pack, she is also buried over there, we can put something on their graves if you want,” he tells me. I nod, not like it will do anything; it won't bring him back or change the fact that this man was now my mate. He stands up, picking up his empty plate before holding his hand out for mine, which was also empty. I hand it to him, and he takes it.
“Thank you,” I tell him; that was the first real meal other than raw creatures I had eaten in years.
“See, he isn’t so bad, Sage. So maybe we can stay,” Sierra says.
“Yeah, everyone shows their true intentions eventually, Sierra.”
“Want to watch some TV?” Andrei asks before walking out toward the living room.
- Writer
