Blood Moon (MalexMale Paranormal Fantasy)

Chapter 14 ∞ DAIRE

Reeve and I set out early the morning after the full moon, heading toward the Diamond Pack. Most of the pack is still in their wolf form, either wandering the woods and coast or huddled somewhere recovering. My ears have finally stopped ringing from the high, uncomfortable pitches of their incessant howls.

Reeve leads us along a rugged delta track while I trail a few steps behind. The northern edge of pack territory is a dense wall of thin trees and sheer rock face. We pause at the pack line and wait for our guard escort. The changing landscape is a fresh reminder of how big Satu's world is and how small we all are. I wonder how deep this pack is hidden within the towering mountains, cloaked by the scent of evergreens and muted by the fading calls of the thrushes.

Within minutes of our arrival, a broad male with dark skin and long hair pulled into a high bun, pushes through thick foliage to greet us. The pack guard bows to Reeve in greeting. "Young Alpha." Then to me. "I am Delta Kassel. We welcome you to the land of the Diamond Pack, and May Satu bless your stay."

"Thank you, Delta. We're grateful for your safe passage."

I want to reach out and squeeze Reeve's arm or hand, acknowledge the kindling of pride at the cool confidence in his voice. Instead, I remain upright and aloof, unsure that Reeve would want to appear so chummy with a vampyre in front of a foreign pack.

Kassel waves for us to follow his lead, crooking his chin over his shoulder to say, "We'll hike until dinner and then set up camp for the night. After the full moon last night and a long trip today, I'm sure you all would welcome some rest."

I defer to Reeve, as is my role in these situations. It thrills me to be acting in this manner as an alpha's warder. I can see it; a future beside him, and the image is tempting, but I'm not confident I could be content living so disconnected from my coven for the rest of my life. Warders choose that life, and it's admirable, but they aren't princes with the same sense of duty to our coven. I've always thought of the coven as partly mine, one to day to be wholly so, and to lose that, to lose all the hopes and prayers I clung to as a child, a vision of what my coven could be if I could just survive my uncle, feels like I'd be letting my younger self down. I owe it to myself and to my coven to be there. And though there is more to the story than me simply defeating Frederick and claiming rule, one day, if I kill him, I will have my time as king.

"Sounds good, Delta." Reeve says, his deep bass snapping me back into the present. He grins at me and winks, more relaxed than I've seen him in weeks.

Kassel smiles, gap-toothed. "I've never met a master warder before," he says to me. "Always hoped I would. It's an honor."

I smirk and puff out my chest, mostly to annoy Reeve. "It is all my pleasure, Delta."

Reeve rolls his eyes as I say, "I'm honored you let us come visit. Reeve here has never ventured this far north. Isn't that right, Young Alpha?"

He cuts me a sharp look like I'm up to no good. "That's right. I've mostly stuck to my pack's lands and some of the communal grounds, like Serpent Valley."

"I've never been to Serpent Valley," Kassel says. "We get our goods ferried in from there, but our alpha gets squirrely about anyone trekking that far. Though, that's mostly because we have so many elders in our pack and they'd have a hard time physically making the trip."

His point is soon made as we traverse extreme inclines until coming upon an open, grass-swept field that rolls toward a nearby mountain. He cocks his head toward me, splaying his hands out over the open land. "You can set your tent up anywhere near here. I'll stay in my wolf form for the night and patrol while you both sleep. And while you're getting situated, I'll start the fire and prepare dinner."