73- The Scent of War
POV Lunara Grimwald:
“I feel offended too,” Anton retorted. I rolled my eyes and walked toward them.
“I’m sorry for offending you,” I muttered.
Andrei clicked his tongue. “Didn’t feel... sincere.”
“Neither did I,” Anton agreed, raising an admonishing finger.
I dropped the pile of books on the empty side of the table, pulled out a chair, and sat down, settling in for breakfast. The smell reached me, making my empty stomach twist.
“I can only imagine how wounded your egos must be,” I teased, pouring coffee into my cup.
“Deeply wounded. There’s no coming back from this,” Andrei said, shoving a piece of cheese into his mouth to hide a grin.
“I feel like I’ll never recover from such neglect,” Anton whispered dramatically, his eyes glinting with amusement.
I took a sip of coffee. “Now that your little show is over, will you tell me the truth? Or did Edric make you keep quiet?”
They were always by the alpha’s side. If not both, at least one of them. If they were here so early, without Edric, it could only mean one thing: trouble.
Andrei sighed. “We were assigned today.”
“Assigned to what?” I asked, chewing on a piece of the fresh bread Nicoleta baked every morning.
“Babysitting,” he mocked, laughing.
I arched a brow. He almost never left me alone—except for brief moments when I went to the lake or stayed in my room. There was always a watchdog shadowing me, ready to defend if needed. But it was always one, never two, especially not Anton and Andrei together.
“Both of you?” I pointed at them with my butter-covered knife. They nodded. “Well… I can’t tell if I should feel important or worried now.”
“I think... worried,” Anton declared.
Andrei ran his thumb across his lips, his arm resting on the table as he studied me.
“As for me, I think... both.”
“Could you be more specific, please?” I snapped.
“We caught the scent of alphas who don’t belong to any territory, near our lands,” he confessed. I swallowed hard, leaning slowly back in my chair as my appetite vanished. “Edric went to check it out and left us babysitting because he doesn’t trust anyone but us.”
I lowered my head and drew a deep breath.
“They’re back? Again?” I choked out, stunned.
“They’ll always come back,” Anton refuted. I turned to look at him.
“And how do you know that?”
He studied me intently.
“Edric’s killed them all so far—planted their heads on stakes at the borders to show Alessio his power and his veiled threat. Even so, every week new men wander through the forest, searching for you.”
I straightened, and he continued,
“Your ex-fiancé doesn’t care. He doesn’t yield to threats, and he’s not afraid of Edric. He’ll keep sending men until he gets what he wants.”
“Me?”
He nodded.
“This will never stop—not while he’s alive.”
I rested my hands beside the plate, my hunger completely gone.
I wasn’t afraid for myself but for the people of Eldoria. Alessio was a real threat, and he would kill anyone who stood between him and me, just like Ruda.
“And he seems to be losing patience,” Andrei commented, chewing another piece of cheese. “I don’t know, he’s being more aggressive. There’s no other way—Edric will have to declare war, and we’ll have to go after him to kill him.”
Goosebumps ran over my arms, and I began to tremble. I stared at my chilled fingers wrapped around the warm coffee cup.
“Go after him?”
Andrei shrugged.
“It’s the only way. He never comes in person—he just sends his men. How long are we going to keep killing them? Edric’s patience is wearing thin.”
Anton nodded in agreement.
“The closer they get, the more danger you’re in.”
“And that makes Edric impatient,” Andrei added.
I sighed, dispersing the dense steam rising from my coffee.
“Because he’s in danger too, and all that—I know.”
Anton pressed his lips together.
“At first, I thought that too. But now, I don’t think that’s what it is anymore.”
The hot, bitter liquid slid down my throat.
“I’m not sure I understand.”
“We were at the party last night,” Andrei began, waving a dismissive hand when I gave him an incredulous look. “We saw him kill that male... and the way he acted was... pretty grotesque.”
I let out a frustrated laugh.
“You alpha males have such fragile egos,” I mocked.
“Not exactly,” Anton countered. “Edric’s been acting differently since you arrived.”
“Of course he has—he’s always been used to having control over everything. But then we mated, and now control over his life isn’t his alone anymore.”
“That too,” he admitted, rubbing his palm through his blond hair, “but it’s not just that. It’s the way he reacts when another male touches you...”
“Like I said, it’s just his animal’s fragile ego. We’re mated, his wolf feels his claim over me. Males are territorial by nature. Edric’s just acting according to his instincts,” I objected, ignoring the rapid beat of my heart at the mention of it.
“No,” Andrei disagreed. “Anton’s right. It’s different. He’s had something going on with Thalira for years, and he’s never acted like that with her. I’ve never seen him like this.”
“Not even since Catalina?” I asked—and immediately regretted it.
“Not even with her,” Anton murmured, so softly his voice was barely a breath. He blinked, lifted his head toward me, and cleared his throat. “I mean, he’s impulsive, sure—but he’d never kill a male in the middle of the Lust Feast, especially knowing what that act would mean.”
“What consequences?”
Anton rubbed the back of his neck.
“It’s neutral territory. It belongs to the Elders. There can’t be any killings there—none at all. Edric broke one of their most sacred laws when he killed that omega. Blood can only be forgiven with blood. If Alpha Aldren hadn’t sided with him, he could have declared war—or Edric would’ve had to sacrifice one of his own men in retribution. Me, Andrei, or anyone else, as long as it paid back the spilled blood.”
The Alpha Sullivan’s words echoed in my mind. He had wanted the male Edric killed to be part of his pack. And now everything was clear—it all made sense. Everyone knew that every alpha had his loyal guards, his most trusted men. Sullivan would have chosen Anton or Andrei, and that would have destroyed the Alpha of Eldoria.
A shiver ran down my spine, settling a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.
Andrei whistled.
“We were lucky that male belonged to Valmorin. Our heads are still on our shoulders, and we’re not getting ready for war.”
Anton made a noise of agreement, and Andrei went on,
“Anyway, Edric’s never put anything above his responsibilities to the pack—but he completely lost his mind the moment he saw that male touching you.”