Chapter 7 Chapter Seven
Sylvan carried the woman over one shoulder, his right arm clasped around her thighs to hold her in place while he carried Jacob’s severed head in his left hand. They had been walking for about two hours to get back to camp. She’d grown tired of fighting him about forty-five minutes in. How she managed to get that far away before someone caught her was impressive, to say the least. He readjusted Jacob’s head. It was a shame he wanted to hurt her, and worse. Jacob was the best tracker he had. Sylvan’s ranks were diminished with him dead. There was no stopping his wolf though when he’d seen him on top of her like that. The woman in his arms hissed through her teeth before he realized he’d instinctively gripped her tighter as the image replayed in his mind. He noticed the ward up ahead and readjusted her on his shoulder, making air rush out of her lungs.
“Might hurt when I take you through the ward,” he warned her.
“I’m fine,” she said with a sigh.
He felt her elbow dig into his back as she propped her head up on her hand.
“Care to tell me how you were able to saunter through a ward crafted by one of the most powerful witches in this realm?” he asked.
“Not particularly.”
“Thought so.”
He stepped through the ward, and while it didn’t affect him or any of his men, he felt her wince and her fingers suddenly dig into his skin. His stomach twisted as the binding he’d done gave him a glimpse into the pain coursing through her veins. So she could walk through it, but it still affected her. She let out a shaky breath and the pain with it. He didn’t break stride as he headed for the center of the camp where his forces were gathering after the long, but successful night they’d had. Cook was handing out lunches, enough to fill their stomachs until dinner and give them enough energy to pack up everything they wouldn’t need for the night.
Heads turned as Sylvan walked among their ranks, naked with a dirty woman thrown over his shoulder. He dropped Jacob’s head at the front of the food line and then flung the girl down beside it. She landed with a huff and glared up at him while she dusted her skirt off and stood to her full height. Faced with his crew, she shrunk back slightly into his heat and he stifled the feeling of pride that, despite her constant malice toward him, she still saw him as a safe haven.
“Jacob trespassed on what is mine,” Sylvan announced to his men before placing a meaningful hand on the woman’s shoulder. Her bright blue eyes clashed with his at the declaration but she did not dare argue, most likely in fear that if she did, he might throw her to the mass of wolves standing at attention in front of her. “Let this serve as the one and only warning I extend.”
Without further explanation, Sylvan tightened his hold on her shoulder and pivoted her toward his tent. He gave a light shove and she stumbled forward in that direction.
Nikolai, Sylvan called to his beta through his mindlink.
Sir?
Get Delilah and Cole and bring them to my tent.
Right away, Nikolai responded.
Sylvan continued to clip her heel until she went through the flap of his tent and wheeled around to face him. “I am not ‘yours!’” she spat.
“Debatable.” He crossed his arms, barring the only exit.
“Would you put some clothes on for Goddess’ sake?! I’ve had to look at your ass for two hours!”
He smirked. “If you hadn’t run, I wouldn’t have needed to shift,” he reasoned. “As a wolf, I’d expect you to be comfortable with nudity. Unless there was a reason you were protected from it.” He tilted his head in curiosity. “Are you of noble blood?”
“No!” she answered too quickly.
He took a few steps toward her until he was crowding her. “You came from Seavale where Alpha Slade’s queen was hiding out. As far as I know he doesn’t have a daughter but royals tend to be tight-lipped about such things until their daughter comes of age… or until war has concluded.” He eyed her up and down. It would explain why her skin was soft, unlike a maid or ‘warrior’ as she claimed. She spoke eloquently, but she could curse with the best of them. She was an enigma. One he wanted to suss out. “What’s your name?”
“Forgotten so quickly?”
“Are you trying to remember the one you gave me last night or think of a new one?”
“Isla.”
“What did you do at Seavale that brought you to my bed?”
“I am a maid for Queen Cecelia,” she said, crossing her arms and raising her chin.
“You said you were a warrior for Tridea,” he reminded her. Her heart rate escalated.
“We’re all warriors in a time of war, are we not?”
He smirked and opened his mouth to continue his line of questioning when he scented the familiar ash that clung to his second-in-command. A moment later the tent flap opened and Cole strode in with Delilah and Nikolai on his heels.
“Of all the things I expected to walk into, your ass wasn’t one of them,” Cole said with a chuckle.
A robe appeared in Sylvan’s periphery and he took it from Nikolai with a nod of thanks.
“It’s you,” Delilah breathed, her eyes set on the woman in front of them all who was doing her best to not shrink before their curious gazes. “You walked through my ward.” Delilah took a few eager steps forward. Isla retaliated by retreating just as quickly.
“Now that the mission is complete, you have my permission to do your little exam,” Sylvan instructed with a flick of his hand between Delilah and Isla. “I need to speak with Cole and Nikolai. We’ll have a few guys stationed outside in case your legs start feeling itchy again.”
Isla looked at him, her eyes wide. “Your mission is complete?”
Sylvan stood straighter and narrowed his eyes at her. “Yes. We came to Seavale for a reason. That reason has been neutralized and once we get word about Alpha Slade’s downfall, we’ll head back to Castle Aerhart in Ederhal.”
“But…” she started. He could feel her anxiety. Even if they weren’t bound, he’d be able to feel it sizzle through the air like a physical being. Delilah cast him a worried look. She could feel it too. He took a few steps toward her, to comfort her or keep her from running, he wasn’t sure. “But, if you were here and your mission is complete then…”
“Your queen is dead,” he told her in a straightforward, monotone voice.
Her knees gave out and she fell onto the cot behind her. He reached out to help steady her when she raised her hand as if she thought he might strike her.
“Don’t…” she whispered, her voice clogged with grief and a profound sense of loss that instantly raised his suspicion. Tears welled in her eyes, though she refused to look at him. “Don’t touch me, you monster. Get out.”
Delilah squatted down in front of Isla and placed a hand delicately on her knee. She glanced up and gave Sylvan a reassuring nod. He straightened and jerked his own head at the two men waiting for him at the entrance, letting them know to follow him.