All hope of an escape vanished with the sound of a sword cutting through the wind. There was a sword on Tyler’s neck and when I looked up to see who held the sword I saw Dagen’s angry face.
“I warned you but it seems you would prefer to join your parents in the grave,” said Dagen, his face almost unrecognizable because of the cloud of rage that enveloped it.
“How rich of you to say; you left your Luna…”
“Shut it!” Alpha Dagen screamed.
“If you do not want me to send you to hell you had better not lay hands on what belongs to me,” Dagen said, grazing the blade of his sword on Tyler’s neck. I saw a few droplets of blood sprayed on the edge of Dagen’s sword but I held my instinct to ask Tyler if he was alright. If I did, it could really cost him his neck.
Dagen held my hand and led me out of the garden. I followed him quietly, feeling his rage electrify my wrist.
“Climb,” Dagen ordered when we had gotten to the front of a rather monstrous-looking horse. I was a werewolf but the horse looked rather frightening. Also, I had never ridden a horse before.
“I… what?” was all I could manage.
Dagen did not seem to have the patience to ask me why I stood still instead of jumping on the horse’s back. He simply carried me onto the horse and climbed behind me.
“Baron,” Dagen said softly atop of my head.
Baron? Who was that? Or rather, what did that mean?
“Huh?”
“That is the name of my horse, Baron.”
“Oooh, it is a scary horse.”
“You should see Thunder then; she’s Baron’s mother but she’s even more frightening to look at and very beautiful. She’s a white horse,” he said with a chuckle as though remembering a fond memory.
“Why is he being nice now? What’s his deal? Did he have a fight with Nydia?” I heard Raven say.
“How am I to know that?”
“I see,” was all I could say in response.
“Would you like to see her?” asked Dagen.
“I don’t think so; Baron frightens me enough,” came my reply to which Dagen laughed.
It was a throaty kind of laughter but it had a pleasant tone. I had never heard him laugh before and it brought a smile to my face. I knew this peace I was enjoying was only fleeting. When we returned to the palace I would remain in the shadows.
In fact, I expected him to ask me questions about Tyler or why I had stayed back but he did not bring it up. When we arrived at the palace, he disembarked from the horse and I expected him to help me down but he walked away as if he had forgotten all about me.
“Alpha Dagen!” I shouted his name.
He stopped and turned to look at me.
“I cannot get off myself,” I said.
“So? Do you expect me to help you?” he asked.
“I… I…”
“Now may be a good time to overcome your fright for Baron; there are scarier things than Baron in this pack,” and with that, he was gone.
****************
Dagen's POV.
Kane was back.
I had failed to uphold my end of the deal and I was now a slave to his whims.
“What did I say? You do not want to admit that you care for her,” his tone was teasing but what did it matter? Nothing I say to him will persuade him to think otherwise.
“Where have you been?” asked Nydia, it looked like she had been waiting for me. I was in no mood to dally with her right now; I just wanted to be alone.
“Did you know Gina did not return with us?” I asked her.
“Really? So you went to look for her?” her tone sounded like an accusation.
“I did. She is my mate who will bare my heir and…”
“Can we not find someone else to bear your heir? Must it be her?” asked Nydia.
“You know very well about… about the curse… I cannot have a child except by my mate and… I expect you to be more understanding,” I said, a little surprised that she could be insensitive to my situation.
“Think about me too, how do you think I feel…”
“Nydia, I cannot do this right now, Nydia, goodnight.”
***************
Gina's POV.
A guard helped me get off the horse or I really would have been there all night.
Apparently, I had slept the night away and when I had woke up it was already morning. It had taken the entire day to return to Dagen’s palace as we had ridden on a horse and not a carriage. I believed the journey would have been faster but for some reason, Dagen had not hurried his horse and I had been secretly grateful, else I would have been filled with terror.
Diane was waiting for me at my door.
“My lady!” cried Diane. She looked happy to see me.
“Diane, it feels like ages since I left,” I returned her excitement.
“You must be exhausted, Ruth has prepared your bath. Your food will be ready after you take a bath,” she told me.
I smiled and allowed her to lead me into my room.
I had Raven and I believed I had Diane.
I had been wrong when I said I was alone.
Once I had taken a bath and eaten, Diane and Ruth left me alone.
“Gina?” quipped Dagen.
I had lain in my bed already and was quite startled to see him in my room.
“Alpha Dagen?”
“Do you mind? Can I sleep here?” he asked me.
“What?”
I was very tired but this is why he had kept me in his palace so how could I say no?
He got into bed beside me but he did not take his clothes off nor did he make a move to take mine off. It was rather confusing really and even more so when he hugged me and fell asleep.