Chapter 69 It will get ugly
Ruel’s POV
The yard hums with activity as I mount the raised platform.
The sun hangs low, and the air carries a dry edge, laced with dust and the familiar smell of leather.
A few months left in the year, and the heat hasn’t fully loosened its grip, but there’s a restlessness in the air that has nothing to do with weather.
Every warrior in the pack stands below me in arranged lines. I halt, silently registering the response.
Every boot becomes fixed in the earth, all weapons steady against their owner. With attentive eyes the men look forward.
And finally, within three seconds the low hum of conversation drains away.
When I speak I don’t do so harshly, instead I keep it measured at first. “In two months,” I start, “we move east.”
The crowd nods, clearly already expecting the announcement. Still I notice the subtle tension in their midst.
Yes there's the usual anticipation but there's subtle fear too. Some avoid my eyes, some shoulders stiffen, some stare into space probably remembering recent horrors of war.
I pace once along the platform, letting them feel the weight of what I’ve said before I continue.
“Unlike most wish to believe, the eastern region hasn’t been quiet in weeks,” I go on. “There is rumoured to be more strays than wolves there currently.”
“But how can werewolves willingly live with our enemies?” A warrior asks in fury.
I stop walking. “No werewolf is willingly under the rule of strays. We should be grateful to those who've refused to flee the lands invaded by strays as they are the only reason we have internal links and a hope to get back what belongs to us.” I say, the wind echoing my voice.
“Commander Ruel, don't you think this war is unnecessary?” A timid looking guard mutters. “I mean, the Eastern strays have been quiet for years now. We've not gotten an attack from them. Fighting them now when we can rather maintain peace, seems wicked.”
“The war is the alpha king's order. Or are you calling your king wicked and unreasonable?” I raise my voice.
“N..no commander. Please forgive my misplaced words.” He stutters, falling to his knees.
“You speak about there being peace but we are the ones suffering at the expense of maintaining peace. And now they've mistaken Vahl's hesitation for weakness. Are we to continue in silence?!”
“NO!” The crowd roars.
Good. I think to myself when a few jaws tighten, multiple fists fold.
A little fire, that's what we need to set a forest ablaze.
“They’re wrong!” I continue.
“We won’t rush into a fight just to prove a point. We are trained warriors… the best in the whole region. We’ll prepare. We’ll gather all the information we can. We’ll train until exhaustion stops being an excuse and discipline becomes our instinct.”
I notice a hand being lifted but continue anyway.
“Changes in our training will become effective from today. We'll have longer sessions. The rotations will become merciless… this will be paired combat that pushes you out of your comfort zones. If you fall behind, you won’t be punished. You’ll be retrained.”
A heavy silence pours over the field.
“But if you refuse to adapt,” I add, my voice certain, “you won’t march with us.”
The murmurings rise quickly after that.
“We don’t win because there are many of us,” I say. “We win because we hold together, because we can be sure the person beside us won’t break when it gets ugly.”
I step back, scanning the formation.
“And it will get ugly.”
My eyes move before I tell them not to, and that's when I spot Ira standing near the back. Sia is with her.
She always is.
Always standing just a little too close, angled in front of Ira like her body is the shield Ira needs.
Ira stands straight, her shoulders pulled back, her soft chin lifted. She looks like she should be the one standing in front of Sia.
Even when she doesn't know what she is, her gene finds a way of showing itself. Although a servant, she doesn't carry herself like one.
She's acting all composed and innocent but I know better.
I know what she looks like when she's no longer pretending.
Two nights ago… her breath catching against the window as she tried to stay quiet, the way she went still when my hand found her heat, how shamelessly she leaned into it like she couldn’t help herself.
Like she needed something solid to hold onto. The way she cried my name… so soft, breathless.
My needy slut.
My teeth grind together at the sinful term. I shouldn't think of her like that.
Still heat settles low in my stomach, refusing to go away.
I watch quietly as her gaze lifts away from Sia who's whispering something, her eyes looking straight at me.
She finds me like she already knew I was watching.
Her calm face captivates me… something shifts in those bright blue eyes–
She certainly remembers that night.
Sia shifts beside her, unaware, but Ira doesn’t move. She doesn’t look away. Her lips part for half a second, then press together, like she’s swallowing something she shouldn’t be thinking about here.
With a smirk I look away, ignoring the sharp ache in my chest.
Stop it Krist, I can't go to her now.
“Even if you could, would you?” He angrily questions.
This is not the place.
“Take note that your discipline along with your strength will be tested intensely this period. Let this be clear,” I say. “Strength without discipline is liability. If you can’t control your emotions and thoughts, you don’t belong on the front line.”
I dismiss them, glancing at Ira again. This time Cortis is talking with her.
A hand claps my shoulder lightly.
“You’re going to burn a hole through someone if you keep staring like that,” Elric murmurs beside me.
I don’t glance at him. “I need more distance between them.”
He snorts. “And here I thought you wanted to keep away from Ira.”
I turn, frowning.
“Something definitely happened, Ruel. You've been calmer. Didn't even ask for the suppressant, but your eyes haven't left her since. It's like your possessiveness just intensified. So what, you fucked her? Cause I don't see a mark.”
I step off the platform. “Kissed,” I whisper.
“Kissed?” Elric repeats, looking confused. “That's all you did and you look this whipped?”
“Shut up.” I hiss turning away from Ira and Cortis before I do something really stupid. “Squad leaders, rearrange them. I need all incompetent leaders removed.”
“Understood,” Elric nods immediately.
“Commander Ruel,” a warrior pushes through the dispersing few. He looks breathless and sweaty.
“What's wrong?” I question, instantly alert when I see the letter in his hand.
“The messenger said to treat this with urgency.” He says handing over the sealed paper to me.
I take it from him, knowing after seeing the seal that it's from the alpha king.