Chapter 96
[ 757 words ]
Emotions are a luxury
96: 96.
Emotions are a luxury Ronan
My wolf has held himself still the entire time we ran to the citadel, while we fought through the small force outside, when two of our enemies became our allies in this fight, and even while Aria told us that the bastards tried to bind her to them.
Fucking bind her.
I know what this is.
I’ve felt it before.
The quiet that enters my mind.
The eradication of thought, and the condensing of my emotions until it all encases itself somewhere just out of reach.
Some people refer to it as the quiet before the storm; I understand it as the absence of everything.
The silence of violence.
The absolution of judgment.
Of vengeance.
And my body is the instrument to meet out the punishment.
I’ve only felt like this once before.
The day the pack split, and I watched my parents burn.
When their deaths taught me the cruel lesson every Alpha learns.
Emotions are a luxury.
An indulgence.
A humanity we must learn to cleave from our souls so we can control them.
Halt, and allow them to bleed into weaker parts only when you designate.
I step into the courtyard with blood drying on my knuckles and the cold mountain wind biting against my skin.
I’m not hopeful enough to believe that this current little fishbowl is anything more than luck in a few right places for once.
Behind me, boots, feet, and paws strike stone in a steady rhythm.
They are ready, eager to take back what the Assembly is trying to steal from them, from us, from our world.
Hunters and warriors stop mid-retreat.
The work they were going to get the other exits open, like scrambling rats, is left forgotten.
Every eye turns toward us.
Toward me.
Then I meet Aldren’s.
A low growl rumbles from my chest.
He steps forward from the center of the group like he is a king surveying his court.
His tall, composed figure doesn’t fool me.
Though he is dressed in his usual dark robes, the telltale signs of the battle, the rips and tears and streaks of dried blood.
My wolf snarls viciously.
I hope Aria gave him those wounds.
“Going somewhere, Aldren?” I say, letting my voice tingle with a cocky tint.
His hands fold calmly behind his back, expression smooth and practiced.
“Ronan, how unoriginal.
But you see, you really shouldn’t have come.”
“It’s not exactly rocket science.
You threaten my mate.
It doesn’t take a genius to predict I wouldn’t be far behind.
I wonder if it’s just my mate you stop over the line for, or if your men,” I give the males standing with him a pointed look, “Are just okay with you targeting theirs as well.”
A ripple of tension eases through the warriors.
Some may stand with the Assembly on their beliefs.
Some may stand with them purely out of fear for their own packs.
But there is no shifter male, none with a sense of honor, that will be alright with a male that doesn’t understand the carnal rule of mates.
A male willing to touch another’s female is one wishing for death.
One who can’t be trusted.
Aldren’s eyes narrow.
He knows what I’m doing.
He also knows this method has a high probability of fucking up the absolute control he is banking on for their plans to work.
“You know that fact that she’s your mate is inconsequential. It is the fact that she is a sypher,” He waves his hand around like he is making some grand statement.
He is.
He’s telling everyone a Sypher exists.
I narrow my eyes, knowing well how he uses information like blades.
“… that makes her of interest to us all. She can help our people. Restore the veil. Keep the humans who threaten our existence at bay, but she said no. Just like I’m sure you instructed her to.”
There it is.
That venomous, malicious tongue.
My bandmates growl behind me.
The tempest of their emotions strikes against me, wolf, and embeds itself in his skin.
And that quiet frosts over.
My gaze never leaves him.
“What a pretty speech. I have to say, between kidnapping and murdering one of the only two remaining Syphers and trying to run to safety when you realized that things weren’t working out as planned, you sure have figured out a new stance, haven’t you? A shame not everyone believes your lies.”
My allies spread out behind me, curving like a crescent moon.
The opposing force studied the movement and mirrored it.
The scents became a clashing cloud of dominance.
An invisible primal battle, the undercurrent pushing and pulling the tides of tension, contempt, and anger.
A flicker of annoyance crosses his face before disappearing.
“You made a mistake coming here. You should have taken your female and left. Now, none of you will leave.”
My wolf snarls viciously.
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