Tortured Mate (Sassy Ever After Universe #62)(6)
“I was just going to ask why you came all the way here instead of just passing on Cadence’s words thru the link. You came along way needlessly just to tell me that. But, now that you brought it up….”
Rogue groaned at his stupid assumption, if she hadn’t
been planning before, she sure would be now. “I wanted to grab something from my room and on that note, if you’re done I’m heading back before I dig myself in any deeper. Let my Alpha know where I’ll be if he needs me.”
“He already knows and is fine with it. We’ve already got your areas patrolled so you don’t have to worry. Focus on your mate, and once you two are settled, I expect you both here for the next party. The pack will want to meet him and welcome him properly.”
He didn’t wait to hear anything else the interfering, but well-meaning woman had to say. His wolf was pushing him to get back to his mate. One quick stop and he was on his way back to keep his silent vigil.
Chapter Five
Valac was climbing the walls from boredom and it was only the first day he’d been out of bed. He’d already taken a shower, eaten breakfast and lunch and it was only eleven o’clock. Cadence was holed up in her workshop and not to be disturbed he had been informed. With nothing else to do, he’d ventured outside and began to pace the small porch. Without knowing how far he was able to safely walk around the outside he was stuck and it was pissing him off.
With a huff of annoyance, he dropped down onto the steps and looked out into the woods. He’d always heard communing with nature was good for the nerves, right now all it did was frustrate him. The trees looked like bars on his makeshift cage. The breeze rustling the leaves, the mocking of his captors was driving him to the brink of insanity.
Between the voices, images and the self-imposed captivity he was going to lose his mind quickly. The last few months on the run had taught him many things, mainly being that a person could go mad listening to the cries of hundreds of others day after day. Up until this point, it was just background noise he’d been able to mostly ignore. Now, they were getting louder, more vocal and he had visual aides. He was terrified what would happen over the next few weeks. He needed to find something to ground him or he was going to give up, just to save what was left of his sanity.
“Brother, I beg you. Let me go. I did nothing to you to deserve this fate. I was your favorite brother, I never betrayed you directly, I never did anything to hurt you. Your feud with Jericho wasn’t yours to take on. Release me from your hatred and torment, I beg you.”
He couldn’t stop the tears that began to fall as the only reply was Aeron’s mocking laughter. Valac cradled his head in his hands and let the tears fall freely. A man could only take so much. A soft keening brought him back to the world around him a short time later.
He glanced up as he dried the tear tracks from his cheeks. A few feet in front of him was a small carving of a wolf, behind it just inside the tree line was the wolf he’d seen in the alley.
“I’m glad to see you’re okay. I was worried they’d hurt you.” Valac said without thought. He felt stupid talking to the animal but for some reason, it just felt right. “It’s a beautiful carving, but I’m not sure I can leave these steps to look at it better.”
The wolf barked softly and nodded. He wasn’t sure if he was agreeing he shouldn’t leave the steps or saying yes, it’s safe to grab the statue.
“Pretty sure that wasn’t there when I first came out here. Should I be worried it appeared out of thin air like that? You wouldn’t know anything about that would you, wolf?”
Why he was pausing as if the animal would reply was beyond him, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself from doing it.
“Since you were in town, I’m going to assume you’re a shifter, right?” The wolf stared at him almost as if saying duh. “Well, if you are why don’t you shift and talk to me instead of standing there?”
The door opening behind him made him turn in time to see Cadence step outside. He nodded a greeting and turned back to the wolf, but he was gone.
“Your wolf is beautiful.”
Valac frowned and glanced at her in confusion.
She nodded towards the small carving, “your wolf. It’s beautiful. Why haven’t you picked it up yet?”
“I wasn’t sure if it was safe to venture off the porch. You never said where my boundaries were and I didn’t want to take a chance when my stores are still so depleted.”
“My land is a few acres. This cabin sits in the middle, though it’ll be easier to protect you if you stay in the clearing around the house. The woods are safe, but like I said, people can still venture into it. I don’t want a situation to arise that causes you to leave unexpectedly and our brother to grab you because of it.”
Valac grunted in agreement, stood and took the few steps to reach the small gift. He was amazed at the quality and craftsmanship. It was gorgeous and if he wasn’t mistaken an exact replica of the wolf he’d been speaking to a few minutes before.
“It’s amazing, so detailed. Do you know who could have made this?” Valac asked as he looked back over his shoulder to where Cadence was standing only to discover her staring off into the woods with a curious expression on her face. “Everything okay?”
“Yes, nothing to worry about. There will be patrols in the woods, they are there for your protection.”