Page 5 of Bound to Four Alphas (Silverthorn Alphas #1)

“We’ll be too obvious in our shifted forms.” Kaelen’s voice was clipped as he squared up to Ronan, amber eyes flashing in warning.

The wolf groaned in frustration. “Too obvious? We don’t exactly blend in at the moment, either. And what threats are we going to come across that will pose any kind of real danger? Nightmares? Malek will keep his creatures in line.”

Selena risked a glance at the terrifying alpha, horned head bowed as he crouched close to a tree, one hand braced against it as his black eyes narrowed in concentration. Either he hadn’t heard Ronan’s comment, or he didn’t care to answer.

Kaelan and Ronan had been arguing for what felt like hours, even though when Selena glanced up at the sky, the heavy moon had only moved a tiny amount in its journey across the night sky. Tiredness was tempting her aching eyes shut, but the sharp grate of fear in the back of her throat kept her awake. Not to mention the sting from the cuts and bruises littering her legs and feet.

“Insufferable, aren’t they?” Elian crouched beside her, an easy grin on his handsome face. He gestured his head toward the two growling alphas, a smirk playing on his lips. “At this rate, perhaps I should just steal you away to keep all to myself.”

Selena couldn’t help the heat that rose in her cheeks at his charm, his heady smell. It was deep and autumnal, clove and pine. And something else, something raw. Despite his mischievousness, there was no denying that Elian was pure alpha.

“Why are they even fighting?” she asked, voice small and weak. The cold had seeped deep into her, clutching her every fiber with icy fingers. She drew her legs closer to her chest.

Elian’s nostrils flared slightly, and he frowned, a slight tightness in his jaw. With a flourish of his hand, a whorl of shadows appeared, and from it he pulled a soft green cloak that he settled around her shoulders.

She couldn’t stop the pure wonder at the casual display of magic. And to think that the villagers had accused her of witchcraft when something so powerful existed just beyond the borders of their small home. Offering Elian a small smile, she drew the cloak tightly around herself, basking the unnatural warmth it provided.

If she had any hope of escape, she would have to be smart. And refusing help from the one person who seemed willing to answer her questions certainly wasn’t smart.

“May I?” Elian gestured to her injured legs, and Selena sucked in an apprehensive breath before slowly nodding and uncurling them to him. If he had given her the cloak, she doubted he would want to cause her further harm.

Elian smiled in delight, splaying his warm hands across her flesh. She gasped and flinched slightly, but at his warning look she settled down, watching in amazement as shadows crept from his fingertips and curled over her skin, pooling in the myriad cuts and injuries, healing them as they went. A light shiver ran down her spine as his hands flexed slightly, and she didn’t miss the quirk of his lips.

“Those two have a nasty history,” Elian said as his shadows slipped over her. “Or rather, their fathers did. Humans, one of your silly little kings, wanted to make a play for some of our territory. They sent assassins in the night and killed Kaelen’s father. When Kaelen wanted to retaliate, Ronan’s father refused him the help he would need. So Kaelen decided to approach another wolf pack, one that split away after The Breaking, but technically had a claim to Ronan’s title.”

“Elian,” Kaelen turned to them, a warning snarl on his face, “let’s not drag the past into this.”

Elian lifted his hands in mock apology. “I wouldn’t dream of it! I just think if our sweet little dove here is going to travel with us, she deserves to know a bit more about us.”

Kaelen’s molten gaze flicked to Selena, and she blushed at the heat there, the memory of his arms wrapped tight around her rising unbidden in her mind.

“Kaelen’s right,” growled Ronan, “this isn’t the time or the place. We need to get moving.”

“Selena is in no state to walk.” Malek stood, clawed fingers scratching at the wood of the tree. She shuddered at the deep unnaturalness of his voice, the part of her that was entirely animal urging her to run . “We cannot expect her to travel in her condition.”

She bristled at that, pride stabbing through the fear. Did they really think she was so weak? So helpless? She might not have fangs or antlers or scales or claws, but she wasn’t an infant. And she needed to prove to them, to herself, that she was strong.

Pushing off the ground, she ignored Elian’s offered hand and staggered to her feet, wincing at the bone-deep ache that Elian’s shadows hadn’t quite been able to reach. She took a few unsteady steps forward, urging her stiff limbs to move. “I’m perfectly capable of walking, thank you very much.”

Malek’s head cocked, his expression one of confusion. “But you are cold. And injured. And hungry.”

“I’m not a child ,” she hissed, “and who said I was going to walk anywhere with you in the first place? I’m going home.”

Malek didn’t look offended. If anything, he nodded slightly as if in understanding, like she had just given him the answer to some puzzle. Ignoring the strange, terrifying beast, she turned, hoping none of them saw the tremble in her legs.

“You’ve tried this once already, don’t make me chase you down again,” Kaelen’s voice was low with warning, imbued with the inherent dominance of an alpha.

Listen to Alpha. Alpha will protect you, Alpha will keep you safe, warm, happy—

She growled to silence the keening voice in her head. Tiredness and fear were tumbling through her body, making her vision slightly hazy, warping her good sense. She turned back, baring her teeth at Kaelen, advancing towards him. “Who the hell are you to tell me what to do, you self-important dick—”

She didn’t finish her insult, her ankle buckling beneath her, sending her flying forward.

She closed her eyes, bracing for impact, but it never came. Kaelen had lurched forward, catching her in his arms, the panic evident on his face. “Fucking hell, Omega, are you trying to injure yourself?”

Weakly she tried to push away from him, but dizziness overcame her, and she fell limp, her brain addled with the thick scent of Kaelen surrounding her, oak and fire and citrus.

“Get off me,” she protested, but his arms only tightened further.

“She cannot walk,” Malek said, as if confirming to himself. She narrowed her eyes at him. What the hell was his problem?

“Then I’ll carry her,” Kaelen said through gritted teeth, the rumble in his chest vibrating through her.

Selena shook her head, “No, not you.” At his molten glare, she gestured towards Ronan. “Him.”

Kaelen was like marble as Ronan advanced towards them with a feral grin, taking her from the dragon and sweeping her up in his thick arms. She curled into his chest, too tired to do anything but bask in the warmth from his bare skin.

Risking a glance at Kaelen, she couldn’t help the slight tremble at his ferocious expression, the spike of possessiveness in his eyes.

“Don’t worry about him, sweetness,” Ronan practically purred, angling her so that her head could rest on his shoulder. “He just can’t stand that you know a real alpha when you see one.”

Kaelen snarled and whipped around, pushing past Malek and forging on into the woods, fists clenched at his sides. Ronan chuckled and began following him, the gentle sway of his long strides lulling her eyes closed.

She had only allowed herself to be picked up, carried away like the sacrifice the villagers had made her, because she knew that realistically she had no other choice. She needed to rest, to eat, to recover from her ordeal. Then, when she had her wits about her, she could make a plan.

As for choosing Ronan, she was half-regretting it already, the raw pheromones he wasn’t even trying to control sending a strange warmth pooling deep in her belly. He seemed to notice it too, his head drifting closer to hers than was strictly necessary, the heat of his breath fanning across her exposed neck.

Ronan had seemed like the safest choice. Kaelen seemed intent on controlling her, using the power of his designation to establish his dominance, and even though her treacherous body seemed more than happy to submit to him, she wasn’t going down without a fight. She certainly hadn’t been about to choose Malek to carry her, something deep in her warning her that he was nothing but pure predator, even if his actions so far had done nothing to indicate he meant her any harm. And even though she felt the least threatened by Elian, she was absolutely sure that she could not trust him, and to give him the slightest indication that she might seemed like a dangerous game to play.

That left Ronan, who was currently nuzzling against the top of her head, making no secret of the fact that he was scenting her. It was normally considered the height of rudeness to scent an unmated omega, but he was openly sniffing at her, an appreciative rumble in his chest.

Screwing her eyes shut, she concentrated on something else, anything else, to distract her from the huge alpha’s hands gripping her tightly, his touch burning hot.

“At least you won the argument.” Elian had skipped out in front of Kaelen, walking backwards so that the furious dragon could see his grin. “Here we are, traipsing through the woods, on foot. What’s the point in those leathery wings of yours if you refuse to use them?”

Kaelen snarled at him, running a hand through his deep red hair. “We’re heading into the borderlands. As soon as we leave Ronan’s territory, we’re exposed. And even if we could take on an army, do you really want information about her to spread? It’s only a matter of time before the humans catch word, and I want our situation resolved before the inevitable conflict.”

Elian hummed, “You make an excellent point, King, I would certainly be put out if anyone else solved the mystery of our little dove before I did. But do you really think the humans would be so stupid as to attack us when we’re bound by magic to defend one another?”

“For all your years, you’re incredibly naive, Benellane.”

Elian shrugged, an easy smile on his face. “Or perhaps my age has granted me wisdom to see things beyond your tiny imagination.”

“We should hunt,” interrupted Malek before Kaelen could snap back a retort. Ronan tensed at the monster’s voice, and the other two alphas looked warily at their quiet companion. “She is hungry.”

Selena could not deny the truth of his words, even as Kaelen’s jaw set in irritation as he glanced back at her, that same heated possessiveness evident there. “Then hunt, Malek, you know the borderlands better than we do.”

Malek nodded and melted into shadow, a cool breeze kissing her skin as the black mist dispersed.

“Are you sure we can trust him to find something edible? For all we know he lives on frogs or bats or beetles—”

“Elian,” Kaelen snapped, “make yourself useful and scout ahead. I want to know how far this temple is.”

Elian pouted but nevertheless melted back down to the golden hawk, powerful wings lifting him into the air. He cocked his head at her. “Sleep well, little dove.” And then he was gone, disappearing above the canopy.

And as Kaelen forged onward, a self-satisfied Ronan carrying her a few steps behind him, sleep finally claimed her.