Page 21

CHAPTER 21

M alrik tested the air, seeking out more information about who approached. Vultor . Not just one, but several. A patrol.

He froze, pulling Bella behind him with one arm while the other hand went to his blade. His beast form was weapon enough, but his Vultor side remembered the comfort of steel and he’d selected a blade from his armory before they left. The familiar motion had triggered another memory—training yards, warriors bowing before him, his arrogant dismissal of their skills. He growled low in his throat, pushing the memory away as his beast surged forward, fur rippling across his skin, claws extending fully.

“What is it?” she whispered, her hand on his arm.

“Vultor. I’ll protect you,” he promised.

“I know.” She reached for his hand, fearlessly twining her fingers with his. “And I’ll protect you too.”

The absurdity of it—this small human female protecting him—should have angered his beast. Instead, warmth spread through his chest. She had already protected him in ways she couldn’t understand, bringing him back from the edge of oblivion one touch, one smile at a time.

Although his beast urged him to confront the strange males, he scanned their surroundings, looking for cover. If they could hide, wait for the patrol to pass… No. The wind would carry their scent—his scent—to the warriors. They would investigate.

“We should go to meet them,” she said softly. “If they’re Agatha’s friends, they might help us.”

His beast snarled at the suggestion, territorial instincts flaring, but his Vultor side recognized the logic. Better to face them on his terms than be hunted down.

“Stay behind me,” he ordered, moving forward with measured steps.

They hadn’t gone far when the patrol appeared—three warriors moving with the silent grace of predators. They spotted Malrik immediately, freezing in place with expressions of shock and wariness.

The leader, an older male with a hard face, stepped forward, hand on his weapon. “Identify yourself,” he commanded in the Vultor tongue.

He struggled to respond in the same language, the words feeling foreign on his tongue after so long. “Malrik,” he finally managed.

The name sent a visible ripple through the patrol. The leader’s eyes widened, then narrowed in suspicion.

“Malrik died seasons ago,” he said. “We heard you’d been seen, but the beast that wears his form is not welcome in these lands.”

He growled, his beast responding to the threat in the warrior’s tone. His transformation advanced further—fur spreading across his chest and arms, his face elongating slightly.

“He is Malrik,” Bella said, stepping out from behind him despite his attempt to keep her sheltered. “And I am his mate.”

The declaration silenced the patrol. They stared at her with undisguised astonishment, then back at Malrik with new assessment in their eyes.

“Another human mate?” one of the younger warriors muttered.

The leader studied them both, his gaze lingering on the places where Malrik’s transformation seemed to halt—not fully beast, not fully Vultor. “Impossible,” he said, but with less certainty.

“I’ve seen many impossible things,” Bella replied, her voice steady. “Including a beast who remembers being Vultor.”

The other young warrior stepped forward, his stance less threatening. “Is this true? You remember?”

He nodded stiffly. “Pieces. More… with her.”

The patrol exchanged glances, a silent communication passing between them. The leader finally sheathed his weapon, though his posture remained alert.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“To see Agatha,” Bella answered. “I think my father is staying with her because he’s been ill. We need to check on him.”

At the mention of Agatha, the patrol relaxed further. One of them even smiled faintly.

“We can escort you,” the leader offered, his gaze fixed on Bella rather than Malrik. “These woods can be dangerous for humans.”

The offer, innocent as it might be, sent a surge of possessive rage through Malrik. His transformation accelerated, his beast rising to the surface with a roar that echoed through the forest. He stepped between Bella and the patrol, fur bristling, teeth bared.

“Mine,” he snarled, the word barely intelligible through his elongated jaw.

The patrol tensed, hands returning to weapons, and his anger increased at the threatening gestures.

“Malrik.” Bella’s voice cut through his rage as she placed a gentle hand on his arm. “They’re just trying to help.”

Her touch anchored him, slowing his transformation. He breathed deeply, struggling to rein in his beast.

“We don’t need an escort,” she told the patrol firmly. “But thank you for the offer.”

The leader studied them both, his expression unreadable. “Alpha Seren should know of this,” he said finally. “Malrik’s return—and his… condition—is a matter for the council.”

Malrik tensed again at the mention of Seren. Fragments of memory surfaced—a younger Vultor male, serious and stern, one of the few who had earned his respect before the curse.

“Will you meet with him?” the warrior added.

This time the question was directed at both of them, an acknowledgment of their bond that Malrik did not miss. His beast wanted to refuse, to take Bella and retreat to the safety of his keep, but his emerging Vultor side recognized the importance of this moment.

“After Agatha,” he managed, the words coming with effort.

The leader nodded. “We will send word to Seren. He can meet you at the healer’s dwelling.”

Bella squeezed his arm in silent support. “Thank you,” she told the patrol. “We appreciate your understanding.”

The warriors backed away, still watching him warily. “The old path will take you directly to Agatha’s,” one of them said. “It’s faster than following the stream.”

With that, they melted back into the forest, though he knew they would not go far. They would observe, report back. His return would be known to the entire pack before nightfall.

As they resumed their journey, he found himself caught in a storm of conflicting emotions. Fear of rejection warred with a newfound desire to find a place amongst his kind. Shame over what he had become battled with pride that Bella had claimed him as her mate before others.

“Are you all right?” she asked after they had walked in silence for some time.

“Yes,” he said, surprising himself with the truth of it. “I am… beginning.”

“Beginning what?”

He looked down at her, at the small female who had somehow found the male beneath the monster, who had chosen to stay even knowing what he was.

“Beginning to remember,” he said. “Who I was. Who I could be.”

She smiled, reaching up to touch his face. “I like who you are right now.”

The simple statement washed over him like a balm, soothing both beast and Vultor. He leaned into her touch, savoring the connection.

“Are you worried about meeting Seren?” she added.

He considered the question, searching for words to express the chaos within him. “Uncertain,” he finally said. “Seren… powerful. Respected.”

She nodded thoughtfully.

“He’s the one who’s been negotiating a trade alliance with the mayor, although I heard something happened at the bonding ceremony. Do you think he’s dangerous?”

“Perhaps.” He frowned, trying to piece together memories of the stern warrior. “Fair, though. Honorable.”

“Then he’ll listen to us,” she said with a confidence he couldn’t share. “Two of my friends have Vultor mates and he supported their relationships. I’m sure he’ll support us as well.”

He wished he could believe it would be so simple. He’d never heard of a cursed male returning to his pack, let alone one bonded to a human female. It would challenge everything they believed about their kind.

Yet as they continued toward Agatha’s dwelling, a strange sense of possibility began to take root alongside his fear. For the first time since his transformation, he allowed himself to imagine a future beyond his isolated existence—a future where he might walk among his kind again, Bella at his side.

The thought was both terrifying and exhilarating and despite his doubts, he found himself smiling as they continued through the forest.