Page 24

CHAPTER 24

M alrik and Bella hurried back to the cottage, then took up a position just outside the garden gate. His beast prowled restlessly, unhappy with the possibility of a confrontation, but Bella remained close, her hand occasionally brushing his, each touch an anchor that kept his beast from taking control.

He sensed them before he saw them. The subtle shift in the air, the scent of other Vultor. His beast stirred, hackles rising at the territorial intrusion, but his rational mind kept control. This meeting had to happen.

“They’re here,” he murmured.

She squeezed his hand. “You can do this.”

He nodded, his eyes fixed on the tree line.

Seren was the first to appear. The alpha stepped into the clearing with the confident stride of one accustomed to command. His silver-streaked hair was pulled back, his expression as calm and controlled as always, but there was something different about him. He seemed… at peace in a way that Malrik suddenly recognized. His suspicions were confirmed as the other male approached and he caught the difference in his scent.

“You have taken a mate,” he burst out, unable to hide his shock. Seren was long past the age when most Vultor found a mate although, unlike Malrik, the curse of the unmated had never affected him.

Seren calmly inclined his head but couldn’t hide the smile that curved his lips.

“I have.” The alpha looked from Malrik to Bella, his eyes dropping to the mating mark. “It appears I am not the only one.”

“This is Bella.” He placed a protective hand on her lower back. “My mate.”

“Indeed. We all believed you lost to the beast,” Seren said thoughtfully.

“I was. For many years.”

“And yet here you stand.”

“Bella helped free me from my beast. To an extent,” he added truthfully.

“I don’t know that I freed him,” she said quickly. “He did that himself. I just helped him see that his beast didn’t have to rule him.”

Seren nodded. “Interesting. And unexpected. No one has ever bonded with a cursed Vultor.”

His jaw tightened. “Bella is exceptional. And the bond between us is real.”

“I believe you,” the alpha said calmly. “Although others may not.” He turned to Bella. “What are your intentions toward Malrik?”

“I love him,” she stated without hesitation and his beast purred with satisfaction. “And I’m going to help him break this curse, once and for all.”

The other Vultor’s eyebrows rose, but a small smile played at the corners of his mouth. “Do you mean you wish to rid him of his beast?”

“Of course not,” she said immediately, even as his beast growled. “It is a part of him and I love all of him.”

“In that case I would argue that the curse has already been lifted.”

He stiffened, and Bella gave him a shocked look before turning back to Seren.

“What do you mean?”

“All Vultor must balance both sides of their nature,” Seren explained. “The curse affects those who cannot control that balance—and once they are lost to their beast they do not return. At least they never have before. But the bond you share has broken the curse’s hold on him. That does not, however, mean that the beast will disappear.” He turned to Malrik. “You will always struggle to control both sides of your nature. It is the way of our people.”

“But if I can control my beast, then I’m no longer a danger. And I will not be an outcast.”

“That is correct.” Seren’s gaze sharpened. “But can you control it, Malrik? It will always be harder for you because your beast ruled for so long. There are those who will need to be convinced that your Vultor side is in control.”

Seren raised his hand and the three Vultor who had accompanied him stepped out of the woods. Malrik recognized one of them immediately—Korrin, the male whose female had been threatened by a human male. He didn’t know the other two—an elderly female who regarded him skeptically and a stern-faced warrior who matched him in size. His beast growled, already anticipating a threat. Bella must have sensed his reaction because she put a soothing hand on his arm.

“I believe you know Korrin,” Seren said calmly. “He wishes to speak on your behalf. Lena and Varro are council members. What do you seek from this Council?”

“I seek understanding,” he said simply. “A chance to reclaim my place among our people, not as a noble, but as a Vultor who has learned humility through suffering.”

The Council members exchanged glances, their expressions unreadable.

Seren’s voice was carefully neutral. “We have questions about your condition and your intentions.”

His beast bristled, but he had anticipated such questions.

“Go ahead.”

Lena, the old female, spoke first, looking skeptically at Bella’s hand on his arm.

“You think to control him, child?”

“Never,” his mate said immediately. “But if my touch provides comfort, I would not deny him that.”

“Humph.” Lena still looked skeptical, but she turned to him next. “How is it possible that you maintain your Vultor form? The curse of the unmated?—”

“Should have consumed me entirely,” he finished for her. “I know. For many years, it did.”

“Then what changed?” Varro asked.

He glanced at Bella, drawing strength from her encouraging nod. “I encountered Bella. Her presence… awakened something in me. The part of me I thought was lost forever.”

“Impossible,” the female muttered. “The curse cannot be broken by a human.”

“And yet it is happening,” Korrin interjected, speaking for the first time. “When I first encountered him, his beast still ruled him, but now he stands before us, speaking, reasoning.”

“The beast could still resurface,” Seren warned.

Unease shivered down his spine but he kept his face calm. “As you said, the beast is still part of me. It is always beneath the surface.”

“Then you remain a danger,” the female said. “To yourself, to your human, to all who encounter you.”

“Why?” Korrin asked, before he could respond. “Even when his beast ruled, he never harmed any member of our pack. Why is he any more dangerous than any other male?”

“If he is not in control of his beast, he could become a danger at any time,” Varro said coldly.

“Have you always been in control of your beast? Have you encountered any male who could make that claim?” Korrin demanded, and after a brief hesitation the two members of the council shook their heads. “Then why is Malrik any different? I do not believe he is a danger to us. Do you want to lose a warrior and an ally simply because you refuse to believe it is possible for a cursed male to change?”

“Korrin is right,” Seren said calmly. “We have not seen this type of change in the past, but that does not mean it is impossible.”

“The bond between a Vultor and his mate is powerful,” the old female acknowledged grudgingly. “But what about his beast?”

He tensed, but Bella spoke up before he could.

“That doesn’t matter,” she said firmly. “Our bond encompasses every part of him. It will be enough.”

“It is unprecedented,” Lena muttered. “The curse has never been broken before.”

“Perhaps because no cursed Vultor has ever taken a mate before,” Korrin suggested. He stepped forward, positioning himself closer to Malrik in a subtle show of support. “We should also consider that Malrik has shown remarkable control despite his condition. The first time we met, I was the one who lost control; I was the one who attacked him. He defended himself, but he did not retaliate. When my mate was in danger, it was Malrik who alerted me, even though he was still mostly beast at the time.”

“Is this true?” the big warrior demanded.

Korrin nodded firmly. “I would not have reached her in time otherwise. He could have attacked her—or me—but he didn’t. Even as the beast, something of his honor remained.”

He gave Korrin a grateful look.

“This speaks well of you,” Varro acknowledged. “But it does not fully address our concerns about your stability.”

“I understand,” he said. “I do not ask for blind trust. Only for the opportunity to prove myself.”

Seren considered this, his expression thoughtful. “The old texts speak of trials for those seeking redemption. It is not a direct parallel, but perhaps?—”

A commotion from the direction of the village interrupted him. Malrik tensed, his beast stirring at the sound of raised voices and crashing undergrowth.

“Something’s coming,” he growled, moving protectively in front of Bella.

The other four Vultor immediately formed a defensive line, and Korrin moved to Seren’s side, ready to protect his alpha.

Moments later, a group of humans burst into the clearing—men from the village, armed with hunting rifles and makeshift weapons.