Page 7 of Daughter of the Ninth Line, Part Three

Seven

Hayle

B raxus was debriefing me on everything that was happening with my Soul Tie, and it made me grind my teeth in frustration, even if I did sit there and listen with rapt attention.

I wanted to be the one experiencing all these moments with Avalon, especially when Vox Vylan was trying to dig his manipulative claws into her.

Alucius had cautioned me to go slowly. Actually, she’d sent me an image of a pup running headlong into a bush and getting bitten on the ass by a swarm of bees. But I knew what she meant.

I could do slow and steady. I could woo my mate, until she felt the same aching draw that I felt. “Maybe I should ask her on a date?” Alucius nodded her approval of the idea. “First, I have to get her to stop avoiding me.”

She didn’t run like a little rabbit when I appeared—she seemed to know better than to run from a predator—but whenever she saw me, her heartbeat began to race, and she’d turn ever so slowly in another direction.

That wouldn’t do. I wanted her to run toward me, not from me.

Braxus sent me an image of something in the woods around Ebrus, and I smiled. Perfect. It was something I could show her that no one else could. He also suggested a picnic, and I grinned.

“Braxus, you old romantic,” I teased the hound, making Alucius chuff and get up to rub her fur along her mate’s.

With a plan made, I walked out of my dorm room to see the rest of my Line.

It was chaos; animals were lounging in small piles all over the floor and couches, and my kin were doing much the same thing.

Some were studying or cleaning their weapons, some were gossiping, others were asleep, spooning their animal companions.

That was the difference between us and the other Lines—the sheer amount of love I felt for these guys. They were my family. I’d lay down my life for any one of them.

Lucio loped over when I appeared, slapping me on the back. Lucio deserved to be my second-in-command. He might be a smiley guy, but inside that impressively hard head was a sharp tactical mind and fighting skills that matched mine.

“Jessia is making that stew with marrow again,” he groaned happily, rubbing his stomach.

Okay, so maybe Lucio possessed a sharp mind, deadly fighting skills, and a bottomless pit for a stomach.

“She smacked me with the spoon when I tried to taste it, though. I told her I was just checking it wasn’t poisoned. It’s my duty to our Line,” he whined.

“Suggesting Jessia’s food might be poisoned is a surefire way to get your ass beat.

You’re lucky she just whacked you with the spoon for that slight.

” I sat down heavily, my thoughts still on Avalon.

I wanted to know everything there was to know about her, but I wanted her to tell me herself.

I wanted her to whisper to me all her hopes and dreams, so I could hold them to my chest, right beside my own.

I shook my head. This feeling was instantaneous, and honestly, kind of intense. I was sure Avalon would feel it too if she just spent a little time with me.

Lucio frowned, sitting beside me. “Brother, what’s going on? You’ve been… off, ever since the conscripts arrived.”

I looked around, but everyone else seemed invested in their own shit. Besides, I trusted every single one of these people with my life.

“Lockbox?” I asked softly, and Lucio raised an eyebrow.

Lockbox was the secret word we used when we wanted to discuss things we didn’t want our parents to know.

We’d used it a few times over the years.

Like when Lucio had gotten poison ivy rash all over his dick after rolling around in the woods with Leena Orion, back when we were fourteen.

Or when he’d snuck down to the cellar and drank his father’s prized whiskey, and we’d had to fill the bottle with tea and hope he never opened it.

Or when I’d fought with my brother and knocked him out, and we’d had to convince him that he’d simply tripped and hit his head.

Or when I’d asked if he wanted to be my second-in-command and follow me to Boellium, without everyone knowing yet.

Lucio agreed quickly. “Lockbox.”

I sighed, leaning forward and lowering my voice even further. “I met my Soul Tie.”

“Holy fucking shit! ” he shouted, and I rolled my eyes. So much for the lockbox. Several people in the dorm turned to stare, and I gritted my teeth back at them.

“We’ll discuss it later.”

Lucio was on his feet, grabbing me by the arm and dragging me toward my dorm room. Real subtle. “We’ll discuss it now. You don’t say something like that and expect us not to talk about it right fucking now .”

When we were back in my room with the door closed, he stared at me expectantly. He was my opposite in every way, light to my dark. Blond to my brunette. Happy to my brooding. We made a good team.

He shoved me onto the bed. “It’s the girl from the Ninth Line, right? The one you’ve had Braxus tailing for the last week?”

I nodded slowly. “Avalon Halhed. She’s…” What was she?

I didn’t really know her, yet I felt I’d known her all my life.

I knew she was brave, and beautiful. I knew she was protective of creatures who needed her, defensive of the new friends she made.

That was everything I needed to know. The rest I could learn over our long life together. “She’s perfect,” I finished.

Lucio groaned. “You look like a lovesick bull in mating season. Does she know?”

I shook my head. “I don’t think so. The other Lines don’t have Soul Ties. But she’s drawn to me. I can feel it.”

How could she not feel this pull between us?

Gripping my shoulder, he smiled. “I’m happy for you, Hayle. A Soul Tie is…” He trailed off, because we both knew what it was. It was something special, something gifted to us by the Goddess herself.

I knew Lucio would still look into her, though. He was my second; his job was to protect the interests of our Line if I couldn’t.

“So, how are you going to get your mate?”

I waited for her at the entrance to the training ring. It felt a little like corralling my prey, but desperate times called for desperate measures. In a rucksack hanging from my shoulder was a blanket, along with enough food to keep the beast inside me happy that we were providing for our mate.

Moving to the side, I waited until Avalon was just past me before I reached out and gently gripped her arm.

A pulse of pleasure raced up my own, the connection between us undeniable.

She gasped softly, and I assumed she’d draw away.

Instead, she moved almost imperceptibly closer, making me want to howl my happiness.

“Avalon,” I purred softly. “How are you feeling?” I touched the fading green bruise on her head, the small lump still there underneath her hair.

“I’m fine. Good enough that I don’t get excused from sword drills anyway,” she grumbled, following me as I led her from the training grounds. She might’ve been hiding from me, but my Soul Tie clearly trusted me already.

Once we were away from the steady flow of conscripts, I turned to her. “Well enough to come for a short walk into the woods with me? There’s something I want to show you.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Show me what?”

I grinned. “A surprise.”

“I’ve heard that before. Is the surprise your cock? Because if so, I’m going back to my dorm for a shower instead.”

My mouth fell open. I mean, I’d like to show her my cock, but no. I also wanted to rip the cock off any man who wanted to take her into the woods for that reason, and feed it to Alucius.

My hound’s agreement was instantaneous. She made some reference to it being chewy, which made me blanch a little. Alucius was terrifying sometimes. People were scared of Braxus because of his size, but Alucius was cunning and brutal. She was definitely the scarier one.

Avalon eyed me. “Is the surprise a shallow grave?”

I blinked slowly. “Uh, no. It’s not. It’s definitely something you’ll enjoy.”

She muttered something beneath her breath about cocks again, but finally, she nodded. “Sure. I’ll go into the woods with you, even though you’re a near-perfect stranger.”

Despite the sarcasm, when I tugged her along behind me, she followed. I didn’t move my hand away as people watched us walk by. I didn’t care if people knew that she was mine; I was glad for it. I wanted everyone to know I’d claimed her.

We walked out through the gates and around the thick fortress walls. Her stolt, Epsy, appeared and climbed her leg, wrapping himself around her neck. He knew where we were going; I’d sent Alucius to find him earlier.

Avalon laughed and scratched the small rodent. “Hey, sweet boy.”

I’d gathered all my animal companions to protect us in the woods. Braxus and Alucius were flanking us on either side. My raven, Quarry—who was usually in charge of keeping an eye on the village—had even been called in and was perched in a tree, watching anyone who might venture too close.

Finally, we made it to the clearing. Letting go of Avalon’s hand, I unbuckled my rucksack and pulled out the blanket for us to sit on, spreading it out wide. We’d need all the space we could get. I sat and tugged her down onto the blanket beside me.

Sending my consciousness out into the woods, I connected with the creatures I wanted her to meet. Epsy leapt from her shoulder and disappeared into the trees.

“Epsy!” she whisper-shouted, but the little stolt was gone. She looked… heartbroken.

I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed her tightly. “He’ll be back. He’s devoted to you—he’ll never leave you unless you make him.” I could relate to the little rodent.

Letting out a shuddering breath, she leaned into me. The forest around Boellium was beautiful. Not as beautiful as my home, but still, something settled in my chest to be surrounded by animals and wilderness after being cooped inside the walls of the war college.

“It’s so peaceful out here,” she whispered. She’d be happy in the wilderness around the Third Line Barony. I knew she would.

“It reminds me of home,” I said simply. Hearing a rustle in the bushes, I smiled. “Ah, here comes your surprise.”

In the blink of an eye, the clearing was consumed by soft purple fur and the sound of Avalon’s soft laughter. “Oh my Goddess! Where did they all come from?” There must have been fifty little stolts in the clearing now, from mature adults to the smallest of kits.

“They all come here to den on the island and have their young. No one really knows how they get here, but it’s one of the few places in Ebrus where stolts reproduce. They don’t live here all year around, though, preferring the mainland forests for food. Your Epsy wanted you to meet his family.”

Avalon lay back and allowed the creatures to swirl over her in a soft flurry of fur. Watching the pure joy on her face made happiness bubble in my own chest.

I wanted to make her this happy every day for the rest of my life.