Page 155 of Ensnared by the Pack: The Complete Series (Destined Realms #3)
AUDREY
Six days later, soaked and tired, we returned to Stonehaven. It had started raining just after lunch with the steady stream of a normal storm and not the downpour of a magically enhanced one — thank God. But with no good place to stop on the road between the shelter and Stonehaven, we’d just kept walking.
Well, Cyrus, Deacon, and Knox had kept walking. Whil, Bishop, and I had ridden in the cart… and had been riding in the cart since yesterday morning at Cyrus’s command, something I hadn’t complained about. I was tired, and my face, while feeling better than when I’d woken after saving Bishop and sealing our bond, was still tender, and my feet hurt.
Thankfully, my mating bond with Bishop hadn’t set off another heat, and I hadn’t slowed us down or embarrassed myself by jumping my mates or Cyrus and demanding sex for five days straight.
Deacon pulled the cart into the large courtyard where the road led into town, released a heavy sigh, and wiped water out of his eyes. “Home sweet home.”
“If you need anything,” Whil said, gathering her packs and hopping out of the cart, “ask me in a few days. I plan on sleeping.”
“Of course,” Cyrus replied scowling at the cart while crossing and uncrossing his arms if he were angry— No, not angry… uncertain?
“Cyrus!” Zavier called out as he rushed across the courtyard.
“You’re on duty?” Cyrus asked, his shoulders relaxing as if he knew how to handle this situation and was relieved to not have to figure out whatever had been bothering him.
“Just changing shifts with Vida.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder at a woman standing in a security guard box. “I can take care of your cart.”
“Thanks,” Cyrus replied.
“Also, the delegates from the Mountain and Sea Alliance arrived yesterday. They’ve probably just started dinner if you wanted to see them tonight.”
“Fuck,” Bishop hissed as he hopped off the cart and extended a hand to me to help me down. “So much for having a day or two to get organized.”
“Alsoooo…” Zavier’s gaze jumped to me then jumped away.
Knox growled and jerked closer to me and Bishop, and Zane’s eyes flashed wide.
“It’s got something to do with Audrey?” Bishop asked.
“There’s a rumor going around that Audrey was responsible for Bishop getting hurt.”
My throat tightened, a wave of worry and guilt churning in my stomach, and Bishop pulled me into his arms. I couldn’t deny it. I was responsible for Bishop being poisoned.
“Quinn and I have been spreading the rumor that Audrey and Knox and—” He drew in a sharp breath and squared his shoulders. “And Bishop are fated mates. Quinn thought it best to push the romantic side after you sang Fated Stars at the dance.” He met Cyrus’s gaze head on in a direct challenge to the more powerful alpha. “Quinn just came up with the idea. I’m the one who spread it around. Don’t blame her.”
“Zavier,” Cyrus huffed. “You know I hate rumors.”
“I do,” Zavier replied, his gaze locking with Cyrus’s.
“But I’m glad you and Quinn are working to counteract them.”
“And your rumor isn’t a rumor,” Bishop added, drawing Zavier’s attention. “It’s true. Just like with Knox, Audrey and I bonded without having to say the vows.”
“I knew it!” Zavier fist-punched the air, his gaze flickering to Cyrus so fast I almost missed it.
I wondered if he still had a bet with Quinn that Cyrus was interested in me. Was he hoping Quinn was right and Cyrus would be next? Or was he worried he was going to lose the money he’d won betting on me and Bishop?
“How about you add that Audrey saved Bishop to your rumor repertoire,” Deacon suggested. “Whil did the magic, but if it wasn’t for Audrey, he would have died.”
“Deacon,” I hissed at him. “That’s not true.”
The huntmaster gave me a dry, “you didn’t really just say that” look. “What would you say that CPR thing was? He’d stopped breathing and Whil needed more time.”
“It’s true,” Whil added, offering me a soft, exhausted smile. “Without your CPR, I wouldn’t have been able to save him.”
“He stopped breathing?” Zavier’s eyebrows hit his hairline. “I want to know all about it, but Quinn will kill me if I hear it first. I’m already in trouble knowing you two are mate bonded.”
“That and it’s raining?” Deacon replied, the skin around his eyes crinkling with laughter.
“Fuck! Shit! Ahhh!” Zavier sputtered, realizing we all looked like drowned rats and the rain was still pouring down on us. “I’ll take the cart. Go! Go!”
Deacon’s smirk deepened. “You’re giving your alpha commands now?”
“No, I?—
“Stop teasing the kid,” Cyrus said, shaking his head at Deacon.
“Not a kid,” Zavier mumbled as he hurried to the push bar at the front of the cart.
“No, you’re not,” Deacon chuckled. “When are you going to mate that sweet little schoolteacher?”
“Deacon!” Cyrus barked with a snap of power that did nothing to diminish Deacon’s grin.
“You’re horrible,” I hissed at the huntmaster as Zavier hurried away with the cart.
“Come on,” he groaned. “Everyone can see it but those two.”
“And they both just turned twenty-one,” Bishop said, hefting his pack as Knox took mine and his in one hand and slung them over his shoulder. “They’re still young. Give them time.”
“They’ll realize it soon enough,” Whil added, wiping water out of her eyes. “The more you push, the longer they’ll resist it.”
“True,” Deacon sighed. “I remember being an idiot at twenty-one, too.”
“You’re still an idiot,” Cyrus said with a laugh, making me stare at him in surprise.
“Oh my God, did Cyrus just tell a joke?” I whispered to Bishop, knowing Cyrus could still hear me with his wolf-enhanced hearing.
“Yep,” Knox replied at full volume.
“Mark it on your calendar,” Bishop added, making Cyrus groan and march down the street a little faster.
“Come on,” he said over his shoulder as we followed. “You need to get your mate out of the rain and I need to clean up and figure out how to schmooze.”
“I’ll do all the schmoozing,” Bishop said with a sigh. “You can just look important and in charge.”
I leaned into Bishop, feeling how tired he was and how much he didn’t want to go to dinner tonight and play politics.
“ You, ” Cyrus shot back, “are going to Audrey’s suite to spend the night. You’re both tired, and I’ll need you tomorrow when the real schmoozing and politics start. Both of you.”
“Both of us?” I squeaked.
This was a trap, a way for Cyrus to make me embarrass myself so he could?—
No.
That wasn’t how Cyrus did things. He wasn’t Merrick.
Still, all those people looking at me, judging me, wondering why the hell I was with the alphas. I wasn’t ready for that. I?—
Knox’s grip on my hand tightened and a wave of support washed through the bond.
“You’re mated to two of the three pack alphas,” Cyrus said as if he could read my mind. “You’re an alpha of this pack, Audrey, and you deserve to be involved in pack business.”
“And I want you by my side if you’re up for it,” Bishop said, his love flooding through our bond, warm and heady. “You’re mine and my pack will know it.”
“But these talks are important and I don’t know your culture let alone your politics.” And there’d be so many people staring at me, judging me, wondering why a weakling?—
No. Stop thinking that. Stop repeating Merrick and Sterling’s poison.
I shoved those horrible thoughts aside, and pride washed through both of Knox’s and Bishop’s bonds.
“You don’t know all our culture or politics,” Cyrus said, stepping out of a narrow alley, making me realize we’d stayed to narrow, near-abandoned streets and alleys for Knox — who was still in his human form — and onto the main road leading into Old Town. “But you’re very good at being quiet and observing.”
“Good idea,” Deacon said as if he just realized Cyrus’s plan. “Audrey, you’re perfect. You won’t be able to understand anyone speaking in their native tongue, but you can still see who talks to who and study their body language when they think Cyrus and Bishop aren’t paying attention.”
“So I’m a spy?” A small glimmer of hope sparked in my chest. I didn’t necessarily like the idea of being a spy, but this was a chance to prove my usefulness to the pack.
“You’re an observer,” Cyrus corrected, “and only if you want to.”
“I do. I’ll do it.” All those years of being beaten into submission and of trying to stay small and unnoticed might actually become good for something.