Page 56 of Ensnared by the Pack: The Complete Series (Destined Realms #3)
AUDREY
The path turned away from the river, and the trees parted revealing a village huddled at the edge of a large meadow complete with grass and flowers, something I hadn’t seen since entering Darkweald. There were still areas where the ground was uneven and rocks jutted from the earth, but this wasn’t the same rugged landscape we’d been traveling through.
The meadow had been divided into two areas, the first and larger area was a farm with a vegetable garden, a small orchard, a pasture for cows and sheep, and a flock of chickens. The second area looked like a park. The ground was more level and the grass had been cut. A large red canopy had been erected on one side decorated with ribbons and flowers, and in the center, wood had been piled high to make a bonfire, reminding me that Neera had said that Hallie’s wedding was today.
Relief eased my sour jealousy but was quickly replaced with worry about having such a ridiculous response to some woman checking out the guys in the first place.
God, I couldn’t wait for the bond to be broken and my heat to be over. Surely it would be over soon since it had been going for a week.
Cyrus wasn’t mine. Neither were Bishop or Knox. I had to figure out how to survive on my own because once this was over, there was a good chance that’s where I’d be. Alone.
Three men carrying swords and strange looking old-fashioned rifles rushed up the path toward us.
“Everyone is gathering in the square,” one of the men said. “Are you the men who saved the women and children?”
“And woman,” Hallie added, making the three men look at me, soaked, disheveled, bleeding, and in Bishop’s arms. “She killed one of the grimalkins herself, and we should get her to Ida.”
“Right,” the youngest looking of the three said. “Of course.” He blushed and palmed the back of his neck, looking embarrassed, but I wasn’t sure why. I had my arms firmly crossed, hiding my nipples, so he couldn’t see anything inappropriate.
“Come on,” the first man said, grabbing the young guy’s arm and pulling him away.
We continued into town, reaching a square that was filled with worried people. Knox’s posture grew even more tense and the fur on the back of his neck started to rise. Thankfully, he didn’t start growling or baring his teeth and drawing the attention of the villagers who were already afraid of being attacked by beasts.
At the far end of the square, a man stood on the steps of a larger, fancier building telling people to stay calm, that the protection stones were being checked, and yes, they were sending out a hunting party to ensure the wedding was safe.
Neera broke off from us and hurried into the crowd, while Hallie led us to a two-story building that backed onto the meadow. Women and children wrapped in towels gathered around the open front door and an older woman sat on a stool cleaning a nasty scrape on a little boy’s elbow.
The crowd took one look at me and Cyrus and parted, letting the woman hurry all of us inside except for Knox — who slipped down the path along the side of the house, heading away from the crowd.
“So, this is the great warrior maiden all the kids are talking about,” the woman said, walking us into a hall with long wooden benches on both sides and into the closest of four doors.
The room was a basic version of a patient room in a doctor’s office with white walls and cabinets, a small sink, white marble counter, and a hard exam bed.
“Yep,” Hallie said as Bishop set me on the bed. “All four of them are shifters and you should have seen it, Ida. Cyrus here—” she gestured to Cyrus “—killed one of the grimalkins by snapping its neck.”
Ida’s gaze jumped from my bleeding calf to Cyrus who was holding both packs and not bothering to apply pressure to the gashes in his chest — gashes that weren’t bleeding as much as before since even without shifting, shifters healed faster than humans.
“If you’re all shifters then you don’t need me,” Ida replied. “I’ll just step out and find you some dry clothes while you shift out your injuries.” She frowned. “In fact, why haven’t you done that already?”
“Humans have a thing with nudity,” Cyrus said, “and Audrey—" He glanced at me and I could see him trying to decide if he was going to share my not-so-secret secret. And while I respected that he was taking my feelings into consideration, I was still bleeding.
“I heal like a human,” I said, saving him from making the decision.
Ida’s eyebrows shot up. “Really? That’s unusual. I took a specialized class in shifter medicine at the Royal Medical Academy, and I’ve never heard of that.”
“It’s a condition we’re hoping to rectify by visiting the death god’s temple,” Bishop said, sort of lying, but not… except if the spell could break something as powerful as a mating bond, maybe it could break the curse my ancestors had put on our pack preventing us from shifting until the summer solstice after our eighteenth birthday.
“The death god’s temple?” Hallie asked.
“Our wise woman found a spell that we think will help,” Bishop replied as Ida cut open my pant leg and drew the fabric away from the gashes.
Three of the grimalkin’s claws had caught my calf, the cuts slicing from the middle of my shin, down to my ankle. Even the top of my boot — which came to just above my ankle — was nicked.
“Let’s get your boot off for a better look,” the old woman said.
Bishop unlaced my boot and slipped it off, revealing the makeshift bandages I’d wrapped around my foot to help cushion the blisters on my blisters. Except the wrappings hadn’t been doing the best job of protecting my feet since it wasn’t even lunch and I’d already bled through them.
“Jeez, is that your other shirt?” Cyrus growled, his voice low, dangerous, making fear flutter through my chest.
Crap. I hadn’t thought anyone would be upset since the shirt had already been torn in various places by the flying snakes. But Bishop had bought all my clothes and ripping up the shirt meant I’d wasted their money. I probably looked ungrateful for them helping and feeding and clothing me.
“I’m sorry,” I murmured. “I didn’t want to use up our medical supplies.”
Ida carefully unwrapped my foot, exposing my many broken and bleeding blisters. Bishop hissed, his expression darkening, and Cyrus growled low in his throat as a wave of his power swept over me.
“I needed to do something,” I insisted. Surely they could see that.
“You needed to tell me your feet were hurting you,” Cyrus snarled then turned to Hallie who’d gone pale at the sight of my abused foot. “We need to stay the night. Do you have a room we could use? We can pay.”
“You’re not paying for anything,” she replied. “But I’ll have to ask around. Our inn isn’t very big and my family from out of town and my fiancé’s family have filled it up.”
“Cyrus, we shouldn’t slow down.” If the inn was full, I was going to end up sleeping on someone’s floor, which was somewhat better than the ground out in the open, but not by much. If a bed wasn’t available and I was going to have another uncomfortable sleep, I might as well be closer to the death god’s altar. “We?—”
Cyrus glared at me and his power snapped my mouth shut, reminding me in no uncertain terms that he was the alpha and I was the weakest shifter in existence. And while he hadn’t used a lot of power, he was more than capable of flattening me if I pressed the matter.
“We’re fine with the floor,” he said. “We just need shelter and assured safety for a night.”
“Put them in old Mac’s house,” Ida suggested. “It’s empty until the new village hunt master arrives and they’d probably appreciate the privacy.”
“That’s a great idea,” Hallie said. “It’s on the other side of town from the bonfire so my wedding celebration won’t disturb you. I’ll get some of the girls to help clean it up and air out the mattresses. We’ll have everything ready for after supper and you’re not paying for that, either. You’re our honored guests. Attend my wedding and enjoy the food and celebration.” A whisper of darkness shifted through her expression. “Without you, there might not have been a wedding.”
“All right. Knox and I will join that hunting party to help ensure there aren’t any more grimalkins hanging around.” Cyrus shot me another glare. “Bishop, keep Audrey from doing anything stupid and that includes walking.” He grabbed his pack and turned to Ida. “Is there a spare room I can shift in?”
“The room on the other side of the hall is also a patient room. You can use that,” Ida replied, pouring something that smelled like rubbing alcohol onto a piece of gauze and dabbing it over the first gash.
Pain burned through my calf and I sucked in a sharp breath. Definitely rubbing alcohol.
“Do you need a change of clothes?” Hallie asked Cyrus.
“No, but Audrey apparently does since she ripped up her spare shirt.” He marched across the hall into the other patient room, closed the door, and my thoughts instantly jumped to him stripping off his clothes.
Unbelievable. He was clearly pissed at me and I still wanted to have sex with him. I was insane. It was the only explanation. If I was going to have sex with anyone, it would be Bishop.
Except if the bond couldn’t be broken, it was going to be Knox whether we liked it or not.
Swell.