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Chapter Sixteen

RENALL

T he pen as Rawe-tum calls it, glides across the smooth, lined parchment. I don’t care what Lupe ordered me to do. Rawe-tum deserves to know.

I don’t think I’ll ever forget the way Lupe looked at me standing out on that ledge a few hours ago.

Eyes hardened, without a shadow of hesitation in her, she told me, “She is not to know our true purpose until your fate is decided.”

“My fate …” Of course, I should have expected this. Should have thought beyond the trial, but I don’t think I ever truly thought it would end badly for me. Lupe’s eyes told me she never pictured it any other way.

Lupe is many things: strong, determined, loyal, but understanding is not one of them. As she walked away, I felt the need to remind her. “I would think you of all people would understand. You were an outsider once too.”

She whipped around on me, fire burning in her eyes. “Don’t tell me what I should understand. It is because of where I came from that I make the decisions I do. It’s better she learns the truth now than coddle her as you are doing.”

“This place hardened you, Lupe. I barely recognize who you are anymore.”

“This place, Renall, this calling—you of all people should know it brings out the beast in all of us.”

With that, she stepped out from the ledge. I flinched at a vague memory that triggered my muscles to twitch, but the earth formed steps under her feet until she landed at the bottom, and the steps then dissipated to sand and fell to the floor.

She may have ordered me not to tell my Guardian, but I’ve disobeyed an Alpha order— her puny words mean nothing to me. She is not my Queen.

I finish the drawing and turn the notebook toward Rawe-tum.

“A tree? Yes, I know Guardians can create trees.”

“No.” I shake my head, she’s not getting it. Pulling the notebook back, I draw the roots, the leaves, and tiny marks to show the glow, the life the tree can bring.

“Yes, we make them come alive, I understand all that, Renall … I just don’t understand what it’s all for. Maybe it’s a cultural thing.” She shrugs, confusion twisting across the bond. I’ll take confusion over fear any day. Fear. I will never forget the fear in her eyes as she flinched away from my blood-soaked hands. Never in my life will I make her feel that way again.

I don’t understand most of her words, so I continue to draw. She pulls closer, the scent of her hair distracts me, and my pen falters for a moment. I manage to continue to draw the wolves around the tree, the lake, and a bubble around us all. My clan is not known for being artists, but the rendition is adequate.

“The wolves …” She points, so I nod at her to continue. “Surround the tree.” Her finger circles the bubble I draw. “No, not surround … Protect, they protect it?”

“Pro-tect,” I repeat, mimicking her perfect lips. I still remember what they felt like on mine. I fantasize about it every single night. Gods, I would worship her if given the chance.

“That was good English.” She smiles, and I swear the moon rocks brighten in the walls behind her. “So the wolves protect the trees, and the tree is symbolic of Mother Nature, like Lupe said.”

“No!” I shake my head at the sound of Lupe’s name. “No Lupe,” I growl.

Her face scrunches up. “I wish growling was as easy as English—I can’t decipher any distinguishable sounds.” She huffs. Her brows crease. She’s thinking. The bond twists with confusion, frustration, before it calms. “The wolves are protecting … something.”

I nod.

This is going to be harder than I thought. I have to figure out a way to show her. After all, it’s something one has to see with their own two eyes.

Then with all the facts, Rawe-tum can decide what she wants. To stay with me and deal with my undetermined fate, or to run from this place while she still has a chance. If Lupe’s words are any indication of how the trial will turn out, I might not always be here to protect her. Maybe she would have been better off not coming here. Maybe if I never came for her, the demons wouldn’t have deemed her a threat, or maybe they would have tortured her for any information. I guess we’ll never understand what could have been.

I stare into her warm honey eyes and they melt my worries away. The thick scent of arousal fills the air. I hope it’s true arousal, and not the bond’s attempt to bring us to mating. My soulbonded Guardian. I reach out and brush the golden hair off her shoulder. She shivers at my touch. If she only knew, I would fight the Sun God himself to save her. She will always be worth it to me. Always.

I can only hope she will feel the same way … someday.