Page 61 of The Wolf Lord's Mate

Nathaniel

Staring down at the young male, his eyes wide as he trembled in the dirt, I wasn't entirely sure what to do. Rage still simmered in my veins, and I didn't know why Marcus was there or what his intentions were.

"My Lord—" Marcus wheezed out, coughing from where I'd knocked the wind out of him.

"You have thirty seconds to explain what you are doing lurking outside of my cabin," My tone was deadly, and Marcus cowered further into the ground, "And if your words do not provide a sufficient enough explanation, then they may indeed be the final words you ever speak."

Marcus coughed, hands trembling slightly as he looked up at me. It was not often the household staff saw me in such a state, if they ever had at all, and in any other circumstance I would have taken measures to calm myself. I would have collected myself, apologized to my employee, and helped him to his feet.

But at that moment, I did not care.

I let him see the Wolf in me, the predator bearing down on top of him; a male that would stop at nothing to protect his mate, his precious female.

"My Lord," Marcus started again, taking a deep breath, "The Captain sent me here, he told me that it couldn't wait."

Damn it all—if it was Leo, it probably was important. He would know not to bother me while I was Mira, especially given how delicate our bond still was.

"And what, exactly, did Leo think was so important that he couldn't wait a least a week to tell me?" I asked, the rage slowly slipping from my voice, settling into simple annoyance.

"The Captain received a letter this morning, stating that Lord Walton had just crossed the border into your territory, and that he requested a visitation with you. Well, more than a visitation, really," Marcus gave a sheepish smile, "He wants you to host him for a few days."

"Typically the request for visitation or to be a guest in someone's home would come before he deceived to leave." I said, although I would be a fool to be surprised. If I had been given time, I could have refused him; solved whatever discrepancy he wanted through letters or at most met him in a neutral location. The male was a snake, and I had no interest in hosting him in my family's Manor, especially with my mate under the same roof.

"The Captain said that because Lord Walton had already left that there would be no way to tell him not to come," Marcus looked slightly less terrified now that I had another place to direct my anger, but his words were still tentative, "And he did not want Lord Walton to arrive without you there."

"Leo was right to send you," I sighed, releasing Marcus and pushing myself up from on top of him, "Unfortunately."

Both situations were bad, but it would be far worse if Walton showed up without me there. Ties between our territories had been strained for some time, and I did not doubt that he would do whatever he could to undercut me or hurt me in any way that might help him expand the border of his territory further into mine.

"How many days ride is he from the Manor?" I asked, skimming my hand over my jaw. I hadn't shaved in the past few days, and my stubble was growing thicker, though I wasn't sure what Mira thought about it. In truth, I would grow a sailor's beard if she desired it, or shave thrice a day if she didn't. All I wanted was for her to find me as appealing as I found her, and—

—Focus.

"The Captain guessed that he was only a day or two away, which is why it was so urgent for me to come. He would have come himself, but he thought that someone should be there just in case Lord Walton arrived early." Marcus grunted as he sat up, and I offered him a hand. With a meek smile, Marcus accepted, dusting himself off as he rose to his feet.

"Apologies," I motioned to his mud splattered clothes, "You hid your scent, so I couldn't recognize you."

"Hid my scent?" Marcus asked, and I nodded.

"The soot and dirt around your neck and wrists; it traps your scent, makes it more difficulty to identify you."

"It wasn't purposeful, I can assure you, My Lord," Marcus wiped at his neck, rubbing the soot between his fingertips, "There was a fire somewhere a few miles away when I was riding here, the smoke must have choked the air—got carried in the breeze."

"A fire where?" I asked.

"The North Cairn Forest, My Lord." It was the last place that I was hoping would come out Marcus's mouth, and yet, as with everything else that he had said, I wasn't surprised.

Walton and I had always found ourselves at odds with one another, but no more so than the North Cairn Forest. It wasn't far from where we were at that moment, but it was close enough to Walton's border that ties and allegiances grew murky. Wolves who chose to live there were far more traditional in their way of life, far wilder and far less accepting of the rights of humans than I was.

Walton let the Wolves on his side of the border act however they pleased, uncaring of the cruelty they inflicted upon humans—so long as they made him gold, as Walton cared for little else. He was still unmated as far as I was aware, and I wept for whatever poor female would find her soul tied to his.

And yet, if a female was destined to be with Walton then surely she would have to be just as cold as he was, and I hoped dearly that no such other person existed. One Walton was enough for this world, and I did not desire a second.