Chapter 28
TESSA POV
Loitering in front of the stable changing area, I kick at pebbles. Trying not to conjure what could have happened in there last night.
What actually happened, Maxim grabbing me, touching my skin, kissing me like he could persuade me of anything is more than enough to have people questioning why the air smelled of orange–perfumed arousal.
“Irene?” Warden Gray announces from his class list. “Irene Haller?”
“Is that the pale girl? The freckled one?” some guy mutters to his friend, stretching his huge arms out and nearly hitting me with an elbow.
“She won yesterday, bails today. Stupid. She’ll be cut for this. Going down to twenty–three next.”
I turn and glare at the scruffily bearded apes. They don’t care. As soon as I look away, craning my neck down the path towards the packhouse, “Better for us, one body at the bottom of the pile that isn’t ours,” is hissed behind me.
I walk away. When I’m surrounded by idiots like them I’m grateful that more will be getting cut. But not today.
Not when Irene is nowhere to be seen. Shit. I shouldn’t have been thinking of myself. Instead of panicking about later, my ass should have headed over to her room. Clearing the air before this afternoon.
Warden Gray must be mindlinking if anyone has seen her. We all stand around awkwardly. Why would she skip this? She has no desire to be sent home.
Is it me? Is she avoiding me?
Briggs stood to the other side of our group. At least he’s changed his paint–stained pants. I originally assumed Irene was standing with him.
“Irene Haller?” raising his eyebrow and muttering, “Fine. Non–attending…” scribbling into his clipboard before nodding at the three cold–eyed Beta assistants lurking behind him.
I forced myself to speak. “Maybe she’s running late, can we give her another minute?”
His gaze flies up, paired with a snarled upper lip. He is completely unimpressed with both my interruption and my idea.
With dark, mole–like black eyes and white and black–streaked hair he is the most striking of the Wardens. They don’t call him Badger anymore. I heard that over the dining table from Kai and Silas a few nights ago.
“Why not, he looks just like one,” Allette had shrugged. “I think it’s quite cute.”
Silas pointed his fork her way. “That’s exactly why he punched one guy in the throat. He isn’t cute. Was it Edmund?”
Kai rubbed his chin. “Maybe. Think he stamped on his head too.”
Silas slapped that table. “That’s right. He stomped the dirt from his boot across his forehead. Then said – now who’s the fucking badger!”
We’d all laughed at the time.
Now that same tall, slender devil was staring straight at me, his streaked hair definitely not cuddly.
“You can go look for her Darnell, be listed as missing class too?”
My mouth dries up. If I go and look for her I’m abusing the privilege being in a mate–bond with Maxim brings me. I want to be treated like everyone else. With a shaky voice, I answer weakly, “No Warden. I will take part.”
“Fine. Same trial as yesterday. Find the bag. Go shift. Bell rings for the one to bring it home. Cuts to be announced this evening.”
Chapter 28
Striding into the stable unit, inhaling the sawdust flecked air, Vigo strides past me. His forehead, right at the crest of his hairline is dark and scabbed where Maxim smashed into him yesterday.
Heading towards the same stall, both of us refused to yield. But today his stony stare and gritted teeth are just wasting time.
“Take it,” waving my hand, heading to the back of the stalls.
Briggs wanders over, and takes the stall next to mine. “She isn’t in her room. I knocked on the door for her when I left.”
We quickly strip off, looking down. “Maybe Pawsome got out and she’s lost track of time?”
“Maybe…she would have heard the bells though,” he murmurs, his beige and white shirt flying off, pale, toned back. Blue paint speckles in his black hair.
Taking a deep breath, I whip my final layers off, crouch to the floor and shift.
Before my rust–coloured wolf can potter out to join the rest Briggs calls out. “Hey. I’ll help you look for her after this. I’m worried too.”
I nod before pausing at the threshold.
Fuck it. I don’t want to do this on my own, so when Briggs‘ giant black wolf rattles through the swinging doors I’m waiting for him. He won’t let me down again.
We shared a nod and at Warden Gray’s command we set off towards the mountainside.
As much as I needed to find the scent quickly and get back, it was too well hidden. Neither Briggs nor I found it. I tried everything I could think of but it wasn’t my day.
Instead, after almost four hours of raking around the mountainside, even checking tree stumps and dingy foxholes holes, Vigo found it.
From the dust clouds puffing out his silvery coat, streaking back across the fields in triumph he must have scrambled his way through caves to find the
win.
A few minutes later, the bells ring out and there is nothing to do but traipse back.
At least Vigo is not smug. He has already shifted, changed and left before Briggs and I get back. I sniff the air for Irene. Still nothing. No sign of Maxim
either.
He’s normally waiting for me, the sun low in the sky.
There’s too much going on. I need to find Irene. Find Maxim. Prepare to lie to the Alpha’s face. Try not to panic that Vigo bested me yet again out on the
fields.
I shift back, the rush of transformation sending my pulse on a rollercoaster. My body reshaping itself hurts.
Most people would only do it once a month, or when in danger. Every single day I’m asking my body to morph and mould itself. Snap and heal, Requesting favour after favour from the Goddess.
So no wonder my luck is running out.
Squinting against the bright lanterns I knock over my piled clothes. “Damnit,” I murmur groggily. I should have given it another minute after shifting back. Sat on the floor I decide to get my bra and panties on before attempting to stand again.
Beside me, Briggs is shuffling around noisily banging his elbows into the small changing space.
“Shall we check her room first? Maybe Allette’s too? Or Silas?” I ramble, standing up and fighting a headrush.
“Hey, what’s that?” Briggs asks. “Tessa, stop, stop.”
“What?!” I panic, yanking up my pants. “Is it a bug, a spider?” twisting around and lifting my hair up, braced for some hairy–legged monster to crawl
Chapter 28
towards me.
“No. I’m serious. On your hip. What the hell is that?”
My blood runs cold. No. Not now. Not now. “Ah, yeah, just a bad bruise. Probably from skidding down the mountain on that last bit.”
I duck my head down and start dragging on my pants.
“It’s not a fucking bruise,” Briggs states lowly.
I say nothing. My cheeks are on fire. I almost lost my balance again. Why does clumsiness strike me at the exact moment I need to have my shit together?
“Stay there,” he growls.
The big, friendly bear of a man has turned fierce. Horror charges down my spine. I look for Maxim. Why isn’t he waiting for me? Goddess what if he has been sent away now for his mission and I’m alone here?
Shrugging my beige and gold top on, “Sorry, I’ve really got to go.”
“I can make this a scene if you want,” Briggs snaps back. I bite my tongue and wait. The others slowly filter out, unaware of the tension. Finally alone. Briggs walks around to my wooden shutter doors.
“You’re going to tell me what the hell is going on. I know what I saw just now.”
I glare, arms folded. “It’s a bruise-”
“Bullshit.”
“I’m telling you it’s nothing!”
“He can’t do that to you Tessa.”
“Leave Maxim out of this,” I blurt, but that’s the wrong thing to say.
“How? How is your mate capable of marking you there?”
“Briggs, please…”
“Is it true there is no connection, just pain? Did he fucking force his teeth into your hip? Make you take his bite?”
He’s right. There is no connection, only pain. Sometimes it itches, sometimes, if I lay on it too long at night it aches. When I get embarrassed or ashamed it can feel like it’s heating up with me, like a cattle brand.
It’s not a bond to someone else’s soul. But that night, he took what he could from me.
“Briggs you can’t tell anyone about this…”
“He’s a fucking criminal Tessa!” his hands white knuckled over the top of the shutter.
“No he’s not. He’s really not!” protesting, trying to put my hand on his, reassure him with how calm I am.
Except I’m shaking. Panic is shearing through every sane thought. The balance of secrets is toppling. “It’s not what you think!” placing a second hand on top of his.
“He wants reporting. Stringing up. It’s not right!” Briggs hisses through clenched jaws, “You need to reject him!”
“No. No that’s not what is going to happen, I know what I’m doing. I know I’m safe with Maxim.”
Briggs scoffs, before placing his free harid on top of mine, both hands now a jumble of layers, pressed together. His hazel eyes are filled with sorrow.
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Chapter 28
“I’m fine. Really,” I insist. “Can we just forget it? Please. Please Briggs,” tears threatening to spill over.
“You think he’s keeping your place in Ravenbow but you’re good enough on your own.” his deep baritone making my chest shake. “Alpha Hale would understand.”
I hate how Briggs is trying so hard to be a friend. To look after me. To do the right thing. Seeing the scarred, livid red and purple marks of a forced bite, of course he is appalled.
A mate bond’s bite should be near the heart. Where our wolves, inner spirit,
Anywhere else is just a purposely inflicted wound. A mark of shame. they had failed their mate at one point. Normally a cheater.
our very souls reside.
clitionally a mate’s bite on the wrist or lower leg made sure everyone could see
To bite the hip is even more callous. Like Luca did that night when I fought against him getting any higher up my body.
That site was reserved for men who chose to whore out their mates. To make sure men knew they did not own the unfortunate female for more than their allocated time. Ownership, not adoration.
“You don’t need him,” he repeats. “You’re better than a dead mate bond.”
“It’s not dead, it’s not. Maxim isn’t what you think at all!”
And of course he’s blaming Maxim. Because the whole Packhouse sees he is my mate, He wears my bite openly.
My words are a choked out mess. “Please, if you’re my friend-”
“I’m your friend. But don’t ask me to be okay with this,” Briggs sighs in frustration.
“I know what I’m doing, I promise.”
I didn’t even hear the door open. “Sorry to interrupt. It’s time for our meeting Tessa.”
But the tone is not the light–hearted, teasing tone of the Maxim who left me a few hours ago. Briggs releases my hands, his expression one of thunder as I quickly walk towards my seething mate.
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