Chapter 15: The Ultimate Alliance

CAIN

Cain gritted his teeth and kept his eyes trained on the camp perimeter as his mother continued to delegate with the Adaryn prince. He couldn’t stand the man with the golden wings. It was clear he thought too highly of himself.

Cain hadn’t been involved in the attack on the Adaryn soldiers months ago, yet he felt as though he were the one being punished. They’d been in negotiations for days already, and the peace agreement was going nowhere.

“The ultimate alliance, you say?” His mother’s dark eyes held steady as she swept her gaze across the Councilmen and prince.

“We would like to bring up the possibility of uniting our races,” the man with beady eyes and brown eyes stated as he folded his hands and leaned across the table.

“Oh, would you really do us the honor?” the alpha cooed. “Please enlighten us.”

The birdbrains didn’t seem to catch on to her sarcasm.

But Cain did. He didn’t think his mother was being funny.

“We could offer a marriage…” The man seemed nervous now. “A girl from a noble family. A very noble family with much loyalty to the Golden Crown, and they would be proud to do their duty in allying our races. A marriage would ensure both sides could keep their honor and avoid more war.”

Cain screwed up his face in disbelief as he watched his mother turn the idea over in her head. The alpha placed her hand on her chin and looked off into the distance. Who in the pack would she deem unlucky enough to tie down to a bird?

“A highborn lady of your court?” the alpha questioned.

“Indeed. Her father would part with her.” The man turned his eyes to Cain. “If she were to be given to someone of equal noble birth, of course.”

“Like the alpha’s heir?” His mother looked at him. He was the only eligible male. The other high-ranking males were all mated.

He kept his face neutral. He knew the pack’s safety was on her mind, more so than his happiness. He wanted to ask if their side could offer a female, and the birds could offer a male, but he didn’t say anything.

“If such a match could be made,” the Adaryn agreed with a solemn nod, eyes downcast to follow the patterns on the wooden table.

None of the Adaryn dared to look at Cain even as they spoke about him.

A growl came unbidden to Cain’s chest. His mother would offer him as the wolf to marry a bird.

Highborn lady or not, the idea made his canines elongate in his mouth. Fury began to grow within him as his mother began to nod as though this was an easy decision to make. She tensed when she heard the low growl escaping Cain but chose to ignore it.

“My son is eligible, and also aware of the importance of this alliance,” Her tone was light, but Cain wasn’t dumb. He could hear the threat in that sentence. “Cain will do his duty to ensure peace in our futures. As we all would do, surely.”

It seemed the decision was made. He wouldn’t even get to meet her first.

“Excuse me.” Cain stood abruptly from the table, and the chair he’d occupied fell over as he stormed away from the table.

He’d be a fool to argue in front of his mother or try to persuade her against this decision, but he could go for a run. Perhaps it would help him cool down.

His clothing shredded into pieces as his body morphed into a massive beast. The Adaryn at the table tried to hide the horror on their faces.

Let them stare.

***

ALPHA FARGRIM

She ignored her son’s outburst. He was still young. “I will ask him to make an offering to the girl.”

The alpha’s voice brought the Adaryn’s attention back to her while her son raced into the thicket of trees.

“An offering?” One of the other Councilmen spoke up. His face scrunched into confusion.

“Yes.” The alpha understood she’d have to explain more. “We make an offering to our intended. If they accept, then the pair is official. I will let him choose what to offer her. She must accept him.”

“And what if he doesn’t make the offer to the girl?” Grouse questioned.

“Then they will not marry. And we will have to find some other road to peace.”

She didn’t want war any more than the birds did. But she had to save her son’s pride. Let them think he might not go through with it.

The prince’s golden eyes squinted as he glared across at the alpha. She ignored his gaze as if he wasn’t even there. He might be the next Adaryn leader, yet he hardly spoke at all during these meetings. Their prince was like a child learning how to be a leader by watching what the older members of his Council had to say.

“Hmph, all right. And if he does make the offering, we would still like to hold our official ceremony. Our wedding ceremony is what an Adaryn lady is owed, by tradition,” one of the older and graying Councilmen said.

“Of course. We hold to our traditions. I would only imagine you hold to yours as well. Cain will make the offering, and you can hold your ceremony.” She placed her hands on the table and stood from her seat.

The alpha looked down at the Adaryn across the table. They seemed small. Her fellow Vargar warriors stood with her.

The Adaryn seemed to feel it was time for them to leave. They’d invited the Vargar to meet on their territory, just inside the border. And now they knew enough to back down. The meeting was over.

The Adaryn rose to stretch their wings and prepare to leave.

“We will return in a few days with the girl, Alpha Fargrim,” Grouse muttered. He took a step back from the table to begin putting as much distance between himself and the wolf leader as he could. “And we still want the one responsible for the rebellion that led us here.” His fists clenched at his sides just barely hidden by his shimmering robes.

“Bring her to the clearing. We’ll escort your party into our camp. The scoundrel will be ready as well.” She gave a nod of dismissal to the birds before she turned her back on them. She knew none of them would dare to attack her.

The sound of wings taking to the air came and went as the alpha strolled through the camp to the edge of the woods where her son had vanished. It wasn’t long before she spotted him sulking back through the trees to return to the camp.

“Cain.” She wanted to hug him, but she stopped herself. She loved him so much, and she hoped he knew that.

“I will do it.”

He was angry. His red eyes glared at his mother. But he understood.

“I don’t like the idea of my future tied to one of them in this way, but I will do it.” Another short growl left his lips as he turned his head.

“I know, son. This isn’t something any of us could have predicted. But this is where we are now. I will give you the option to make an offering to the girl. If you truly do not like her, then you will not have to go through with it. Please remember, our people do not want war. This is the path to peace that I could find for us.”

“We all have a part to play if we want to avoid war. I suppose this will be mine.” Cain sighed, and his shoulders sagged as he turned to look back out into the forest. He was beginning to resign himself to this fate. His initial anger was fading.

“You need not love her. You only have to accept her.” She paused. “They will return with the girl. You have days to find a suitable offering.”

“A suitable offering? The birds wouldn’t care one way or the other if I offered her a mole,” Cain scoffed. “Vargar don’t even eat meat, do they?”

“It does not matter. What matters is that our people see you take this seriously. You know the importance of this occasion, and I’d like to think I raised you knowing how to do things starting on the right foot.”

“Yes, Mother.”

She wanted to hug her son, but she knew they’d be watching, and listening. She couldn’t be soft with him. Not right now. She turned from Cain and walked back to the camp with her head held high.