Chapter 5

Tears streamed down her face. The whip cracked over her back.

Number fourteen.

She slumped against the bedpost her hands were tied to.

Marc had seen blood on the dressing gown Klara had been wearing, and frowned. He saw Klara’s back to him, the tank top covered her whole back, he had hooked his finger under the hem gently pulling up, he saw the end of a whip mark before she had scrambled away from his touch. He had never expected it to be as bad as he was seeing. Klara’s back was ripped open, distinctively from a tipped whip. There were so many he was surprised she was alive.

Adelaide stormed over to her brother. “I told you not to come in!” She tried to push him out the room. “Tell me what happened!” he pushed through gritted teeth, his golden eyes wild.

“It’s not my place!” Adelaide roared. Marc managed to sidestep his sister and went to the corner of the room where Klara was cowering, her knees up to her chest hiding her nakedness. He took a few breaths trying to calm the wolf that was angry at seeing his mate hurting. He wanted to pick her up, cradle her. But he refrained. “Klara… I…” it was then he realised he had no words. What could he possibly say?

Klara cowered, silently crying, tears streaming down her face as Marc loomed over her, he looked furious and she knew it was her fault. His belt glinted at her menacingly, she kicked herself at getting herself into a corner. But then… it was always worse if she ran from a beating. “I’m sorry,” she whimpered. Marc sighed and sat next to her, his back against the wall

“There’s nothing to be sorry for. If I’d known I’d have helped you,” he explained. She wanted to trust the King, he’d been kind so far, and it was exhausting waiting for a beating that hadn’t come.

Neither of them realised that they were now alone, Adelaide and the doctor had both silently slipped out.

Marc knew this was going to be a long process, he had been there for his sister, now he’d be there for his mate, he would be anything she needed him to be, his wolf didn’t agree. His wolf was irritating him chanting ‘mark, mark, mark’ usually Marc and his wolf were one, they didn’t argue, they had the same goals. This was different, and he hoped he could control the beast.

“Are you hungry?” Marc asked.

“Not really,” she muttered, Marc nodded, they both sat in silence, their scents swirling around them even if for Marc, her scent was marred with ointments which were stinging his nose, but he didn’t care. Klara glanced up to the tall man, his adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed, he was stunning to look at. His straight nose was the perfect size, and his pale pink lips were slightly parted. She found herself staring at those lips and she wasn’t sure why...

“C-Can I have a top?” Marc glanced over to her and found his lip between his teeth as his pupils dilated. He hadn’t realised she was topless and as he stared he could see the outline of her small breast leading down to her bare stomach. He closed his eyes trying to control his urges.

He looked away, seeing a t-shirt lying on the bed he grabbed it and without looking, handed it to her. When he looked again, she was clothed. “Thank you,” she muttered as she peered her baby blues up to him again. “You need to eat, it’s been six hours since you last did… your body needs fuel to heal.”

“OK,” she complied, not wanting to disobey and make him angry. Marc stood, taking a few steps before turning. Klara hadn’t stood, he smiled before leaving the room. She wondered if he had expected her to go with him, but she wasn’t sure.

She stayed in her corner, too scared and anxious to move. Marc came back with a sandwich and fruit on a spotless white plate. He set it down next to her, before he moved to sit on one of the sofas in front of the balcony. He had noticed her jumpiness around him handing her food, so decided to not hand it over. He wondered if she’d only been starved or was food taunted to her?

Marc sighed as the familiar crackle of a mind link came through, ’Someone’s on the phone…’ Wade sounded nervous which wasn’t like him, ’Who is it?’ Marc replied, there was a pause.

’Alpha Silversmith.’ Marc cut off the mind link almost instantly. He looked to Klara who had just finished her food. “I…” he paused, he didn’t really want to leave her, he wanted to get to know her, he wanted not just his wolf to want her. “I just need to go, sort some work out. You’re welcome to explore this floor while I’m gone.” He fained his confidence. Klara nodded so he left the room.

’Father…. I’m going to need your help on this,’ he quickly linked as he descended the sweeping steps, heading to his office. He opened the double doors to the circular office finding Wade’s bulk stood next to his desk. He nodded back to the door and Marc stepped back, Wade closing the door. “He’s claiming someone’s kidnapped his daughter and thinks it’s someone under our rule,” Wade quickly explained in a hushed tone. “He’s demanding permission to enter the Kingdom.” Marc scratched his neck.

“You’ve dealt with him before… what’s he like?”

“Ruthless, paranoid, but intelligent,” a deep powerful voice cut in.

“Father,” Marc gave a small bow of his head. The former King strode towards the two men,

“The Silversmiths can’t be trusted.”

“What do I do?” Marc asked.

“Give his daughter back,” he responded simply.

“WHAT!” both Wade and Marc cried in unison.

“But… father… he whipped her…. He beat her,” Marc tried to reason with his father, he had never expected him to suggest sending an abused female back to the abuser. “She is not under our protection, we protect our Kingdom, son.” Marc’s lips twitched in irritation,

“She’s my mate,” Marc growled lowly.

“You will find another mate.” Marc’s mouth dropped open.

“Oh! So you accept him-” Marc jerked his head towards Wade “But when it comes to my mate. I have to sacrifice?” his voice raising to a shout.

“You wanted my opinion. You’ve got it.”

“I said I wanted your help. I’m not turning my mate over. She belongs here.”

“Xander… Not to speak out of turn-” Wade started.

“But you will,” the former King interrupted.

“Yes, Xander… you can’t expect Marc to give up his mate… how would you have felt if Elsbeth came from an outsider pack… would you have given her up?” Xander blinked his golden eyes. His stony face appearing deep in thought. After two painful minutes of silence Xander spoke. “Very well.” He let out a long breath. “I don’t trust her.” And he turned on his heel.

Marc rubbed his face, “You can’t fake her trauma…” he said more to himself.

“If she is twenty… she’s been starved for years.” Wade confirmed.

“I better speak to this guy, did you tell him anything?”

“No, just got who it was then contacted you,” Wade replied, Marc nodded before opening the door.

“Alpha Silversmith?” Marc said picking up the phone.

“Alpha Hunterson.”

“King,” Marc sneered. “If you want my help you will remember my title.”

Marc heard a small exhale.

“Fine, King Hunterson. My daughter has been kidnapped, she’s in your Kingdom.”

“How do you know she was kidnapped?”

“Because she was unwell, weak. Somebody snatched her from her room.” Marc gritted his teeth in an attempt to not snap. “Very well… how old is your daughter?”

“She just turned twenty.”

“Description?” A pause followed Marc’s quite simple request, Marc swore he heard him licking his lips. “Long brown hair… blue eyes. Small, sickly.”

“Name?” he asked shortly, he needed to at least pretend to have no idea.

“Klara Silversmith. Look, can I just come onto your land?” his tone airy as if he always came into their Kingdom. “No, I will notify all packs in our Kingdom. If she is in my Kingdom I will find her.”

“She is,” he’d pushed it through his teeth. “I want to look for her, you must understand, as a father. I heard you looked for your own daughter?” Marc chuckled, then smirked, he had no idea he wasn’t his father. “I’m sure my mate will bring me a lovely daughter. Yes my father and I did look for my sister. You prevented us from searching your lands, four months you blocked us, why should I help you now?” Marc shot.

“I was concerned, allowing your Kingdom access could easily bring war, I helped when it was necessary.”

“She had to have crossed through your land, I distinctly remember… you did nothing.”

“There is a neutral road, I have no control who uses it,” Marc could hear the tension on the older male’s voice. “This… neutral road… the same my father had to ask permission from you to use?” he asked interestedly, although he already knew the answer. “Which I granted.”

“Why would you have to grant permission… if it is a neutral road?” Marc asked, wondering how he was going to get out of this line of questioning. “My wolves will be on your land.” That answered Marc’s question, he was just going to avoid. “Then they will die, my packs will treat them as enemies of the crown.”

“Someone has my daughter!” Marc heard the distinctive sound of a fist slamming on a desk.

“And I have generously told you that I will personally ring every pack and find out if they have seen your daughter, the packs talk… if someone has kidnapped her… someone will be aware.” He kept his tone pleasant, he wanted to growl at the man that had tortured his mate. He wanted to drive to their land and kill the lot of them, he could easily not help them in the slightest, after all the Silversmiths didn’t help them. “I will ring within a week,” Marc stated and disconnected the call.

Marc turned to Wade who was waiting patiently in a chair. “Call the border packs, he’s threatened to just send wolves without permission.” Marc knew Wade probably heard most of the conversation. “Also tell those packs his daughter is ‘missing’.” He quoted the final word with his fingers. Wade nodded, plucking a leather-bound book from the shelf. He started flicking through looking for the right pack’s phone numbers, three were closest to Silversmith.

“So we’ve decided to play oblivious?” Wade asked.

“Yes, for now. At least until Klara can explain everything that’s happened. Which reminds me I need to document her injuries.” Marc worked silently as Wade rang around packs, warning them of the potential trespassing. “Right-” Wade said as he put the phone down for the third time “All three have agreed to kill on sight, and they’re increasing patrols as of now.”

“Thank you.” Marc finished up his report of Klara’s injuries soon after. He was glad he was King, he could have access to memories, as well as the mind link, he was still getting used to the ability, it was strange… more strange when Adelaide showed him his own mate in the shower, making his trousers instantly tighten.

“Personal question,” Marc trained his golden eyes to Wade.

“Shoot,” Wade responded flippantly.

“How the fuck did you keep your hands off?” his voice coming out a little strained as he was referring to his own sister. “Ha!” Wade smiled broadly. “Cold showers mate… get used to them.” Marc let out a strangled groan. “Think I like you a bit more now.”

“What? Now you feel the sheer wish to fuck her senseless and think you know what I went through?”

Marc grumbled.

“Feel the pain, then come back to me and grumble in four months.”

“You weren’t in the same vicinity as her for three… don’t be dramatic or have you spent too much time with my sister?”

“She’s not that dramatic,” Wade reasoned.

“She hid up a tree for five hours when you ‘forgot’ her birthday,” Marc shot back.

“I didn’t forget I was setting up a surprise…” Wade’s voice trailed off with the lie he told himself again and again. “Yes, which you hurriedly put together to make her feel guilty for pouting.”

“Shut up,” Wade rumbled. Marc merely smirked.