Chapter 37

LLOYD

The sun was beating down on me, and I was incredibly thirsty. A throbbing headache made me wince with every movement. A shadow fell over me, and I opened my eyes a crack.

What was that? Some sort of protection from the sun, but I’d never seen such a contraption before. It had four legs with a blue roof.

I sat up slowly, my head still spinning, and reached for the bottle Tanner was holding, downing it in one go. The cool liquid eased some fogginess, but I still felt a little woozy, so I stayed seated, crossing my legs to steady myself.

“Can you remember who you are?” Tanner asked, his tone careful.

What kind of question was that? “Of course I can. Where am I?”

Tanner nodded slowly, his eyes studying me closely as if trying to gauge my state of mind. “And do you remember the alpha command you were given?”

I followed Tanner’s glance behind me and knew where I was—Monolith Pack. The memories came crashing back like a tidal wave, and panic surged through me.

I scanned the area anxiously, searching for Misty. “Please tell me she stopped me,” I whispered, my voice trembling with fear.

“You’re in a binding circle,” he explained.

Memories of that fateful day flooded back, the image of the binding circle we were ambushed with etched vividly in my mind, and the feeling of déjà vu just before we attacked Misty.

A vague line of the circle was just visible, as though something had burned and left a white residue.

Panic surged through me, and I called out internally, ~“Vetus?”~

~“Yes, Lloyd,”~ came his weary response. ~“I’m here, just feeling a bit off.”~

~“Do you remember the alpha command?”~ I asked, my anxiety growing.

~“I do,”~ Vetus replied, ~“but I no longer want to hurt our mate. Thank the Goddess, she’s a witch.”~

Relief washed over me, and I let out a long, shaky breath while Tanner studied me closely, his eyes sharp.

“Where is my mate? I need to speak to her,” I pleaded, desperation lacing my voice. I had to explain everything—how we couldn’t resist the alpha command and how deeply sorry I was.

“She’s safe,” Tanner replied cautiously. “But I need to be sure you’re not still under the influence of that command.”

“I’m not,” I assured him, my voice steadier now. “I just confirmed with Vetus. The binding circle has broken the compulsion to carry out that vile order. Please, let me see her,” I begged once more.

Tanner’s stern expression softened into a grin. “Glad to hear it, but I’m not taking any chances. We’ll have a dozen warriors nearby when you speak to her, and she’ll be outside the circle just to be safe.”

He pulled out his phone and made a quick call. Moments later, I heard Misty’s voice through the speaker. “You can come now,” Tanner said before ending the call.

A hazy memory surfaced as I waited, tugging at the edges of my mind. Had I dreamed of Misty?

~“I think we did,”~ Vetus chimed in. ~“I can still smell that incredible arousal.”~

~“You wouldn’t be able to smell that in a dream,”~ I countered, my worry intensifying.

The dream was fading, and I was desperate to see Misty. I needed confirmation that I hadn’t harmed her in any way.

“This place is bursting at the seams,” I said to make conversation. I felt a little awkward in Tanner’s company, mostly because I’d kept him at arm’s length, but he’d come through for me.

Before he could answer, I continued. “I’m sorry I didn’t trust you straight from the word go, but my experiences have taught me otherwise. Thank you for helping Misty, and congrats on finding your mate.”

Tanner laughed. “Ah, yes, it was the best day of my life. I understand why you didn’t trust me. After centuries of captivity, I wouldn’t trust anyone either. But let me reassure you now, I will follow you anywhere, understand?”

I was taken aback at the passion in his tone, but his loyalty pierced my heart. “Thank you. You have no idea what that means to me.”

“Well, the big problem is the curse. You’ll have to stay in the circle while we go to war. I would have preferred to have you by my side.”

I nodded thoughtfully. I didn’t like the idea of someone else killing King Axel; I wanted that privilege so I could break every bone in his body.

But unless Misty broke the curse, I’d have to sit and watch from the sidelines. It left a sour taste in my mouth.

“Did all the captives make it out of the palace?” I asked.

“There were some casualties, but you gathered some staunch followers,” Tanner said with a smile.

“Really?” Most people were afraid of me.

“Oh yes. Luke from the Aurus Pack pledged his loyalty and said he would fight against the king; his inspirational speech led to many others joining the cause.”

I grinned in delight, and then my nostrils flared—Misty—

Getting to my feet, I waited for her to come into sight.

I watched her stride toward us, swinging what looked like a cooler. Gray eyes met mine, and I exhaled in relief when I saw she was unharmed and looking oh-so-sexy in shorts and a V-neck.

I threw Tanner a look, but he shook his head and linked me, ~“Sorry. But I have to make sure she’s safe.”~

“Your link still hasn’t broken?” I asked in surprise.

“No, and don’t ask me why. Before I storm the palace, I’ll have to accept another pack link. I can’t have Axel giving me an alpha command.”

My gaze snapped to Misty as she set the cooler down and nudged it toward me with her foot. “I won’t step over the line until we’ve sorted a few things out,” she said, her tone firm. Her body language spoke volumes—she was clearly unhappy with me. “Eat first; it’s already lunch.”

She sat down, hugging her knees, her eyes narrowing slightly. The tension between us was palpable, but I couldn’t think about food right now; we needed to resolve this.

“Misty, I am so sorry,” I began, my voice thick with regret. “I tried everything to resist the alpha command but couldn’t override Vetus.” I hesitated, then added, “That’s why I asked you to leave the palace, but you ignored me.”

I bit back the rest of what I wanted to say. Now wasn’t the time to rebuke her—not when I had so much to apologize for.

A flicker of shame crossed her face, but it was gone in an instant. Her voice was flat as she responded, “I know that, and you didn’t ask—you ordered without so much as a hello, and you didn’t bother cluing me in either.” She shook her head slightly and continued, “But that’s not the only reason I’m angry with you.”

My heart sank. ~Oh, what have I done?~ I frowned, searching my mind, but I came up empty.

Sensing the growing tension, Tanner intervened. “Misty, step into the circle so we can see what happens. If possible, I’d like to give you two a little privacy.”

Misty shot Tanner a look that could curdle milk before she rose to her feet. She approached the line, her expression challenging, and deliberately stepped in with one foot. Tension hung in the air as we waited to see what would happen next.

~“Vetus?” ~I asked with trepidation.

~“Nope, I have no inclination to harm her or my little Calamity.”~

I shook my head and looked at Tanner. “It seems like the alpha command has been nullified in the circle.”

“Step right in, Misty. I want to make sure.”

With a huff, she took a few casual steps closer, her posture rigid with defiance. She crossed her arms over her chest and fixed me with a steely gaze as if daring me to attack her. I could see the fire in her eyes, that spark of stubbornness.

I bit back a grin, trying to maintain a serious expression, but it was hard not to admire her fierce spirit.

Tanner’s gaze flicked between us for long, tense moments, until eventually, exhaling, he seemed to deem me not a danger to her. He gave a short whistle, and I heard rustling around me as the warriors moved away.

Picking up the cooler, I sat under the shade thingy—I didn’t know what it was called—and gestured to Misty.

“Can we have lunch together? I’m truly sorry if I offended or angered you, but I have no idea what I did.”

She glanced down at her sandaled foot, idly scooping up small clumps of soil and flicking them in my direction. It was a small, almost absent-minded gesture that spoke volumes.

I opened the cooler and found a blanket neatly folded on top. Pulling it out, I spread it across the ground, smoothing the edges as I waited for her to sit first.

She walked across casually and sat right on the edge of the blanket, and I followed suit.

“Hungry?” I asked as I rummaged through the cooler. There were three bottles of water and six sandwiches, each with a different, mouthwatering aroma—from beef to pork.

I selected two and handed her one. She took it but set it beside her, her piercing gray eyes locking onto mine.

“So, you had brothers and a sister?” she asked casually, though the question hit me like a bolt from the blue.

I jerked back in surprise. “Yes, but how do you know that?”

“You were feverish and raving last night,” she replied, leaning forward and ripping something off my forehead. She waved it in front of my eyes with a slight smirk.

Instinctively, my hand shot up to my forehead, tracing a line that felt suspiciously like stitches. I swallowed. I must have been really out of it, and Goddess only knows what I told her. Had I forced her?

“You said your father would love me…,” she continued, her tone even but with an edge I couldn’t quite place.

I must have talked about my family while feverish, but why would that bother her? “He would have, and my mother too,” I replied, my voice softening with the sadness of knowing she’d never get the chance to meet them. “Did I upset you by talking about my family?”

“Of course not,” she said quickly.

“Then what is it?”

“Tell me about Lou-Anne…” She leaned back on her hands, her gaze steady, lips pressed into a tight line.

My stomach twisted into knots. ~Why the hell did I mention her?~ And worse, ~what had I said?~

“Uh, she wasn’t my mate—just a she-wolf in the pack. I honestly don’t know why I brought her up,” I replied, trying to sound casual but failing miserably.

“You slept with her, didn’t you?” she shot back, her voice laced with accusation. “I asked if you’d done it before, and you said, and I quote, ‘That’s what Lou-Anne is for…’”

Fuck! ~Fuck!~

“Was she a prostitute?”

I hesitated, searching for the right words. “Not exactly. She was an unmated she-wolf who chose to…pleasure unmated males. My brothers arranged for her company when I turned…” I trailed off, realizing I’d backed myself into a corner.

“How old?”

“I was sixteen, and that was my birthday present from them.” Her eyes narrowed, and I quickly continued. “They were of the opinion that once I met my mate, I would be experienced enough to pleasure her.”

“Un-fucking-believable. I thought you were a virgin like me.”

“I wouldn’t hold it against you if you weren’t,” I said softly.

“Bullshit!” she countered.

“Misty, this was centuries ago. I am very sorry, but you are the only one I want.”