Page 36 of The Warrior's Captive

A noble death wasn’t in the cards, but then, he’d always thought he’d end up taking a bullet in the back of the skull one night. It was a hazard of the profession. He didn’t think it would be like this. It was quite ignoble, but ultimately, what death wasn’t?

The next inhale sent a wave of light flashing through his skull. Briar May. His arms wrapped around her. Old. Together. The sun coming through a cabin window, both of them tucked up on a bed they’d spent a lifetime loving in. They were ready, and yet still, a lifetime wasn’t even close to enough.

Forgive me. Forgive me for being only a mortal. Forgive me for not fighting my way back to you. I would move the heavens themselves if it would make a difference.

“You’re no son of mine. The greatest relief I will ever feel in this life is when you take your last, traitorous breath. You haven’t just betrayed your alpha, your pack, and your father. You’ve betrayed your twin brother. You failed to avenge him.”

That stung the way that no whip could. It curled through him like his own axe blades had been sunk deep in his chest, severing the cords of his heart. Would his twin understand why he didn’t want to hurt Briar May’s family, or would Pollux sneer at him? Would he too accuse him of betraying him, of weakness? He pictured the bright shining star in the sky he looked to, now that his brother was gone. Pollux had murdered a woman in his lawless group for simply falling in love. She’d broken their oath. It wounded him like salt poured over his broken body that no, his brother wouldn’t understand.

“I don’t think what I carved into you went deep enough for it to register.” Castor tried not to choke on the shock of seeing his own axe, a weapon he’d wielded many times like it was sacred, in his father’s bloody hand. “This should be more effective than the knife. What say you, boy? Have you a confession for me now?”

Castor’s broken lips pressed firmly together. He let his head hang limp, let his whole body go. He turned into nothingness again, evaporating like smoke while his blood continued to drip into the sodden earth at his feet.

“Alexander!” Heavy footfalls blared loudly through Castor’s skull.

He was fading in and out of consciousness. He tried to wrench his eyes open one more time, but there was nothing. Nothing but the firm, raspy burr of authority. He heard the strains of disgust in it as it grew closer. Agnar. His alpha.

“Get him down, now. You will patch him up and see that he won’t die when he’s transported. He needs to make it back to Wyoming or we’re at war with the Nightfall Pack. I gave them my word and you’ve turned me into a liar.”

“I don’t understand.” Alexander spat into the dirt. “He betrayed us. He’s paying the price. He’s not going anywhere.”

“He is indeed leaving. I’m washing my hands of him, and so will you or you’ll have me to answer to. You’re convinced he betrayed us, but I have my doubts. I don’t think Kieran Nightfall would have a reason to lie to us, in order to save a wolf that he should by all rights want to kill himself for kidnapping his own sister. We’d repay that act with death here. Not everyone practices the same way of life as we do, but all the same. He has no reason to play us false. They have greater resources. Wealth. Alliances. They could bring the entire force of the packs who surround them after us. This is a war we can’t win. I won’t take it on when I’ve promised my people peace—your son, Pollux, joined the Rangers and brought this upon us, death for a death. The debt has already been paid. He’s to be cleaned up and sent back to them as a continued measure of peace.”

“Why would they demand him?”

“I have no notion of their reasoning,” Agnar said roughly, and it was clear what he thought of the idea when his voice lowered. He was eager to be rid of the whole mess. He didn’t truly care whether Castor lived or died so long as he did it after he’d arrived packaged neatly onto the Nightfall doorstep. “I’ve already given my word that it will be done. Make a liar of me and I promise you, Alexander, you will end up right where your son is now.”

Chapter 14

Briar May

“I’m not taking him as my mate. You had no right to go behind my back.”

She’d never seen her bother look so at a loss. Kieran’s mouth opened and closed while he tried to find the right words.

“One day,” she seethed. He sat on her couch, in her living room, drinking the tea she’d brewed for him. She’d even brought out the cookies she’d made, though she could barely stomach them. “I’ve been back one day and you’re already trying to control me.”

After admitting the full truth to him, including the fact that she was pregnant, he’d asked her to allow their parents to come and get her from Casper and drive her home to the pack so she could see Brooke Wind.

“Little sister. I’m not trying to control you. I just thought that when you asked me to find a way to have Castor returned here so you could ensure he was unharmed and still maintain the peace, that you’d see that this was the only way I could do that.”

“Just because I’m pregnant doesn’t mean I’m going to commit my life to a man I barely know.”

“I’m so confused,” Kieran admitted. He turned his palms up to her so she could see how sincere he was. “I thought this was what would make you happy.”

“I never once mentioned taking him as a mate.”

Her brother just stared at her.

She set her hand on her stomach. “You think I’m being irrational because I’m pregnant. Let’s go over to the big cabin and see what Zora has to say about a statement like that.”

He paled when she mentioned his mate. “I certainly am not implying any such thing. If you don’t want to take the man as a mate, no one is going to force you.”

It probably didn’t help that when she’d called him, she’d ended up weeping. All the hurt of losing Castor, all her heart sickness at not knowing if he was alright, all her bitterness at being left by him and not so much as contacted afterward, spilled out right at the beginning of the conversation. It seemed as though everyone was trying to decide her future for her, without asking what she wanted. And while she’d entertained thoughts of Castor and a life they could have together—would he truly want this?

He was a warrior, a free spirit. Somehow, she couldn’t imagine him settling down in the wilds of Wyoming. He’d been released to return to his pack, now her asshole brother was recalling him, and was he actually going to force Castor to marry her?

“You could have asked me.”

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