Page 95 of Settle Down, Princess

“Cunning bastard…” Fern’s voice jerked my attention back to her.

“What?” My tone was too sharp, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself. “What, Fern?”

“He’s looking for the other flags.”

“Why would he do that?”

This whole thing was confusing. Saffron and Hazel had explained the melee to me when I was handed a piece of fabric to rub over my body but watching it rather than hearing about it didn’t help it make any more sense.

“They should find their own flag and then fight the others for dominance,” she explained, her lips twitching, then her eyes widened. My focus was jerked back to the grounds. “Oh gods…”

“What?” I moved closer, following her line of sight and catching the moment when he dropped down and started to scoop dirt away, unearthing three flags. “Oh.”

Were they buried like this for a reason? Because three packs were all stampeding towards Silas now, the scent in their noses. Other packs stepped in their way, posturing, and even scuffling a little, but once it was ascertained these approaching packs didn’t have their flags, the obstacles moved on. But Silas…

“Get up,” I hissed under my breath, but even that caught Fern’s attention. “Get up, Silas.”

But he was too busy checking if there were any other flags buried there. Apparently, the organisers of this event buried them together to force conflict, ensuring that they’d fight it out to take possession of what was theirs, though I was willing to bet they hadn’t anticipated a single human going rogue to dig them all up himself.

And there was a reason why no one else would do this.

He was out there, with no weapons, no shifter strength to protect him. His back was unprotected, and he didn’t even seem to notice the hulking shifters that were approaching. Some shook their heads, taking this strange form that was half man, half beast, which no doubt would have all the strength and cunning of both.

“Get up!”

I was irrationally furious he wasn’t listening to me again, even though distance and a crowd full of screaming people made that impossible. That didn’t stop me from scanning the arena, noting the closing gap between the three packs. My heart crept upwards with every second that passed, lodging firmly in my throat.

It should’ve stopped the shout that erupted out of me.

“Silas!”

It felt like my voice rang out across the entire arena, as if the whole world stood still to listen to my cry. But it didn’t. The packs kept stampeding towards him, right as his head jerked up, his eyes meeting mine and for just a second there was no guile, no calculation in his gaze. It locked with mine, as a wild grin spread across his face.

Why did that feel like this was the first and last time I’d see it? Why did my heart ache at the thought of that? I couldn’t spend the time investigating that because as a thin wail built in my chest, he dropped down and with a practised slide, jerked himself out of the path of the wolf shifters as they leapt towards him.

Only for all three packs to collide.

“Gods’ balls!” Fern shouted.

I watched each wolf shifter land in a messy, snarling tangle, the roar from the crowd deafening. They were here for a show, and Silas had just given it to them. He didn’t pause to soak in the moment, bolting for the periphery of the arena. Other shifters ignored him because he didn’t have their flag, but so did his brothers in arms. Everyone was still clustered around Roan while he started to wave his arms around wildly. The shifters that had slammed into each other were snarling amongst themselves, some primitive instinct forcing them to attack each other.

Right up until the point they redirected their attention towards their true target.

“Move…” I growled, my hands going to fists. It felt like I was the one on the edge of the arena, standing there unprotected. Damn him for making me feel like this. Alone, vulnerable, and facing impending doom with my breath caught in my chest. I couldn’t help but feel it as I stared at the arena.

Being beset on all sides by threats that were far stronger, far faster, far more dangerous than you would ever be. Knowing you had to do something and just as aware you were going to fail. And when you did, you’d be in a world of pain.

“Damn you, Silas…” I muttered, my throat struggling to get the words out. “Move. Get out of the bloody way.” The crowd’s cries sounded like the baying of a pack of hunting hounds. They scented blood and would not be denied. “Silas, you need to…”

I watched Arik and the rest of the pack finally turn around and see Silas standing all on his own.

“Move!”

I wasn’t a passive spectator any more but a general off the field as she watched her troops fight, because as I gave the order, each one of them did exactly as I said.

Chapter 55

Silas

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