Page 17 of Soul Fated

Kael

The alpha gripped Callista to his side as we pushed past the trees, his chest heaving with barely contained rage. Asshat. He was the reason Callista was bleeding. My wolf growled.

Yeah, I want to kick him in the nuts, too. I mentally put a hand on his muzzle. There would be time for that later.

I followed him and his two lackeys into the underbrush.

Callista walked a few paces back, her eyes glued to my back. The weight of her gaze was like a physical touch, and it took everything in me not to turn my head and meet her eyes. I couldn't draw attention to her. To the way my wolf stirred at the sight of her. That feeling was nothing. A distraction I couldn't afford.

My jaw clenched, and I ran a hand through my hair. I didn't want to think about it. The idea of having a mate was ludicrous. I didn’t belong to a pack, and I didn’t want to. I traveled solo, and the fact that I was here in British Columbia proved that relationships were only a weakness in my line of work.

“Rowan, I think this is far enough,” the Catwoman from the tent said.

The alpha slowed but didn’t stop for another thirty seconds or so. When he found a small open circle between the trees, he handed Callista off to his brutish second and wheeled on me. "Explain."

"Explain what?" I shot back, my muscles tensing. I could barely hear my own breath above the adrenaline rushing through my veins. Anger. Anxiety. Fear. All of them swirled together into a toxic concoction.

The alpha growled, pointing at the dagger in Catwoman’s hands. "Let’s start with that."

I opened my mouth to respond, but she stepped in. "Let me give you the play-by-play, shall I?" She shot me an exasperated look. "I set a trap, he fell for it. Had the dagger in his hand, ready to stab Callista, and then I don’t know what happened. He stopped, and Callista?—"

My fists clenched at my sides, the muscle at the base of my jaw twitching. I wanted to shift. To let my wolf out and end this right here, but it was suicide. That didn’t mean it wasn’t tempting to go for Rowan’s jugular. I didn’t have a pack to leave behind. I didn’t have anything to lose. But one look at Callista slumped next to him, and I held my ground.

Sweat trickled down my brow, and I wiped it away with my shoulder. The action instantly drew the others’ attention. Their eyes snapped to the empty space beneath my T-shirt sleeve. I was used to people gawking. Curious or judgmental, I didn’t care.

Still, I was ready to fight. Ready to tear into anyone who came at me. I didn’t know what this alphas plan was, but I wouldn’t back down.

I couldn’t.

Rowan’s piercing blue eyes bored into me, and I wanted to melt into the ground. The alpha was a mountain of muscle, his frame taut with barely restrained fury. The man wanted to kill me. Wanted to tear me limb from limb, and I couldn’t even blame him.

Catwoman stepped between us. Her eyes flicked to me, then back to her alpha. "Really, Rowan? Going full Hulk smash isn’t going to solve anything."

“Back off, Lana.” Rowan’s jaw clenched, and his nostrils flared. The veins in his neck pulsed, and for a moment, I thought the alpha was going to shift and lunge at my own throat. But Lana didn’t move, and Rowan finally stepped back, his muscles still coiled like a spring.

The younger wolf beside him stepped in, placing himself between Rowan and me. "We need him alive, Rowan. Killing him won’t get us the answers we need."

Rowan’s eyes narrowed, his lips pulling back in a snarl. "He threatened one of our pack. And he’s got the relic."

Lana crossed her arms, her dark hair falling over her shoulders. "We need to know why. We can’t afford to lose that information."

Rowan’s chest heaved, his breath coming in ragged gasps, the internal battle playing out on his face. Instincts warring with reason. It was a struggle I was all too familiar with, and I half wanted the beast within him to win out.

Rowan fought for control. "Start talking, or I end you right here."

I didn’t say a word. The silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating. What was there to say? My past was irrelevant. My intentions were irrelevant. I couldn’t give him the information he sought, and I wasn’t about to give Rowan or anyone else the satisfaction of hearing me plead or explain myself.

Rowan’s frustration grew with each passing second. His nostrils flared, and his breathing became more labored. The muscles in his neck and shoulders tensed, his jaw working as if he were grinding his teeth to dust.

C’mon asshat. I clenched my fists.

"Who are you?" Rowan’s voice was a hiss, barely a breath.

I remained silent. My gaze didn’t waver. I could see the flicker of doubt in Rowan’s eyes, the hint of uncertainty. It was enough to give me a sliver of satisfaction.

Then Rowan took a step forward, his nostrils flaring, his eyes blazing with fury. "I won’t ask again."

I wanted him to hit me first. I couldn’t make sense of what had just happened, and if I didn’t let the frustration out, it was going to eat me alive. A fight was exactly what I needed.

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