Page 11 of Bound to Four Alphas

“What’s your name, little dove?”

The girl hesitated, fear and pain and anger flashing across her face. But then she released a breath, and instead glared at Elian with almost haughty displeasure.

“Selena. My name is Selena.”

Chapter 5 - Selena

“We’ll be too obvious in our shifted forms.” Kaelen’s voice was clipped as he squared up to Ronan, amber eyes flashing in warning.

The wolf groaned in frustration. “Too obvious? We don’t exactly blend in at the moment, either. And what threats are we going to come across that will pose any kind of real danger? Nightmares? Malek will keep his creatures in line.”

Selena risked a glance at the terrifying alpha, horned head bowed as he crouched close to a tree, one hand braced against it as his black eyes narrowed in concentration. Either he hadn’t heard Ronan’s comment, or he didn’t care to answer.

Kaelan and Ronan had been arguing for what felt like hours, even though when Selena glanced up at the sky, the heavy moon had only moved a tiny amount in its journey across the night sky. Tiredness was tempting her aching eyes shut, but the sharp grate of fear in the back of her throat kept her awake. Not to mention the sting from the cuts and bruises littering her legs and feet.

“Insufferable, aren’t they?” Elian crouched beside her, an easy grin on his handsome face. He gestured his head toward the two growling alphas, a smirk playing on his lips. “At this rate, perhaps I should just steal you away to keep all to myself.”

Selena couldn’t help the heat that rose in her cheeks at his charm, his heady smell. It was deep and autumnal, clove and pine. And something else, something raw. Despite his mischievousness, there was no denying that Elian was pure alpha.

“Why are they even fighting?” she asked, voice small and weak. The cold had seeped deep into her, clutching her every fiber with icy fingers. She drew her legs closer to her chest.

Elian’s nostrils flared slightly, and he frowned, a slight tightness in his jaw. With a flourish of his hand, a whorl of shadows appeared, and from it he pulled a soft green cloak that he settled around her shoulders.

She couldn’t stop the pure wonder at the casual display of magic. And to think that the villagers had accused her of witchcraft when something so powerful existed just beyond the borders of their small home. Offering Elian a small smile, she drew the cloak tightly around herself, basking the unnatural warmth it provided.

If she had any hope of escape, she would have to be smart. And refusing help from the one person who seemed willing to answer her questions certainly wasn’t smart.

“May I?” Elian gestured to her injured legs, and Selena sucked in an apprehensive breath before slowly nodding and uncurling them to him. If he had given her the cloak, she doubted he would want to cause her further harm.

Elian smiled in delight, splaying his warm hands across her flesh. She gasped and flinched slightly, but at his warning look she settled down, watching in amazement as shadows crept from his fingertips and curled over her skin, pooling in the myriad cuts and injuries, healing them as they went. A light shiver ran down her spine as his hands flexed slightly, and she didn’t miss the quirk of his lips.

“Those two have a nasty history,” Elian said as his shadows slipped over her. “Or rather, their fathers did. Humans, one of your silly little kings, wanted to make a play for some of our territory. They sent assassins in the night and killed Kaelen’sfather. When Kaelen wanted to retaliate, Ronan’s father refused him the help he would need. So Kaelen decided to approach another wolf pack, one that split away after The Breaking, but technically had a claim to Ronan’s title.”

“Elian,” Kaelen turned to them, a warning snarl on his face, “let’s not drag the past into this.”

Elian lifted his hands in mock apology. “I wouldn’t dream of it! I just think if our sweet little dove here is going to travel with us, she deserves to know a bit more about us.”

Kaelen’s molten gaze flicked to Selena, and she blushed at the heat there, the memory of his arms wrapped tight around her rising unbidden in her mind.

“Kaelen’s right,” growled Ronan, “this isn’t the time or the place. We need to get moving.”

“Selena is in no state to walk.” Malek stood, clawed fingers scratching at the wood of the tree. She shuddered at the deep unnaturalness of his voice, the part of her that was entirely animal urging her torun. “We cannot expect her to travel in her condition.”

She bristled at that, pride stabbing through the fear. Did they really think she was so weak? So helpless? She might not have fangs or antlers or scales or claws, but she wasn’t an infant. And she needed to prove to them, to herself, that she was strong.

Pushing off the ground, she ignored Elian’s offered hand and staggered to her feet, wincing at the bone-deep ache that Elian’s shadows hadn’t quite been able to reach. She took a few unsteady steps forward, urging her stiff limbs to move. “I’m perfectly capable of walking, thank you very much.”

Malek’s head cocked, his expression one of confusion. “But you are cold. And injured. And hungry.”

“I’m not achild,” she hissed, “and who said I was going to walk anywhere withyouin the first place? I’m going home.”

Malek didn’t look offended. If anything, he nodded slightly as if in understanding, like she had just given him the answer to some puzzle. Ignoring the strange, terrifying beast, she turned, hoping none of them saw the tremble in her legs.

“You’ve tried this once already, don’t make me chase you down again,” Kaelen’s voice was low with warning, imbued with the inherent dominance of an alpha.

Listen to Alpha. Alpha will protect you, Alpha will keep you safe, warm, happy—

She growled to silence the keening voice in her head. Tiredness and fear were tumbling through her body, making her vision slightly hazy, warping her good sense. She turned back, baring her teeth at Kaelen, advancing towards him. “Who the hell are you to tell me what to do, you self-importantdick—”

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