Page 3 of Bane of the Wild Hunt

“I know. It can wait.”

“I will do my best to ensure it is not too long,” he said, his arms squeezing around my waist.

I hesitated as I realized what he was not saying.

The return of the king was likely to spark mild chaos. It was very probable that he would be immediately swept into meetings and ceremonies and reunions. And because we were not officially mated, I would not have the access to him that I did now. We certainly would not be sleeping in the same bed, maybe not even under the same roof, and there would likely be attempts made to keep us apart too.

“It’s okay. This is important, and I want to support you however I can,” I insisted. Trying to assure us both.

Relief and gratefulness filled Riordan’s eyes as he leaned over me to press a final kiss to my forehead before threading our fingers together. We continued through the last of the trees to the clearing where Orion was leaning against a trunk with his arms crossed and wings in repose. I was still wearing his cloak, since I had burned all my clothes away whilst defending Riordan, so his arms and biceps were exposed except for leather arm guards. I had been too distracted before to notice that his muscular skin was adorned by a medley of tattoos and scars. I found it interesting since I didn’t think Riordan had any tattoos.

In the clearing behind him stood four griffins in their animal forms. I’d been faced with their kind several times before with Riordan and Orion, although they were a little more intimidating in such a large group.

But they were such stunningly beautiful creatures.

I stopped, my eyes tracing the eagle-headed beasts with sleek and powerful feline bodies. They were slightly different in colour but shared the same basic brown and white appearance of a golden eagle. The difference was that unlike Riordan or Orion, these griffins were wearing ornate, gold armour that fittheir animal forms perfectly. Beautifully gilded breastplates and bevor collars buckled up around their thick, feathery manes and covered their chests and underbellies. Their shoulder pauldrons were shaped like wings, and there was a row of overlapping pleats down their spines.

I could not help wondering how they got dressed.

One of the griffins stepped forward, his giant wings unfurling and fluttering with excitement as he uttered a series of eager chirps. Riordan laughed as the other griffin began to shift into a man in a gold helmet that had wings moulded onto either side. It was as if the griffin’s armour had shifted with him, but now it included a kilt of leather pleats, gold shin guards, and leather sandals. He also wore a vibrant red cloak rather than the plain brown one that Orion had given me. And the front of his breastplate had evolved into such a suggestively realistic depiction of a man’s nude torso that I might have thought it was painted on the warrior. Which surprised me since the griffins were supposed to be very chaste. And yet there was absolutely nothing innocent about the armour exposing the warrior’s brown, muscled thighs and tattooed arms.

The griffin removed his helm, uncovering dark blond, shoulder-length hair which he combed into place with his fingers before securing his helmet to his belt. I could tell right away that he was much less serious than Orion in spite of an impressive scar that made him appear rather fearsome. It arced down from his left ear to the corner of his mouth and ended in the middle of his chin. But his handsome face was consumed by a grin that was so wide and genuine that I couldn’t help smiling along with him even though his joy was not directed at me.

He charged for Riordan with a joyousroar.

Orion stepped forward to block us, moving with a fluid and lethal grace, and he spoke sharply enough in their language to halt the other griffin instantly. The blond looked more closely atRiordan, his dark brows furrowing with concern, and I realized Orion had warned him that their king was too injured to be tackled in a rough hug.

“It is alright, Orion,” said Riordan in Gaelic, earning a look of surprise from all of the griffins as he released me and strode forward to embrace the newcomer.

Orion stepped back, pivoting to bring his wing around me without striking me with it, and took Riordan’s place beside me. I wasn’t especially fond of his proximity, but I had to admit that his protection was reassuring. He might be disapproving and even verbally cruel with me behind closed doors, but he would defend me. For Riordan.

I refocused on Riordan and saw that the other griffins, two women and another man, had shifted and approached Riordan. Their gold armour had also changed with them, and the two women’s breastplates were just as graphic as those of the men. Their hair ranged in colour from the dark blond of the first warrior, a colour he shared with one of the women, to the deep russet of the other man, and the dark brunette of the last woman. All of them wore their hair quite long, at least shoulder length, but the women’s thick braids brushed their belts. All of them had flawless, olive skin and golden-brown eyes like Riordan, but they had charcoal eyeliner smudged around them.

And I was starting to suspect that all griffins must be exceedingly attractive. Which only made sense since they were Greek demigods after all, but it was impossible not to feel just a little insecure. Especially when I was naked under Orion’s worn cloak and dirty and probably rather smelly from our journey with my braid all frayed.

I glanced up at Orion who stood with his arms crossed while his eyes scanned the trees. He was gorgeous too, especially while the wind was toying with the soft waves of his medium-length hair. The curls sweeping across his face made him look almostplayful. The sunlight brought out hints of caramel and russet in the unruly strands. Riordan had almond-shaped eyes with thick, dark lashes that contrasted strikingly with his irises, but Orion’s were hooded with warmer tones of amber that softened them. The dark shadow of his unshaven stubble and the tops of several tattoos on his neck that peeked out from under his leather armour gave him a roguish appearance.

Luckily, he was grumpy enough to make up for those good looks because Irefusedto be attracted to him.

“Amira,” said Riordan, drawing my attention again, and I saw the others were all looking at me. The sudden attention made me flush with self-consciousness.

Riordan extended a hand, so I clenched my borrowed cloak tighter around my nude body with one hand before sliding my fingers into his. The king drew me forward, and Orion followed behind until Riordan’s wing curved around me. Keeping me perfectly shielded at all times between the two of them.

The other four griffins were so intent upon me as I was presented to them that I didn’t think they missed a single freckle on my face as they examined me. Devouring me with their eyes as though I was a rare creature unlike anything that they had ever seen. I didn’t think I could have been more shocked than when the blond who met Riordan first abruptly bent his head, but then the others followed suit. As each of them bowed forward, I noticed they were all wearing a similar necklace, a white jewel on a leather cord which swung free of their collars.

“It is an honour to make your acquaintance,thárrosi. We owe you a debt that could never be fully repaid for returning our king. I am yours to command,” the blond told me, his tail weaving behind him. After spending so many months learning to communicate with Riordan in his griffin body, I recognized the emotion in those wide movements of his tail. He was deeply sincere.

“Amira, this is Ares. He is one of my oldest friends,” Riordan told me with a fond smile. “And this is Helena, but we all prefer to call hermitérasince she trained all of us from childhood,” he continued as he indicated the tall, brunette woman. She seemed touched by the nickname as she put a hand over her heart and nodded to me.

“Abused us, I think you mean,” Ares smirked and then winced as if already expecting the cuff Helena gave him to the back of his head.

“And this is Theo and Iris. They were the first of the Ktínos to truly accept me at Ergastiri. The war college we all attended together,” Riordan explained as he inclined his head to the two remaining griffins.

“There is Althaea also, my twin sister, who is keeping an eye on Castor now,” Ares informed me before his eyes turned to Riordan. “He is disgruntled.”

“I expected he would be. I’m assigning you to Amira,” Riordan informed Ares. “You will shield her from the venom ofanyonewho would direct their displeasure with me in her direction,” Riordan added significantly.

Ares tried to repress a small, wicked smile, but none of the other griffins bothered as they exchanged glances.

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