Page 78 of Whisper Woods

“Yes. Whatever my father wants, it’s best to get it over and done with.”

Don’t like this. Don’t like his Dad. Where’s Rafe?Wolf pokes his nose in to offer his opinion, but I don’t mind, because I thoroughly agree with all his points. Heylor is a monumental dick. He makes Colin look like a reasonable man and I don’t trust him in the slightest. But I don’t have a say in this at all, even if my instincts are roaringDANGER! DANGER! DANGER!

“Very well, Master.” Eldrid sighs, leaving the door slightly ajar while he leaves to retrieve Grand Master Dickhead.

“Yo, Brydon. You sure this is cool? Shouldn’t we wait for Rafe or something?”

Brydon looks at me, a sad half smile on his lips. “It’s fine, Seff. It’s just my father, no doubt he just wants to remind me of some duty I’m failing or whatever.”

I don’t believe him, even the littlest bit. But I can’t argue because the door is thrown open, banging against the wall with a thud.

What a dick.

Heylor strides inside the room, chest puffed out like a pigeon, his perfectly tailored clothes—and gigantic fucking ego—somehow more out of place in this fine ass room than me half naked and Brydon in his scungy cargo shorts andbright blue mullet.

Heylor nods at his son, like a king acknowledging a lowly peasant and my already fired up blood positively boils. If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s elitist bullshit. But then he turns to me, and it gets worse. If I didn’t like the way things were going before, Ireallydon’t like the look of victory on his smarmy face.

He rolls his shoulders back and clears his voice. Withdrawing a cream coloured envelope from the pocket of his coat, he holds it in two fingers, well out of my reach on the other side of the desk.

“Seff Harroway, I come on official business.” There is a faint crackle in the air. His joy at his task is too great to keep under control. “Under order of the High Eminence, and the High Council, you are to be permanently banished from our lands and are thereby ordered to leave Tathysimmediately.”

Banished?The ground opens up beneath me as his words register and I feel like I’m falling from a very tall building.

I don’t trust Heylor as far as I can throw him and he is far too satisfied for this to be okay. I want to—need to—talk to Rafe. He can sort this out. He can make this okay. And if he can’t at least he can come with me. I’m not ready to leave him just yet, it feels unsafe. Wrong. This whole fucking morning feels wrong.

I just need Rafe.

Wolf reacts before I do, his growl rumbling threateningly through my chest as he attempts to force the change. I force him back, and launch myself to my feet, sending Rafe’s chair flying.

“Abso-fucking-lutelynot!” I rage back at Heylor, Wolf’s presence adding a feral edge to my voice. “Where is Rafe? You can’t just send—”

“Actually, I can.” Heylor interrupts, condescension dripping from him. Thriving on my reaction, he picks imaginary dust off his shoulder, showing that some asshole traits transcend cultural divides. “The guards are waiting outside to escort you to the border. As a courtesy, I have even had the Portal Guard change the destination, somewhere closer to home. You will be back with your pack in no time.”

Tension ripples through my muscles as they tense, my body readying for a fight. There is no way I’m just leaving Rafe without a word. Not a fuckingchance. Slowly I stand, taking advantage of my full height.

For a split second I see Heylor cower, but all too quickly he regains his composure, whistling a low sound.

“Father,no.” Brydon’s harsh whisper is drowned out by the heavy booted footsteps of the guards, just as promised.

There’s more than half a dozen of them, all giant mountainous beings, complete with shining chest plates, metallic feather shoulder armour and heavy swords strapped to their backs. Like they are prepared to go into battle rather than collect one lone wolf. One guy even has a wicked-looking spear thing he looks extremely confident about. They don’t speak a word, they don’t need to. There is no way I can take them all. I’m strong, but not that fucking strong. I would be dead within seconds.

I want to shred the smug smile from his face. He knows it, too. His eyes sparkle when they catch the flair of my nostrils, and when they note the seething tension coiled in my muscles.

And I can’t do a fucking thing.

My jaw clenches and I look to Brydon, but he’s standing at his desk, cowering behind his father, arms crossed over his body.

“Can he really do this?” I ask the one person in the room I can trust. Except he nods jerkily, teeth biting into his lip til there is a hint of blood.

“Yes. He can. And if you don’t go willingly… they will make you Seff. It won’t be kind.”

A deathly silence falls over the room and I feel like I’m going to vomit. Hopefully, all over Heylor. Familiar fear flashes through my mind, making my body run hot and cold and my knees lock against the weakness that grips them.

Fighting means pain. I know, I can remember all too well. The magic, the searing heat. The agony. The fear. For me and Brydon. Clamping down the terror at the memories of the cottage that flash through my mind like a highlight reel, I look between the father and son, the ache in my chest making it impossible to breathe.

I should fight. Make it hard. Make them fucking take me.

Wolf howls in agreement, ready to fuckinggo. The change shimmersover me, the potential energy feeding the adrenaline urging me to fight. Cause a fucking scene.

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