Page 16 of Moon Raven Rising
He rears back, the heel of his foot coming down sharply on the crack, splitting both his skin and the stone further. The small fissure now gaping; he crawls through, and I follow suit. As soon as we are both on the other side, I see the tunnels. Thanking the gods, I push my will out into the space. Begging that Dax will continue to follow, I start through the caves…turning this way, and that. Never slowing, I let my magic guide me.
If I ever knew where I was before, there is no way I know where I am now. Then I see it. The gleaming orange glow of the sunset fading over the ocean. The fiery light fills the cave, and though it’s still cool, I warm further when I step into its shine. My heart thundering, I turn back just as Dax stops short. His lips parting, and he begins shaking his head.
When I follow his gaze, I see what he is looking at.
Himself.
“No,” he says, fumbling a step back. “I failed; I didn’t get what was needed from the caves.” He whispers. “I didn’t get what was needed!” He yells after a moment of silence. It’s when we bothhear a noise coming from the entrance of the cave, our heads snap in that direction. A cream wolf with blue eyes stares in. Her fur is matted and bloody; she limps forward but stays just on the other side.
“Kait,” I whisper her name. Then Dax surges past me, moving to exit the cave in his shadow form, but he is stopped abruptly as though he’s run into the wall. Kait brings her head up and howls at the setting sun. The sound is filled with sorrow and heartache and eaten up by the sound of the crashing waves. She looks back one more time before running away. Hopping over a burned fallen log and into what’s left of the brush on the cliffside, she disappears into the distance.
Dax slides down the dirt wall. His head falls to the side as he looks at his body. Alone in the cave and failure in his heart. I eventually do the same on the opposite wall. Watching him, waiting with him.
I don’t know how long we sit there, but night devours the day. We are thrust into darkness again, and my eyes flutter open. A gasp ripping from my throat, I wrench upright. Only to come face-to-face with Soren.
Wickedness in his narrowed eyes and a smile on his face.
Chapter fifteen
Pulling my shirt off,I use it to wipe the sweat that rolls down my nose from my forehead before hanging it over a low branch next to the lake. It’s working every last nerve I have trying to find out what the hell happened in Castenelle. With Alaric arriving and everything with Cano, my fire is rising to the surface, and my fuse is short. Working out and sparring is my only escape from my own head.
One thing is for certain. I know that I need to get back to Ravendene. Our home territory deserves to be cared for by a Ravendene, and I won’t make the mistakes that my brother and Cano made. But with all the information that has been thrown at us…Fuck. And if it’s all true?
I don’t even want to think about it.
With time, I will rule the territory with a firm hand, but with fairness and kindness as well. Our people deserve better after everything they’ve been through. Before Dax and Raelle left, that was the plan, but now? They had to focus on the whole of the kingdom, but I’m just a man. Lost in my thoughts—doubts in myself and those around me. I don’t know what to do.
There has been no power transfer from Dax to me, so I know he’s not dead. I’m not going through those emotions again. I feel it in my bones, and I refuse even to entertain the idea. It was only brought up once before I put my foot down. With a sigh, I untie my waistband and let my training leathers fall to the ground.
“Hmmm… a full moon with the sun high in the sky. Hopefully, it’s not another eclipse. Last time that happened, all hell broke loose…” Ambriel’s unexpected laughter makes me grin, and as I turn my head to look over my shoulder at her, her wide smile greets me. Shaking my head, I stretch my arms wide, letting the muscles in my back bunch and my chest pull taut. The stretch relieves some of the tension I feel trying to consume my body.
“You are welcome to join me.” I turn my head back to face the motionless lake. The water like glass reflects the trees in the distance, but when I step in, it ripples and distorts the scene. It’s almost like Ambriel—disrupting my downward-spiraling thoughts. She and I have yet to talk about our relationship since we have been blessed with a bond of our own.
Absent-minded, I reach across my body, rubbing at the bond mark on my arm. She has been my rock through all of this. Both of us missing people we love have caused us to connect in our sorrow more than we already were. Stepping further into the water, the cold bite of it makes me pause, but I want to wash the feel of my vigorous training and negative thoughts of self-doubt from my body. I dive in.
When I come up for air, I brush my hair and the water from my face. My eyes immediately find her. She stands at the edge of thewater; her skin glowing like honey. Tattoos and markings litter her lithe body, and my eyes snag on each one, but a moment longer on the twin to mine.Our bond. My tongue rolls out over my bottom lip, wanting to taste her sweetness. A rumble builds low in my throat as I notice a guard coming toward us in the trees.
“You bring that sweet ass into this water to hide your nakedness, or I’m going to have to kill an innocent man for laying eyes on you like this.”
“So hostile,” She chides, but she does as I say and slips into the lake like a siren coming to take me hostage. “You know…” Her hand slides up my chest and meets the other around my neck as she presses her body against mine. “You are supposed to be at the interrogation right now.”
“I know.” My eyes fall shut as I grip her hips and pull her impossibly closer, letting my cock bury into the soft flesh of her stomach. Feeling the pressure and darkness building in my soul, I push all thoughts of her naked body from my mind as I push her out to look into her eyes. “I can’t do it anymore, Ambriel. I can’t be this person anymore. This is—it’s not who I want to be. I would do anything in my power to get answers, but I just have this feeling nagging at the back of my mind…” I shake my head and watch as her eyes soften.
“Sir? I ugh, sorry to interrupt.” The guard I saw coming says as he reaches the water’s edge. He turns his body to not fully face us, his cheeks turning a bright shade of pink seeing us here like this.
“Well?” I ask.
“Alaric has woken up. He is asking to speak with you and, um, his sister.” He says shifting on his feet.
“Let Ginny and Claire know that we will be right there.”
“Yes, sir.” He quickly retreats, and I take a deep breath, pulling Ambriel back into me. I bury my nose into the top of her head and let her scent bring me peace, if only for this moment.
“You ready to go see what the fuck that was with your brother, tell him we’ve bonded, we’re sleeping together, and make a plan to go save the king and queen?” I laugh and she pinches at my ribs, causing me to rear back with laughter. “Ouch! Did you really just pinch me?” My laughing continues. Despite my wretched mood, she seems to always pull it from me without even trying.
“You will say nothing to my brother about sleeping with me, Trent Fornax-Ravendene, or gods help me, I will do more than just pinch you.” She tries hard not to smile, but relents when I continue grinning from ear to ear. “You are insufferable.” She turns, wagging her hips as she exits the water, and I bite my fist as I watch the water roll over her curves.
“You are incomparable… irresistible…” I say each word slowly as I prowl toward her. Naked and dripping with water, I wrap my arms around her from behind.
