Page 22 of Broken Fate
The larger numbers of Kiel’s organization were almost tough to believe, in a way. After all, what were they trying to do? Resist Arcadus? Or all of the other Alphas? That was insanity. Nobody could stand up to their power. They were too strong.
There was a reason nobody had tried to invade the Canis Empire in centuries. Each Alpha was required to maintain standing forces based on the size of their population—and that just included basic foot soldiers in armor. Like the ones who had stood guard around the Fate Stone.
It didn’t count the Volk, elite special forces companies. And if sending troops to run over everyone wasn’t what the Alpha wanted, they could always dispatch a Nehringi to come through at night and cut everyone’s throat. And that was just the resources the Alphas could draw upon.
There were also the Alphas themselves. Stopping one of them was impossible. They were immortal, didn’t Kiel know that? They couldn’t be killed. Which meant all of it, whatever it was that Kiel had organized … was useless.
“I want to go home,” I said softly, suddenly overwhelmed. I wasn’t ready for any of it.
“You can’t,” he said, still looking down at me, his face unreadable as he stepped closer.
My heart beat just a little faster. I told myself it was because he was saying I couldn’t leave. It definitely wasn’t for any other reason. Not the way his shirt stretched tight across his biceps. Or how his face, with its striking lines and perfectly straight nose, screamed mystery and danger in the most luring of ways. A siren, drawing me deeper. Until it was too late.
“I can’t? Or you won’t let me?” I asked, trying hard to pull my attention away from his looks and back to reality. “You aren’t telling me much of anything, Kiel. Why is that?”
My eyes wandered down his face, away from his blue eyes, past his high, straight cheekbones, along the jet-black beard that matched his hair and did nothing to hide his thick, powerful jawline. He might have been sculpted. His features were so perfect and utterly masculine. I licked my lips, their outsides suddenly dry.
Involuntarily, I glanced back at his mouth, only to see it moving.
“Sorry, could you repeat that?” I asked, fighting down the blush already coming over me. I’d been so lost in staring at his looks that I didn’t even notice he was talking!
Kiel gave me a frustrated glance before turning and slowly walking out of the room. I followed doggedly, determined to get some answers.
“Why amIhere?” I asked, emphasizing the important part. “I didn’t ask to be rescued. I didn’t even know any of you.”
“You know Clive,” he pointed out.
“I thought I did,” I said under my breath. “But he’s been here this whole time and never told me.”
Kiel must have heard the hurt in my voice because, for the first time since my rescue, he seemed to relent and take pity on me. “We rescued you to recruit you,” he said.
“To recruit me,” I repeated dryly.
He nodded, his eyes darting away for a moment. “We need … people like you.”
“Like me,” I repeated with a laugh. “That’s silly. I’m no help to anyone. No, Kiel, you’ve got me all wrong. I don’t want to be a part of any of this. I’m not some freedom fighter. I just didn’t want to be mated yet and made a rash decision. I just want to be free.”
He locked gazes with me. “Us, too,” he said solemnly.
Chapter Twelve
“Come, you must be tired.”
Left to chew on his words about wanting to be free and just whathisfreedom looked like in comparison, I followed Kiel up a set of stairs. At the top, he pushed open some doors to reveal a room.
A clean room. There was no dust or debris, and the candles hanging in the chandeliers were fresh and full, though unlit. The sheets on the giant four-poster bed looked new, not half-eaten by moths and time. Daylight filtered through a window, revealing an inner courtyard to the manor house I hadn’t known was there.
“We stay in the interior,” Kiel explained, noting my surprise. “People can’t see in. And we still get daylight.”
I nodded slowly. “Thank you.”
“Get some rest,” he suggested, not quite making it an order. “You’re going to need it.”
“Maybe,” I agreed, not entirely sure I could sleep yet. There were still the last vestiges of adrenaline rolling through my system, keeping my eyes open. My brain was plagued by just about a million questions as well.
Kiel listened and just shrugged. I had no idea whether that meant he understood or just didn’t care. Nor did I ask. He paused outside my room for a few seconds, as if waiting for me to say I was okay, but then he left, striding down the hall to do … whatever it was he needed to do. I watched him go, then shut the door behind me.
His departure left me alone with my thoughts and a bed that was becoming more enticing by the second. Walking to the window, I looked down at the courtyard. It was mostly overgrown, but several flowerbeds had been reclaimed and looked to be tended by human hands and not mother nature herself.
