Page 24 of Blade's Battle
“My name’s Anna, Alpha. And yours?”
“Liam. But I’m sure you already know that.”
“I was trying to be polite.” She smiled, a genuine smile from what Blade could see, as she dipped into a pseudo curtsy, or what she could manage in that too-short-shirt she wore.
There was a slight shift in Liam, almost imperceptible as his eyes slowly washed over Anna. Blade didn’t like it, not at all.
“My guards tell me you are on your way to Damien’s territory. Is this true?”
“Yes, but we ran into some trouble.” She pointed to Blade’s wound.
“WSSO mercenaries, an hour upriver from where your patrol found us,” Blade offered. Liam would surely send his patrols to look for the bastards who had nearly killed Anna. “Two that I spotted. I was upwind at the time, so I don’t know if there were more.”
Liam motioned to his second and enforcer, who peeled away from the group, each taking three shifters and heading into the woods.
“Why did they shoot you? Did you see what they were doing?”
“We were walking, nothing else.” Except the timing was too coincidental. Only hours after that camera had caught him and Anna, transmitting their images, the WSSO showed up, trying to kill her.
“Blade’s been shot. Can you get the bullet out? Then we’ll be on our way,” Anna said.
Liam nodded. “Scout, go with Jax. He’ll see to your wound.”
Blade held his hand out for Anna.
“She’s staying,” Liam said.
“I’m not leaving her.”
In one stride, Liam appeared before Blade, towering over him. The alpha was bigger than Damien but no less intimidating. Blade had been face-to-face with more than his share of alphas since his pack was slaughtered but never had he had to worry about an innocent being caught up in any trouble. “She’s my responsibility, alpha, and I have orders.”
“Our packs are allies, Scout. Do you think I would break the treaty over one human?”
Yes. After all, Damien had already done so, and alphas tend to do what they want.
“I’ll be fine, Blade,” Anna interjected, once again trying to ease the mounting tension between Blade and Liam.
“Are you sure?” he asked her.
She avoided eye contact with him once again. He’d lost ground with her, all by exposing her to Liam, an alpha who seemed overly interested in her. Hell, what did it matter? She had no interest in him; she wasmarried.
Liam chuckled. “Go with Jax, Scout, before I decide to have my guards escort you, and you alone, off my territory.”
Jax, a burly shifter with blondish-red hair, appeared at Liam’s side. The alpha didn’t acknowledge him. He didn’t need to. Liam’s shifters were fiercely loyal and never questioned their alpha.
Blade had a sinking feeling that coming to Liam’s pack for help had not been a good idea. Jax led Blade away from the main compound as a female shifter stepped over to Liam.
“Rosa,” Liam said, “get our guest Anna something nice to wear. I don’t like the smell of another male on her.”
* * *
ANNA
Rosa, the cute brunette with the pixie cut, let Anna to her house, a quaint cabin not too far to the main compound. The shifter set out a bath towel, shampoo, a new toothbrush, and other basic toiletries. Once Anna showered, the pack’s medic examined her feet, nodding with approval at the mullein leaves he found wrapped around her tender and torn skin. The medic cleaned her wounds, added a cream he said would help the cuts heal and stave off infection and then bandaged her feet. He left her with orders to stay off her feet as much as possible, but no word of what was happening with Blade, despite her asking several times. The medic traded glances with Rosa before leaving.
“What’s wrong? Why won’t he tell me about Blade?” Anna said, readjusting the bath towel around her as she sat in a chair by the sewing table.
“The scout is fine. The bullet’s been removed, and he’s resting. Healing.”
