Page 17 of Shifted Existence

“I see you understand those who rule your realm. They are contemptible cowards.”

“On that, at least, we can agree.”

Talon stood and extended his hand. “Will you take my hand and accompany me or must I toss you over my shoulder for our return to my village? Your only choice, Bailey, is how you enter the village, not whether you do.”

“How do you know my name?”

He inclined his head toward the water and allowed his hand to fall. “The mirror in the water told me.”

“I don’t want to go with you. I don’t want to be your mate.”

“Neither of those is your choice. Nor is the fact that you will be disciplined in the ways of our people.”

“They aren’t my people, and I am not going to let you spank me.”

“There is little I can do to make you accept that you are now Storm Rift Pack, but there is even less you can do to stop me from disciplining you. I might have been able to forego your attempts on my life, but you struck Hemming and blew up the portal, and neither of those can go unanswered. And we will need to deal with the Ruling Council…”

“And the fact that some guy who doesn’t like you wants to take those poor women you dragged from their homes.”

Talon shook his head. “They never should have been in their homes. They were in violation of the treaty.”

“What’s to stop me from declaring in front of your Council that I would prefer to be with your enemy?”

“That would be unwise. I would never let him have you. I would challenge him to a fight to the death, and you would not want me to lose. The Ax Wielders do not treat their mates well. They have some distasteful traditions.”

“More distasteful than being hunted down and forced to be your mate?”

“Much. With the exception of the alpha, many of their warriors share a mate. The alpha most often claims his mate with an audience and is not careful of how he introduces her to the knot. Their females are expected to submit and be submissive at all times. Disobedience is not tolerated, and punishments are severe.”

“You find that acceptable?”

“No, but it is not my pack and Bardulf is a dishonorable cur. He will never touch you while there is a breath in my body, or while the Storm Rift Pack exists. You are mate to the alpha and your place is secure unless someone challenges me for you.”

“That doesn’t sound all that secure given the barbarism of your people.”

“It is. Someone wanting to claim you must challenge me in combat. Only if he wins honorably will he be allowed to have you. If he murders me, the pack will protect you and you will live your life in peace.”

“And if I murder you?” she asked, provocatively.

“Without cause? You would be thrown alive onto my funeral pyre.”

Her face paled. “What constitutes cause?”

“Cruelty, infidelity, something like that. Do not concern yourself with that. You will not murder me, and I would never give you cause.”

“In other words, after you beat me in front of your pack, I could kill you and be safe?”

“I would never beat you. You might be disciplined with a spanking, but that would not constitute cruelty.” He extended his hand again. “Come, Mate. Let us go home and get through your punishment.”

He could see the moment she truly understood she had lost and was out of options. Had not so much dark water passed beneath the bridge between them, he would have allowed her some time to accept and prepare for what was to come. But she was mate to the alpha and would be held to a higher standard—unfair perhaps, but it was what it was.

“This isn’t fair. I had nothing to do with those who opened the portal, nothing to do with an ill-conceived war we had no chance of winning and I sure as hell didn’t offer myself up as part of a treaty.”

“But you are now on a world free of environmental damage. Life here amongst the Storm Rift Pack is good and sweet. We have a thriving, self-sustaining community and our she-wolves are treated with kindness and respect…”

“Other than those you hunt down and drag away from their homes.”

Talon forced a smile, trying to remember the Mirror’s words about patience. She had a point. “But once they have transitioned, they are treated in the same manner as our other she-wolves. We make no distinction between the two. Come.”

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