Page 244 of A Warrior's Fate

When they broke away, Kai trailed his eyes over her face and down her body. “I don’t want to hurt you, Isla. I—I can’t…”

Isla shushed him, bringing him back to her mouth and cutting him off with another kiss. And though her heart thudded with an all-new emotion, she ushered him to touch her again. “You could never hurt me.”

CHAPTER 50

The night before the challenge, it rained. Thunder and lightning crashed, whipping wind through the trees and casting waves across the river as if the Goddess knew Isla would need the extra comfort. Need to listen to the sounds. Need to feel the cool drops on her skin when she took a moment to step outside.

No one had wanted to make the notion of the challenge a big deal, especially on the eve of it, so nothing occurred out of the ordinary. The group didn’t gather for any special dinner or big event. Isla and Kai simply ate with Adrien, Sebastian…and Zahra.

It had been difficult to keep secrets from the former luna when she stayed in a wing of the House, and as it turned out, she knew the Imperial Heir. Or, at least, recognized him, stating he looked like his father. Thankfully, being given the reason for the two Io-born wolves’ intrusion, she found as much amusement as she could, given the circumstances, and agreed to a vow of secrecy. How she managed to be so poised and lively even in the wake of her son’s fight and the way she weathered all hard times and loss, would be something Isla forever wondered at.

After dinner, Isla and Kai had turned in early to prepare for the tumultuous next day, but they weren’t tired, too on edge. So, rather than go to bed—or jump directly to other activities—they found themselves on the floor of their room next to the hearth with a bottle of wine beside them. Lightning occasionally lit up the space, adding to the glow of the roaring fire, the only other source of light. The moment had been so peaceful, so perfect, Isla thought she’d fallen into a dream.

With Kai’s arms wrapped around her as she leaned back against his chest, they spoke of the future, but only their future. No challenge, no strange and worrying feelings. No royal protocol, no pack traditions. They spoke simply of what they wanted to try making for dinner in a few days, when they’d want to formally marry, then endured a fight over names for the children they’d have someday, with Isla reminding him that the title alpha heir had to flow nicely with the girls’ names they were proposing too.

When nearly the entire bottle had disappeared, most barriers had as well, and the sound of thunder and lightning and crackling embers was joined by the breathless chorus of their names, while the bond, their covenant burned between them.

And as Kai drifted off with her head on his chest, his heartbeat and eased breathing like a lullaby, Isla remained awake, watching until the flickering flame dulled to cinders.

You will lose everything…

She bit down on her cheek and shook away “Daisy’s” words, that mysterious warning, and sidled her bare body closer to Kai’s. He’d heard it and hadn’t known what it meant either. But they’d deal with it later. After tomorrow.

Isla trailed her eyes over the planes of his face and watched as his features tensed and relaxed as if he was having some sort of nightmare.

He was sleeping, at least. He needed all the rest he could get, and maybe she did too.

Isla dropped her gaze and closed her eyes, focusing on the sounds of his heart and breathing to lull her to sleep.

She wouldn’t lose this. Wouldn’t lose him, and she’d fight like hell to make sure of it.

Mavec’s streets had been thrumming with the masses as Isla and Kai, along with Ezekiel, Marin, and Sol descended into the lower city. Citizens from all the pack regions gathered, hoping to get a chance to witness the challenge or, at least, wanting to be in the area for it. With the way they cheered when they realized Kai was in the town car carrying them through, Isla figured they wanted to support their alpha, too.

The raucous crowds didn’t stop, only grew, when they’d eventually reached the stretch that led to the loading docks for the boats that sailed into the open mouth of the rocky hillside to the subterranean city where the arena lay.

As Isla exited the car after Sol and before Kai, she adjusted the cloak around her shoulders. It was a dark and airy fabric stitched in intricate patterns of sapphire and silver. It belonged to Zahra and was nowhere near functional to fight in, but Marin insisted she wear it to cover her warrior uniform. Though the status wasn’t something to be ashamed of, it would be best for her to keep as low a profile as possible.

The alpha’s do-all was now very aware that Isla was Kai’s mate, and she had been less than pleased with her leader that he’d: one, left her to spend the months since Isla and Kai had met scouring the entire pack, wasting “precious hours of her life” to find him a wife. And two, gave her no warning but this morning of what Isla was, and thus gave her no time to prepare for what was essentially their first public appearance together. Though unofficial.

They didn’t mention Abalys.

Isla took a shallow breath at that certain public and cast a hand over her eyes to shield herself from the incessant snapping of flashbulbs. Along with them came the chittering of reporters’ voices. At least she’d let Maeve take the time to braid her hair if she were to be immortalized in this moment forever. She felt her body tighten up under the attention.

To distract herself, she glanced at Ezekiel and Sol, another member of the group now aware of their bond, as they stood a few feet away from each other, refusing to make eye contact. From that, and the way they’d spent the car ride barely interacting but with glares and clipped responses to initially brushed-off questions, she’d learned that Kai hadn’t been lying. They did hate each other.

Points for Sol in Isla’s book because somehow, her hand always found a home on the hilt of her blade strapped to her leg whenever the beta opened his mouth. Ezekiel had been useless to them these past ten days. Ameera hadn’t been able to gather anything from his movements like he knew they’d follow.

He’d be gone soon, though. Kai would appoint someone new as soon as this mess was over.

Step by step—this day would go step by step, and then they could move on from it.

She felt a brush against her back and turned to find Kai behind her. “You okay?”

She could’ve easily asked him the same thing.

The question had been shared between them all too often the past few days, the past few hours. It was easier to forget the challenge when they weren’t going through these motions for it, but the moment they awoke to the sunlight spilling through their bedroom window, reality set in.

She nodded, giving him a smile, and then heard the click of a tongue.

---