Scent of Valor (Chronicles of Eorthe #2) (19 page)

Rising, he moved around the wounded bodies, kicking weapons far from their grasps. Just because he gave sound advice didn’t mean the idiots would take it.

Chapter Thirty-One

The sound of heavy footsteps had Kele at the door before Ahote. Her stomach cramped at the smell of fresh blood. She cracked the door open and gasped.

Benic supported Peder as they drew closer to the room. Once again, her mate was coated with blood, and she could tell that much of it was his.

She shoved the door open, ignoring Ahote’s protests, and hurried under Peder’s other arm. They maneuvered him inside the room and slowly set him on the bed. Bruises, cuts and scrapes covered most of his skin. Her hands hovered over his body in fear of causing him pain with the slightest touch. “Where’s Nahuel?”

Peder entwined his fingers with hers and gave her a weak smile. “You got away.”

Benic collapsed in the room’s only chair and began cleaning his sword with the bedding. “The Yaundeeshaw hunter is dead.”

The empty ache in her chest grew larger. “Nahuel? How?” Did she really want to know? No, but his pack deserved the truth.

Peder squeezed her hand. “We escaped Timothy, but his slavers caught us in the streets. He beat Nahuel to death.” Peder stared at the ceiling with an inward gaze as if recalling the moment. She could heal wounds of flesh but not those of the soul. How would she bring back the sparkle in his eyes?

She wet a cloth in the washbasin and cleaned him. Everything she wanted to say seemed so unworthy.
Sorry
was weak, and revenge empty. She couldn’t even offer the consolation that Nahuel had died as a hunter instead of a slave. All she could manage was to be at Peder’s side.

“The owner is dead, his guards wounded, and God knows Ewald has probably noticed you’re missing by now. It’s time to run.”

She stared at the dried blood coating Benic’s weapon. He saved Peder. Would the vampire ever stop surprising her? “Thank you.” There was no love lost between those two. He could have killed Peder and claimed Timothy had done it. Maybe she misjudged him, but she couldn’t trust vampire motives. Not after he’d kidnapped her.

Benic slid his sword back in its scabbard and tossed a few items in a saddlebag. “I’ll trade the carriage for a few more horses.”

“Horses?” The dark hunter shook his head. “Don’t get one for me. I can keep pace.”

She wanted to second him but knew it to be a lie. Her skills lay with stealth and tracking, not strength and endurance like Ahote. Yet, she’d never ridden a horse. Eaten one, yes.

Peder sat up, but his movements were slow and jerky as if he was in great pain.

“Lie down.” She pressed her hand to his chest and he fell back on the mattress. “Peder will have to ride something but I don’t know if he can remain on a horse long. That would require some kind of skill, right?” She aimed her question at Benic.

He blew out a frustrated sigh. “We’ll tie him to the fucking saddle if that will make you feel better, but we have to make speed. Stealing slaves is considered a capital crime in New Berg.” He stared at their blank faces. “That means if they ever figure out I helped you and Peder escape, I’m dead.”

“Sounds promising. I like hunting with you.” Ahote grinned and slapped Benic on the back. “I’ll get the lovers ready while you gather the transport.”

She blocked Benic’s way. “There’s no point in running if we arrive home with Peder dead. He’s exhausted and injured. A fall from a horse while running will end him. We take the carriage.” A horse would not cooperate with a wolf shifter on its back. She was sure of this.

A storm of emotion flashed across Benic’s face. “What? No.” He slashed his hand between them. “I have to draw the line here. Time is of the essence. Once I get you to the forest, I know you can hide from anyone, but there’s a long journey between here and there.”

“So stop wasting time arguing with me. Shifters were never meant to ride other animals. I never heard of such a ridiculous thing. The animals will go mad as soon as you sit us on top of them.” She could see the muscles of his jaw working as he clenched his teeth.

“Fine.” He pointed to Ahote. “Carry Peder.”

She flung her arms around Benic’s neck and kissed his cheek. “Thank you for coming for us.”

He rolled his eyes. “Thank me properly when I get you home alive.”

Peder growled from the bed and struggled against Ahote’s arms.

“Easy, wolf. That should give you enough incentive to make the return journey alive.” Benic winked at her before striding out the door.

She rubbed Peder’s back. “He’s only joking. Settle down.” At least, she hoped Benic was. The sky was painted in dawn colors as she followed Ahote to the carriage, where they settled Peder on a bench lined with a thin padding. Sitting next to him, she gathered him in her arms. “Rest against me.”

Ahote passed the water skins and some provisions. “If we run hard, we can be home in a day.”

“There’s no riding hard in a carriage. The wheels won’t take it.” Benic climbed aboard. “But we’ll do our best.

Pemma kissed along Ewald’s neck and ran her fingers through his hair slowly.

He lay on his back with her on top, tangled in the bed sheets. His eyelids grew heavy. “We should argue more. Reconciling is quite invigorating.”

She hid her smile and glanced at the sun over the horizon. She hoped Kele was out of the city by now. Keeping Ewald in bed all night had been a chore. After seeing the way Peder looked at Kele, she found herself yearning for such a connection. Ewald would never see her as an equal and vampires didn’t seem to fall in love as easily as shifters. Their time together was coming to an end. She could sense it in her bones.

He ran his hands over her bare hips. “You’re putting me to sleep.”

She chuckled and nibbled his earlobe. “Take a nap and we’ll play more later,” she whispered.

“Hmm…” He rolled her over and gave her a playful slap on the rump. “I can’t. It’s a busy day. I have to meet with your alpha and go over supply lists and I hoped to invite Lord Benic to dinner tonight. I have a few more questions for him about the route he wants us to take.”

“Do you want me to run the invitation over?” She rested her head on the pillow and silently prayed he would. The longer Ewald suspected nothing wrong, the longer Kele and Lord Benic had to escape home.

He’d grown still. “No, I should never have sent you through the city alone.”

“I know the way and I can take a carriage this time.” She’d say Kele would accompany her, anything to keep him from seeking her. Who knew how Ewald would take Kele’s escape? She thought the loss of coin would be his greatest concern.

“No, we’ll send one of the hunters.” He scooted her off the bed and rose to his feet. “Let’s break our fast and go shopping.”

She nodded eagerly. He meant shopping for supplies and weapons, not dresses. She had a few suggestions. “Very well.”

He dressed in yesterday’s pants and rang a bell. “Get under the covers, Pemma. We can’t be scandalizing Weis’s servants all the time.”

She pulled up the thin, almost transparent summer sheet. He liked scandalizing the servants. He couldn’t lie to her.

The maid entered, her gaze averted to floor after it landed upon Pemma. “Yes, sir?”

“We’ll take our meal here. You can send Kele in to serve it.”

She curtsied. “Yes, sir.” Then she hurried from the room.

Pemma’s appetite vanished. “Why Kele?”

“She needs more training if she’s to be your lady-in-waiting.” Ewald went through his clothes, picking out an outfit. “After she knocked my fang out, I think she could at least bleed in a cup for me so I don’t gum you anymore.” He winked.

“I doubt I’ll need a lady-in-waiting in the West. What we need is her hunting skills. We should let her sleep.”

He sat to put on his stockings and boots. “What she really needs is to submit to your alpha and join your pack. Have you introduced her to them yet?”

“Not officially. I hadn’t a chance.” She joined him in dressing. “Maybe I should go do that while you eat.”

“Nonsense.” He pulled her on his lap, grinding his hardening cock against her. “I think we should play a game today.” He plucked her underclothes from her hands. “No petticoat today. That way I can lift your skirt and have you anytime I wish while we shop.”

She flushed. He wouldn’t be in a mood to play nice if he found out she helped Kele escape the grounds. “Very well, but at least let me pull on my dress before they return.”

He held her tight. “Maybe I’d like them to see you like this.” Tracing her nipple with his fingertip, he stared as it pebbled.

“Stop fooling around, Ewald. I get enough sass already from the ladies in this house. Let’s not give them more to gossip about.” She squirmed from his grasp and pulled her dress over her head as the door flew open.

The maid curtsied again and seemed out of breath. “I can’t seem to locate Kele, my lord. May I serve you as a meal in her place?”

Ewald frowned. “You checked Pemma’s room?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Where did you lock her up?” He directed this question at Pemma.

Her mouth flapped and she purposely made silly sounds as if flabbergasted. It was too soon for him to find Kele gone. Pemma had hoped to keep her disappearance secret until lunch.

“You did lock her in the room?” Ewald pulled on his shirt in a hurry and buttoned it. “Fuck, Pemma. She cost me a good deal. Lord Weis made an offer for her that could have doubled my money. We need money more than we need a slave.” He stormed from the room.

Kele’s freedom had cost Pemma more than a few coins, but she didn’t throw a hissy fit. She stared at the maid. “Can you tie up my dress?” She turned.

Quickly, she had her bodice tightened in a fashionable manner and her hair in a fast twist. Petticoatless, she hurried after Ewald and found him in the courtyard with some of her pack’s hunters in feral form. “What’s going on?”

“They have her scent.” Ewald waved at a stable hand. “Bring me my horse.”

One of the hunters leaned in close to whisper in Pemma’s ear, “She’s not the only one we smell. What have you done, Pemma?”

A blush scalded her cheeks. “Nothing you wouldn’t have done. Our people shouldn’t be treated so poorly.”

He shook his head. “I’m a hunter and can take care of myself. What will you do if Ewald finds out?”

She pinched his stomach. “Then I’d have to mate you and make you take care of me. Stop teasing.”

He chuckled. “Your secret is safe with us, but I have to let you know if we catch her she’s coming back here. I won’t mislead our master.”

She scowled at him and raced to the stables. “I need a horse too. Something trained to be around shifters.” Even in feral form, she wouldn’t be able to keep up with the hunters.

How hard could riding a horse be?

Chapter Thirty-Two

Riding a horse took skill Pemma didn’t own. Not wearing a petticoat didn’t help. Her inner thighs burned with a level of pain akin to being spanked by a giant with a sore tooth. She tucked her dress between her legs and the saddle, exposing her calves to the public. She received both appalled glares and appreciative stares. Someone had the courage to whistle as they galloped through the streets.

The hunters in feral form received more attention though and sent everyone racing out of their way.

Ewald rode with the pack while she clung for dear life and hoped her mount would follow Ewald’s.

Her gut clenched as Benic’s inn came into view.

The hunters sniffed around the building as if confused by the trail. It gave her time to catch up.

Her horse slowed next to Ewald’s. “It looks as if she confused her trail. We should go back home.”

Ewald shook his head. “Give them time.” He glanced at her. “I thought you hated the hunt.”

She tried to smile but the ache of her chafed skin made it hard. “I have to learn if we go west.”

“Not if, when.”

Some of the hunters climbed the stairs to the second floor toward Benic’s room.

The knots in her stomach tightened. She prayed they had already vacated the building. She’d given them ample time to leave the city. What more could she possibly do?

A howl down the street almost sent her tumbling off her saddle. Only Ewald’s fast reflexes kept her from exposing what she wasn’t wearing under her dress.

The other hunters raced away from the inn and headed toward the main street.

Ewald set her back on the saddle and grabbed her reins, leading her horse along the hunters’ path. “Looks like they’ve already left the city.”

“Too bad.” She gave him her best disappointed expression while inside she whooped in glee. “I guess we should return to the manor and prepare to shop for supplies.”

He tossed her an annoyed look. “I can’t stop the hunters now that they have her scent and I can’t leave a pack of feral males running amok in the city. Steady yourself.” He whipped his horse into a gallop.

She clutched the saddle pommel as her horse took off suddenly. The momentum sent her legs kicking out and she almost tumbled backwards off the saddle. She let out a little yelp and straightened her dress with her free hand. Her hair had come undone and streamed behind her like a flag.

She caught sight of the hunters on the edge of the city, milling around a group of armed riders. The sound of their growls finally reached her ears.

Ewald reined in their mounts. “What’s the meaning of this?”

The vampires were dressed in rough leathers and carried enough weapons for a small army. She wasn’t used to being around such males.

A couple of the hunters set themselves between her and the vampires. Pack instinct was to protect the weak and she was omega. Her heart wanted to burst with gratitude. She shouldn’t have come on this endeavor since she would only cause the hunters to split their loyalty.

“Lord Ewald?” One of the vampires removed his hat.

“Huan?” Ewald grinned. “Are you going west?”

Pemma looked from one vampire to the other then finally recognized Huan. He was the slaver Timothy had introduced to Ewald, the one who enslaved her people from the West and dragged them to New Berg for coin.

“No, someone attacked Timothy’s compound last night, killed him and stole slaves.” He gestured to the bruised and wounded men around him. “These three witnessed it.”

“I’m tracking my own runaway. Maybe we can pool our resources. My hunters are fine trackers.”

Huan shook his head. “I already know where I’m going. Lord Benic’s castle to the northeast. He’s the one who attacked these innocent males. I’ve been hired by the magistrate to bring him back for trial.”

Dread clawed its way up her throat as she watched the wheels turn in Ewald’s eyes. His smile had faded. “Lord Benic.”

Huan guided his horse past the hunters and drew closer to Ewald. “What do you know of him?”

“He came to lunch yesterday then my new slave vanished last night.” Ewald glanced at Pemma. “Do you know anything? You spent an awful lot of time with Kele.”

She shook her head and gripped her pommel a little tighter.

The hunter at her feet settled his hand on her lower leg. He probably could smell her fear and she appreciated his support. Why hadn’t she mated with a hunter yet? Oh, yes, she’d been stupid and lusting after Ewald instead of thinking of her future within the pack. “You think Kele is with Benic?” Pemma did her best not to sound guilty.

Ewald frowned. “Seems likely.” He turned to Huan. “Mind if we join you? If her trail splits from yours, then we go our separate ways.”

Huan clapped Ewald on the back. “Let’s be on our way then.” He yanked his horse around and spurred it forward.

The hunters ran full speed ahead of the slavers, out of the city and onto the open fields leading to the wilds. Ewald urged their horses to keep pace behind the slavers. Blue sky met green land and the sun chased away all the city’s shadows. Even the air seemed different. She took a deep breath. Her sense of smell had grown stronger already. It was like being at sea, only better.

Peder buried his face in Kele’s hair and inhaled. He wanted to drown in her scent, let it envelop him and shield him from his memories. The rough ride on the hard bench wrecked the effect and did little for his aching body. It was all worth the pain since she made noises of comfort in his ear and stroked the knots out of his hair. So this was how the hunters felt, being treated by others. No wonder they tried to protect their omegas. He’d do anything to keep her from stopping.

His unwashed body must be burning her sensitive nose but she held him close, kissing his forehead and cheeks every time he moaned at a sharp jar. Some of those noises were faked since he liked her attention. He had her pressed into the corner of the carriage, his arms and leg wrapped around her. She was the best bed he’d ever rested on.

The closed-in carriage gave them some privacy but Ahote insisted they keep the curtains over the windows open. He would leap against the door and stick his head inside to check on Peder’s state of health, or so he claimed. The hunter didn’t fool him. Kele was as much a little sister to Ahote as possible without a blood-tie.

“Do you need some water?” she asked.

He opened his eyes and blinked at the setting sun. They’d been riding that long? “Did I sleep?”

Her body tensed. “Yes.”

He sighed and sat up. “Water sounds good.” His muscles cramped and he hid his grimace. What was his pain in comparison to what Nahuel had suffered?

Kele bent to retrieve a water skin.

“Did I say anything?” He knew from past experience he sometimes shouted in his sleep.

She hesitated before shaking her head and offering him a drink. Her gaze stayed glued to the water skin. Not a verbal lie but close enough.

“What did I say?”

She jerked as if he slapped her. “I—I…” Her shoulders slumped and she turned to look out the window. “Nothing specific. You just seemed very distressed as if…someone was hurting you.” She wiped her eyes. “I want to kill Timothy all over again.” Her voice had grown jagged.

He set the water skin on her lap and chuckled as she jumped. “Kele, I’ve had those types of dreams all my life. I’m fine.” It wasn’t a lie and she’d hear it. As long as they’d be together, he’d always be fine.

She turned her haunted gaze on him. “I’m not sure I am.”

He gathered her in his arms and held her tight to his chest. “All is well once more.”

She clenched her fist. “Then why do I feel so angry? I want to turn around and burn the city to the ground. I want Timothy’s corpse so I can eat it. I want—”

He quieted her by setting his fingertip to her lips. “Did you send Benic to rescue me?” He couldn’t believe the vampire’s fighting skills. He’d bested three vampires within minutes. Part of Peder wished it was a dream. He didn’t care to owe a debt to Benic. His prices were steep.

She shuddered. “I wanted to do it.”

“If you killed those vampires, we’d have worse problems. That was how the vampire wars started and look how that turned out. Our enemy is dead and we have survived to escape home.” He kissed the top of her head and flinched at his fat lip.

“Not all our enemies—the slavers who came on our land. What will stop them from stealing others?”

His blood ran cold. “That’s a problem I hadn’t considered.” This was what made the difference between hunter and alpha. Kele was meant to lead and he’d been born to serve. What were they doing in each other’s arms?

“Once you’ve healed, we’ll go back with the hunters and take them out. All of them.” Her voice cracked and she took a sip of water.

He nodded, not wanting to speak a lie. Did she expect him to stroll onto Payami lands without being challenged? He wasn’t in any shape to win and he couldn’t take another beating. Was she considering moving to his pack? He glanced at the top of her pale head. That wouldn’t be fair to her or her pack. They were leaderless and Kele was the binding that could hold them together. Could he be so selfish and keep her? Would she be satisfied living in poverty with the smallest pack of the tribe?

No. He didn’t want that for her.

Kele bent her head back and caressed his face. “I don’t know what I would have done if they’d killed you instead. I think I would have gone mad.”

“Benic and Ahote would have taken care of you.”

“If you mean drag my crazed feral form from the city…I guess I could imagine them possibly being capable of doing it.”

He chuckled at the image. “I can’t. At least, not with their hides still intact.”

Ahote’s feral body crashed against the side of the carriage and he stuck his head inside. “You’re awake. Good. Keep your fucking hands where I can see them.”

He held his hands over his head, grinning as he recalled his last night with Kele alone in the cell.

The hunter’s gaze narrowed as if reading his mind. “I’ve never had a qualm with you, Peder. Don’t give me one.” With that warning, he returned to running alongside them.

“Stop jumping on the carriage, Ahote,” shouted Benic. “You’ll snap one of the wheels then we’ll have to walk all the way home.”