“Bear, knock it off and send your rabid dogs to harass someone else. Kaida is mine.”
I’m not sure I like him pissing on me like that and marking me as his territory. But it’s effective. The tension from Bear’s supporters leaches out of them, and they turn away, their interest in me gone.
When Mordecai turns and looks down at me, I lose the anger; it just slips right away. Have I ever had anyone look at me like this, with such complete and utter intensity, a softness, and a hint of a smile?
I have to tear myself away from it, seizing my anger and turning to focus instead on the smiling leader of the Resistance. I don’t know what will happen to me if I keep looking at Mordecai.
“I want to know what you all think you are doing here. Do you have any idea of the stupidity of what you have done?” I say, letting my horror bleed into my voice. “Everyone here is going to die.”
Mordecai sighs, reaching for my hand. Once again, I evade being touched, but his amused smile has me burning hot inside. “I can’t tell you everything just yet, but I can tell you a bit. But how about we go and have something to eat? It’s been a couple of days. They also have showers set up, so you can go and get clean. Have a couple hours of sleep, and then we can sit down, and I will answer all your questions.”
Legion stands off to the side, watching with an expressionless face. I wonder how much of what he’s shown us is a mask.
I don’t trust anyone here, I realise.
“Okay,” I say to Mordecai, “but we all stay together.”
He smiles slightly, and I can see how happy he is that we’re here. I don’t want to break his heart and ruin this for him, but the Resistance are living in the clouds.
Nothing can beat the Beta’s Path.
And I am not the prophesied warrior that they all talk about. I don’t care who left that bit of word vomit; it is not about me. The very notion that I can save these people leaves my skin crawling like I’ve walked through a spiderweb.
Legion leads us through the school and to a stall of ancient showers that has a series of buckets with ropes, balanced about seven feet high. Someone has come in and scrubbed it clean, and though it lacks the polish and shine it once had, they have done an exceptional job, and the idea of being clean lifts my mood considerably.
I go on one side of a dividing wall, while the guys go on the other. My fingers hesitate on the hem of my top, my cheeks burning as I looktowards the divider. This is stupid. I’ve gotten naked in front of so many people. Why am I suddenly having issues?
Finding my courage, I peel off my clothes and get under the drip-fed icy water before I can find a reason not to. I refuse to look up. I don’t want to know whether they are looking at me or what they think. Instead, I reach for the bar of soap and scrub my skin red-raw.
The material to dry myself is thin, and it’s cold, but my clothes have disappeared, and there is another stack folded neatly. I almost protest, but the soft leather pants and black shirt look so much better than my rags. I find a wide leather belt that almost works as a corset; it takes me a minute to get it on and get it tight, but when I bend, I still have a full range of motion.
“Keres?”
“Hmm?” I turn, still playing with the belt, and look up. My brain cells short-circuit, and all the words vanish.
Mordecai is in all black leather-like armor. It’s got a blue embossed wolf on the front of it beneath a crescent moon. This is armor designed to intimidate your enemies.
Jarek is similarly dressed, but his wolf is orange, and his outfit lacks the decorations that Mordecai’s has. Both of them look like they are comfortable wearing clothes like this, like they were born to wear clothes like this. They look like they could lead countries and win wars.
Cadel, though, is wearing a black shirt similar to his last one and leather pants, with a belt that crisscrosses his abdomen before going up and over his shoulders. He looks mysterious and deadly, like he’s part of the shadows or that they are simply part of him.
I exhale slowly, aware I’ve flooded the room with my sweet scent but, for the first time, not caring. I couldn’t pretend to be disinterested if I tried.
“Come on, this way.” Legion is staring up at the broken window, his expression lost. Whatever his motive around all this is, he’s keeping it close to his chest. I sincerely doubt even Bear knows what he’s here for. “Right,” he says, snapping his jolly mask back on. “Let's get you fed and into a bed.”
We follow him to a large room where there is an enormous pot over a fire and a woman filling and handing out bowls. She’s got an infectious smile, a bubbly countenance, and blond hair that she’s got in pigtails. She grins at Legion as he approaches and leans into him without putting the bowl and serving spoon down.
“How’s my favourite omega?”
“Working myself to the bone feeding you monsters,” she teases.
They both chuckle, and she turns friendly eyes on us. There’s no awe, just curiosity.
“Welcome to the Resistance.”
I have to bite back the urge to correct her.
“This is Mia, and we wouldn’t be able to do anything if she didn’t always find ways of feeding us.”
