“Is Hadriel not an odd choice to watch her? He only wanted to come on this expedition for a little excitement and to see his old kingdom. I know he was entrusted to watch the queen back when the kingdom was cursed, but he turned into her accomplice more than her jailor. He says himself that he’s nothing but mediocre, something he’s proven on this expedition.”
“You haven’t heard even a quarter of the stories. His ability to steer the queen and king through that dark time is commendable. To even survive in that castle when the demons ran it is exceptional. We didn’t fare so well, as you recall. He’s a lot more than he looks, trust me. He’ll manage her just fine. She’ll be there when we get back and he’ll stay the course as befits the kingdom.”
I didn’t say it, because I hated that I even thought it, but men were his sexual preference. He would not be drawn to her beauty beyond appreciating it, like studying a piece of art. I might hate myself for it, but it didn’t change the fact that I didn’t want anyone else to touch her.
A travel pack waited on the path as though dropped and forgotten. I bent to it, catching her scent. She must’ve discarded it in her haste to get to Granny’s cottage.
My fingers wrapped around the strap before I could think it through, pulling it in to my chest. Tanix’s hand came out, offering to carry it. Him holding any items of note was standard procedure. He did it all the time. Yet this time, I couldn’t help a low growl in the back of my throat, gripping her pack a little tighter. He backed off. Her things would stay with me.
We continued on until we reached the spot burned into my brain from last night. I’d dreamed of her, of my hands running along her curves, of working my cock deep inside her pussy. I’d fantasized this morning about doing it again, losing myself in her hard suction, her tight grip.
It made no sense how true mates worked. I shouldn’t be this attracted to a perfect stranger. I shouldn’t feel this pull to go back to her and ensure her safety. It wasn’t natural. I didn’t even know her name! Her very presence had the ability to undo everything I’d worked so hard to build, and I had zero say in it.
The path split off toward the village and I stopped, going over the timing of this invasion. By now, the pack would have secured the workhouse. They’d been instructed to go there first while another group took Granny’s cottage. The garden should’ve been locked down by now, too, also a good distance away from the village. We’d scouted the locations ahead of time but hadn’t stationed anyone close by in case they caught our scent or noticed any tracks. I’d need to visit both, collecting evidence from one and writing out detailed notes and getting samplesfrom the other. The pack might not be within the village yet, quelling any rebellion.
“Should we check out the workhouse first?” Tanix asked, clearly doing the math as well.
Curse me, but I wanted to see where the woman lived. I wanted to look through her things and stand within that entrancing smell, unlike anything I’d ever experienced. This would be the only opportunity I’d have for a glimpse into her personal life. I wanted to get to it as soon as I possibly could, wading through any angry villagers if I must.
But that was stupid. Reckless. I had to maintain some semblance of rationality here!
I gave Tanix a curt nod and started forward again, toward the workhouse.
The path widened the closer we got until a clearing opened up under the pale moonlight. As expected, my people were there, though only a few of them stood sentry around the building.
“What news?” I asked as I approached, finding the door standing open and Nova stationed beside it.
She had pulled her dark hair into a tight bun but, like the rest of them, hadn’t donned any clothing yet. We didn’t know if we’d need to quickly shift and continue to battle. Granny’s people hadn’t posed much of a threat for an alpha like me or my detail, despite its small size, but the old woman was cunning. There was no telling what surprises might await us before we left this place with the prize.
No, not the prize. The villain.
“It was empty when we got here. No guards, no booby traps, nothing. No one has come by.”
I furrowed my brow as she stepped farther away, giving me space. Why wouldn’t they have at least one guard protecting the heart of their operation? That was odd.
The door moved on well-oiled hinges. A mostly clean and orderly work area presented itself. Tubs lined the walls, some with water and some with dried plants, not unlike the queen’s workhouses. Instead of tables, though, they had three desks. One was close to the door and mostly bare, holding a few items that maybe didn’t have a home elsewhere. Another was pushed against the back wall, a mess of plants and dirt and gardening tools on its surface, their placements haphazard and the tools not well cared for. The person working at that station didn’t seem overly fond of the work. That, or they were a horrible slob. Maybe both.
The final desk, sitting in a far corner, held various canisters and jars. A tub sat next to that with vines soaking within. It looked as though everything was placed in a specific spot, as orderly as most of the workhouse itself.
She was the boss—I’d bet my life on it. The one who called the shots and mixed the product. The operation’s heart and soul.
“It’s tiny,” Tanix said, having walked in behind me. “For the amount of product they produce, I mean. I would’ve assumed their workhouse would be three times this size.”
“Check with Nova to make sure we didn’t miss any work areas. Maybe the garden has a space that we missed.”
I found myself sitting at the desk in the corner without remembering how I’d gotten there, her pack placed delicately on the floor beside my feet. I didn’t need her scent to tell me she worked here day in and day out. It had her feel about it, her essence. From just two meetings I knew it like I knew myself, the feeling etched into my soul.
I placed my palms on the flat workspace and then traced a couple grooves that had been cut into the wood. The edges of those grooves were dulled now, perhaps having been a novice’s mistake from long ago. No new scratches existed, demonstrating a mastery at work. The surface shone as though freshly cleaned,maybe tidied at the end of each day. Polished, too, though that didn’t smell fresh.
I bent to peer in the little cubbies on the right side, each labeled with a delicate, loopy scroll. The left had drawers and I opened each one, breathing in her scent, envisioning her sitting here, completing her tasks. She was probably studious, missing no details, painstakingly getting each part of the process correct. A hard worker, diligent.
Did she smile while she worked? Did she sit there, humming a little tune, unbothered by the destruction she was creating in the world beyond?
Another thought flashed. Maybe she wasn’t happy at all. Maybe she was forced into this labor, toiling at a job she didn’t have a choice in.
But if that were the case, would she really try to defend her mistress? Take on a room full of warriors with nothing but an axe? Those weren’t the actions of a captive.
Her tools were clean, well-tended to. The canisters and jars stood in a perfect line along the side. I pushed one just a bit out of line and wondered if she’d immediately fix it when she sat down to work, or if she only straightened everything at the day’s end. Not that I’d ever find out. We had her now, their drug maker. The brains behind this operation. The “talent.” She was done with this line of work; I’d make sure of it.
