Actually, I do have some idea how unstoppable they are, but as desperate as I am to know everything about my wolves and this world, Roman’s description of them as weapons doesn’t sit right with me. “They’re not weapons, and I don’t control them.”
He lets out a low laugh, apparently not offended by my rebuke. “That, in and of itself, makes your pack a serious threat. They fight for you because they love you. There’s no more powerful a bond in the three worlds.”
Roman turns away from me then, lowering his hands. We’re standing in dappled sunlight, but somehow, he seems to find the shadows. I can’t read his deepest emotions clearly unless he chooses to show them to me, but I sense a thread of profound grief, and it surprises me.
My wolves seem to sense it too. They cease growling and crowd into me, all of them looking up at me for direction now that the perceived threat hasn’t materialized. Memories of my life with them flash through my mind, and I can’t deny the truth in Roman’s claims.
I would kill, fight, and burn the world down for my pack. I would sacrifice myself in a heartbeat.
They would do the same for me. Only love could elicit such a response from dark creatures like us.
Clearing my throat, I speak quietly to Roman and gesture to the doorway of the first building. “Will you show us around?”
He gives me a nod and leads the way into the building.
I step into the light and airy room, taking note of the skylights across the top of the walls on both sides, allowing me to see that this is nothing more than a storage room of sorts.
Shelves line the walls, stopping just below the windows. They hold a range of bags and boxes, some of which have greenery poking out.
The scent in here is strong, and most of what I’m smelling I can’t identify, but some parts remind me of grain and freshly cut grass, along with a slightly fishy smell I’d associate with a seafood market.
“This is where I keep the various foods and mineral supplements,” Roman tells me, watching me closely as I take it all in. “Many of the creatures who find me are in need of healing and care.”
I pause in the middle of the room, trying to come to grips with the two sides of Roman. Warrior demon feared by all and this version standing in front of me, talking about caring for sick animals. “I thought you weren’t big on the healing arts,” I say, only half-joking.
Roman’s expression lightens. “Beasts, I can heal. They’re simpler than demons and other supernaturals.”
I study him carefully, remembering the way he was unsettled when we rode the human elevator back in Vegas, and yet he seems completely comfortable in the Wilds. “You prefer it out here, don’t you? Away from the city?”
His humor fades in a flash, and again, I catch a thread of unexplained grief. “You’re young, but one day, you’ll understand the peace in silence. The calm in solitude.”
Our gazes lock and my heart aches a little. Reaching for him, I wrap my palm over as much of his muscular bicep as I can. “I do understand, but I find the same peace in my pack. Maybe you just haven’t found your pack yet.”
He flinches and steps away from me. “The possibility of a pack was taken away from me long ago.”
I want to ask him more, but he gestures to the door at the far end of this storage shed. “Come. I’ll show you the rest.”
The storage room lets out into a vast shed filled with an earthy scent and it takes me a full minute to take in everything I’m seeing.
Clean and airy cages line the wall a hundred yards to my right while a massive tank takes up space on the left. The tank is filled with lazily swimming creatures that I don’t recognize.
At the back are several fenced-off areas. Although they’re hundreds of yards away, I can make out the bright green of what looks like straw on the floor, and the silhouettes of a dozen beasts prowling back there.
“Come this way,” Roman says, leading me to the right, where the cages are. I follow him slowly, the scents becoming stronger.
When a familiar and unwanted aroma hits my senses, dragging back memories of fighting for my life, I grind to a halt with my demon wolves beside me.
Roman turns to me while I shake my head violently. “No.”
“Nova,” he says. “It’s okay.”
“They almost killed me,” I snap. “And you’re keeping them as pets?”
“As with your wolves, nothing here is my pet,” he says. “They were injured and I’m healing them.”
His voice hardens. “You need to see them when they aren’t cursed by Crone.” Darkness spills across his eyes, a swirl of onyx, and I remember what Reaper said: Crone is going to regret using her magic on Roman’s land.
My pulse races as I step closer to the cages. My body remembers the fear and adrenaline from my last encounter with the bats, and just because these ones are in cages doesn’t mean I can relax in their presence. Although… the bats are very quiet, as my demon wolves prowl behind me.
