Animus danced backwards towards the water, almost floating on the surface of the rock ledge. His motions were too smooth, unnatural. Zak was a furry black whirlwind, his claws scrabbling on the rock, snapping his teeth but never finding his target.
Animus was toying with him.
My fear turned to panic as Animus reached down and scruffed Zak, picking him up with ease, like he was a tiny pup and not a snarling adult wolf.
My body launched into action. I ran.
"A wolf?" Animus asked, laughing. "Well, that's certainly not what I expected. Maybe you're not a descendent of his after all."
I nearly stopped in my tracks.That's it!
I stared at Zak intensely, mentally begging him to catch my eye. I feared that he was so infuriated that he lost all sense. I'd seen it happen to alphas before and it always hurt them in the end.
Please, please don't happen to my mate...
Then Zak turned his muzzle. It was subtle, not enough to draw attention and definitely not for anyone else to notice. It was a tiny action between two mates, a small gesture that only two people in love would comprehend.
He saw me. And I knew from the flash in his eyes that he understood my silent plea.
Zak ramped up his struggle, flailing in Animus's grip and shooting deliberate looks of fear towards the water. "Let go of me!"
Animus saw his panicked glances and smiled wider. "Oh? Afraid of the water, are you?" He laughed. "I shouldn't be surprised Animus produced such a pitiful descendent."
Zak was a surprisingly good actor. The crack of terror in his voice sounded real enough that it hurt my heart. "No!"
"You'll tell me where Nautilus is," Animus said. "Right, pup?"
Zak pretended to hesitate, his chest heaving rapidly as if in dread, then spat: "Fuck you!"
The smile evaporated off Animus's face. With a cold expression, he whipped Zak around and thrust his entire body underwater. The water by the rock ledge was deep, not the same shallows by the sandy shoreline. Even knowing Zak would be fine, it still made my chest lurch to witness this.
Zak thrashed, splashing everywhere, but Animus was shoving him so deep that his limbs didn't even break the surface. A cold chill descended on me.
Is Animus really trying to drown him?
I had never been so grateful for Nautilus's genes in Zak. If it wasn't for his inability to drown... I shuddered. I didn't want to imagine the alternative.
I realized with a jolt that I had to play along, too. If I didn't, Zak's acting was for nothing. I ran at Animus with tears in my eyes and an expression of horror.
"Stop!" I cried. "Let go of my mate!"
Animus paused but didn't haul Zak out of the water. His wolf paws were still treading uselessly. "Your mate should have thought twice before testing my patience."
Fucking asshole,I thought, fury making my blood boil.
"He's the alpha of the pair, isn't he?" Animus asked with a sneering smile. "They're always the first to throw themselves into danger."
Was that scorn in his voice directed at alphas or mortals in general? For some reason, I had the feeling it was the former. It reminded me a lot of the way I used to speak about alphas.
Is it even possible for spirits to be alphas or omegas?I wondered suddenly.If it is, Animus definitely doesn't sound like an alpha...
If that was the case, would he take it easier on me because I was an omega? It was a wild guess, possibly a dangerous one, but to help Zak I had to take the risk.
"Yes, he's my alpha. Let go of him."You have to beg. Ham it up a little."Please!"
"It's been a while since I've played with a pair of mortals," Animus mused to himself casually, like he wasn't shoving Zak underwater with his spare hand. "And a pair of wolves, no less. Very classic."
Wait, did he say a pair of wolves?
