Hunter’s shoulders are rigid. I press my hand into his large thigh. He hates the attention, I know it. His distaste is clear in his stiff body and our bond.
Brokk pulls ahead. His grin is big enough for two Alphas. In his lap, Diala sits with her eyes wide and staring like a hunted rabbit’s. This is the first time she has seen her palace in so many years.
“Let me down.” I grip Hunter’s forearms. “Let me help her.” I can relate to an Omega who has no idea what's going on or what’s become of her life.
But Brokk slides down and lifts the rigid queen into his arms. “It's all right,” he murmurs. “You're safe now.”
Diala still looks dazed.
“Haley!” Sian races down the steps. She crosses the lawn and bows. “My queen.”
I wriggle until Hunter hands me down, and race to her. I throw my arms around her. “You're safe! Thank god.”
There's a yellowish-black lump on her green head but other than that, she looks okay.
“Are you well?” She grips my shoulders, peering into my eyes. “I was so worried! What happened?”
“I'll tell you everything. First… help me.” I dust down my filthy tunic. Hunter has dismounted and is looking to me. “I need to help her,” I call to him, and turn to follow Brokk, with Sian right beside me.
“Where are we going?” she asks as start running.
“I need to help my friend. She was being kept captive by the Stone King.”
“Oh.” Sian picks up her pace.
Brokk’s up ahead, making a turn down the hall. He’s heading to rooms near mine.
“We’re going to want food and baths,” I say. “But I want to make sure she’s settled.”
We round a corner. There’s no sign of the couple we were following, but Brokk’s voice echoes down the hall. I slow my steps and raise a hand to halt Sian. We both creep up to the door, listening to the big Alpha’s gentle rumble.
“You’ll be all right, lady,” he says.
The door is cracked open. I set a hand on it and let it swing open.
Brokk is kneeling in front of Diala as if about to unlace her boots. She’s frozen above him, her cheeks ghostly under the white dust.
I clear my throat. “Thank you, Brokk. We’ll take it from here.”
Brokk rises but bends to take Diala’s hand. “You are safe here. I give you my word.”
Diala blinks up at him, her hand limp in his. He presses the back of her hand to his brow before lowering it to her knee. With a brief bow to me, he leaves.
Sian and I exchange looks. The big guy looks smitten.
Someone outside the windows whoops, and we all jump. Sian scurries to close the windows. Outside on the lawn, Hunter is standing in the center of a ring of firepits with the largest of the snakes before him. The Slythin’s huge wedge head descends. Hunter raises the fang on the necklace he wears and presses it to his forehead, then bows his head as well. Firelight dances, turning Hunter’s skin to black, and the snake’s scales to flame.
After a moment, the Slythin slithers away, and Hunter stands alone. I clench my hand to keep from clawing at my heart. An ache radiates from the center of my chest. I need to be with Hunter.
But I owe Diala. And she needs me. Hunter doesn’t.
“We have another infestation of Slythin,” Sian is chattering to Diala. “The Alphas went to hunt them but the king roared at them to stop.”
“He did?” I stop short. “He spoke?” Brokk said the same thing, but I still can’t believe it.
“I mean, in his way.” Sian waves a hand as she sashays back and forth across the room, fetching a water pitcher, glasses, a washing bowl, and a stack of clothes. “There wasn’t a lot of explaining, but he ordered them to drop their weapons and stand back. And then the largest snake brought its head down, and the king climbed right on. No one knew what was happening. Brokk was the first to ride, after the king.” Sian is still telling the story. “He shouted that the rest of them were cowards, and then a few followed.”
Diala is sitting like a statue with her hands in her lap.
