Forstrength. Always.
And Mina strengthened my horde.
No one would deny that once they saw what she could do.
Would the horde still accept her if she was Valavik’s wife?
Lysi, they would.
However…
“With the female at my side, as my queen, the otherVorakkarswould have no choice but to yield. She would havemyprotection, the protection of a horde king, not that of apujerak,” I told him, feelingreliefsettle my mind at the realization. “You have no power against them. And if war came and I fell, your position would require you to yield to them. As such, she would as well.”
Valavik asked, “You think the otherVorakkarswould misuse her power?”
“I think there are those inDothikthat would misuse her power,” I told him, emphasizing the name of our capital city. “A year ago, her power would have been meaningless.Now,however, it is the most important defense we have.”
Valavik’s gaze settled back out on thedarukkars.
“You’re right,” he murmured.
“We keep the power for our horde,” I decided, steeling my voice. “I will inform the otherVorakkarsbut only those I trust. And I will wed her under the black moon.”
“That is in two nights,” Valavik murmured, his eyes cutting to me as he frowned. “Should you not wait until the moon is bright again? It is a slight against her to marry in such darkness. The horde will think—”
“Rath Kitala wed his queen under a black moon,” I pointed out.
“Because he could not wait any longer to possess her,” Valavik growled out.
“Then let the horde think that,” I said, my lips twisting bitterly. “That I am so undone for my bride, that I cannot wait to claim her.”
“Rowin,” Valavik said, shaking his head.
“The black moon,” I repeated, my jaw tight. A humorless smile crossed my lips. “It is when she and her kin planned to have me killed, after all. It is only fitting.”
Valavik held his tongue though I saw he wanted to protest.
To soothe his thoughts, I told him, “We cannot wait to secure her. We cannot wait for a bright moon. The fog grows every day. It may surround us by that time. What then?”
Valavik blew out a sharp breath. He was a more superstitious male than I, though I knew others in my horde would see it as a bad omen too, taking aMorakkariunder a black moon.
“And you have told her this?” he asked, raising a brow, his tail flicking wildly behind him in his discomfort. “She will help shield the horde if the fog does come?”
My lips pressed together.
“You capture her, chain her, force her to wed you, and you still expect her to help us? She has no loyalties to us, toyou,” Valavik argued softly.
And even though I’d seen Benn and the others mistreat her, she still had loyalties tothem. She’d told me herself that she would run back to them, at the first opportunity she had.
Unless…
Unless I threatened the Dead Mountain and all those who were within it. Unless I threatened to have my vengeance against all who took part in my own capture.
“There are those she cares about in the Dead Mountain,” I told Valavik, my spine straightening.
“Rowin,” he growled warningly. “Be careful. This is your futureMorakkari, after all.”
“Who has no loyalties to my horde. But I can force those loyalties if need be. Shewillprotect us when the fog comes. Or else we ride for the Dead Mountain.”
