From the get-go, the silence in the car is nerve-racking. Kendrick sits tall behind the wheel, his jaw clenched and knuckles white from his tight grip. For the first few miles, no one utters a word. Only after we leave Calina Falls behind does he decide to speak.

"Can someone tell me where we are going?"

"We need to visit all the territories you conquered after the big fight."

"Uh, okay, and why is that?"

"It's something I have to do for Cassum."

He arches a brow. "For Cassum?"

"I connected to her spirit last night and she asked me to find this male for her."

"Oh, okay, that explains it." He nods as if it were the most natural thing to communicate with the dead. "Did she say anything else? Hello, maybe?"

"She's really struggling."

When he hits the brakes hard, the seatbelt cuts across my chest. Another car passes us with the horn blaring. Andrenior groans from the backseat.

A rumble resonates in Kendrick's chest. "Get out of the car, Andrenior."

"No way. I'm not leaving Raelyn alone with you."

Kendrick snaps his teeth in warning. Fur ripples along his arms.

Andrenior scoffs. "Dude, you can't kill me."

"Maybe not, but I can still tear your head off. You might find a way to reattach it and live, but I can imagine this to be quite the unpleasant experience."

Andrenior raises his arms. "You won't come near my head."

I turn around, my eyes begging him not to rile Kendrick up even more. A nasty fight between them is the last thing I need. "Please, just get out of the car."

He huffs and slides out, slamming the door.

I turn to Kendrick; his eyes are dark with rage. "I know you're angry—"

"Angry?" He snorts. "I'm way past that. You abandoned me to do your own thing, and then you faulted me for moving on by burning down my home and almost killing several members of my pack. Next, you hurt my sister with your warlock powers and stripped her off her mate's respect. She and Killian split because they both blamed each other for not having a backbone. You seeded the idea of rebellion into the heads of my conquered Alphas, my pack wants me to kill you, and my siblings call me a love-struck fool because after all this, I'm still taking your fucking side. Yes, I'm angry, Raelyn, and damn, I think I have every right to be."

I close my eyes. This is worse than I thought. "I'm sorry."

"For what exactly?"

"Everything." I let out a shaky breath. "And your pack is right. You should kill me."

"I wish it were that easy." His shoulders sag and he slams back in his seat.

I give him a sideways glance. "I'm not a pure warlock. I can actually die."

"Don't you get it? After everything, I'm still worried sick about you day and night. I can't eat because I wonder if you are well fed and safe. I can't sleep because I can't be sure that nightmares don't keep you awake. My heart is a torn-up mess because every time I look at a female, I see your face in her. Hell, I don't want to be an Alpha if it means I have to kill you."

So Andrenior was right. He does still love me. "Why didn't you tell me all this when I was at your packhouse?"

He snorts again. "You didn't give me much of a chance for anything."

"Okay, but that doesn't explain why you asked Arabella to be your mate."

"Pressure from my pack and my family. I let it get to me."

"And that thing with Rikka?"

"You should know that she manipulated the situation. I never touched her, and that's the truth." Not even a hint of deception reflects in his features; his heart beats even and the energy around him is as calm as it can be. He's telling the truth.

"What happened with Arabella? Did you two end up mating?"

He shakes his head. "I couldn't go through with it."

I grimace. "Was she crushed?"

"Not particularly. Arabella might be an excellent healer, but I think the whole Luna thing scared her. There are not many females who are cut out for leadership."

And I blew my chances permanently. "Who is the acting Luna now?"

"One of the elders. It's a good interim solution but nothing permanent. I'll have to mate—and soon—but my problem is that the only female I can envision by my side is the one my pack could never accept. Not after you endangered them. Even if I'd force my will on them, they will always treat you like an outcast."

"I know."

"It's a fucked-up situation. I don't know what to do." He scrapes his fingernails over his coarse hair. "Especially since I have no clue how you feel about me."

A question that has been on my mind almost non-stop since I saw him again back at his packhouse. "I think I love you, too."

"You think?" His laugh is bitter.

"I know you're my true mate." It's one of the reasons I've been so reluctant to make my choice. "But it might not be enough."

His forehead wrinkles. "I don't understand."

"There's something I have to do, a promise I have to make, either to the moon or the sun. There's a high probability that it will have to be the latter, and if that happens, we could never be together."

"Why?"

"Because I'd lose my ability to shift. In my heart, I'll always be a wolf, but I could never turn into my wild again. I might even forget what it's like." My eyes find his, a sudden lump building in my throat. "And I could never give you proper pups. Our offspring would be hybrids, and some might not have wolf abilities."

"Then why not choose the moon?"

"Because it would ruin the plan."

"What plan?" Utter confusion and frustration are edged in the lines around his lips. "I'm afraid you're not making much sense."

"I know, but unfortunately, that's all I can tell you for now." I take his hand and cup it around my cheek. "I'm sorry that things are so complicated between us."

He chuckles. "You are a complicated female, I give you that. But I love you even more for it."

I let go of his hand. "For now, can we have a truce? No more questions until I'm ready."

"I'm fine with that, as long as you answer one more before we start our truce. What was that about Cassum?"

Another secret I'll have to keep from him. If he ever found out that Cassum's true mate killed her, he'd take revenge, although leaving him completely in the dark could slow down the search. "We have to find her true mate and bring him to her."

"Her true mate?" He edges closer in his seat, his eyes filled with a gossipy curiosity. "You know who he is?"

"I saw him in his wolf form in a vision."

"And did you really talk to her?"

"I'm what warlocks call a Caomhnóir, a Guardian of the Spirits. It allows us to communicate with lost souls and help them cross into the afterlife."

"Now that sounds badass."

I smile. "It is."

"And her true mate, he lives on one of the conquered territories?"

"Yes, I'm sure of it. He might even be their Alpha."

"Well, I guess we'd better get going."

He starts the car, sliding the gear into drive, which triggers the automatic locks to click. The SUV rolls forward a couple of inches. Frantic knocking draws our attention to the side window. Andrenior is flailing his arms, screaming to let him back in.

"Geez, do we really have to take him?"

I snicker. "Nah, let's ditch him. He can location shift back to your packhouse."

Kendrick flings his arm across my shoulders and pulls me into a side hug. "The road is calling, warlock."

"Then you'd better step on the gas, Alpha Raynes."

~~~~

The mood is light in the car as we continue our journey. Radio blasting, we take turns singing to the lyrics, with his voice undoubtedly better than mine. When he mimics an artist, Kendrick's face triggers a fit of laughter until I have the hiccups. We stop for coffee and apple pie, and he feeds me my pieces with extra whipped cream. Getting back into the car, he strokes my cheek, and his touch tingles on my skin long after I've gotten comfortable in my seat.

In the early afternoon, we hit the first territory. Wolves greet us with their arms folded, but they take a knee when they recognize Kendrick in the driver's seat. As we get out, suspicious glares follow us. Kendrick isn't rattled and walks toward their Alpha with testosterone pumping from every pore. The beaten leader rises to his feet on Kendrick's signal.

"Alpha Raynes, we weren't expecting you."

Kendrick tosses me a quizzical look, but I shake my head. This is definitely not him.

"How many of your sons are still alive?"

The Alpha's forehead wrinkles. "Two. Why do you ask?"

"Where are they?"

The Alpha's chin juts at the female next to him who has a small pup cradled in her arms. Another small male holds on to her coattail. Fear manifests itself in tears that run silently down his cheeks. I smile to show him we are no danger.

Kendrick spins on his heel and heads back to the car. Whispering "thank you," I follow him. I barely have enough time to fasten my seatbelt when the car takes off, leaving behind a cloud of dust.

I scowl at him. "Couldn't you have been a little bit more polite?"

"These wolves are not my friends, Raelyn. Every single one of them would tear my throat out if they could. A smile gives them leverage, but showing them that I'm in control keeps them subdued. You can't give them an inch or you'll lose their respect."

"I suppose I never saw it that way."

"Remember it for the next time. Plus, these wolves know you are a hybrid, so you naturally instill fear in them, but they equally hate you for it. They see you as a traitor to our kind."

"Sometimes, I wish I had never found my warlock powers."

"They are a part of you and make you who you are. Denying your heritage is the worst you can do."

I pull one of his hands to my lips. "That's something Sazith would've said. He was my mentor while I was training in the Highlands."

"Is he an ass like Marush?"

I snort. "Sazith is nothing like Marush. Marush is despised in the warlock community. He has a lot of enemies."

"Then why is he still in charge?"

"Because he is very powerful. Most warlocks are afraid of him." And for good reason.

"Are you afraid of him?"

"To a degree, yes. He's manipulative and takes advantage of people, even to their detriment. But the worst is that he has no conscience. He killed his mother without a slither of remorse."

"So you haven't found his Achilles heel?"

"I'm not sure he has one."

For a moment, Kendrick takes his gaze off the road. "Every creature has an Achilles heel. It's the one weakness we have no control over."

"Then what's your Achilles heel?"

There's not even a beat of hesitation. "You."

"Me?"

"I love you, and love makes me do crazy things."

"I don't think Marush has ever loved anyone."

"Even then, he still has an Achilles heel. Someone or something he cares deeply about. A cause worth dying for."

"You don't know Marush. He doesn't have a soul."

"Then find the thing that took his soul." Kendrick pulls into a dirt road, his chin pointing at a few houses in the distance. "That's the next settlement. Remember, smiles won't get you anywhere."

"Don't worry, I got it."

The visit to the territory is just as brief and hostile as the last without yielding a result. We continue our journey to the next stop just a few miles up the road. Again, no sign of Cassum's true mate. As minutes turn into hours, the light mood is replaced with frustration. I yawn, stretching my numb legs to restart the circulation.

"How many more are there?"

"I'd say about a dozen."

"You think we can continue tomorrow? I'm getting pretty tired." And hungry.

"Sure."

Leaning over to point at a motel we just passed, I stroke his thigh. "That one looked pretty nice."

"I can turn around." He pulls to the side and clears his throat. "But you should probably take your hand off my crotch."

I look down at the bulge that is growing under my cupped hand. Heat rushes into my cheeks. "Sorry." As if touching a burning stovetop, I tear my hand away.

"To be honest, I don't mind."

This time, it's desire that has darkened his eyes. When he caresses my bottom lip, an incredible ache spreads between my legs. I missed him. Playfully, I run my fingers along the inside seam of his pants. His breath hitches. The bulge is now no longer something he could hide.

"Are you going to turn around or what?"

He gazes at me through hooded eyes. "You are a very dangerous female, Raelyn."

I smile. "Let me show you just how dangerous I am."

Determined on releasing his pressing need, I dip down. His strong body shudders under my teasing touch. I take my time, watching him moan and pull his lip between his teeth. A dangerous Achilles heel indeed—and for tonight, I'll show him all the perks that go along with it.

~~~~

© Sally Mason 2018

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