Souls Entwined

Chapter Nineteen

'It would make sense if they hadn't tried to kill someone,' both their eyes slid towards me, and it didn't take a genius to know my first guess when Nona had started on this tirade had been right. 'But they made their bed. It's time to lie in it.'

'They're still fighting for their land.' Moira spat. Her eyes were a greedy shade of green. There had been talk, for months, about the land being split between the remaining packs around the Umbra territory. With our territory backing into the largest proportion of land, we had the biggest claim, but the Viridi pack wasn't happy with it.

I decided I was done. Moira had already made her mind up, so what point was I making by staying quiet? 'Wouldn't you fight for your land when someone threatened to pull it out from under you?'

Nona had the dignity to look sheepish. Moira's expression must have been stuck in a scowl because she spun those piercing eyes my way and snarled, 'It is not the same, what do you know?'

I swallowed, pinching the skin around my wrist and forcing myself not to cower at her glare, 'I know what it's like to lose somewhere I felt safe. Aucteraden is meant to be neutral territory, and I was meant to be safe, but it didn't stop what happened. I also know what it's like to have someone I trust betray me, which has happened to many people.'

Moira looked like she wanted to repeat herself, but she chose to keep her mouth stamped shut.

I looked at both women and couldn't find any anger, only a sense of sadness at what they refused to believe. 'Do you trust Kaden to make choices that benefit you? Do you trust him to lay his life before yours, to protect you and ensure he does everything he can to keep you well-fed and able to enjoy the life you've grown accustomed to?'

Moira snorted, 'Of course. He made a vow.'

I waited for Nona to nod, a forced jagged flick of her chin, before continuing. 'So is it possible that the people of the Umbra pack also trusted their Alpha family to do the same for them? Is it to be believed that the entire pack conspired against me and that an entire pack knew and not a word got out until everything was over?' I steepled my fingers with a deep inhale, trying to calm the racing thoughts within my mind. 'If given a chance, do you think they would have chosen this outcome?' My tone was getting tighter, but it still wasn't anger that coated my words. 'Would they have wished to be without their Alpha family, minds thrown loose in the wind?'

I gave them a moment to ponder, but when neither seemed to agree or disagree, I continued, 'Would you not then cling to the only familiar thing you have left when the entire world is filled with comments like yours? Is it hard to believe they may feel uncomfortable joining a pack that spoke about theirs as though everyone in it was scum? The people who wronged me, not you, are dead. They paid for the wrongs of their son, whose mind was already fraying after the loss of his true soulmate. They've had their lives pried open against their will. Have they not been through enough?'

Moira shifted her shoulders, her scowl dropping into a more thoughtful frown. 'If they really are innocent, why haven't they sought refuge with other packs?'

I nodded, acknowledging her point, 'It's hard to know for sure,' I admitted, a little deflated after my speech. 'Perhaps their connection to the land is too strong. I know many of these families can trace their ancestors to before the treaty, and it can be hard to give up what is familiar. Perhaps they do not want to. Maybe it is too hard. Maybe you are right, and they are scared to be caught. Or maybe no one has bothered to ask?'

I might have said something that caused new ideas to rewire through their brains, but their thoughtful expressions disappeared as quickly as they crossed their features.

Instead, both women were on alert, with shoulders twisted high as they stared at the open door.

Kaden stalked into the room, a far cry from the man who usually made his way to the dining room at night. He came to me first, smoothing a hand over my hair as he leaned down, pressing his lips to the crown of my head. Then with a pointed look across to the two women, he declared, voice strained, 'You may go now.'

The women shot to their feet, scurrying away from us as if he had declared he'd brought a grenade into the room, twisting to look over their shoulders just before they disappeared down the hall to throw one last furrowed brow my way.

They were still too close for me to ask if it had been a magic trick, but I did sigh, tension raining from me in intermittent bursts. Kaden cupped my cheek with one hand, and I leaned into it, soaking up his warmth. 'How was your meeting?'

He sighed, leaning back on the table, his fingers trailing away. He had one leg tucked between mine, and even though my heart thundered at the thought, I didn't flinch or move away. 'Same as it always is. A basic pissing contest to see who can get the furthest. The Spiritus pack doesn't want anything to change. They want to continue to welcome our warriors but are hesitant to renegotiate the terms.'

'When was the contract signed?' I asked, suddenly finding myself with an itch in my fingers, desperate to reach out and touch him. I felt my fingers creeping forward, fighting an internal battle about whether I should.

'Twenty years ago.'

I blinked at him, confusion crinkling my brow, 'Surely both sides could benefit from a renegotiation, especially one that happened so long ago.'

Kaden shook his head, a heavy sigh ripped from his lips. 'I cannot imagine what my father was thinking when he signed this one,' he admitted, falling quiet as my fingers slowly landed on his thigh. His eyes flittered over my fingers, his own dropping to brush across them before he looked back at me. 'We've promised to send all our warriors to them in times of war and thirty per cent to investigate and exterminate rogue attacks.'

I felt myself recoil, and I took a moment to understand what he had said. 'That's too many warriors. All? And thirty per cent for a rogue attack! That's nearly a hundred warriors. In what scenario does a rogue, or even a pack, require that many fighters to take them down?'

Kaden chuckled, a soft light filling his eyes, making his face come to life. 'And that's on top of what they already have?' I feared my eyes would pop free with how wide they had gone.

'Well, of course, they don't want to re-sign.' I blurted, halfway distracted by how Kaden's fingers traced over mine. 'I wouldn't either if I knew one of the top packs would send their entire fleet of warriors my way if I ever needed them. So what are we meant to do when they go to war, Kaden? Since we're high stakeholders, do we have a say in what happens? How do we even protect ourselves? We would become the number one target. What better way to take us down than forcing our warriors to cross countries and leave us entirely defenceless.'

Kaden was grinning by the time I'd finished my tirade, and as he leaned forward, tucking some hair behind my left ear, he looked like the weight on his shoulders had started to ease.