Heir To The Iron Crown ✓

39 - þrjátíu og Níu

May just laughed, seriously amused at my confusion.

"Scents merge into one? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" she said, still laughing.

I felt a little embarrassed. I had heard many things, maybe this wasn't true.

"They don't?" I asked.

"No, of course not. Your scent is like your fingerprint. It is unique. Nobody else can smell like you. The only thing that shows that you are mated is a mark, and given that you don't have one, you will have to say that it is intimate, if asked," she said.

I instinctively lifted the collar of my sweater a little higher up.

"Yeah, I guess," I replied.

"When mates are fully mated, they can communicate through the mindlink. But since you're not mated to Bayo, you will have to use your cloveroot pendant. We will be giving him one too, similar to yours.

"You've got the brief. Now just trust your instincts and get on with the mission. I'm sure you'll do great," she said, encouraging.

I nodded my head, now a little less confident than I was before. Maybe pretending wouldn't come as easy. I'm not great at faking feelings, and my mate's mark was only going to make it more difficult.

Bayo had already shifted as May and I approached the group. Jasper checked my temperature and assured me the fever was now gone but I still had to keep the paracetamol with me, in case.

Uriah removed our bags from the car and had wrapped up the third tent too, before finally closing the hood.

I wore my gold cloveroot pendant around my neck and shifted into Ima's silver form, picking my bag between my teeth.

Sven came closer and stroked my head. "Stay safe."

I nodded my head and finally moved to stand with Bayo's brown wolf. Uriah put a similar necklace around his neck and then stepped back.

"Let's go Rayne," said Bayo in my head.

Wow, this actually works.

"What did you think? It was just for show?" he said, a smirk in his voice.

He started running North, away from the camp. I nodded my head to everyone else and paced after him.

...

I had caught up with him easily, matching his pace most of the way. We kept moving in the same direction, without stopping.

"Not too far now," he said.

The sun had started to drop again, and I was hoping we'd make it to Fala before dark.

It wasn't long before we heard a long howl from behind us. As we slowed our steps, we were quickly surrounded by five wolves.

Five warrior wolves.

"Pack patrol," Bayo said.

One of the wolves shifted and stood in front of us.

"Shift," he said, sternly.

"Wait," Bayo said through the mindlink.

He stepped in front of me, almost protectively, and shifted.

"You were about to cross Fala borders. Do you know what we do with rogues that cross our land?" he said.

"We have business in Fala. The Gamma has been informed," said Bayo.

They have? Well Nove did say they've had professional relations with Fala for some time now.

The lead wolf seemed to be communicating through the mindlink.

"Names?" he asked.

"Bayo Zivai and Rayne Ylva," he said.

He then nodded to the rest of the wolves.

"Go shift and change. They'll escort us," Bayo said to me.

I did as he told and came out of the trees, now fully clothed and carrying the bag on my back.

We walked a little distance towards Fala flanked by the four other wolves. Bayo stayed close to me the entire way.

As we walked further into their pack, Bayo and I received odd looks, and for the first time since I left Fathilagt, I felt like a rogue.

We reached a building where a small group of people stood, waiting.

The man leading us bowed his head to the man in front of us, and turned around with his companions, I assumed to return to their posts.

"Welcome to Fala. I am Gamma Fraser. I had spoken to November about your visit. Come inside and we can talk," he said, pointing towards the door behind him.

We entered the humble building into a lobby where some sofas were placed around a table.

Gamma Fraser took a seat on the sofa while the warriors that were with him stood near the door. We went to sit on the sofa opposite him, and I noticed that Bayo sat too close to me for my liking.

I could hear Imadis growling but quieted her when the Gamma spoke.

"I hear you have a proposition to make during the general meeting we will have three days from now," he said.

"Yes. We do," said Bayo.

"All right, let's hear it," said Gamma Fraser.

"We'd prefer to do so in the company of everyone else at the meeting," said Bayo, very straightforward.

"If I'm keeping two rogues in pack territory, I need a bloody good reason for it. I can't have you wasting my Alpha and Beta's time at the meeting if what you propose won't be fruitful to us in any way," he said, crossing his arms and leaning back against the sofa.

"That's what I was afraid of," Bayo said in my head.

Our objective was to get to the meeting. If Bayo isn't able to convince the Gamma, we'd be on our way back right now.

"You will have collective information on the person of interest, once other pack representatives are assembled at the meeting. We propose finding whoever fits the description and bringing them to you," he said, plainly.

"Once we have the information, why would we need your help to do it?" Fraser asked, not at all impressed.

"Because we know that regardless of what your criteria is, the person you're looking for is a lone wolf. And those are our specialty," Bayo said.

The Gamma seemed thoughtful.

"Besides, the packs would agree it rather be us than them. They wouldn't want to get their hands dirty, now would they?" Bayo said, for emphasis.

"What's in it for you?" Fraser asked him.

"Continued alliance of a large-scale pack. It is difficult for a small band like ours to survive on our own," he said, his answers sounding almost rehearsed. Of course all of this was bs, but Bayo was doing a great job.

And I had to do nothing besides wait for whenever I was needed to be sacrificed. I could imagine Ima rolling her eyes right now.

"The decision will be made by our Alpha and the other Alphas of the packs. But since you're already here, you can stay," he said.

Bayo's face was neutral, but his "victory!" resounded in my head. This guy sure can put up an act.

"On a condition," Fraser said.

"Ah shit."