Chapter: fifteen

The journey back to the Royal Outland Silver Blood Pack felt like it was dragging on forever. Ezekiel took the wheel, while the warriors crammed into the first car.

The demon in the back seat, swathed in silver chains that left it too weak to move, cast a shadow of unease over everyone.

“How long until we’re home?” Aylin asked.

“We’ll make a few stops, but the others will just keep going. They’ll only stop for gas.”

“Should we really leave them behind?”

Ezekiel smirked, his grip on the steering wheel tightening. “My warriors can take care of themselves. Don’t worry.”

Still grinning, he added, “You’re already showing signs of a good queen, worrying about your pack members.”

“Well, there’s a demon in that truck. Isn’t it natural to worry about those sharing a ride with it?”

“Trust me, my love. My warriors can handle one demon.”

Deciding to rest her eyes, Aylin reclined her seat. The thought of the demon breaking free from its chains still nagged at her. Despite the skilled fighters in the truck, a serious incident could cost lives.

Choosing not to dwell on it, she closed her eyes, hoping the next place she’d open them would be home.

***

~^EARLIER AT DARK MOON PACK^~

~“I have a better idea. Take the demon with you.”~

~“That’s crazy. It’s a three-day journey to our pack!”~

~“I’ll give you all the silver I can spare. It’s more lethal to them than to us. It’s worth a shot.”~

~Ezekiel stayed silent throughout the exchange, observing the two. Seeing them interact, he understood why they could have killed each other in the first month.~

~Their personalities clashed too much. Sure, he and Aylin were different too, but there was a clear difference between the two alphas.~

~Ezekiel was trying to change, leaving his old life behind for her.~

~Daemon did as he was told, and even though he was told it was for the pack’s good, he didn’t try to change her standing with the other pack members.~

~Aylin fit in better with the Royal Outland Silver Blood Pack than she ever did with the Dark Moon Pack.~

~“Alright, silver the damn thing, and we’ll take it with us. Let’s hope no other demons come looking for it.”~

~Aylin stared at her mate in disbelief. How could he think transporting it for such a long distance and time was a good idea?~

~Even though it was to be silvered, there was always a risk of something going wrong. As the future queen of the pack, the thought of losing those in transport made her stomach churn. “Zeke, are you sure?”~

~“We can’t stay here any longer. It’s too dangerous, for us and for the Dark Moon Pack.”~

~He glanced over his mate’s head, sensing the tension in the room. He knew Morris wanted to get rid of the demon, and this was the perfect opportunity. “Morris, silver the thing, and bring it.”~

~Morris nodded, turning on his heel with Quill and Angus following him.~

~“Zeke, is this really a good idea?”~

~“I’ve weighed the risks, and they outweigh the benefits here, but if we want information, we need to take it with us.”~

~“What will the pack members say when they see a demon on their land? Silvered or not?”~

~“If they start asking questions, I’ll gather them all and make an announcement. Probably when I announce that you’ll be my queen.”~

~Aylin froze, her eyes wide. She hadn’t thought of that.~

~“Go pack your things. We’ll leave as soon as the demon is in the car.”~

~Watching his mate walk away, Ezekiel realized how lucky he was.~

~The circumstances weren’t ideal, but having Aylin by his side made him feel invincible.~

~Demons might be closing in, but if she did have demon blood, their chances of winning against them were higher.~

~He knew that the more he stood by her, supporting her, the more she would find her strength to help defeat Zagan.~

~***~

The road ahead started to blur into one long line. The moonlight cast a charcoal gray hue over the surrounding scenery.

Having lost sight of the first vehicle, he hoped they could reach the pack in two days instead of three.

Despite his calm exterior, Ezekiel was just as worried as Aylin about his warriors. Losing track of time, he decided it was time to pull over and rest.

Looking at his sleeping mate, a small smile spread across his face.

Not wanting to wake her yet, Ezekiel checked into a room and dropped off their bags.

Returning to the car, he admired her peaceful, sleeping face. She looked so carefree. No demons, no past, nothing could harm her.

“Honey, wake up. We’ve stopped for the night.”

She groaned, rubbing her eyes as she sat up. “How close are we to home?”

“About a day and a half, give or take.”

With her eyes half-open, she started to get out of the truck. “You drove all that time?”

Ezekiel shrugged and gave a sly smile. “I might have broken a few speed limits.”

Aylin shook her head and let it go. Arguing with him would be pointless, and besides, it meant getting home sooner. The sooner, the better.

Being away from the castle for so long made her uneasy. A strange feeling had been nagging at her since they arrived at Dark Moon. It only got worse as the days passed.

She flopped onto the bed face-first. Nothing had ever felt so comfortable. Her muscles were stiff and twisted from sleeping in the truck.

“Save some room for me, will you?”

Aylin moaned, sinking into the plush mattress. “I know this isn’t our bed, but damn, it’s comfy.”

Ezekiel chuckled, finding his drowsy mate endearing. “At least strip down.”

“Is that your version of sweet talk?”

His chest rumbled with a deep laugh. “Do I need to sweet talk you?”

“Well, my alpha, that’s your call,” she teased, poking his chest.

“When we get home, you’re in for it, love. We won’t be leaving the bedroom.” His voice was laced with seduction, making Aylin shiver. “Behave, my queen.”

Snuggling into Ezekiel, Aylin felt a sense of safety and warmth. She closed her eyes, hoping to escape her worries, if only for a moment.

“You’re mine now.” A sinister voice echoed in her ears. She jerked up in fear. The man holding her wasn’t her mate. “You can’t run from me now!”

She tumbled out of bed, and the stranger smirked wickedly at Aylin. Backing away as quickly as she could, she bumped into the armchair. “W-who are you?!” she stammered, pointing a shaky finger.

His smirk sent chills down her spine. He rolled off the bed and stood tall. “I think you know.”

She paused, racking her brain. A flash of a photo from a file hit her. Her eyes widened in shock, and panic set in.

“Hmm, I see you remember.”

“Za-Zagan! You, you can’t be here. It’s impossible!” Aylin stuttered.

He slinked toward her. He looked just like the photo, only his hair was a bit longer.

His eyes were a deep blue with a hint of green. His cheekbones were strong, his jaw chiseled.

“Do you know why I’m here, my sweet?” His words were laced with malice, making Aylin’s stomach churn.

She trembled, unsure if she should respond. “N-no, why are you here?” She had unknowingly backed herself into a corner.

Zagan licked his lower lip, looking at her like she was a meal. He extended his arms, trapping her. He took in the sight of her.

“Oh, darling, you have no idea how long I’ve been searching for you.”

He leaned in, taking a deep, dramatic sniff of Aylin’s scent. He crinkled his nose. “You smell of that wolf, the lesser being that he is.”

Rage surged through Aylin. How dare he insult her mate? Ezekiel was the only man she could ever love.

Whatever Zagan wanted, she wouldn’t give it to him. He was pure evil.

She glared at him, pointing a finger. “Don’t ~ever~ insult my mate again. I don’t know who you think you are, but you’re nothing compared to him. Not even close.

“And I am ~not~ yours, and I ~never~ will be.” Aylin spat in his face.

Zagan seemed taken aback, but he quickly recovered. He laughed. “But, ~you~ don’t know the whole story. I’m the only one who can tell you.”

He traced a finger down her cheek, purring. “Time to wake up, darling. See you soon.”

“-lin.”

“-ylin!”

“Aylin!”

She woke with a start. Ezekiel was shaking her, trying to wake her. He’d been trying for over ten minutes.

He panicked when he noticed her pulse slowing and her breaths becoming shallow. “Oh, my Goddess, sweetheart, are you okay?” Fear was etched on Ezekiel’s face.

She shook off the nightmare and threw herself into her mate’s arms, releasing all the fear she felt in Zagan’s presence. “Oh, Zeke! It was horrible!” she sobbed into him.

He stroked her hair gently, rocking them back and forth. “Shh, I’m here now.” He showered her forehead with kisses, holding her tightly.

“Tell me what happened.”

Aylin covered her face with her hands. She felt a sense of shame even saying the demon’s name. “It-it was, it was Zagan,” she said loudly.

Ezekiel tensed, trying to stay calm for Aylin. She was sobbing in his arms, terrified by her dream. “Deep breaths, love. What did he say?”

She took a deep breath and wiped her eyes. She considered lying but knew it was wrong.

“He said there was more to the story and that only he could tell me. He said I was his…he called you a lesser being…”

Ezekiel couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The audacity of a demon saying such a thing. He was struggling to stay composed as Aylin recounted her dream.

She was strong, but her past still haunted her.

Ezekiel got out of bed and started to dress. If Zagan could reach Aylin in her dreams, they needed to get home.

“Zeke, are we leaving?”

“Yes, it’s not safe.” His response was short and sharp.

His tone cut through Aylin like a knife. Was he blaming her for the dream? She didn’t choose to dream about him.

Clearly, Zagan had some magical way of invading her mind. They didn’t know the extent of his abilities.

It was too dangerous for Ezekiel to risk Aylin’s life.

Aylin dressed in silence, not daring to glance at Ezekiel. His harsh tone sent a chill down her spine.

Once she was fully clothed, she picked up her bag and left the room, leaving the king behind. She couldn’t understand why he was being so cold to her, but she knew it wasn’t right.

She stood by the car, waiting for him to emerge. When he finally did, he looked worn out, his brow furrowed. As soon as she saw him, she tossed her bag into the trunk and climbed into the back seat.

He might have been ready to return to the castle, but she was still exhausted. And right now, she didn’t feel like talking to him.

He slid into the driver’s seat and glanced at her in the rearview mirror, his expression softening. “Come sit up here.” His voice was almost pleading, but she could tell he knew she was upset.

When she didn’t respond, he turned halfway around. “What’s wrong?” Still, she said nothing. Instead, she used her jacket as a pillow and lay down, her back to him.

“Damn it,” he muttered, just loud enough for her to hear.

With her eyes closed, Aylin could still hear the king muttering to himself. She didn’t bother trying to make out his words. Whatever he was saying couldn’t be that important.

She rolled over and saw him gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white, shaking his head. A part of her was glad that he realized he’d messed up and was beating himself up over it.

~“Talk to him!”~ Kaia urged in her mind.

~“He should apologize,”~ Aylin countered.

~“Well, he can’t if he doesn’t know what he—” ~

~“Zeke knows what he did!”~

~“At least talk to him. Mate is sad you won’t talk to him. His wolf is restless.”~

~“Hmph, fine.” ~Aylin finally gave in to her wolf.

“Zeke,” she murmured, her voice barely audible.

He looked at her in the rearview mirror, surprise flashing in his eyes. “You’re awake?”

“Yes.”

He sighed, knowing what he had to do, but finding it difficult. He’d rarely, if ever, had to apologize for anything in his past.

But things had changed quickly since he’d met Aylin. “Look, I’m uh… I’m sorry for the way I spoke to you. I’m not, nor will I ever blame you for the dream you had. Zagan is a bastard.”

He growled low, remembering the sheer terror on her face when she’d woken up. “I promise you, Zagan will die by my hand. He won’t ever get his hands on you.”