28. Vix

Chapter 28

Vix

" I already told you not to kill Valentina," the alpha snapped, pissed as hell by the sound of it. "Can someone please fucking explain why this is such a problem?"

The raven in question shifted flawlessly, landing on her human feet. Far from Rune. "Tell the outsiders and I'll report you to the Enclave."

How very interesting .

"That's the raven without a collective. She belongs to the alpha's cub. Or so they say."

Vix felt Kenji pull out his gun, pointing it between Valentina's eyes and smiled.

"Why did you call me, Vixen?"

"I need permission, Guardian."

Valentina's tsk was music to her ears.

"You know I can't do that." Kenji smiled slightly. "Technically."

"There are exceptions."

"Are they going to join the collective then?"

Unlikely, but it didn't really matter. "I need permission."

Kenji sighed. "They'd be your responsibility. If anyone finds out, you know the price."

"Execution," Valentina stated, almost sounding bored despite the topic. "They'd remove your wings and drag you into the sky before dropping you ten thousand feet above the earth. Seems far too risky if you ask me."

Vix felt a thrill go through her when Rune dove for Valentina, proving he'd do exactly as he'd said and then some – even going against the alpha's wishes.

He was perfect.

"I accept the price," Vix murmured as she watched her tiger full of secrets reach for the raven and miss when she side-stepped into the shadow realm.

But then, the most curious thing happened.

Rune's hand dipped into that glittering darkness and ripped the raven from it with a roar that vibrated through the universe, both of them dripping in shadows that dissipated the moment they touched the light of the morning sun.

Her tiger pinned the raven to the ground and held her there, claws on her throat as he waited for Vix's decision.

"I like him," Kenji leaned over to whisper.

"Me too."

"All right, I give you permission. Just don't make me regret it." Kenji pointed his gun at the alpha then, the rising sun glinting off the metal. "The reason this is such a fucking problem is because that raven doesn't belong to a collective."

"That's the only part I do understand," Samuel growled.

She could just imagine him crossing his arms over his chest, and she hid her smirk in Kenji's shoulder, right hand loose with the sword dangling from her fingertips.

"I doubt this would ever have been a problem for you if you'd left her where she was." Kenji's grip on her tightened as his irritation rose. "But Vix is a raven. She belongs to the Tombstone Collective, and this other raven you're housing doesn't belong to anyone. Whether she bought out her contract or she's a deserter, it doesn't matter."

" Kenji ." Vix covered his mouth with her hand and glared up at him. "I said I would take responsibility."

He slipped his gun in the holster with a sigh and pulled her hand away from his face. "And I promised I'd take responsibility for you , didn't I? What kind of father would I be if I let you endanger yourself like an idiot?"

Covering his mouth with both of her hands couldn't put those words back, but she almost hoped…Vix felt the weight of all three tigers focus on him then and knew it was too late.

This was dangerous .

She hadn't decided what she was going to do about the mate bond yet, and if things went badly…

But the tension all around her was easing and she shook her head, wishing he'd left after giving her permission instead of sticking his nose in her business.

Kenji worried too much.

"I shouldn't have called you here. I should have run…"

Strong arms wrapped around her and held her tight. Vix dropped her hands from his mouth and rested her forehead against his chest as she tried to calm down.

There was a glyph that would let her take them through time and space, far away from here so no one could find him and steal him from her.

Should she use it?

"The reason my hatchling is making such a fuss about this is because that raven is a danger to you whether you think she is or not. It could very easily be a non-issue, but ravens without a flock have allegiance to no one . She could slit your throat in your sleep if she felt like it with no collective to take responsibility for the death," Kenji explained. "That one doesn't feel anything at all either, which may or may not work to your benefit. Hard to say, really."

"Technically, he's right," Valentina begrudgingly admitted. "I paid off my contract, but I still honor my oath to my partner and we swore to serve Morgan. If that witch told me to kill you, I would without hesitation, but since she loves you, I doubt she will."

That was better than nothing, but Vix didn't exactly trust the witchling either after seeing her withhold such important information.

"Interesting," Mylo murmured. "And yet, Vixen is not a raven."

"She is." Kenji sounded so indignant it was adorable. "Even if she doesn't have wings."

"Not yet," she murmured.

Vix took a deep breath and stepped away from Kenji. Each step toward Rune reminded her she wasn't wearing her boots and she couldn't shift into paws, but it didn't matter when her autumn tiger was watching her with so much wild hope in his eyes.

Kneeling down beside him, she took his face in her hands and eased some of the agony she'd given him the moment he'd thought she'd leave and never return. "Your eyes terrify me. They remind me of someone I can't remember, but…they're not quite the same."

She searched the green that was definitely a shade or two brighter than the evergreen that haunted her.

"I can make them gold all the time," Rune offered, the green disappearing to that warm golden glow. "If that doesn't work, you can just give me new ones, right? They'll heal."

Vix couldn't help but grin at such a lovely, thoughtful offer. "I'll get used to it. Just don't surprise me with them, okay? I don't want to accidentally hurt you."

The way he grinned back at her erased some of the shame and Vix pressed her forehead to his, breathing in his scent to wash away some of her nerves and fear.

"Can you let me up?" Valentina grumbled. "I might puke if I have to keep watching this."

"Maybe I should take your eyes then," Rune snarled, his gaze sliding to the raven still pinned to the snow under his massive hand. "My mate likes red eyes and you've still got two."

"No," the alpha snapped. "Leave her fucking eyes where they are, Rune."

"Come on , Sammy…"

Oh, she liked that name.

Vix laughed and kissed Rune's cheek for giving her so many wonderful gifts.

The massive smile on his face made her feel like she'd made the right choice even if it had been more trouble than she preferred.

"Vixen."

She looked up to see the alpha standing beside Kenji now, but he wasn't trying to get any closer like he knew her raven wouldn't like it.

"Why did you attack Valentina?"

Looking to Mylo, Vix was relieved to see his suspicion was gone, but she didn't like the way his eyes were narrowed either or how sharp he smelled even without a single hint of his emotions in his scent.

Vix looked back at Samuel and released Rune. "I couldn't take the risk she'd kill you."

"Is that the only reason?" Samuel asked, sliding one hand into his pocket, the other holding the blades she'd thrown at him.

Vix almost felt bad about the blood on his shirt, but he was a stubborn asshole when he wanted to be and it had been the only way to get him to stop.

"No, that's not the only reason." She trailed her claws through the snow to make little patterns, knowing he was going to be annoyed, and it was already so difficult to get him to like her.

"Tell me." No alpha command this time, but there wasn't really a way for her not to answer him either.

Not without making all this worse.

"Without a collective, she could have just told you why I couldn't trust her but chose not to. Even hid behind that witch, who's a mind reader and could also have told you since she's not a raven. They were lying to you, Alpha. Seemed like enough of a reason to kill her."

Amusement paired with lemongrass reached her nose, but Vix didn't dare look up from the snow just yet.

She studied Mylo from under her eyelashes, unable to resist her burning curiosity.

Golden eyes glimmered as the sweet scent faded back to nothing more than his essence and she decided he didn't need to make expressions if he was going to look like that. She'd learn to read him just like she had the emotionless ravens.

Mylo would be easier though, because he was definitely not emotionless.

"Is that everything?" Samuel asked.

Vix snarled softly, irritated he chose now to be so meticulous when he should have been this careful with the raven.

"To be honest, she rubs me the wrong way sometimes and I'm not exactly a patient person." Looking down at the raven, she bared her teeth in challenge. "But it was the way she believed I couldn't belong that made me want to kill her. It was just rude."

"You're not a raven," Valentina stated, completely unbothered by Vix's challenge. "But you're not an outsider either. It's your life to risk. Mine wasn't worth it, even without a collective to punish me. I can't keep my oath to my partner if I'm dead."

Ugh, of course she'd say something so ridiculously logical.

"You could be lying again," Vix snapped, crossing her arms over her chest. "Show me proof of your oath, and I might believe you."

Valentina gave Rune a pointed look and the tiger reluctantly released her, but he didn't go far. Then the raven held up her hand, palm up. Vix took it in both hands, poking at it with her magic until she found the right one.

A glimmering line on her palm, which meant the oath was still intact and her partner was alive.

"And yours?" Valentina asked, yanking her hand away.

It was the most emotional she'd seen the raven get so far and Vix grinned as she considered how much it would take to get this raven to flip that switch and lash out at her.

"Did you think no real raven would want me?" Tilting her head to the side, she pulled the neck of her sweater down so the raven could see the rune carved into her skin. "My oath is right here, for the world to see."

"Always rubbing it in, aren't you? This is why people don't like you." Kenji dropped his hand on top of her head and tugged on her hair to get her to look up at him. Vix could see the teasing affection in his eyes, and she grinned. "What's the plan then, Vixen?"

"I'll stay." For now.

Kenji nodded, seeing the truth in her eyes. "Try not to put me in an early grave, hm?"

"I would never put you in a grave," she promised. "I'd cremate you and turn you into a tree so I could talk to you forever."

The raven paled at that thought and pushed her head away. "Please don't. Just burn my soul to ash so I can finally have some peace and fucking quiet."

She snickered when he turned to walk past the alpha, heading for the tiger's dwelling.

Her guardian would inspect the house as well as the surrounding area before speaking to her mates. Kenji always stuck his nose in her business, but she liked how much he cared enough to let him do it.

If only he would stop worrying so much. Vix wouldn't survive if he worried himself to death.

Metal glinted as her blades entered her peripheral. She turned to see the alpha holding them out to her, still covered in his blood.

Gently, she took them from him, wondering if this was some kind of trick.

"Can you follow the rules now?" Samuel asked her.

Flicking her fingers, she vanished the blades to her secret pocket and considered the raven who was taking her time walking back to the house. Valentina belonged to her partner and a witch instead of a collective. She'd also accepted the damage to her eye as payment for her lies, otherwise she would have buried a blade in Vix's in retaliation.

If she could make her own agreement with the strange raven, she'd feel better about this, but her loyalty to the witch was enough for now.

The alpha couldn't keep information from her and expect her to follow the rules so blindly though. Vix looked up into the alpha's jade-green eyes and wondered if he was hiding something else from her that would turn his precious rules to ash.

"I can follow your rules." She tilted her head to the side and considered him. "Can you?"

Vix wondered if he even understood how rules worked. Didn't he know this was all just a game? Too rigid and he'd break. There had to be some flexibility, some willingness to see more than just black and white.

For once, the alpha didn't snarl at her for challenging him. Instead, he studied her eyes and face instead of immediately responding, like he'd seen something today that had eased some of his doubt.

How exhilarating.

"The rules are too vague," Mylo interjected, his body slightly turned as he watched Valentina disappear into the house. "And you can't just ignore blatant lies, Samuel. Morgan has knowingly withheld information from you twice now."

Mylo's eyes weren't glowing, but that icy gold was still a threat. Maybe even more than the gold of his tiger.

"Are you going to let her get away with it again?" Mylo asked, his voice dropping slightly and that strange, sharp alpha scent got even more potent. "Or do I have to step in because you can't?"

Vix slid her gaze to Rune and saw him grinning like he couldn't wait to watch the show, but she didn't think they should be anywhere near these two right now.

Putting her hand up to shield her mouth from the alphas like she wanted to keep a secret from them, she whispered, "Rune."

Golden eyes shifted to her instantly and he tilted his head slightly, as if he were confused why she'd whisper when they could still hear her. It made his long red hair swish in the ponytail, pieces framing his pretty face like a picture.

"My feet are cold," she admitted, keeping her voice as soft and quiet as possible. "I didn't have time to grab my boots."

"I can fix that," the tiger assured, scooping her up in his arms and carrying her to the house without question or hesitation. "Do you want me to warm them up or cut them off entirely?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck and grinned at how viciously earnest he could be. "It would be hard to run without feet."

"Right, the feet stay." Rune grinned down at her, looking pleased she'd decided not to leave. "How would you prefer I warm you up then, mate?"

Closing her eyes, she rested her head on his shoulder and took a deep breath. Vix had no idea how much she'd needed to hear one of them call her that and mean it.

"Your hands, not water." She pressed her face to that spot on his neck where she could scent the mate bond.

Rune squeezed her tight as he jogged up the cedar steps, a soothing rumble in his chest as he carried her back into that stupid house. "I'm glad you stayed. It would have made Mylo sad if I had to leave him here so I could go with you."

"Me too," she whispered, eyes burning at the thought of leaving Mylo behind.

Even the thought of leaving Samuel, who needed to learn how to bend before he broke, made her chest ache. The pain of the mate bond was excruciating – such a different kind of agony that she didn't know how to ignore.

It was impossible to fold it away and bear it the same way she did all the other kinds of pain.

Vix knew without a doubt that leaving them behind would hurt so much worse than carving those names into her shoulder.

Could she even survive it?