Chapter 25

E lva hummed as she poured the tea, then sat back on her cushion with a sigh. "Drink up, dear. You look bone tired and dead on your feet."

Scarlet sniffed, the spices making her nose twitch. The first sip burned as it went down, smoother than any ale she'd ever drank.

When she opened her eyes, there was a green haze in the tent.

Green flared up and the smoke formed images. It was similar to Eirwyn's magic with light, but softer. The image sharpened but was still like looking through water.

Scarlet blinked. "Grandma's cottage," she whispered.

Elva nodded, but Scarlet wasn't paying her any attention. There was her dad on a horse. He was tense and reined in hard, his mouth opening on a shout.

She ached to hear his voice, but she couldn't catch her own breath to ask the Elder if that were possible.

Her mother came rushing out the door, wiping her hands on an apron. Dad pointed behind him, and Ma shook her head then raced inside.

Dad swung down from the horse just as Ma came out with a tiny little redheaded girl sleeping in her arms. Dad took the girl and nodded for Ma to get on the horse. Ma shook her head and pushed him toward the horse.

She waved to the barn, where the door burst open. Another horse pranced nervously outside toward the cottage. She waved to the horse, frantic as she clearly told Dad to leave.

Both of them froze and turned to stare to the right. A shiver went up Scarlet's spine, dread settling like a knot in her stomach.

Elva whispered, "They heard the howls of the Growlers."

Ma turned and shot a white ball of energy at Dad and the horse. They flew through the woods as if blown by a gust of wind, somehow missing every single densely packed tree.

Scarlet's hands shook as Ma turned to the howls just as Grandma stumbled into the clearing and collapsed.

Blood dripped down her face, and Ma raced to her, mouth open in anguish as she gathered Grandma into her arms. Frantic yet gentle movements, she practically carried Grandma to the cottage, each step shaking and weak.

The horse nuzzled Ma's shoulder, and she glanced up. With a flurry of magic, she had Grandma draped over the back of the horse, then slapped its flank. In an instant, they were off, galloping into the woods with a trail of glowing magic left behind in their wake.

Ma turned in the clearing just as a dozen Growlers came through the trees. But they weren't just any Growlers. they were larger, more muscular and formidable than any Scarlet had ever seen before—all except for Wulfric. Fear gripped Scarlet's heart as she gazed on her mother's killers.

They wore the colors of the Buspartan army. There were no weapons, but they were Growlers. No weapons were necessary.

The image hovered in the air as they closed in on Ma, and she turned and ran into the cottage. The door slammed, but they burst inside. Scarlet felt her throat close up with each step.

Elva whispered again. "Those are not our Growlers nor do we know where they came from. We can guess. When your grandmother came to our camp, she killed dozens of our warriors before I could calm her enough to listen. This is what I showed her, the truth of that day."

The image dissipated, and Scarlet could finally take a breath.

"The truth?" The question was raw, and Scarlet sipped the tea with a shaking hand to dislodge the knot. But it wouldn't leave.

"Aye, those were Buspartan men. Not ours. Your grandmother and I interrogated the other four Growler camps, but none of them could identify those men. We even sought the help of the goddess at the ruins."

"And what did you find?" Scarlet asked harshly. Anger welled within her to mingle with the grief. Why had her grandma kept this from her all this time?

"More about the prophecy. More about the dragon hatching, which sent your grandmother racing home to the cottage."

Scarlet stared unseeing into the now normal fire. "That was when Knox's shell had begun to crack, the first crack in hundreds of years of the druids protecting it." Emotions swirled through her, and it took several minutes for her to breathe through them.

The Elder finally broke the silence. "The slaughter of our warriors birthed a legend among the Growlers. The druids were always revered, but now even more so. You will be safe here, especially now that Wulfric has claimed you as his mate."

Scarlet looked at the woman. "Except we haven't really completed the bond, have we." It wasn't a question, but she did have one for the woman.

"What will happen if we don't?"

Elva's brows rose. "If you don't finish the mate bond?"

Scarlet nodded, hoping that Wulfric had lied about that too.

Elva frowned. "Then you will both die. No other Growler has ever lived through a mate rejection."

Scarlet swallowed hard and turned to stare into the fire again. A knot of dread settled in her gut as the truth hit her. She would have to complete the mate bond process. It wasn't such a big deal, was it? After all, she enjoyed fucking him.

She frowned. "And we just bite each other in the heat of the moment?"

Elva's lips quirked and her eyes were mischievous. "That's about it. You'll need to say vows to each other to seal the magical bond, but that's all it is."

"I will leave you to contemplate your choices and these truths." Elva shifted onto her feet and went to the corner, settling into a wide, wooden rocking chair.

She settled her hands on her lap and nodded to Wulfric. "Wake me if he needs me, dear. Or you too, for that matter."

Scarlet stared into the fire and took a deep breath, the images of her mother playing through her mind. As a Hunter, she was trained to pick up on details, and she needed to go through each image of those Growlers one by one.

She leaned back against the side of the bed, Wulfric lying near her head on the canvas mattress. His breathing was deep and seemed to be stronger than before her chat with Elva.

In her mind, she analyzed each of the Growlers who had attacked her mother. The detailed combing of her memories made her eyes grow heavy until she finally fell asleep.

A soft hand stroked her hair, just behind her rabbit ear. Her foot bounced as she drifted slowly awake. A soft mewling sound made her eyes flicker awake.

Elva snored in the rocking chair in the corner. The fire had died down. She swallowed hard and straightened, grabbing a few logs and adding them to the fire.

When it blazed brighter, she finally turned to see Wulfric staring up at her from the bed.

He smiled softly and patted the bed with a palm. "Come lay down, bunny. We need rest for tomorrow."

"How are you feeling?" She didn't deny him. Her sleepy state made her more pliable to his demands. She frowned even as she climbed over him to lay down next to the canvas wall of the tent.

"Much better now that you're here," he said, drawing her head down to rest on his shoulder. He sighed a deep breath, his body relaxing once more.

"How are you feeling?" He stroked her hair, adjusting her head so that her horn didn't stab him in the neck or eye.

She yawned and snuggled closer to him, pulling a blanket over them both. "Tired. Elva… she showed me how my mother died."

He tensed beneath her. "Oh?"

Scarlet nodded, closing her eyes once more. "It was the Buspartan Growlers. They wore the dragon circlet on their shoulders."

"What's that mean?"

She yawned again. "It means they were Hunters, sent to kill my mother or my grandmother."

"Hunters? Like you?"

She nodded, pain pressing on her chest. "Yes, I've heard whispers of an elite band of Hunters known only as Dragon Claws. They don't answer summons from the Hunter's Guild Masters, not in any of the cities I've worked in. They're elusive, to say the least. I thought they were a myth until I saw the circlet."

The more she spoke, the more tense she became. "Sh," he said, kissing her head and stroking her hair once more. "We'll find them and figure out why together. Don't worry, bunny. You're not alone in this."

Not alone. She relaxed into his arms. It was nice to not be alone.

"Are you sure I have to be there?" Scarlet asked, tugging at her new Growler's clothing. She'd chosen to keep her black pants and green shirt under it.

He just smiled as she cinched the leather vest over the top of it. It was her armor, and she wouldn't feel comfortable without it, he knew.

"Yes, as my mate, you need to stand by my side."

"But we haven't completed the mate bond," she pointed out.

He splashed water on his face and arched a brow at where she sat on the bed, lacing up her boots. "Not from lack of trying on my part," he murmured.

She sat up and glared at him. He wiped his face with a towel and then strode to the end of the bed to fetch his fancier clothes. He wanted to impress her, and this was a big pack meeting. He had to remind his people what the alpha looked like.

He pulled on his soft leather pants, tying on a beaded belt.

"Look, I know we're not mated yet, but if anyone asks, we'll tell them that we were waiting for the full moon to complete it."

"That would be a lie," she said, glaring at him. "I don't like that you lie so easily, Wulfric."

His brows rose. "I do?"

She nodded. "You lied about only going to recon the guards. You said you wouldn't come into camp, but you did."

He frowned and pulled on his beaded doe-skin shirt. She gulped and paled, then glanced away with arms crossed.

He shifted his gaze from her to the shirt, noting how its color almost perfectly matched her skin—a delicate and natural shade of doe-like brown, with a hint of rosy undertones. With a frustrated huff, he swiftly discarded the shirt back into the chest and pulled out another one. This time, it was a crisp white shirt with shimmering silver beads and thread delicately stitched into intricate patterns.

"I'm sorry about coming into camp without you. It was not intentional. I had to roll with what was happening in the moment. I did not intend to lie to you, bunny."

She looked up at him, her frown deep as she demanded, "Do you intend to lie to me again?"

He shook his head, as solemn as her. "Never."

She pursed her lips and then dropped her hands into her lap. She dug at her nails, then pulled her dagger from her pants' sheath to clean under them.

"Bunny? What's really wrong here?" He asked, sitting on the side of the bed.

She took a deep breath and sighed. "I don't like crowds. I freeze up, can't talk. If you need me to say something in that meeting, I—I probably won't be able to."

He reached over and stroked her cheek until she looked up at him. Her gaze was fierce as she pointed the knife at him, but he didn't pay it any mind.

"If you need someone to have your back, I'll be there every time. I'll protect you," she said, biting her lip and looking down at the knife. "But I can't speak up."

He gently took her chin between his finger and thumb. "You can speak or not, it doesn't matter to me," he said softly, peppering gentle kisses to the edges of her mouth.

She swayed closer, but the flap of the tent flew back. A guard stepped in and narrowed his gaze between the two as Scarlet pulled back and put her dagger away.

"Alpha, the Elders said they are ready for you," Todd said.

"Thank you. We're on our way." Wulfric took her hand and stood, striding toward the door.

She sighed and barely dug in her heels as they strode the few feet to the longhouse.

Many were already sitting on either side of the room. Wulfric tucked her hand in his elbow and circled the room, talking quietly with each table.

He chuckled where needed, asked after children and how certain people had been treated in the past few days under Brody's reign of terror.

When they finally turned to walk to the raised dais at the end of the room, Scarlet leaned closer.

"Brody didn't treat them too badly, did he?"

Wulfric shook his head and led her to the empty seats beside the Elders. "No, a few of my loyal supporters were knocked around. Two of the females were fighting over him, but no one was killed, which I'm relieved about."

They sat and several people brought food. Soup, ale, venison, potatoes, and gravy. Wulfric nearly inhaled everything that was set in front of him. After days going without, he was famished.

Scarlet ate all the soup, but pushed the venison to the side to eat the rest of her food.

Wulfric leaned back and waved to the head server. When the man came closer, he said softly, "No venison or rabbit for my mate. Is there any other meat for her?"

The server paled, glancing at her horns and ears, then nodded and spun on his heel.

Elva looked at him from around Scarlet and nodded her approval. Then she pointed her head toward the crowd.

He wiped his mouth and leaned back in his chair while Elva stood. The chattering crowd quieted as she spoke.

"Last night, the alpha challenge question was settled. Wulfric is the uncontested alpha of the tribe. Are there any other challengers?"

The crowd remained silent, and the server brought Scarlet an entire roasted chicken with savory mushrooms, carrots, potatoes, and herbs.

He crossed his arms and said, "Alright, does anyone want to represent Brody's faction and actually discuss the problems and solutions?"

The chatter in the room died almost instantly. No one moved for a few precious seconds. Elva elbowed him, and he sighed, raking his hand through his hair.

"Look, I know this tribe has always been ruled by the Alpha and the Elders. But I meant what I said. We're a family, and families talk about these things. So please, if we're going to move forward as one, we need to work through this. Why did Brody say I was a bad alpha? If I've done something that led any of you to think that, please come forward now so I can be better."

He let his words ring through the room before he continued."There are a lot of changes and more to come. I know it can be scary, especially since I'm going to propose a treaty with the dragon king to the north, but—"

The gasps from the crowd rose, and Elva stood, staff in hand. "Alright, before we get into what to do for our future, I feel that we must settle what happened with our past, both the turned and the natural born."

Several people squirmed in their seats, but the murmurs rose quietly. Elva raised her staff, which glowed green before a green image flashed in the center of the room. It showed their camp, but somehow he knew it was from years ago.

"Long ago, Growlers lived in harmony with the land in the forest. We were friends with the druids, the dragons, and the forest spirits. We worked in harmony to protect the forest, each bringing skills and magic to support one another and honor the gods, who still walked the land and seas."

Nomani stood and raised her own staff, the purple glow adding to the image in the center of the room. The image changed even as her voice rose.

"When the dragon war ripped through the land, we worked with the druids to protect the forest at all costs. The magic of the forest changed, becoming more dangerous to those the forest didn't recognize as its own."

"Growlers were only born then," Barley said as he stood, the image in the fire shifting as he added his own blue magic to it. "Then came the years of storms after the dragon war ended. The tribe was almost wiped out before the goddess heard our prayers. The goddess gave us a way to offer healing to desperate humans who braved the dangers of the forest. We could only interpret the instructions with the help of the druids though."

Elva said, "The first turned Growlers had a side-effect. They lost all memories of their previous life. The Elders at the time went back to the goddess to find a solution. Instead, a prophecy was delivered."

Nomani said, "When dragons ride once more, Growlers will regain what they've lost. Only when the dragons, Growlers, and druids unite will they be able to defeat the evil one and stop the next ice age."

The crowd grew louder as the colors swirled in the room, showing a ball of black sweeping over the forest and turning it all to ice.

Barley snorted, "See? It's already starting. Haven't you felt the colder winter? It's not letting up as it should."

Nomani continued. "Several of the turned regained their memories when the dragon king of the north claimed his rightful place."

"Rightful?" someone cried out.

"This is our forest, not his!" someone else shouted.

Elva slammed her staff to the ground. "His parents were the dragon kings of this forest before we were ever created by the gods. It is time we worked with the dragons and druids."

Barley sniffed. "Brody swayed many of you with talk of regaining your place in society, of leaving the woods."

Elva turned to him expectantly, her bright eyes shining in the half-light. Wulfric stood, and every eye fixed on him.

"Brody wanted to go back home to Busparia once he realized what he'd lost. After we regained all our memories last night, I understand how he felt. However, if we want to be accepted, we must be cautious. We can't just go running into Busparia trying to claim what was once ours. Growlers who leave the forest are never heard from again. We need allies."

"Aye, and what makes you think the dragons are going to help us?" someone shouted.

"You have homes there, families even. So just go already. Why wait around for some dragon who may not even listen?" Jamison said, crossing his arms. There would always be a few dissenters from the old guard who were more vocal about all the turned Growlers just leaving.

Elva grabbed Scarlet's hand and lifted it in the air, drawing her to her feet. Scarlet didn't speak, and her face blushed, but she didn't back away. She stood tall, her scent revealing her terror, as Elva spoke.

"The dragon will listen because the alpha's mate will help bridge the gap between our worlds. It's as the goddess decreed ages ago."

Wulfric nodded and took Scarlet's other hand, linking their fingers together and letting her know that he was right there by her side.

"I don't know what the goddess said," he said loudly, not taking his eyes from Scarlet. "But she will learn our ways and help us form a treaty with the dragons to the north, as the dragon king is her brother."

More gasps from the crowd before the chatter grew louder. Scarlet's eyes flashed, and her lips pursed, making him frown. What had he said that displeased her? It was all the truth, wasn't it?