Chapter 7

Chapter

Seven

WOLFE

O ut here, surrounded by the endless expanse of ocean, a monster could easily go mad. Too fucking late for that, I suppose.

Here on the bridge, I recline with my feet propped up on the console, the quiet solitude of the sea soothing my twisted soul. It's the one place on this vessel where I can escape; the captain and crew usually leave the navigation to Howler and they work out of the office, giving me peace… rare and delicious peace.

The door slams open with a force that would startle anyone else.

Killian strides in, his hair slicked back and his clothes crisp, the scent of salt and storm clinging to him—looks like someone's fresh from playing hero, leaving me grinning.

"Thought I'd find you in here," he groans.

"Guilty as charged," I respond with a short grin.

Killian leans his back against the window, hands in the pockets of his pants, the turbulent sea a fitting backdrop for his troubled expression.

"Found her, didn't you?" I ask, rotating my chair to face him fully. The storm outside mirrors the one brewing in his gaze.

"That I did," he replies, a flicker of something unfamiliar—hope?—flashing across his expression.

"And?" I press, sensing the shift in his mood. It's a marked change from the fury that he usually returns with from Earth.

He chuckles low, finally breaking his serious demeanor.

"Found her all right, and that's reason enough to celebrate. But…" His voice trails off while avoiding my gaze as he pushes off the wall and strolls over to the controls.

"But?" I prompt, already knowing when Killian hesitates it's because the news is more complex than he lets on.

He shoots me a hard look, his jaw clenched. "It went damn smoothly once I found her, which is more than I expected after so long. We should start making arrangements to pay King Bren a visit."

I rise to my feet, his name grinding up my gut, and narrow the distance between us. "What aren't you telling me?"

The nerve under his right eye twitches like it always does when he's holding back information or lying.

With a sigh, he faces me, heaviness etched on his features.

"I think she's my true mate."

The declaration hangs between us, heavy like the storm clouds outside. True mate? That's a twist I hadn't anticipated.

"Well, fuck!" I growl, not expecting this of all things. "Are you certain?"

Killian had been down this path once before. Through hell and back. I saw it firsthand when he thought he found his true mate during a Monster's Night on Monster Island.

And it nearly destroyed him.

Since then, he's been traveling between Blight and the Elite City on Earth to find his intended mate. But just recently, when he heard stories of a human in Nightingale Village being compatible with a God, it caught his attention.

It worked in my favor.

He found the girl we sought for Blight, except now seeing him like this again, claiming that she's also his true mate, makes me worry. Is she truly the one?

"This complicates things," I groan.

He nods. "You think?" Fire burns behind his eyes, the tension in his shoulders thickening. He's flicking random buttons on the dashboard on and off, not really paying attention, though I'm pretty certain he's toggling the storm alarm for those down in the lower decks. Those bastards can use a bit of a scare. They've become too damn complacent, taking twice as long to respond to alerts when we hit savage waters.

"Because I can feel it right here." He places his palm against his chest. "It's unlike anything I've ever felt. The hunger she's stirred in me is insatiable. I can't get her damn scent out of my head, and it's fogging my thoughts."

"Have you considered getting laid? How long have I been telling you to invite one of those four-breasted Shadowfen to your bed? You'd be surprised at the pleasure their split tongues can offer."

"Hell, Wolfe, this is something more than just needing to fuck. And for your information, I just jerked off twice in the shower, and nothing's changed."

I frown, having never seen him like this before. He's always been the unrelenting type of Shadowfen who wouldn't let anything stand in his way. Normally, if he'd found someone, I'd congratulate him, except he's talking about the girl who's meant to finally give us the chance to dethrone that bastard King.

"Because you think she's your true mate?"

He exhales loudly. "We're going to confirm it, for sure. I need to know to be certain. I'm arranging a mating ritual, then we'll see if our true natures emerge or if it's, as you say, me starved for a fuck. If you're right, then I'll fuck until my balls drop off." He gives me a broken grin because we both know he'd enjoy that way too much.

The worry lines deepen across his face, seeming to carry the weight of his thoughts. He genuinely believes this girl could be his true mate. Finding her is rare but not impossible.

While we never intended to sacrifice the girl directly, if something happened to her during our confrontation with King Bren, we wouldn't fret over it. Now this changes things.

But we've faced enough obstacles, and we'll get over this one.

"Agreed. Let's confirm this sooner rather than later."

"On it," he answers, already turning toward the door.

"Speaking of problems, have you seen Nyko recently? If anyone's going to track down the girl on the vessel and give her his own personal welcome, it'll be him. And as much as I love the bastard like my brother, I don't trust him not to break her. We need her intact for this."

Lips pressed tight, he nods and leaves me alone once more. As the door shuts behind him, the quiet hum of the vessel fills the space.

I frown, remembering when Killian had lost Inka, how he could barely go on. And I don't want him to get his hopes up. He's always been the epitome of a take-charge protector among the Shadowfen, my second-in-command—relentless, determined, terrifying.

Tension curls in my gut, and I grip the dash, knuckles turning white.

With it comes the dark memory of the day my father was betrayed flashing vividly in my mind. The cold gleam of the blade as it was driven into his gut, the way his eyes widened in shock and pain—it's an image that has haunted my nights, fueling a fury that no time has eased.

Heaving for breath, even after all these years, the hollowness inside me never ceases.

I have no intention of giving up until I gain revenge.

Killian's sudden depth of feeling for this human girl complicates things. If she is indeed his true mate, it binds her to our cause even more intricately.

I watched Killian struggle to maintain his composure, the muscle in his jaw working as he processed the weight of what lies ahead. I fucking loathe seeing that in him, knowing the suffering we've all endured because of that son of a bitch, Bren.

Ever since the Great Desolation, when devastating earthquakes shattered our world, the balance of power has shifted. Those who didn't align with the self-appointed fucking new King were banished from the mainland, forcing us to make our home in the harshest of places…

The unforgiving expanse of the open sea.

I'm not sure if I can allow anything to get in the way of finally taking back what's mine.