Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

T omlin's horse whinnied, tossing his head as he reached for the bridle, and he realized that his Krythian side was too close to the surface. Leaving Etta, even for a short time, was already proving to be difficult. His instincts demanded he return to her side, but they had agreed that it was best for him to go in search of Seren as soon as possible - before the other Vultor returned to carry out his threat.

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes and going through his ritual until he had regained enough control not to alarm his horse. The gelding nickered softly as he finished saddling him and led him out from under the small lean-to that served as a stable.

The first rays of sunlight were beginning to creep over the horizon as he took a last longing look at the house, then turned towards the mountains before his resolution failed. He'd left her in bed, her auburn hair spread across the pillow, her face warm as she smiled up at him, trying to hide the worry in her eyes. He hated leaving her, even for a short time, but knew it was necessary to protect her.

There will be more mornings, he thought, long lazy mornings in bed enjoying each other. The prospect filled him with satisfaction, along with a hint of apprehension. He'd never believed that he could have this happiness and he still found it difficult to believe that it would last. The urge to return to her grew stronger with each step, but he forced himself to keep going, taking deep breaths of the cold morning air.

By the time he reached the foothills, it was hard to focus on anything other than returning to her, and his horse began to fidget nervously beneath him. Stop it , he ordered himself, closing his eyes and reining in his instincts once again as he concentrated on his surroundings.

The forest was alive with the sounds of morning - birds calling to one another, small animals scurrying through the underbrush. The air that swept down from the mountains was redolent with the scent of pine and a distant hint of snow. The year was turning, and he would need to make sure the house was warm and comfortable for Etta.

Later. Right now he needed to find Seren. He only hoped his suspicions were correct and the pack leader was still in the area. He extended his senses, testing the subtle changes in the wind, the underlying scents, listening. If all else failed, he would return to the place where they had met previously and track him manually, but this would be faster if Seren were anywhere nearby.

The rocky cliffs at the base of a nearby mountain called to him and he headed in that direction. A familiar scent caught his attention and he looked up to find Seren perched on a rocky ledge above him. His face was as calm as ever, but there was a hint of tension in his posture that Tomlin knew all too well. The Vultori leader was not as composed as he appeared.

"We meet again," Seren said, the faintest hint of a question in his words.

He reined in his horse, looking up at the other male.

"We need to talk. I believe it concerns one of your pack."

Seren's expression sharpened. He leapt down from his perch, landing gracefully beside Tomlin's horse. The horse shied away, and Tomlin quickly swung down, keeping his body between the horse and the Vultor.

"What has happened?" Seren demanded.

"A Vultor male appeared at my mate's home. He threatened her." The growl in his voice made the other male tense even more. "He said that humans did not belong here and that she had to leave."

Seren sighed, closing his eyes in obvious frustration.

"Finnar. I was… concerned that something like this might happen."

"Is that why you're here?"

"Yes. I've been looking for him but I hadn't realized he would travel so far from the mountains."

"I do not want it to come to violence, but I will not permit him to threaten my mate."

He met the other male's eyes directly. It was an act of dominance but Seren needed to understand that he wasn't going to back down.

There was the faintest growl from the other male's throat and then they both looked away - a truce rather than a surrender.

"I understand. If you will permit me, I will return with you. Now that I know where to begin, I should be able to track him."

"Do you have a horse?"

"No." A flash of sharp fangs. "But I can maintain the same pace."

"Very well. I am returning immediately."

Seren retrieved a small leather bag from the bushes beneath the rock ledge and slung it over his shoulder.

"I'm ready."

Tomlin remounted and they set off, Seren in an easy lope that matched the horse's pace. The horse shied away nervously for the first few miles but eventually settled down.

"What happened with Finnar?" he asked as they reached the foothills, and Seren sighed.

"Finnar never liked humans - most Vultori don't - but then they attacked his family. He lost them all in a senseless act of violence."

His chest tightened in unwilling sympathy. The pain of loss was something he knew all too well.

"He's been carrying this burden for several years," Seren continued, his voice heavy with regret. "I thought time might heal the wound, but it only seemed to fester."

Images flashed through his mind - his mother's gentle smile, fading away as she succumbed to illness; the cold eyes of his relatives as they cast him out; Grethel's lifeless body, a stark reminder that he was alone once more. Each loss had carved a piece from his soul, leaving him raw and vulnerable. He remembered how his Krythian side had demanded release.

"I understand," he said softly, surprising himself with the admission. "Grief can twist a person, make them capable of things they never thought possible."

Seren looked over at him, a wealth of understanding in his eyes.

"You speak from experience."

It wasn't a question, but he nodded anyway.

"I've lost people too. There were times when I…" He trailed off, unable to voice the darkness that had consumed him in those moments.

"It is not easy having two sides, frequently at odds."

"Exactly." His jaw clenched as he thought about those battles with himself. "There were times when I felt like I was being torn apart from the inside."

"It's the same for us. We're constantly balancing different forms, different instincts."

He'd never thought another would understand his conflict so well.

"And yet, you found a way to move forward," Seren added softly.

"It's not easy," he said. "But it's possible. I forged a life for myself. A good life, but… incomplete. Until I found my mate."

"Having a mate helps," the other male agreed, the longing on his face impossible to miss. "In our case, it is often the only thing that allows us to retain control over our more savage impulses. I sometimes wonder how I have survived so long without one."

That too he understood. He'd wondered if he would have been able to overcome this last threat to his control without her.

"To have someone who understands both sides of your nature, who accepts you completely… it's a rare and precious thing." Seren added.

He nodded, thinking of Etta's unwavering trust in him.

"It is," he agreed softly.

Then his heart lurched in his chest as a sudden wave of fear washed over him. It wasn't his own emotion, but Etta's, transmitted through the bond between them.

"My mate is in danger," he growled, spurring his horse into a gallop.

He heard Seren calling after him, but the words were lost in the rush of wind and his own ragged breathing. Nothing mattered except getting to Etta. Her fear pulsed through him, urging him forward with desperate intensity. He'd only just found her, had only just allowed himself to love her. The thought of losing her now was unbearable.

His control began to slip. His claws emerged, digging into the soft leather of the saddle as he urged the horse ever faster. He could feel the animal's fear as he raced headlong across the plains, but there was nothing he could do. For once he made no attempt to fight his Krythian side. Instead he embraced the surge of power, preparing to defend his mate to his last dying breath.