Filed to story: My Kidnapper Is the Wolf King
Callum inclines his head. “I have no problem with that, though we’ll have to win it back when I’m king. The fort will be under the control of whoever has taken over the Borderlands.” Callum glances at me. “Do you know who the new lord will be?”
I shake my head. “Sebastian had no family. One of the lords of the nearby castles may have-“
“His name is Alexander,” says Blake.
Something inside me freezes at the name. The memory of a man packed with muscle, his breath sour with wine, his hand gripping my thigh, flashes behind my eyelids. “If you’re talking about Sebastian’s bastard brother, he. . . he died a while ago. It must be someone else.”
Blake looks at me curiously. “I assure you, he’s alive, and has laid claim to the Borderlands in his brother’s absence. My spy told me.”
I shake my head. He’s wrong. He has to be. I lean forward so I can see him properly, beyond Callum’s big bulk. “My father will never accept him as a lord.”
“He might, given the right persuasion.” Blake arches an eyebrow at me, and I take a sip of wine so I have something to do with my hands.
“So, that’s why he wants you, Rory,” says Callum. He runs a hand over his jaw. “Fine. Done. I’ll personally hand you his head while I’m at it. What else do you want?”
“I want to know if Kai, or any of the other Wolves from that clan, are alive.”
“Kai is dead.” Blake’s tone is even, but that thread of shadow tightens. He’s lying. He runs a finger along his butter knife. “They’re all dead. My spy told me that, too.”
Lochlan’s eyebrows pinch together. “That is not what James seemed to think. If Alexander has Kai, and the lovely Aurora is here with us. . .”
Callum straightens in his chair. His fist clenches around his fork. He suddenly looks every bit the fearsome king he wishes to become. “Be very careful about what you suggest next.”
Lochlan chuckles. “I’m not suggesting we actually trade Aurora for the prisoners, Callum. But if there are men, women, and children from my clan who are still alive, she could be used to trick Alexander into thinking otherwise.”
I swallow. “You think he’s holding children captive?”
“I do.” He leans against the table so he can meet my eye. “Will you help me get them back, Aurora?”
“No.” Callum’s tone is final. “Rory will not be dangled like bait before him. When I’m king, I will make his death my priority, and if there are any prisoners that can be saved, we will get them out. But we must get James out of the way first.”
I can’t suppress my frown. It’s not as if I would suggest barraging recklessly into harm’s way, but if children’s lives are at risk and there is something I can do to help, it’s worth a conversation. I touch his wrist. “Callum. There may be-“
“No.” A muscle flexes in Callum’s arm beneath my fingertips. “And that’s the end of the matter.”
I narrow my eyes at his tone, his posture. “I’m not a member of your clan, Callum,” I say under my breath.
“No. But I’ll look after you all the same,” he fires back.
“I’ll send word to my spy,” says Blake, before I can retort. “Let’s find out if Kai is alive first. There might be something that can be done before we take any drastic measures. Jack?”
“I’ll ride out tonight,” says Jack.
Blake nods. “In the meantime, you’re welcome to stay in my castle, Lochlan. But Callum and I have grown fond of our little Southlands pet. We’ll kill you together if you decide to negotiate yourself a trade behind our backs. Callum likes to take a more forceful approach, whereas I. . .” The corner of his lip lifts as he runs a finger along the blade of his butter knife. “I like to play.”
Lochlan laughs. “It’s so nice to see you two getting along at last. Particularly after the other night.”
Callum makes a low sound in his throat. “I wouldn’t say that. But he’s not wrong.”
Lochlan ignores the two territorial alphas. “You’re safe around me, Aurora. I swear it.”
There’s something sincere in his expression, and I believe him. Yet I can’t pretend I’ve not noticed hostile glances throughout the evening from others within his clan. “What was your third condition?” I ask.
“Ah, it’s a simple one,” says Lochlan. “I merely wish for an audience with you, Aurora. In private. Tomorrow. Just you and me. What I have to say is for your ears only.”
Curiosity rises within me, while Callum frowns. “Whatever you have to say to her. . .” A woman walks through the doors to the Great Hall. A crease forms on his forehead and he snaps his gaze to Blake. “You didn’t tell me you’d invited Claire.” His voice is low.
Blake runs his finger around the rim of his wine glass. “I didn’t.” I feel his intrigue ripple through me.
I frown as the woman walks toward us. She has dark hair, half tied back and half loose down her shoulders. She wears breeches and a loose shirt beneath a blue-and-green tartan coat, and there’s a sword strapped to her belt. Most of her skin is covered, her clothing hugging an hourglass figure, and she walks confidently-as if she knows many of the Wolves in the hall have stopped their conversations to look at her. Her eyes are bright, her expression unreadable.
I recognize her name from somewhere.
“Claire,” I say softly. I recall the time that Blake told me James liked bold women. “Isn’t that-“
“James’s former lover.” Callum’s tone is dark as his posture straightens. “Aye.”
Tension curls in my gut because she could be here on behalf of our enemy.
It doesn’t ease when Lochlan leans back in his seat. “I heard you tried to bed her at one point, too, Callum.”
Chapter Seventeen
“T
hat’s enough, Lochlan,” Callum growls under his breath as he stands to greet Claire.
His sharp rebuttal is confirmation that the claim is true, as well as the smirk that passes between Lochlan and Blake, and the soft laugh that escapes Jack. I try to be reasonable, to fight the dark shadow of jealousy that spreads unbidden through my body.
I assumed Callum would have been with other women before me. He’s strong, and kind, and attractive. What’s more, he’s an alpha, and a wolf. I know the rules that apply to nobility in the Southlands-about waiting until marriage before physically expressing intimacy-don’t apply here. From the way my brother would often sneak out to taverns at the docks, I’m skeptical about whether those rules apply to noble males in the south, too.
The idea that Callum wanted to bed the woman who walks confidently toward us still cools my blood.
She’s flawless, and there is something about her that screams dominance-the steel of her spine, perhaps. Callum told me once he wanted to be with a female who was his equal, and I can see her allure.
I push my negative thoughts aside. There are more pressing things to worry about. Such as why she’s here when her allegiance probably stands with James. I feel a slight twinge of irritation, too. I can’t help but wonder when
Callum tried to bed her.
Was it while she was with James? If so, it could explain why James was easily persuaded to ask for my hand in marriage. I think Callum has more honor than that, yet I wonder whether some of the contempt the two brothers hold for one another could originate from the female who halts before the table. Am I the second woman the two have fought over?
“Claire.” Callum’s tone is gentle yet wary. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here. I hear you made alpha. Congratulations.”
My eyebrows raise. I didn’t think there were any female alphas.
Claire inclines her head. “And I hear you’re trying to become king.”
Callum eyes her warily, like he hasn’t figured out whether she’s a threat. “Did James send you?”
“James has no authority to send me anywhere. He’s not my king.” She smiles, though it doesn’t reach her eyes. “I was on my way to Madadh-allaidh to see if I could negotiate an alliance with him.”
Callum’s brow creases. “An alliance? Your clan has always stood alone. Why now?”
“There are. . . things happening up north.” A shadow passes over her features. “I want to move my people south.”
Callum frowns. “Yet you came here first?”
She shrugs, her smile coy. “I thought I’d listen to what you had to say.”
“How do I know you’re not here to report back to James?”
“I don’t play games, Callum.”
“No?” Callum releases a dark laugh. “I’m not sure that’s true.”
Her brown eyes glint in the candlelight. “That was a long time ago.”