Chapter 51.
Nyx
Even with the vehicles, it still took four days to travel to Snake River Pack. We didn’t run into any
trouble, but camping out in the open was tense. I shared a vehicle with Rhyson, and he was rarely
not touching me. I think he expected me to have a breakdown at any moment.
Meanwhile, I was worried that he’d lose control of his wolf, and I wasn’t the only one. The others kept shooting him furtive looks as well.
Troy, Kiana, and the witches all stayed behind. Jenson was our only emissary, and he was clearly
not happy about it. I didn’t know for sure, but it felt like he still hadn’t healed from Gideon’s torture.
At least, not mentally, and he was clearly reluctant to leave his witch.
They clearly had a bond. Was it a mating bond? If so, how did it feel to not have the bond
reciprocated? It wasn’t like Irene could grow a mate bond. She wasn’t a wolf.
I needed to do my research. Now that I knew what was wrong with me, I needed to know how to
best handle my situation. If others could find their mates and not form a full bond, then maybe I
could as well.
Here I was, being an optimist again. Maybe it was because Rhyson kept looking at me like that. Like he wasn’t ever going to let me go. Maybe I needed to lean into it rather than keep pulling away
from it.
When we arrived, there were twelve wolves and twelve humans at the border to greet us. Immediately, I stiffened, as did the others. It was overkill.
A man stepped forward. He had a handsome face, but it was drawn in hard lines. I knew
immediately that he must be London.
Jenson stepped out first and jogged over to London. Rhyson stepped out as well and crossed his arms. I could feel his power pulsing, like he was ready to grab the will of every wolf in the vicinity.
“Easy. He has every right to be on guard,” I told him in a low tone. “Don’t make him defensive. There’s a reason that we’re here.”
I heard Lunessa’s name thrown around a few times, and London’s features only darkened. Finally, he stormed our way. “Rhyson,” he said stiffly. “I’m London, alpha of Snake River Valley.”
“And not pleased that we are here,” Rhyson said, reeling in his power just a little. “Did you really think that it would take two dozen wolves to take me down?”
“I like to be prepared,” he said shortly. “And no. I’m not pleased that you’re here. I know who you
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are, and you have no right to be on this mountain. I don’t care what the fuck Troy thinks. I’m also
pissed that Elonso thinks he can use my land to make his little fucking deals.”
“Is he here?”
London nodded. “And I’ll tell you what I told him. You have fucking twenty-four hours to chat, and then I want you all off my territory.”
I tensed, feeling Rhyson’s frustration growing. “Did he tell you what I did for him? What I’ve done for all of you here?”
“If you’re talking about the little drug kingpin wannabe, I could have taken care of him myself. I
didn’t even know there was a problem,” London growled.
“Perhaps, instead of turning your anger to me, you should work on your communication skills with
the other alphas. I am here to find answers, and if it takes longer than twenty-four hours, then
nothing will make me leave. Not even you.”
Oh, great. I quickly darted forward and put on my most winning smile. “Hi. My name is Nyx, and I
am apparently going to be the voice of reason here.”
“Nyx,” Rhyson growled, his hand circling my arm.
I didn’t push him off, but I didn’t move either. I wasn’t in any danger. “From what I gather, I get the feeling that you were hoping to see Lunessa. We’ve spent quite a bit of time with her. She’s an amazing witch, and we owe our lives to her.”
London’s face softened. “How is she?”
I thought of how I felt when I connected with her. “She’s in so much pain, I’m surprised she’s still standing,” I told him in a low voice. “If there’s anything that you’ve done to contribute to that pain, and I’m not saying that there is, I’m just saying if, then she most definitely needs more time. Don’t be angry with her.”
With a sigh, he ran his hand through his hair. “Thank you for telling me.”
“Did you tell Alpha Elonso that you wanted him off your land in twenty-four hours?”
“I did.”
“What was his response?”
His eyes narrowed. “He said that unless I was truly heartless, I would walk that back and give you
some more time.”
Rhyson growled behind me. “What the fuck did he mean by that?”
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“No idea. I guess you’ll have to follow me and find out.”
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Snake River Valley was a little colder and dryer than the other parts of the mountain. It included the
peak of the mountain, and while it should have felt like a harsher environment, it was built up. The
buildings, jutting out from the side of the mountain, reminded me of medieval architecture. It was
quaint and lovely. Several creeks branched out along the property and met at the very edge in a
wide river. Jenson had explained over here that Snake River had an excellent distribution center
and made their own beer, which they imported all through the mountain and even to the human settlement. The river helped them do that.
We were shown to the guest rooms and even though Rhyson was practically vibrating with
anticipation, he gave us a chance to shower, our first in four days, and change our clothes. Then,
we were escorted from the guest suites deeper into the large house and down the steps to a large
conference room.
London and one other man sat at the table. I recognized him from the video chats.
Elonso.
Both men stood, and we filed into the room. “King Rhyson,” Elonso said with a crooked smile. “So
nice to finally meet you.”
Rhyson growled, and the room stilled. Elonso, however, didn’t seem upset. “Sorry. I know you’re incognito here. I just thought we would go ahead and point out the white elephant in the room. How would you like to be addressed?”
“Rhyson. If I don’t like what you have to say, you won’t live long enough to address me at all.”
“You aren’t going to like what I have to say, but I’ve been told you’re not likely to shoot the
messenger. Troy says you’re a good man, and I hope he’s right. What I have to say is private. Your
wolves can stay outside. Jenson can remain, as Troy’s representative. I hear congratulations are in
order.”
“My wolves will stay,” Rhyson said darkly.
“Then I’ll leave.” Elonso met his gaze head-on. “In other circumstances, I’d be telling you this in
complete privacy, Rhyson. I’m not just protecting myself.”
What the hell did that mean?
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