15 The Conquest
Sera
The silence in the hall was heavy enough to choke on. I’d been too loud, and now every pair of eyes in the room was pinned on me. My heart was slamming against my ribs like a trapped bird. I realized in that heartbeat that I’d just made a massive, impulsive mistake.
Mina’s hand landed on my shoulder, her fingers squeezing hard through the shawl. I didn’t look at her. I couldn’t look away from the other tables. The warriors were staring, their expressions a mix of confusion and predatory amusement. Suddenly, the charcoal shawl felt like it was made of tissue paper. It wasn’t covering anything.
I looked at Fenris. He hadn’t even flinched. He was still leaning back in that massive oak chair, casually flicking nuts into his mouth as if I hadn’t just insulted him in front of his entire pack. My hand was shaking under the table, so I clamped it into a fist and shoved it against my thigh to keep it still.
Does he even care?
“Are you scared?”
His voice was a low, vibrating rumble. It had a drawl to it, a slow Northern grind that made the hair on my arms stand up. I hadn’t memorized his voice yet, but the bond recognized it instantly. He was still looking straight ahead, his jaw moving rhythmically as he chewed.
“What?” I asked. My voice sounded small in the high-ceilinged room.
Fenris finally turned his head. His grey eyes hit me like a physical force, and for a second, I felt like he was looking through my skull. It felt like he could see every dirty thought I’d had in that cabin, every flash of his naked body that had burned into my brain-the massive slabs of muscle and the way he looked completely bare.
“I asked if you were scared,” he repeated. He tilted his head slightly, his eyes never leaving mine. “I can hear your heart. It’s beating loud enough to drown out the chatter.”
I swallowed hard, my throat dry. As if on cue, the hall suddenly erupted back into noise. The warriors went back to their food, though I could still feel the occasional glance sticking to me like burrs.
I didn’t have time to answer. A woman was walking toward the high table from the side entrance. She was thick in all the right places, with a walk that suggested she knew exactly how her hips were swinging. She was wearing a version of Northern furs that was far more exotic-the neckline was cut deep, showing off a pair of heavy breasts that looked like they were struggling to
stay inside the fabric.
She didn’t look at me. She rolled her eyes past my face as if I were a piece of furniture that had been moved into the wrong room. She reached Fenris and dropped to her knees beside his chair. The angle put her cleavage on full display, right in his line of sight.
“Alpha,” she said. Her voice was like honey poured over gravel. She reached up and placed a hand on his shoulder, her fingers digging into the heavy fur of his coat. “You’ve been gone too long. The hold feels empty without you.”
Fenris looked down at her, and a small, slow smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. “Taya.”
“My Alpha.” She laughed, her hand sliding down his shoulder to rub his forearm, her touch lingering on his skin. “My father sends his greetings. He’s quite impressed. He told me he congratulates you on your new conquest.”
She finally flicked a glance toward me, her eyes cold and dismissive.
Conquest? Fenris looked at me then. His expression was a blank wall. He didn’t defend me. He didn’t correct her. He just turned back to the woman kneeling at his feet.
“I expected Kael to be here tonight,” Fenris said.
“Oh he’s… out on a business trip in human territory,” Taya answered, leaning closer until her breath was likely hitting his neck.
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“He was devastated to miss your return. He wanted to be here to see… everything you brought back.” She glanced at me again, then back to Fenris, her voice dropping to a theatrical whisper.
Fenris just leaned back, letting her hand remain on his arm. “Tell your father I wish him luck on his expeditions. I’ll expect to
hear his stories he returns.”
“Of course,” Taya said. She started to stand up, but she didn’t do it quickly. She hinged forward, using Fenris’s shoulder for support. As she whispered something into his ear, her breasts pressed firmly against his arm. “I’ll be waiting to hear about your trip, too. In private.”
The scar on my collarbone ignited. It felt like someone had pressed a lit cigarette against my skin. The jealousy was sharp and humiliating. Had he brought me here just to show me I was replaceable? Like Kane had done with Elara?.
Mina’s hand squeezed my shoulder again. This time, she didn’t stay quiet.
“Taya,” Mina snapped. Her voice was sharp enough to cut through the girl’s whispering. “I think the Alpha has had quite enough of your ‘greetings.’ As you can see, his mate is sitting right here. Have some respect!”
Taya stopped. She didn’t look embarrassed; she looked inconvenienced. She pulled back slowly, her eyes darting from Mina to me. For a second, I saw pure malice in her expression before she masked it with a sugary, fake smile. 1
She stood up straight, brushing off her furs. Fenris looked at me, then at Mina, and then simply looked away as if the entire exchange didn’t matter. He went back to his bowl of nuts.
“My apologies,” Taya said, though she didn’t sound sorry at all. She looked at Fenris. “I was only paying my respects on behalf of my house. I didn’t realize Mina was so sensitive tonight.”
“Respects my ass,” Mina muttered under her breath.
Fenris looked at Mina and shook his head, a ghost of disappointment in his eyes. Then he turned back to Taya. “You can leave. We’ll talk later.”
Taya nodded. She leaned down and pressed a lingering, wet kiss to Fenris’s cheek. He didn’t move. He didn’t even stop chewing.
“This bitch,” Mina hissed.
Taya turned to me, her smile widening into something predatory. “Welcome to Ironmaw, Princess. I hope you enjoy our pack. It’s… nothing like the soft world you’re from.”
She turned and walked out, her hips swinging with even more exaggerated motion. I watched several warriors at the lower tables follow the movement of her backside until she disappeared through the doors.
I looked at the table, my heart heavy. The bond was a cruel joke, making me feel possessive of a man who treated me like a trophy he’d picked up on the road.
“It’s getting pretty hot in here,” Mina said suddenly.
Before I could react, she reached out and flicked the shawl. It slid off my shoulders and pooled on the floor behind my chair. My heart leapt into my throat. I immediately crossed my arms over my chest, trying to hide the plunging neckline and the oper back of the red dress.
I looked up, my face burning. Fenris was staring. He’d stopped eating, his grey eyes fixed on my body. He seemed to be struggling to keep his gaze on my face, his pupils blown wide as they traced the silk covering my skin.
What the fuck, Mina?
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