Page 5 of Alpha's Rejected Warrior
“So, she’s alive? She’s okay?” His gaze combs my face, slow and deliberate. Something about it roots me to the spot. Is he . . .readingme?Is he a Shaman?
“It doesn’t matter,” I say. “You’ve seen what we are. You can’t be allowed to live.”
The color drains from his face again. “What? No! I didn’t see anything! I won’t tell anyone! Who would believe me anyway? Please. . .”
I scoff, pressing the tip of my blade into his chest again. “And I’m supposed to trust the word of a human?”
“Commander, a word?” Branson’s deep voice draws my attention as he motions me away from Ethan.
“Don’t move,” I say to the man as I reluctantly step back, keeping my sword pointed at him.
“Perhaps killing him would be politically unwise,” Branson says.
“Politics.” The word comes out sharp, almost a laugh. “He could risk exposing the existence of our kind!”
“He might be. . .sentimental to our Luna.”
“Or he could mean nothing to her.” I turn away. “She’s made no mention of him during her time in Kortan.”
Branson gives me a look. “She has a framed photo of the two of them in her home. He has access to her residence.”
“But he’s seen us.”
Branson drops his voice, though Akila is close enough to hear every word.
“Think about it,” he reasons. “This human clearly means something to our Luna. If we kill him, how will that look? Especially given your...historywith Alpha Xander.”
The implication lands hard. “You think she’d believe I killed her friend out of jealousy?”
“I think some might interpret it that way,” he says carefully. “At minimum, it would cause the pregnant Luna undue distress to learn her friend died because of her connection to him.”
Ugh.I hate that he’s right. I glance back at Ethan, who’s watching us with wary eyes. “So we just let him go?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“But, Commander,” Akila finally butts in. “If we let him live, we can’t trust that he won’t reveal—”
Before Akila can finish, the hair sticks up on the back of my neck as Branson moves swiftly to my side. His fist whizzes past my ear, and I turn just in time to see the punch connect with Ethan’s jaw. Ethan’s eyes roll back as he slumps to the floor,unconscious. One of the legs from the coffee table tumbles out of his hand.
Did that idiot just try to attack me?
Branson kicks the table leg away from Ethan and then stands over him, waiting to see if he wakes back up. He doesn’t. He’s out cold. I can still hear his heart beating, so he’ll be fine.
I shake my head. This Ethan human is brave. A fool, but brave. “Branson, find something to tie him up with. I don’t want any more surprises if he wakes up before we’re done.”
He nods and disappears down the hallway.
Akila also stares down at him. “Goddess, help us,” she says, tipping her head back as if the ceiling might answer her, before placing the box she’s been holding on the couch and revealing its contents triumphantly. “While you two were playing with the human, I was actually fulfilling our mission. One ceramic cat paw and a one-eyed bear.”
“Good.” I place the purple box of photos into Akila’s box as well. “Now we can finally get out of here.”
Branson returns with a belt and some scarves, which he uses to secure Ethan’s wrists and ankles. “What’s the plan, Commander?”
I stare down at Ethan’s unconscious form, mulling over our limited options. The coppery, biting scent of his blood cuts through the adrenaline still sharp in the air. We can’t leave him here with knowledge of our kind. But we can’t kill him without riskingmyfall from grace. My wolf won’t settle, circling restlessly, too interested in this human for my comfort.
“We’re taking him,” I announce. Branson and Akila exchange a look of uncertainty, so I add, “Is there a problem?”
“No, of course not, Commander,” Akila says. “But— but you know the law. Humans are banned from Clarion—.”
