A Warrior’s Fate (Wolves of Morai #1)

Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24

W hen Isla returned to Deimos for her tenure as a warrior, she didn’t have much time before being thrown into action.

“Before we arrange our assignments on the southeastern borders,” Eli announced to their unit on the ride to the guard’s campus, “I’ll have a meeting with the Commander of the Guard and beta while all of you get to know the rest of the order that hasn’t been dispatched yet. There’s a lot going on in this pack, but remember, our objective is the rogues. While some here may be grateful for our help—and they should be—others may think we’re overstepping and want us out before we even enter. Don’t give them any reason to call for our removal.”

Isla nodded before trailing her eyes over the rest of the members of the team. One member, in particular, was her focus.

So she’d learned, Eli was an idiot. A brilliant strategist and a great leader—but a stupid, stupid man.

Because not only was he bringing Isla to the home of her fated mate, but he had also recruited for this team of his Isla’s ex-boyfriend.

Yes, her ex.

The one she’d nearly chosen.

Even as Isla stared at the back of Callan’s head from her seat, she still couldn’t believe the egomaniac of a bastard had managed to convince Eli of his worth at the feast. No doubt it was through wondrous stories of triumph that she was sure were laden with exaggeration, but even still, here he was. She would never tell him she was just the smallest bit grateful for his presence, if only to have something familiar.

Amidst Eli’s selected group made up entirely of males—two of which were twice her age—Isla was a pariah. They certainly weren’t falling over themselves to include her or to simply be friendly.

Once they arrived, while Eli went to meet Beta Ezekiel and the lead commander of the guard, the rest of the unit went on to spend the morning and early afternoon touring the guard’s main campus and getting to know the remaining order that hadn’t been sent to deal with the rogues yet. The strategy was to have the warriors—being the most elite fighters and strategists the continent had to offer, according to their rank—working alongside the guard battalions to drive their nefarious brethren from parts of the south.

Isla knew the two fighter classes were meant to get along and build rapport, but she didn’t have much hope for that happening. As Eli had said, it seemed they didn’t want the warriors involved at all.

The campus sat at the base of one of the mountains, and much like Io’s guard headquarters, it held dormitories and training rings, a reference center and dining quarters, medic buildings, and a horde of new, young recruits running drills over the landscape. Some of them looked as if they’d pass out. Isla was sure they’d been going since sunrise.

When a break from the touring came at lunch, Isla was met by a surprise—or perhaps what shouldn’t have been a shock. Rhydian waiting in the long line to get his food.

The guard looked different from his twin, brawnier and more muscular compared to Jonah’s sinewy stature. Rhydian’s hair was longer, too, the tight curls coiling a bit higher on his head. They shared the same dark skin, though, and similar amber-and-honey-flecked eyes. Eyes that were warm and inviting and urged her forward.

After some strategic maneuvering, she was able to get beside him in one of the lines. He was distracted by a conversation with a man on his other side, glancing sidelong at him as he heaped some chicken onto his plate. Isla set her tray down to slide along the metal bar, her mouth watering as she waited and eyed the options for her meal. They’d gone through three serving stations, him leaving the utensil for her every time—but never acknowledging her—before he’d ended his exchange.

After clearing her throat, she leaned over and asked, “So, what’s good here?”

Rhydian didn’t turn. He picked up the serving spoon for the vegetables, a smirk threatening his mouth. “Uh, not the—” The guard looked over and then did a double-take, cutting himself off when he realized who he was talking to. His wide eyes lingered for a moment before he looked forward again, then stepped to the side.

A smile played on Isla’s lips. “Oh, come on. I don’t bite.”

Rhydian furrowed his brows at the quip as if he hadn’t expected it and smiled. “My brother may be disappointed, then.”

It was just quiet enough for her to hear, and her jerk-back reaction had his grin growing.

“Don’t get the beans,” he advised, then continued down the way.

With Kai on her mind, they didn’t interact again until they were at the final station, lined with desserts.

Most had forgone the sweets, but Rhydian put a handful of cookies on his plate. “I guess it’s nice to officially meet you.”

Isla took a cookie for herself. “I’m sorry he sent you out there for me.”

Rhydian shrugged. “He wanted to make sure you got into the city safely.”

“It wasn’t necessary.”

“He’s protective—of all of us, really—but with you …” He flashed her a knowing look. “I get the feeling.”

Isla smiled softly, recalling Davina and her mating ring. “How long have you been together?”

Rhydian’s features brightened. “Next month makes a year.”

Only a year? That was quick to form a chosen bond.

“You’re fated?”

“Never thought the day would come.” Rhydian chuckled. “It wasn’t the plan, but she changed my life.”

The last sentence resonated in a way Isla wasn’t expecting.

Eventually, Isla followed him to the table with his squadmates.

“Do you not need to be with them ?” he asked, nodding towards the group of warriors sitting alone at the table away from the rest of the order.

All four men, donning their warrior gear as she did, had already made their way down the long service line, acquired their heaps of food, and began digging in.

“We’re meant to mingle,” she told Rhydian, though bitterness slipped into her tone.

As they walked through the hall, Isla noticed the eyes that tracked her. It was because of what she was wearing, what she very clearly was, but there was a small part of her that wondered, that feared, they recognized her also as what she was meant to be.

The long table they approached had several groups spread over its lengthy bench, but Rhydian had stopped in front of a trio. The band of four beside them took one glance at her before leaving.

Rhydian glowered at them. Isla did, too, before the guard gestured to the three that remained. One of them was a young woman, maybe eighteen or nineteen with black hair that went to her chin, she recognized as Thyra.

“Isla, meet the members of unit 37B—Thyra, Belle, and Magnus,” Rhydian presented in mock grandness.

Thyra waved sweetly, while Belle and Magnus both nodded in curt acknowledgment.

“Nice to meet you,” Isla forced out before moving to take a seat across from them beside Rhydian.

“You’re of Io?” Belle asked before her butt had even hit the seat.

Isla ran her tongue over her teeth. “Yes.”

“She’s the Imperial Beta’s daughter,” Thyra added as if they’d spoken of her before and couldn’t believe the brown-haired woman had forgotten it. “You were second to our alpha in the Hunt.”

“The Hunt is overrated,” Magnus said, not even looking up from his food.

Overrated? She nearly died.

“I’d like to see you last twenty-four hours in the Wilds,” she challenged.

The light-haired man bit into a piece of bread. “I could go a week, but your Alpha wouldn’t approve me.”

Her scowl softened. “Why not?”

“Because you can’t have too many warriors born of Deimos,” he sneered. “Then it may bring about the question of whether your pack is really the strongest on the continent.”

Isla’s jaw slackened. “That’s not…true.”

Magnus put his bread down and took hold of the sides of his tray, letting out a humorless laugh. “Of course, it’s not,” he said before rising from the table and walking away.

The silence that followed was so tense that Isla thought she’d suffocate.

“He’s just bitter,” Belle commented to break the quiet. “He was denied entry to the Hunt four years in a row before he gave up.”

Even with that statement, a stillness took the table again. In it, Isla began digging into her lunch.

“I’ve been hearing that there are plans to help the alpha find a mate soon.”

She stopped eating, looking up at Thyra, who’d had the slightest redness tinting her cheeks with her abrupt statement.

While Isla became tense, Rhydian remained cool. He bit into the sandwich he’d made. “Are there?”

“About time,” Belle commented brusquely. “We don’t have an heir. By the time he chooses someone and a bond takes form, it could be years . That can’t look good to other packs.”

Isla felt her stomach twist.

Thyra pulled a piece of her hair behind her ear. “Unless he finds his destined mate.” There was something light about her voice, hopeful.

Belle scoffed. “Yeah, right. What they’ll probably do is line up every she-wolf within these borders, and he’ll just take his pick. Who’s going to tell him no ? He’s an alpha.” She rolled her eyes before mocking, “ Or he could fall back into old patterns. Ones that are gorgeous, vain, and ‘ Goddess forbid I lift a finger’ .”

Thyra giggled. “You mean Amalie ?”

“Amalie?” Isla said the name before she could stop herself. All eyes went to her, and she shrunk slightly in her seat.

“A member of one of the wealthiest families in the pack, probably the entire continent,” Thyra began. “She’s the heiress to a fortune and the daughter of an alpha scion in Mimas. She and Alpha Kai had been on again off again for years before he became alpha. My sister followed all the gossip. The pack ate them up.” She let out a sigh. “They always looked so great in pictures.”

“In pictures, ” Belle made a point in echoing while one hand went to rub her temples. “She’s nothing like she pretends to be when she’s behind closed doors. I was on her private guard for a while when I was still in training. I have never heard two people switch up from fighting to fucking so fast.”

Isla straightened in her seat, feeling something inside her start to simmer. That was something about Kai’s past she wasn’t keen to hear about.

“That was literally all they did,” Belle continued to complain. “Fight, fuck, fight, fuck, fight—”

“Okay, we get it.” Rhydian put his hands up, and Isla felt his knee bump against hers beneath the table.

She turned to look up at him but found his eyes cast on her hand instead. She followed them to the fork in her grasp…slightly bent from the force of her thumb pressing down on it. Thankfully, neither Belle nor Thyra noticed.

Thyra lowered her voice. “They were together right before…you know. I heard she was with him when he found out.”

It took Isla a while to register what the teen was alluding to, and when it did, her lunch soured.

“ I heard they couldn’t find him for hours,” Belle said. “The whole pack knew before he did.”

Isla couldn’t get herself to swallow.

She couldn’t imagine how horrific that must’ve been for him. To wake up and find out half his family was gone forever, forget all the responsibility heaped on his shoulders.

“It’s all rumors and speculation,” Rhydian said. “No one knows what really happened.”

Did he know about what happened? About the murders, the killer?

“Well, whoever he picks, no one will live up to Luna Zahra,” Belle countered. “She’s a goddess amongst us all.”

Thyra nodded. “Amen to that.”

Isla looked down at her tray. She felt Rhydian knock against her knee againbutrefused to turn to him. Instead, she pushed food around on her plate .

Amen to that.

The last part of the day had been filled with endless drills, with the warriors joining the guard. Isla stuck by Rhydian, doing her best to keep up with his long strides and endless supply of muscle mass. At points, they competed. Isla was beet-red and panting by the time dusk hit, and there had still been one more drill that involved climbing up a steep trail along the mountain from which many had to drop out from.

Her body was screaming and aching when the warriors finally retreated to the hotel. They’d be doing the same thing tomorrow and the next day and the next day until it was time to head off.

As she bordered on a limp through the lobby, she heard her name called from behind her.

It was Davina, standing behind the front desk.

“I recognize that look,” she greeted with a laugh as Isla approached, noting her physical discomfort and disheveled appearance. She slid a key over the counter. “There’s a surprise for you. In room 324. East wing.”

“A surprise?” Isla furrowed her brows, retrieving the metal. “From where?”

Davina shrugged before shooing her off. “You’ll see.”

Eagerly, Isla darted away.

The east wing of the hotel had the remnants of a remodel scattered throughout—tarps and paints, toolboxes, hammers, and screws. It was entirely abandoned, and Isla noticed there were fewer doors in this hallway than the one in which she resided.

She’d contemplated not even going to the room, unsure what she’d face when she came upon it…given her odd track record recently. But she trusted a voice in her head that had her moving down the hallway. She didn’t need the numbers beside the doors to know she was getting close to her desired destination because she felt it. Felt him.

Her heart thrummed in a way she hadn’t expected as she shoved the key into the lock of 324 and opened the entryway. She found Kai sitting directly in her eye-line, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees as he read in what seemed to be the living area of the grand suite. He sat upright as she stepped inside, closing the book in his hands. Isla caught the title and noted that it was a guide to learn Deimos’s native dialect.

She let the entryway close behind her. “You’re my surprise?”

Kai snorted. “Hello, my fated beloved. How are you?”

Isla gave him a deadpan look. “Why are you here?”

“Would it kill you to seem more enthusiastic?”

“Maybe try me again after a shower and meal.”

Kai gestured to the side, and Isla took a moment to fully survey the room. Nearly three times the size of hers with pockets of living space throughout. The den, kitchenette, office space, and a bed that seemed all too inviting to her tired muscles in the corner. Clean and elegant but with a rustic feel, thanks to some of the furniture. It was just the right balance of luxury and homey.

Goddess, this place was nice.

But more than the décor, Isla clocked something even more glorious with her eyes and sense of smell.

“You brought food?” Isla blurted, rushing to the kitchenette’s countertop, where a wrapped pocket sat.

“I figured you’d be hungry.” She heard Kai rise from his seat. “And if I was going to ask something of you, I couldn’t come empty-handed.”

Isla had barely registered his words. She’d unwrapped the meal, smelling divine, filled with seasoned meat, gooey cheese, and a variety of colored vegetables. Kai remained quiet as she took her first few bites. When she’d finished halfway, she turned to face him, having fully broken down his words. “So, this was payment.”

“In a way.” Kai leaned back against the desk in the corner of the room. “In a couple of days, we’re having a banquet for a retiring council member. General Eli was added to the guest list, and I made sure he was allowed a plus-one. There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s going to ask you.”

Isla took another bite of her food. “And you want me to be his date?”

A scowl threatened Kai’s face. “You’re his subordinate. He likely won’t put it that way.”

Isla couldn’t help but wonder, still, how it would look. Couldn’t help but remember the first time they’d been at a gathering like that. “And you want me to say yes?”

Kai nodded, a muscle fluttering beneath his cheek. “I need you to work that charm of yours. Be the woman I saw from across the room at the feast. I need you to tell me everything you hear, everyone you talk to. What they say, how they say it. If they came up to you or if you sought them out.”

A similar objective as before. Isla tore another chunk, solemn that she was nearly finished. “I hadn’t gathered much from the ceremony.”

“I wasn’t expecting too much from there. A different audience. There will be much higher ranks of my pack at the banquet.”

Isla paused at that, roiling nerves making it difficult to finish that last bite. “What are you looking for this time?”

“Same as the last.”

I’ll know when I hear it.

“Perhaps I’d be successful if your intentions were more direct.”

Kai had no retort, and she finished her meal.

While she washed her oily hands, she asked, “But what do I wear? I didn’t bring anything formal, and I don’t think I can show up to a banquet in my armor or warrior gear.”

“Taken care of.”

Isla heard something heavy hit the mattress with a slight rattle. When she turned, on the bed lay a sleek black box.

She dried her hands, meeting Kai’s eyes. He simply gestured to the parcel. “A gift for a gift.”

Heart in her throat, she approached it slowlyand, just as carefully, lifted the lid from the box. In it, she found the luxurious sheen of silk as dark as ink, the fabric rich and finely made. It was smooth beneath her fingertips as she ran her hands along it before hooking the two straps. They were thin, she noticed as she lifted the dress. Diving down into a plunging neckline that ended at the cinched waist, stitched with subtle corded patterns, just above where her navel would be. From the middle, it split again, a high slit, certain to leave her leg on display before it pooled onto the ground like an obsidian lagoon.

It was beautiful. Too beautiful. Too nice.

But her admiring of it was cut short when something else within the box caught her eye. Jewelry of silver and diamonds and gemstones so crimson they looked like blood. Like the sheen of an alpha’s eyes…or the trademark color of Io.

“Goddess, Kai,” she breathed. All of this must’ve cost a fortune.

“There’s the enthusiasm.”

Isla scoffed, still gawking at the attire. It was a spectacle, she was. She had to be. As much attention as possible had to be on her tomorrow night.

If it weren’t simply for the bared skin of her body and the daring cuts of the dress, the thin straps and the low cut back would leave her lumerosi exposed. If the lumerosi didn’t draw attention or conversation, it would be the jewels. One way or another, Kai needed her to interact with as many people as she could and get as much information as she could glean. A warrior and the alpha’s spy.

But…

“I can’t accept this.” She clutched the dress to her chest, spinning to him.

“Think of it as further payment.”

“It’s too much.”

“It’s too little,” Kai said. “You deserve a lot more. What you’re doing for me, for the pack, is invaluable.”

Isla felt her heart swell, and with the dress still in her hands, she walked to her window where she could just catch one of the towers of the Pack Hall dwelling in a sea of sunset—reds, oranges, purples, and blues.

How bad could it be?