The Mountain

This is chapter nine of a longer series last updated in (so embarrassing) 2018. You'll probably want to read the whole thing if you read it at all.

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When Warder's knot finally ceased inside of her, she lifted herself up, bracing her hands against his chest. He watched her.

"You didn't have to tear my dress."

Warder raised one eyebrow and cast his gaze to the scraps of sodden fabric scattered around them. Then, without comment, he felt for the jacket she had left on the beach--his jacket--and wrapped it around her before dragging her back down to his chest. He smelled of salt and heat and the same spicy, male scent that clung to the leather jacket. It was unbearably intimate to be held close against his chest, skin to skin. She was more aware of him now than she had been even when they were having sex, or, at least, she was more lucid.

She struggled away from him again and this time, he let her go. She collapsed on the beach an arm's length away, staring out at the gray nighttime sea. "What happened to the islanders inside the mountain?"

"You ran away."

She wanted to ask him about the tunnel collapse, but she was afraid to direct his attention to Sheera. "Is Persephone...when she came after me, the tunnel collapsed. She was trapped."

"Persephone is injured, but alive."

Lucy felt the slightest bit of tension leave her body. If Persephone had survived...

"Your friend is alive," said Warder. "Do not try to obscure the direction of your thoughts."

"You are stronger than me, so you can command my body. But you cannot control my thoughts."

Warder turned his head. He looked deceptively relaxed, still lying on the rocky beach, his skin beaded with water. "Mates have no secrets from each other."

Lucy actually laughed. "You have all kinds of secrets. What happened to the islanders? What about Hadren and Ysabel?"

Why can I suddenly summon light from nothing?

Warder sat up, his movements unhurried. "As I said, we will discuss it."

"I really dislike your dictatorial attitude."

"Do you?" asked Warder with mild interest. "It seems to appeal to you when we lie together."

"What?" Lucy managed, her voice an embarrassed squeak.

Warder leaned over, using one large hand to cup the side of her face. "You respond to me, not only as my mate, but as an omega who is naturally inclined to appreciate the strength and confidence of an Alpha."

Lucy blinked up at him, squirming with embarrassment. "You're crazy."

Warder watched her a moment longer before he stood, brushing sand from his skin. She wouldn't have thought that she could continue to find his body so intimidating after he had just been inside her. But as he stretched his huge, powerful arms over his head and began to dress, she hugged her knees more tightly, feeling small and vulnerable next to his massive form. He lifted her to her feet and cast an eye around the beach.

"Where are your shoes?"

Lucy smiled wryly and pointed a finger over her shoulder, indicating the general direction of the mountain. "I wasn't wearing any when I left."

Warder gave a short growl of disapproval before scooping her up into his arms.

"I can walk without shoes!" Lucy protested.

Warder ignored her.

#

At the top of the path, Lucy could see Cenia waiting at the entrance of the cave. She was leaning one shoulder against the rock, watching the night sky with a pensive look on her face. When she felt Warder's presence, her gaze shifted and she stood at attention, acknowledging the presence of her commander.

"Report," said Warder.

"All is well, Sir,"

Warder ducked as he walked past her, setting Lucy on her feet next to what turned out to be a pile of blankets. Aware of her general state of undress, Lucy snatched one of them and wrapped it around herself. Warder took advantage, wrapping his arms around hers where they were trapped under the blanket. His heat seeped into her skin and she resisted the urge to lean into him.

"Cenia?" Warder said, his voice vibrating through Lucy's body where they touched.

"Yes, Sir?" Cenia came into the cave.

"When I leave you with instructions to watch over my mate, I expect you to do so."

"I told her to leave me," said Lucy, trying to turn in his arms to look at his face. "And I wasn't trying to drown."

Warder and Cenia both ignored her.

"Yes, Sir," said Cenia, her musical voice subdued, her head bowed.

"Go outside and keep watch."

Cenia obeyed, leaving them alone in the dark cave. As Lucy's eyes adjusted, she realized that the blankets were not the only new item in the space. There were several large bags that had not been there before. Warder pushed her towards one of them. "There are clothes for you in that bag."

Lucy stumbled in the direction indicated, kneeling and sifting through the bag. The clothes had the smell of the mountain--damp and dust. But they were clean and warm. She uncovered another pair of fleecy leggings and a heavy cotton sweater. She started to pull them on, trying to keep the blanket around her. Soon, she was tangled up in the blanket. With a frustrated sigh, she let it fall, hurrying into the clothes.

She checked the bag again and was grateful to find socks and boots. She sat and pulled those on as well. No need to give him a reason to carry her around.

"It is time to discuss what happened," said Warder as she finished tying the shoes.

"It is decreed," said Lucy.

Warder didn't seem to realize that she was making a weak joke. "Things have changed, mate."

"The islanders shouldn't have attacked. It is my fault. They did it on my behalf."

"Reminding me of the ways in which they have implicated you is not the right way to manage my anger." His voice belied his words. He didn't sound angry at all. He sounded almost disinterested.

"It's difficult to keep up with what's making you displeased at any given moment," said Lucy, faintly aware that she shouldn't try to provoke his temper. The way he could be so calm and unmoved at every moment while making decisions that affected her life made her incautious. "Are the rebels alive?"

Cenia had told her that they were, but she needed to hear it from Warder.

"They live," said Warder. "A few died in battle. An honorable death."

Lucy doubted that would matter to their families. "Are you going to let them go?"

"Do you not want to know what became of your attacker? Of Ysabel?"

Lucy looked down at her boots. "I killed her."

"You wounded her, but you did not kill her," said Warder. "You could have, but I suspect you did not truly desire to do so, despite your anger."

"Ysabel is alive?" Lucy's heart careened crazily in her chest. A weight lifted at the thought that she had not killed the vulnerable woman. Because despite her power, she was undoubtedly vulnerable. But fear swept in to weigh her down. Cruel, empty blue eyes and long, tangled hair and the terror of that power directed at her. Power that might lurk inside her own body, too.

"Ysabel is alive," Warder repeated. "However, she is not likely to be alive for long."

"Isn't she receiving medical care?"

"She is not responding."

"So I did kill her. If it weren't for what I did--"

"Did you have any control?" asked Warder. "It was instinct."

"I never had the instinct of a killer before." Lucy knew that what she had done had come from fear for Warder's life. She thought he knew, too, but she chose not to enlighten him further. Of course she did not want him dead. She did not want Ysabel dead. She did not want

anyone

dead, but neither did she want to be tied to this warrior and these people who created situations that invited that kind of danger.

"You never had the opportunity to realize it, perhaps."

"You think I am a killer?"

Warder ignored the question. "Grace convinced Ysabel that you were a threat."

"Grace wanted her to kill me?" she asked. "Why?" It was getting cold in the cave, even now that she was dressed. Lucy hugged herself and Warder, noticing, pointed to the blanket folded next to him. Lucy shook her head. Undeterred, Warder sat up, reaching out to grab her arm, and pulled her down next to him. Lucy angled herself away from him, tugging the blanket around her. Their silent battle ended, she looked at Warder expectantly.

"We were lovers," said Warder. "She blamed you for the loss of my attentions."

Lucy stared at him, the confession about Grace rattling her more deeply than she could tolerate. "She can have your attentions," she said after a while. "I won't fight her."

Warder growled low in his throat. "If you continue to wound my Alpha pride, there may be little of me left for either of you."

"Are you--was that a joke?"

"Hardly," said Warder, but in the dim light, she thought she saw the faintest ghost of a smile. Lucy hated the way it made her heart flutter.

She lowered her gaze, working hard to tune him out and think through what she had learned. She would not let Warder know that his revelation about Grace had rattled her. She did not want him. She should not care. "Why would Ysabel believe Grace and worry that I would be so powerful? I had never shown any hint of power until she attacked me. It doesn't make any sense."

"Ysabel's mind has not been right for some time," said Warder. "However, the two of you share a trait that made it easier for Grace to manipulate her thinking on the matter."

Lucy waited, expecting Warder to enlighten her as to what she and Ysabel could possibly have in common. "What trait?" she asked, prompting him.

"You were both born human," said Warder.

#

His anger at finding Lucy struggling in the water had been matched only by the satisfaction he felt at mating her once more. When he had come to her, he had been aware of his failure to protect her. That had been forgotten in his terror and rage. Now, it came flooding back. Not a wild emotion--that was indulgence. Rather, a clear certainty.

It was an Alpha's duty to gather and process information. To make decisions, sometimes profoundly difficult decisions. To set aside emotion to fully understand those, like omegas, who were ruled by it. He had not realized the depth of Grace's jealousy, of Ysabel's brokenness. He had allowed the island to become unsafe, not only for his mate, but for every soul within its borders.

"I would know if Ysabel was an islander," said Lucy, breaking into his thoughts. "I know everyone on the island."

"I did not say she was an islander," said Warder. "She is human, but she came from the mainland when the rest of us did."

"Why? I mean, for Hadren," his mate said, trying to make sense of what she knew. "But why would

he

come?"

There was much he would not tell her, even now. Not the real reason he had come to this island or the danger of what was to come. "Hadren and I were seeking a place where our people could live peaceably among humans," he said, giving her a half-truth to satisfy her curiosity. "Your island was that place."

"I guess it's a little late now," said Lucy, "but you could have blended a bit better somewhere else." She laughed, but it sounded bitter. "New York City, maybe. Or L.A. Or...Utah. I wish you had asked me before you went to all the trouble of coming here."

"This is irrelevant," he said, letting the Alpha growl flow under his words. "We are here."

The island was supposed to be safe. Before he had taken Lucy as his mate, he had believed it still was. He had kept himself distant and failed to see the rebellion coming, from Grace or from the islanders. If Lucy had not been the catalyst, something else would have been. He had been like a man asleep, wrapped up in his past. He had indulged himself, keeping apart. Even when he took Lucy for his mate he had been blind to the full consequences.

He was awake now. He would face what was coming. And the next step required him to do something that went against every Alpha instinct he felt in his mate's presence.

"Lucy." He said her name to get her attention, as if she were the one who had been lost in her own thoughts. She tipped her face up to him in the dark and he resisted the urge to kiss her, distract her from what needed to be said. "We are going back to the mountain."

Her reaction was intense. "No! Please. Please, I'll suffocate in there." She placed her small hands on his chest. Instinct. Touch meant to soothe him, whether she realized it or not, as she begged her mate for his favor.

"Not you," said Warder, placing his hands over hers so she could not pull away until he was prepared. "Cenia and myself."

To survive the loss of Ysabel and Hadren required a truce with the islanders. If the price was being away from his mate, he would pay it.

#

"What?" Lucy felt her stomach drop, as if she were leaping from a very high height. She faced him, searching for the lie in his features.

"Where--where am I going?"

"Back to the town," said Warder.

The town where she had nearly been attacked. For so long, she had been fighting him, this man who had claimed her. He had teased her, fucked her, reminded her of the inevitability of their bond. Now, he was dismissing her.

She let the words come slowly, desperate to control whatever emotion was clutching at the back of her throat. "You're letting me go."

"You will be safe," said Warder. "I am sending the surviving islanders with you and the delayed offerings of supplies."

"Good," said Lucy. "Where are they? Do we go now?'

Practical questions, because she would die before she asked what she truly wanted to know.

She had been railing against Warder's dominance for so many weeks, she had failed to consider what it would mean if he did not want her any longer. If he cast her aside. Suddenly, the things she felt for him had come crashing through her defenses. Desire. Need. She wanted to ask him what had changed, if it was Ysabel or the rebels or something else. Something about her that had made it easier for him to cast her aside.

Warder was doing her a favor. Sending her away before she lost her mind completely and convinced herself that she wanted to be tied to him. The raid must have made him realize how inconvenient it was to have her for a mate. How dangerous. She had been indulging herself by wondering amidst her fear and turmoil if she could come to care for this strange warrior who had tried to claim her.

She had been a fool.

"You will go at daybreak when it will be easier for the group to travel," he said.

"I guess that's soon enough."

On the beach, he had called her his mate. He had threatened her for risking her body because it belonged to him. He had thrust himself inside of her with the intent to mark, to claim. He did not care for her. It had been nothing but pride.

"In a few days, I will lead a delegation to town to discuss a new treaty. You will encourage your people to come to the table in good faith. And it is important that you keep some distance from our delegation to encourage their trust. It would not be prudent to remind them of our connection."

"Of course." She had a role to play if she could make the other islanders trust her again. "I'll keep my distance." The words felt hollow, a weak performance. She could not allow him to see how he had affected her. This was what she had wanted. What she wanted still.

Warder looked away. "Good."

#

Her parents cried. The other islanders had mixed reactions. Some avoided her. Some expressed joy that she was alive. There were no signs of outright anger like there had been the day she went to see Ioanni. She had noticed Lori Crisp among the crowd, her son returned to her side. His face was bruised and bloodied, but he was alive.

All that time inside the mountain, wishing she could be home, and now she wanted to be almost anywhere else.

Not inside the mountain with Warder. Of course, she didn't want that. Or, she didn't want to want it. She wanted to go back to before he had changed her. She remembered what it felt like, so recently, to have been drowning. She wondered if she was, still.

Inside the mountain, Lucy had thought of little else but coming home. That, and the wilder, secret desire that she might come home to a place that was changed. With the antenna, their captivity might finally end. The town no longer felt like the sanctuary she had imagined it to be. She had seen the desperation lying close under the surface. As for the antenna, Ioanni claimed that it would work when the dense fog covering the island had cleared a bit. The placement of the antenna on the mountain had been necessitated by the strange mist that always hung just offshore. If Warder was to be believed, that mist was maintained by Ysabel. Perhaps it would fade if she died. The fog covering the island now climbed halfway up the mountain. The weather was not unusual for the end of summer, but Lucy still took it personally. As if the island itself wished to cling to its inhabitants. As if the land under her feet was on the warriors' side.

Back in her own bed, she found she could not sleep. She wanted to be free of Warder. Of course she did. But she did not feel free. She felt as if she had lost a limb, off balance and numb. She couldn't stand to be in her bed alone. For the second night in a row, she found herself on the large rocking chair front porch, gently moving the porch swing back and forth with one foot as she stared into the persistent fog.

"You're a fool," she said, trying to banish thoughts of Warder.

"I agree."

The familiar voice seemed to float on the fog. A moment later, it's owner strode into view, stepping lightly onto the other end of the porch.

"Persephone?"

"Who else?" She made a gesture as if to brush her long red hair over her shoulder and stopped short due to the fact that her arm was in a cast.

"What are you doing here?"

Perspehone rolled her eyes. "Guarding you," she said. Then, she looked over her shoulder into the fog. "Well, guarding your guard."

"What?"

"One of Warder's Alphas is on duty tonight. A man. He won't let an unmated male guard you without supervision."

Lucy looked in the direction Perspehone had indicated for some sign of life. She didn't see anything, but Warder managed to move silently, so she imagined his Alpha soldiers could as well. "And you just couldn't help stopping by to say hello?"

"I won't apologize again."

"I didn't ask you to."

"I wanted to know what you're doing outside. If you're planning to try to drown yourself again--"

"Warder told you that?" Lucy felt a sharp stab of betrayal. Not only because Warder had shared something about her with Persephone, but also because he had not believed her when she said she wasn't trying to hurt herself that night on the beach.

Maybe that was why...

Persephone shrugged. "We are always briefed before we go on a mission. Right now, the mission is to keep you from killing yourself. Either intentionally or through utter stupidity."

"Ah. So you did miss me."

"What?" asked Persephone, wrinkling her brow. Warder and his people struggled with sarcasm.

"Nothing."

"He always protects his people," said Persephone. "It's what an Alpha does and Warder is the strongest Alpha I know. And, of course, when it comes to you, he has to think of his own safety. Even if he won't admit it."

"What do you mean?"

Persephone looked at her with a look Lucy recognized. It was the common and infuriating, "aren't you stupid?" look that Persephone used when Lucy failed to understand some arcane aspect of her people's lives. Of the Sylphen.

"I really don't know, Persephone," she said, shooting her a look of her own. "Explain."

"You're mated," said Persephone, as if that were explanation enough.

"So?"

Persephone looked once more into the fog. This time, Lucy thought she might be looking towards the mountain. "If one member of a mated pair dies, their mate will die, too."