Bloodfire (Blood Destiny 1) - Helen Harper Page 0,103
in time. He looked down at me expressionlessly and cleared his throat.
“She’s not dead,” he said softly. “But her wounds are such that she no longer hast the physical ability to manage your pack. Anton’s Voice emerged several hours ago and Mother Nature is doing its job.” He paused for a second, appearing to consider his next words. “Funny, I thought it would be you.” He said this last quietly, so quiet that I doubted that Anton heard him. Probably just as well; I doubted the bear would take too kindly to hearing the insinuation that a human would make a better alpha than he would. I supposed that on the bright side, it meant that Corrigan still wasn’t aware of my true nature. This thought was then suddenly followed by the slamming realization that it had been far too long since I’d used the lotion to mask my human smell. Unconsciously I took a step backward. Shit.
Corrigan’s face closed off. “We need to leave. The other portal will not remain open for much longer.”
I swallowed, trying to edge closer to Iabartu’s body, praying that the stench of death emanating from her would mask me. “Uh….other portal?”
Anton looked at me as if I was stupid. “How do you think they got through to attack the keep? The beach portal was already sealed by your friend,” he spat the last out. “There was obviously another gateway.”
Oh yeah. I’d been so caught up in my grief and horror, not to mention absorbed by the revelations of my ancestry, that I hadn’t even considered where the nasties had come from that had maimed Julia. Duh. I was clearly off my game. My lack of sensible brain activity then wasn’t stopping me now from picturing just how much danger I was putting the whole pack in right now. I stared at Anton, willing him to initiate another conversation so I could remind him about what would happen if Corrigan decided to inhale past Iabartu’s covering scent.
It was Corrigan, however, who looked at me impatiently. “There’ll be time to analyse later. You need to shift so all those cuts will start healing and we need to return. I don’t want to spend more time around this plane than necessary.”
I squeaked and continued to try to implore Anton with my eyes.
“For fuck’s sake,” exclaimed Corrigan. “She’s dead, your alpha’s death is avenged, you can shift. We don’t have time for this.”
“Right,” I said, swallowing hard. “Okay, time to shift. Yes, can’t wait to finally shift again, if I go too long I get that itch, you know? So it’s good, that I can now actually shift.” I was clearly babbling.
Corrigan raised his eyebrows. Anton, damn him, looked amused – and slightly hungry. I wondered whether he still wanted to taste my blood and whether I could use that to make him let me still stay with the pack. Well, I was fucked if I’d let him get even slightly close after this. He continually seemed to forget that my lack of shapeshifterness put the whole pack at risk, not just me. Without his help I went down the only avenue left to avoid trying to meet Corrigan’s obviously impossible expectations. I rolled my eyes back into my head and fainted.
I tried not open my eyes immediately in surprise when Corrigan caught my body before it landed back onto the sharp grass. He cursed and picked me up, holding me against his chest. I fought very hard not to tense up as he did so.
Anton laughed sardonically in my head. Nicely played, human.
God, finally. You idiot, I hissed back at him. I’ve not used the lotion for over a day now. Once we get away from the rotting stench of the bitch, he’ll know I’m human.
And I should care about that why?
Welcome to the new Cornish alpha, ladies and gentlemen. Because, you wanker, once the Brethren know what I am, you will all be in danger. You are the alpha, it’s your job to protect everyone.
I could almost feel the cogs whirling in his head. Corrigan muttered something to him and took off smoothly towards what I supposed was the other end of the valley. If Anton didn’t get with the programme soon, this was not going to turn out well. I couldn’t pretend to be unconscious indefinitely. Not only that but Corrigan had a fast gait and it wouldn’t be too long before the only thing he’d be able to smell would be me.