Captive of the Horde King (Horde Kings Of Dakkar #1) - Zoey Draven Page 0,88
disliked my brother. Though he had suffered as well back in the village, he’d come into the horde with Arokan’s approval, but he had rebelled against it, had shown his displeasure readily, when Mirari had seen her acceptance into the horde as a fortunate blessing.
“So you see,” she continued, holding my brother’s gaze, “though you may not understand now, better things await you, if only you try to accept them.”
I could see Kivan processing her words. Something in his gaze changed and I knew that Mirari confessing she’d been an outsider struck something within him. He’d been an outsider too, even before I’d left.
“You are right,” he finally said softly, blowing out a breath. “I should be more grateful. I have been treated well and I have been reunited with my sister. Perhaps I should be the one asking for your forgiveness.”
Mirari blinked and then looked away. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she was embarrassed, though I didn’t know why.
“Perhaps,” Mirari said lightly.
Even still, I looked at my brother, saw him looking at Mirari with a peculiar expression, as if he was just seeing her for the first time. Hope and pride made me smile. Perhaps Mirari’s words would be a turning point for him, something for him to think about. When my brother met my eyes, I nodded at him, pleased with what he said.
Then I spied something behind him, in the forest we were riding next to.
My breath hitched and the color must’ve drained from my face because Mirari asked, “Missiki, are you going to be sick again?”
The being darted behind a tree when I spotted him, but I would recognize the sheen of his grey scales, the unmistakeable curve of his razor-sharp teeth anywhere.
A Ghertun.
A scout.
He’d been watching us.
Chapter Thirty
“You are certain, kalles?” Arokan asked, his expression serious, his eyes rapt on me.
When I’d urged my pyroki into a run towards the head of the horde, when I’d told my worried husband in a hushed, urgent voice about the Ghertun I’d seen, he’d immediately stopped travel and quickly ordered his warriors out into the forest to search for him.
Now, I was standing next to him, behind the line of warriors that acted like a barrier between the forest and the horde as we debated what to do. The search party had returned and told Arokan they saw no sign of a Ghertun, or even the tracks of one, which I said was impossible.
“Yes,” I said, holding his gaze. “I saw him. He hid when I spotted him. Right there!”
Arokan’s eyes went above my head, his eyes surveying how large the forest was. I could practically see his mind working and then his pujerak, his second-in-command, approached us.
“Your orders, Vorakkar?” he asked, looking between us.
Arokan was silent, still thinking it over. Finally, he shook his head, looking at me, and then his pujerak before he said, “We cannot risk splitting up the horde. The forest is large. If we cannot even track the scout, it would be impossible to locate his pack. I will not send half the warriors away when we may need them, in case of an ambush.”
The pujerak inclined his head.
Arokan continued. “We are a day’s travel away from the new camp. We keep the horde together, keep the warriors alert, and we send a scouting party out once we settle. Lysi?”
“Lysi, Vorakkar,” the pujerak said. Then he walked away, relaying Arokan’s orders to the rest of the horde warriors.
Arokan turned to me and I whispered, “I know what I saw, Arokan. He was there.”
“I believe you, kalles,” he murmured, reaching out to touch the golden markings around my wrist. His eyes went to the forest again and then he looked back at me. “You will ride with me until we reach the camp. No exceptions. Tell your brother and your piki they may be near you as well.”
I nodded, rubbing my arms when I looked back at the forest. A feeling of unease settled over me. How long had the Ghertun been tracking us before I’d seen him? He could have been watching us for miles.
“Luna,” he murmured softly, reaching out to cup the nape of my neck. I turned my eyes to him. “I will always protect you. You have nothing to fear.”
I gave him a small smile. I nodded and said, “I know.”
He tilted his chin towards where my brother, Mirari, and Lavi were standing, speaking quietly. “Go tell them to ride up front. Hurry back. Kailon awaits.”