was so unhappy she took her own life, and they couldn’t go on living without her.
When that Elder showed up with Isla, I was a goner as soon as I looked into her honey-brown eyes. I know it’s mostly because I was already susceptible to form a bond, since it was so close to Guardians’ Night and the Beasts’ Full Moon. But taking care of her when she was cold and hurt made me feel more special and important than I’ve ever felt in my life. While communicating with her is frustrating, she’s surprisingly funny, and it’s amazing trying to decipher what’s going through her head at any given moment.
“You may not have wanted one, but you needed one.” Janak slams his glass down on the small table beside his chair. “The older you get, the more feral you’ll become if you don’t have a mate to keep you grounded. To keep you human. The two of you, Audun, and Caelan are my oldest friends, and I hate seeing you pull away from people as the years pass. Don’t even try to tell me you’re not lonely, living so far up that mountain away from everyone. You need a girl to warm your beds, and to give you something to live for. I’m not arrogant enough to believe that your loyalty to me and my family will always be enough.”
I lift my head slowly and meet his eyes. There’s so much I want to say, but I’m at a loss of where to start. And what’s the point of arguing? We’ve already claimed Isla. It’s not like we can undo it.
“Why put her in a cage though?” Maalik asks quietly. “If her world was as bad as you say, and she’d already been through so much, why treat her like an animal and offer her to us like that?”
“She bit me when I opened the cage.” I shake my head. “She was terrified, Janak.”
“Listen, I’m sorry,” Janak says guiltily. “You have to understand, I’ve thought a lot about this, and about your situation. What do the other Guardians’ mates all have in common? They are weak, submissive women. They’re not suited for the life you lead. You need a woman who’s strong, determined, and brave. But, your beasts are attracted to those who need protection, right? Isla was only here very briefly before I had her sent to you. It was my decision not to have her wounds dressed or have her cleaned up. I was assured she wasn’t hurt badly, and I thought you’d be more likely to take her in and form a bond with her if she was still in the same state we found her.”
“I get it. I truly do,” Mal says. He finally takes the seat beside me, and it’s impossible to read his expression as he stares at Janak. “But you need to understand that you’ve broken our trust. You planned this behind our backs, and you’ve put us in an unfair situation. Isla is a sweet girl, but she still has a family she’s worried about.”
“Does she?” Janak asks with his eyebrows raised.
“Her brother, Alistair.” I don’t bother telling him we’re not entirely sure what his relationship to Isla is. But he’s obviously important to her.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Janak frowns, sounding sincere. “I’ll see about sending a few Elders back to her home-world to dig around. But please believe me when I say that world is a lost cause. It’s on the list of Forbidden Realms. It’s completely overrun with demons and every dark creature you can imagine.”
My heart drops into my stomach. I was afraid that might be the case, especially since I wasn’t able to match her hand-drawn map to one in the Atlas of Known Realms. At least Janak will have people looking for Alistair. If we can reunite Isla with her family, maybe there’s a chance she might somehow learn to love us.
“You swear to keep us in the loop this time?” Maalik growls. “The moment you hear anything about her brother, good or bad, you need to let us know immediately.”
“I swear it. And I swear to earn back your trust too, friends.” King Janak leans forward and shakes Maalik’s hand. He gives us both a half-smile and asks, “So? How was the claiming? Was it as brutal as you’d feared? You know I won’t judge you.”
Maalik’s cheeks redden, and I chuckle at his embarrassment. I shake my head and answer candidly, “No, not at all.