Despite my pleas, it seemed in everyone's best interests for Verando to stay behind with the boys while I fulfilled my commitments. The boys were much too young for a real hunting trip and with the summer heat in full swing, Verando didn't feel motivated to drag toddlers through the woods chasing feral wolves. He did not approve, after listening to his rationality, neither did I. 

I felt nervous, on edge, as I packed my bag with a week's worth of outdoors type clothes. I wasn't sure how long I'd be gone and I didn't want to run out of outfits in the outdoors, looking at the forecast it seemed like rain was most prominent on the agenda. Despite Verando assuring me that it could mean good hunting, I was less and less thrilled with my decision. 

In my study, I thumb through the news on my laptop in the long moments before they would arrive to whisk me away into the wilderness. The healing was much slower than I had anticipated, with large zones still holding onto their deserts. Fishing was on the increase, the dead spots in the oceans were shrinking by the day, but the earth was still in critical condition. For that reason, I could forgive the rain. 

Feeling out of touch with nature was odd for me in my, now, conscious state. I could sense nothing of the outside world, besides what I could smell. There was no way to tap into the health of the planet surrounding me. I made the decision that when I returned, I'd call Tyler and check in with him on the state of things. Despite Pascal being a modern-day Solomonari, with no schooling, she was quite useless in the arts of the planet. 

Perhaps that was the downfall of society, with the population down into horrifyingly low numbers, the caretakers of the planet were few and far between. I scroll through air quality, resting my chin in my palm with a sigh, was it wrong to hope that Fergus would have fixed all this before he turned into a toddler? 

I feel him before I see him, flicking my gaze up as he enters with a peace offering of a cinnamon roll. Sitting on the edge of the desk, he rolls his eyes at the news and closes the laptop. "Oftentimes, before a hunt, I'd talk with Alpha, not browse the internet."

Sneering in response, I take the pastry and sigh contentedly at the first bite. "Me and my wolf both approve of this kill so graciously provided by our soul mate." The humor doesn't touch his eyes, it isn't often I see him slouch, and yet he seems to almost deflate at the thought. Resting his palms on the desk, he watches out the rear window at the rolling dark clouds threatening to drown us in a week's worth of rain. "You look worried."

"I am." He doesn't hide things from me anymore. "Echo is a good mentor, she taught Tonic a lot about instinct." In other words, he was trying not to worry me before I left. Taking another bite, I turn in my chair to watch out the window as well. 

"What're you looking at?" It's a small attempt to enjoy him for a little while longer, leaving while knowing he was miserable made it all the more difficult. 

Verando considers not answering me, I can tell by the calculating expression before finally he stands and moves to open the window in a swift motion. "Nothing. The wind is blowing, I'm listening to what it has to say. You'd get a better idea of the conditions if you left your window open. The wind is your best guide in the woods, you should know that being a Solomonari."

"I'm not a Solomonari anymore." I remind him shortly, taking one more bite before setting the pastry down to stand and walk to his side. With a slow inhale, I sample the swirling air, tasting the wet rain on my tongue while savoring the salty backdrop of the harbor spray. Leaning my cheek against his bicep, I curl my arm around his, lacing our fingers together as I admire the way his scent so easily mixes with the current. 

"You carry more of it than you give yourself credit for. You're also quite easily distracted." Bringing his hand across the short space, he tilts my chin up with a small smile. "Much as I don't want you to go, I'm relieved to see that you've finally begun to return to me. I was growing bored with your obedience."

I mock his eye roll, shaking my head at his attempt at humor. I wasn't being obedient, I was hardly even alive in my previous state. "There's been a distinct lack of punishment for my disobedience." The complaint is half-hearted, I understood all too well the reason for our dry spell. "Just remember, Mr.Mercer, that when we leave for our honeymoon you won't be able to escape from me so easily." 

Boldly, I slide my knee between his thighs and grip the material of the shirt as I used our laced fingers to rest his hand on my ass. I seek to kiss him and he stays firmly out of my reach, despite my attempt to stretch onto my toes. "I intend to use every moment of that time to remind you of your place." He rumbles, low in his throat as he presses me closer to his body. I shudder at the contact, the wind carrying the scent of him threatened to push me over the edge as I attempt to pull him to me with no avail. 

"You've been letting me have my way, haven't you?" I complain about the lack of movement to my attempt.

To my surprise, he chuckles, smirking his one-sided, boyish grin. I catch my lower lip in my teeth, sinking to my knees instead. "Not necessarily, your wolf is settling it would seem, you don't want to hurt me so you're not able to jerk me around as you have been." His words cause me to flinch, if he wasn't laughing it might prompt me to plead him for his forgiveness. I undo the button of his jeans hastily, his hand rests on the back of my head and I take his lead as I pull his boxer briefs down and place a chaste kiss at the base of his length. 

"Have I been too rough with you, Mr.Mercer?" I ask finally, driven to near madness by the scent of him. 

"Not nearly." He sighs, and I can't help but smile at the effect I have on him. His hand catches my chin once more, dragging his thumb over my lower lip. "You have some of the loveliest lips, darling. Too bad you choose to run your mouth with them." I gasp in protest only to welcome the introduction of my true intention. I wrap my hand around him, taking as much of him as I can into my mouth. 

Merciless, I suck hard, appreciating the low curse as his hand fists in my hair. My heart pounds as I attempt to entice him, my free hand gripping the back of his thigh to prevent his hips from rocking. As I feel him getting close, I stop, panting as I challenge him with my pleading gaze. In a quick motion, I'm pulled onto my feet and spun as he pushes me towards the desk. 

My hands dive for my pants, desperate to yank them down as I feel his hand grip my shoulder and push me down to bend over the desk. I instinctively use my hands to catch myself, gripping the edge as I'm left panting, trying to get a hold of myself in the intensity of the moment. I can't stop the yelp as he smacks me firmly on the ass, Verando grips my wrist, pulling it back to fold my arm behind my back and forcing me to rest my cheek on the cool wood. 

"There. That's much better."

"Ass." I challenge him through gritted teeth, squirming against his grasp. 

"Brat." He retorts as he slams into me, causing me to lift onto my tiptoes and groan at the mixture of emotions. Part of me wanted to fight back, to not make it any easier for me and bring on the torment, while the other side so desperately wanted to submit and take this delicious punishment. There's no time to think as he moves, slow and hard, he takes me for his pleasure. 

I had forgotten how much I enjoyed being punished, how much I loved to be dominated. While there was a side of me now that wanted its own opportunity, I relished in the thought that I could enjoy this side too. Moaning low in my throat, I rock back against him, only to startle slightly at a knock on the front door. 

Verando hesitates, I refuse to be interrupted. "Call the police, have them murdered, you're not stopping." I snarl at him, flinching as he shoves me down once more. 

"I have no intention of letting your mistakes ruin my enjoyment of your body, you're going to tell them that you'll be down in a moment." His words cause my cheeks to redden and I shake my head, only to whimper as he stills. "Then we stop."

Growling in response, I reluctantly extend my free hand, accepting my phone from my pocket as he resumes his merciless pace. How am I supposed to do this? Pulling up the icon, I attempt to text only to yelp once more as he smacks my ass. "Call them." He demands. 

My cheeks flush, I press the number for Echo and hold the phone up to my ear as I try and concentrate on anything else. "Where are you?" She demands, irritated. Foolishly, I'd hoped she wouldn't pick up. 

Biting my lower lip to gather up every ounce of my will power, I allow my lips to part. "I'm finishing up packing." I manage quickly, turning my head away as I shakily exhale. His free hand rests on my hip, using it as leverage as he seems to wish to expose me to the people I will be spending the next week with. "I'll be down in one moment."

"Can you not let us in? It's raining out here."

"Sorry!" I squeak, covering my mouth with my hand as I feel myself getting dangerously close. "I'm almost done." I can't manage anything else, I can't even think of my own name as he slips the phone out of my hand and hangs it up. My body shakes, trembling uncontrollably as I fight to keep it together. My warlord, my biggest weakness, the one man who could reduce me to nothing but what he pleased. 

"The boys are with Legardo, let me hear you." He commands of me and I answer with a resounding moan, incoherent as I chase my release. Pulling me off the table, I feel my back press against his chest as he finishes, sinking his teeth into my neck once more. I grip his hair, holding his lips to my neck as I follow close behind. My body clings to him, I shut my eyes as my world spins and swims like a vortex, I wonder briefly what I was supposed to be doing before he came in the room. 

Completely spent, I fall limp against him as he withdraws, pulling my pants up first then his own. I use my hands to brace myself on the desk, waiting to catch my breath. I smell entirely like him, my body drowning in the aroma of an alpha male. "Do you think they'll suspect?" I manage, wrinkling my nose at him as he takes a casual bite of my cinnamon roll. With a boyish grin, he bends to peck my cheek. 

"I'm pretty sure they heard. Lycan hearing and all." 

I resist the urge to illicit violence on him as I grip his shirt and kiss him, unable to stop my own grin. "You're such an ass." I remind him, taking what was left of my breakfast from him. "Well, this should make for an awkward week." 

"Oh, assuredly. It'll make you hurry back to me. Tiberius is teaching me to send pictures on these phones, I expect them to be quite lude when they arrive to you." 

Gaping at him, I reach to throttle him and he quickly slips out of my grasp with a chuckle, grabbing my bag like a proper gentleman. "You wouldn't dare!" I growl, flashing my teeth. "What if someone sees?!"

Shrugging innocently, he backs out the door, shouldering my bag. "I guess you'll just have to come home quickly." Winking at me, he jogs down the stairs as I race after him while attempting to fasten my belt. 

The car ride is long and awkward, made worse by the fact that I couldn't get the grin off my face nor could I stop nervously checking my phone to assure myself that no pictures would pop up unexpectedly. Fighting with the settings, I race hurriedly through them while attempting to remain aloof and find a way to prevent the notifications from alerting the other passengers. 

My soggy companions got the worst of the rain for the few minutes they were standing outside the door and my husband had so graciously refused to allow them inside, back into the rain and into the car we all went. "Your husband is a real dick." Echo spits, breaking the silence. "Next time, maybe screw each other the morning of instead of right when we arrive?"

Helen seems to agree, though she says nothing, her solemn face suggests that she had heard a lot more than she had ever intended to. It was only Kestrel who looked very slightly amused. By the dull look in his eyes, I'd say that he'd taken a suppressor that morning. I would have to find time to pick his brain whenever we could find a moment to be alone, I'd like to ask him about the enhancers and their effects. 

"Verando can be vengeful, in the future I suggest you be more polite to him though I'm sorry to say, you're out of luck if you're hoping for peace between us any time soon. I'd say he'll be pissed at all of us for quite a while." Well, perhaps not me, but a part of me so dearly hoped that he would feel the need to discipline me more. 

"What kind of Alpha holds a grudge?" She spits, disgusted as she rolls her eyes. 

I shrug one shoulder, finding the dimmer setting so that I could at least take away the chiming sound. "The kind that single-handedly kills the strongest magic user in the world using an army of slaves to conquer half a country? If you want one example? You should know this by now, you're Acer's daughter, you shouldn't be surprised to learn Randy can be a jerk." 

"Echo was hoping for special treatment." Kestrel scoffs, making the woman snarl and punch him in the arm. I'm glad that I'm not on the receiving end though I did wish that Kestrel wasn't driving to receive such a blow. 

"He was the only one who knew my father well, I was hoping he'd have more respect for me." I can't help but think of the first time I tortured someone, Acer got to be the victim in that regard. The man was a snake, a true neutral in that he only looked out for himself. Much as Echo seemed strong, I could see those same tendencies in her. 

"Acer was a businessman. He seemed to feel similar to you, he didn't want to fight and he didn't want to be a part of the war." I attempt, considering how I might feel if someone told me my father was a horrible person. While I knew this to be true, hearing it from someone else might have been more than I could bear at the time when it mattered to me. "Verando and Acer have very different goals."

Kestrel smiles once more, glancing over his shoulder at me. "You really are the Good King, aren't you? Acer sucked." 

Echo flashes her teeth at him and he shrugs, unimpressed. He was the epitome of evil, she couldn't frighten him. The car returns to silence, every now and then I spare a glance at Helen who isn't looking at me. Her small body looked more fit, less fragile, in her time with this pair. The blue eyes paler than I remembered, the white strands of her hair remained cut into a short reverse bob that swayed innocently around her jawline. There is no call in me to touch her or comfort her. 

My wolf was thoroughly displeased with her betrayal and after my moments with my warlord this morning, my loyalty was more solid than ever. Absently, I touch the mark on my neck, thinking of how odd it was that I seemed to almost want him to bite me. Sniffing my wrist, I smell so heavily of him that my own scent is almost unrecognizable. Thoroughly satisfied, there are no chocolate eyes staring at me from the depths. 

In one swoop, he'd linked me to him and calmed my wolf all in one, I'd think it was sabotage if I hadn't initiated. 

Looking out the window, I'm surprised to see that we aren't out of the city yet though the buildings don't look familiar to me. I scan the skyline, tall, older buildings that were still needing repair loom overhead. We had left the gleaming rebuild of Paris and entered a much more unsavory part of the country that I couldn't even identify as France. Cracking the window, I take a sample of the scents emanating outside. 

Decay hung heavy in the air, filled with the still toxic fumes of smog and tainted water. This was one of the untouched cities, one of the places the news didn't show. Why on earth were we here? I tense as the car slowly rolls into a parking space and comes to a stop. "Are we stopping here for the night?" I demand, though checking my watch, we still had a few hours of daylight despite the storms rolling through. 

Echo shakes her head, opening her car door. "No. We're getting our hunting license."

"Hunting license?" I raise an eyebrow, checking the other two who had already hastily jumped out of the car. I follow suit, slipping my phone into my pocket. "I didn't realize we needed one?"

"We do for what we're hunting." She grumbles, marching towards the run-down building that didn't even look open. The boarded-up windows and the dusty curtains seem to complain at the intrusion of the wind. 

"What're we hunting?" I frown, not sure I want to know. 

"People," Helen responds shortly, pushing past me to enter the building.