Torn between Wolves & Myths (Book 2)

“What the hell did you do to her!?” She heard a familiar voice snarl as she was approaching the cabin from the forest. Liv picked up her pace, but only a little bit as she already knew who Fare was snarling at and she didn’t mind it one bit.

“What kind of a fool do you take me for, pup?” Caden’s voice floated to her and she had to hold back a snarl of herself. “I didn’t do anything to her.” Sure, he didn’t. He only told her about the history of the female Ulfhednars, that she has the blood of both races and that she was more powerful than she could have ever imagined. Like matching the power of the gods powerful. There was no way she could actually match their power, right? She’s semi-immortal, but even she cannot hold that much power inside of her.

“Then where is she and why are you wet?!” Fare yelled.

“Good question, Fare.” His voice made her stop in her tracks. She was close enough to the cabin to see Rafe, Pyry and Stef walk towards Fare and Caden who were inches away from biting each other’s throat out. Her eyes went to the Regent. Swallowing a snarl, she straightened herself and continued her walk forward.

“What did happen with you two?” Rafe asked as he looked Caden dead in the eyes. She saw the clenching of his jaw, but he didn’t back down from Rafe’s stare.

“Why are you so curious?” She spoke up before there was going to be a fight, she didn’t want to partake in. Everyone looked at her as she walked out of the forest.

“A Lycanthrope hunter breaches my borders and almost succeeds to kill you, before you chase him into the forest and disappear with another Alpha for about five hours, that makes me curious.” Rafe answered with a hard look on his face.

“Shouldn’t you be enforcing better patrols and do whatever you want to retaliate, instead of worrying about another Alpha who is more than capable to take care of herself?” She countered with the same hard look on her face as she took a few steps forward.

“You are my priority, Livana.” He said as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Whatever happens to you is more important right now. We cannot afford to lose you again.” The hairs on her body rose at his statement. No matter what this guy said, the warning signs kept going off.

“My dad made you Regent.” Rafe’s eyes immediately snapped to Caden who threw a glare that promised her death in her way. She glanced back at him with a smug smile ghosting over her lips, before she looked at Rafe again, who was still shooting daggers at Caden. “Which means that you have more to worry about than one female.” His gaze slid back to her. “So, go do your job and secure your borders.”

“Careful, Livana. I’m not your enemy here, so don’t make me one.”

Malik limped out of the cabin with his hand on his bandaged side and an idea immediately popped in her head. “I’m not planning to.” She said meeting his slightly confused gaze. “I was actually going to accept your offer to start over.” Basically, everyone around, besides Fare and Malik, looked at her as if she had suddenly grown two heads. Maybe it wasn’t the best time to start their plan, but it was the most believable one as he gave her the opening she needed.

“Are you serious?” Pyry asked as he was the first one to come out of his stupor. Of course, she wasn’t, but he didn’t need to know that. None of them needed to know that, so she nodded as she met his gaze.

“You need my help and I need yours. That won’t work out if we don’t start over.” Liv spoke as she met Rafe’s gaze. He took a careful step in her direction. “I would like that.”

“But-” She held up her finger to stop him. “In return for my help I want answers. All of them, or we can go back to neither of us trusting the other.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw as he held her gaze. Nothing was said for a brief while before he gave her one nod. “Agreed.”

She released a breath through her nose as she straightened and gave him a nod as well. “Okay then.”

Rafe straightened as well as he took a serious stance. “What happened to the hunter?”

“He’s dead.” She answered immediately. “You can find his body by following the scent of pee and blood into the forest.”

“Did you get any information out of him?” A sigh left her as she crossed her arms over her chest. “No, I ripped his throat out before he could.” Rafe’s eyebrows shot up as he looked down at her. Was he actually surprised that she had killed the wolf? He did know what she had to do to stay away from King in the human world, right?

“You fucking fool.” An immediate growl came from her and her pack as her eyes snapped to Stef. The wolf inside of her did not allow anyone, including another Alpha, call her a fool.

“Careful, Stef.” She warned him. He immediately straightened and puffed his chest out at the challenge. “Or what?”

“I took on two Alphas at the same time while the wolf inside of me was blocked, don’t challenge me because you won’t win.” Pyry snorted, causing her gaze to shift to him. “They still walked away from it.”

“No, they didn’t.” Ben interjected as he walked towards them. “They were carried away and didn’t come out of the infirmary for at least two months.” Her gaze shifted from Ben to Pyry who had a neutral gaze, telling everyone that he wasn’t impressed, but the slight bob of his Adams apple as he swallowed didn’t pass her by unnoticed. A crooked smile appeared on her face as he met her gaze and swallowed once more before his gaze turned ice towards her.

“What Stef meant was that you should have-”

“Interrogated the motherfucker before I ripped his throat out, yeah I know.” Her gaze met Rafe’s again. “What’s done is done, and there is nothing to be changed about it, that’s the end of it.” Rafe tensed for a brief while before a soft grunt came from him. That was weird. What did just happen?

“Very well.” His voice came out strained, like he had trouble saying it. Seriously, what did just happen?

“Will you be joining us for the feast tonight?” She scrunched her eyebrows a bit before nodding. “Very good.” He said before he turned and walked away with Pyry and Stef in tow. They walked as if someone was chasing them, before she knew it, they had entered the Packhouse and were out of sight.

“Okay...” She dragged out as she looked at Fare, who held a proud smirk on his face. “What the fuck did just happen?”

“You just commanded them to stop talking about the hunter without even realizing it.” Fare answered as he walked towards her and laid an arm on her shoulders. “You, my beautiful Alpha, have a lot of power in that small body of yours.” A sound of some bones cracking filled her ears. Liv looked at the direction and saw a tense Caden with clenched fists. His gaze was fixated on Fare, who smirked back at the Alpha. Was he actually bothered by this? But why? He fucked her twice and he knew that there won’t be a third time. There was nothing but distrust and mutual hate between them so why did it bother him that Fare was calling her beautiful?

A shiver danced down her spine at the new feeling that filled her; at the newfound power over him. A power she was going to use to the fullest.

“Do we need to be scared at that smile that’s plastered on your face?” Malik’s weak voice entered her mind through the link. “Very.”

She pulled her eyes away from Caden and smiled up at Fare as she reached for the hand that still laid on her shoulder. “This small body of mine can handle more power than you know, Fare.” Making sure the double meaning was clear in her face, Fare reacted like a pro with his expression as he looked down on her while she felt the slight confusion come from him through the bond. “Oh, I don’t doubt that one bit.” Fare made his voice sound a bit husky as he winked at her.

“I’m gonna go take a shower and change. I reek thanks to the fact that someone threw me in a lake.” She said as she looked at Caden who was even more tense than before as his eyes snapped to hers. As if a string was released, he relaxed his muscles. “As I recall you didn’t mind it that much near the end.” Asshole... Fare tensed a little next to her as Ben immediately looked at Caden with raised eyebrows, and Malik’s surprise could be felt through the bond as well. He was doing the exact same thing to her as she did with him, but she wasn’t going to let him win. She had more means to play dirty and she was going to. Malik told her that he could smell his arousal as well as hers, which means that he was close to falling off the edge thanks to the urge as well, and she is going to be right there to give him the last kick that makes him plummet towards it.

She told her pack that she was going to handle both Alpha’s and this was just what she needed. A driven with lust mind cannot function like it usually does, which means that he cannot do anything else but relieve himself. Including finding out about the play she and her pack is going to put on.

This game was on.

“Well, it wasn’t the first time I had to do something by myself.”

A snort came from next to her from Fare as Malik let out a long whistle before he walked back into the cabin. Ben cleared his throat as the surprise was wiped from his face and looked anywhere but Liv or Caden, the latter shaking his head slowly as he had an unbelieving smile on his face.

She smirked as she winked at him, before walking past him to the cabin, with Fare’s arm still around her shoulders and her still holding his hand. He bended down a little so his mouth was close to her ear. “He can still hear this.” Came through the link first, before, “I’d bet my fingers and tongue could do a better job than your fingers ever could.” was whispered in her ear. Even though she knew he didn’t mean it, the urge spiked and a curling sensation was felt in her lower abdomen. “Fucking hell, Fare.” She linked back as she felt her body heat up at his words.

The sounds of clothes ripping and bones snapping was heard from behind them, before Caden ran into the woods in his wolf skin.

Before she walked into the cabin with Fare, Caden’s scent flew past her and made her turn to look at the forest.

Birch, the woodsy sent she smelled before was the smell of birch trees, but she still couldn’t place what the other scent mixed in it was. Her eyes shot to the pile of clothes as she swallowed. She hadn’t truly smelled Birch in the way that came from him, not since Greenland. Not knowing what it meant she dropped it for now and walked into the cabin, closing the door behind her.

“Do I want to know why we’re antagonizing an Alpha who is close to losing himself to the urge?” Fare asked as he dropped down on the couch. She walked forward and leaned with her hands on the couch. “Because a lust addled mind, is not clear and cannot function properly. Meaning that he won’t have the time to figure out what we’re doing.”

“Oh, you’re good.” Fare commented with a surprised chuckle.

“Just be careful though.” Malik chimed in as he sat down in the chair with a hiss. “Caden is unpredictable, you might not like the consequences of this.” She looked at him as he slowly rested his back. He wasn’t wearing a shirt anymore and the bruises of his broken ribs were still visible as was the blood that was coming through the bandages. His ribs should have healed by now, which means that the aconite was still running through his body, slowing down his healing. Liv gulped as she remembered the pain coming from him and the intense fear. He had been close to death and she pulled him back from the brink even though she had never learned how to heal someone with her power.

“Moonbloods can’t heal wounds.”

The words the hunter had yelled at her ran through her mind like a mantra. The worst thing was that she didn’t know if that was actually true or not. She had used her power to heal the kids back in Caden’s pack and Nessa hadn’t reacted weird, like it was something that shouldn’t be possible. So, why would he be so certain that he would yell that at her?

“You’re starring again.” Malik said with a small smile, pulling her out of her thoughts.

She walked around the couch and sat down on the table in front of him. “How are you feeling?”

“A bit broken and bruised.” He answered with a smile. “But thanks to you, I’ll live.” He added as he leaned forward with a grimace and took her hand in his. She also gave him a small smile. “You saved my life, and I’ll be forever grateful for that, but you cannot use it in front of anyone else.”

Liv scrunched her eyebrows as she held his serious gaze. “What do you mean?”

“Liv, Moonbloods can do a lot of awful and beautiful things, but healing, like actually healing physical wounds and not internal, is something that no Moonblood before you have ever been able to do.” Her eyes grew wide as she gulped.

What the hunter had said was right...

“I-” She stopped herself as she looked at their hands. “I didn’t know.” Malik sighed as he moved a little closer and lifted her chin whin his hand, making her look at him. “I know you don’t. Everyone here knows that you weren’t taught like normal Moonbloods and that’s okay, but this is something that shouldn’t even be possible. Moonbloods hold the power over blood and not the actual cells, bone or skin tissue. What you did to me was a miracle and too many people saw it happening.” Malik said with worry in his eyes.

“What happened after I-”

“Fell into the rage?” Fare finished for her. So, basically everyone knew that the Moonrage the thing that happened to her. At least that wasn’t something that needed to stay a secret.

Liv nodded. “Rafe showed up, moments after Caden ran after you into the woods, stopping anyone else from following you. He demanded to know what happened and we told him a version of the truth, but left out the part where you basically brought Malik back from the brink of death. Even Ben and Rev left it out, including that you fell into the rage. They told Rafe that you chased the hunter into the woods and that Caden followed. Rafe hadn’t been happy with it, but when Pyry asked if he needed to send wolves after you two, he objected, saying that he wanted to see what you would do.” Her eyebrows shot up. He wanted to see what she would do? That was something she hadn’t expected.

“What did he expect I would do?”

Fare shrugged as he leaned back in the couch. “He never said, but given your background he probably wanted to know what kind of strength you had.” They should have told him about the Moonrage then, that would have told him what kind of power she really has.

“How did you explain your wound?” She asked as she looked back at Malik. “You gave it to me when I crashed on the porch and a piece of wood stabbed me during our training.” She nodded in understanding. “The Doc of Caden’s pack checked me out and told me that he would be checking on me tonight, for clean bandages. Thanks to the amount of aconite in my body, I won’t be fully healed until morning.” He explained as well. She gave him a weak smile as her eyes snapped to the bloody bandages located where his wound was.

“What does it mean that I can heal wounds?”

“Moonbloods are known for healing internal bleedings, you being able to heal physical ones is a development we never thought could happen, so we have no idea. Not even Ben does. What we did agree on was the fact that you need to keep it a secret for now.” She sighed as she met his gaze and nodded. “I will.” Malik smiled at her and squeezed her hand a little.

“Now that’s cleared up.” Fare interjected, making them both look at him. “What truly happened between you and Caden?”

§

After explaining what Caden had told her and what it meant, they all agreed that they needed a break. Malik had gone to his room to rest while Fare had shifted and gone out for a run. Liv had actually taken a shower and relieved herself two times, thanks to the most irritating urge that has ever existed.

She may use Caden’s urge to keep him preoccupied, but her own was also close to a point where she wasn’t going to get relieve from her own fingers anymore. What she was going to do when she came to that point, was a bridge she will cross once she gets to it. Worrying about that now will not help her. What will help her was the feast that was starting in about an hour and a half. It had already turned dark outside and she knew that their play was about to commence. Tonight, was all about getting answers from Pyry, all the answers he could provide. They will go at it one Alpha at a time. If their plan works, they will get to Rafe in no time. He will not be as willing as the others to give her all the answers he has. Including what he knows from Freya. That answer will be hard to get, but she will get it, no matter what. They were in a war, that apparently would be decided by her and so, he had no rights to keep anything from her.

She needed to find her place in all of this, before Lycaon comes for her again. She was sure that he will, it was only a matter of time, but there were still too many things that didn’t make sense and she was determined to figure everything out.

“Going to drive Caden insane again tonight?”

Liv turned around and saw Malik standing in their adjoining door with black pants and a button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, while she was still standing with her towel wrapped around her very naked body. She gulped as she looked at him. Seriously who had decided to make every damn Ulfhednar and Lycanthrope images of Norse and Greek gods?

As the thought filled her mind, the image of Caden during the feast, back at King’s pack, flooded in her mind. Her breath immediately hitched as her toes curled a little.

“Liv?” Pulled out of her stare, her eyes snapped to his and didn’t miss the satisfied smirk on his face. She rolled her eyes as she walked to her closet. “Don’t start.”

“Didn’t say anything.” Liv looked at him over her shoulder. He chuckled and winked at her as he walked into her room and sat down on the bed. The curling sensation in her lower abdomen was felt again and she immediately looked away from him as she opened her closet. Closing her eyes, in an attempt to control herself she took a deep breath before focusing on picking out some clothes.

“Liv, calm down.” His voice sounded from close behind her, causing bumps to form on her skin. “If you want me to calm down, then please get out.” Without another word, Malik left the room and closed the door behind him. Liv let out a strangled breath as she collapsed to the ground and sat with her back against her closet door. What the fuck was wrong with her?!

How can she think about Caden when Malik is standing in front of her?

Why does that motherfucker have so much effect on her!?

Refusing to give in to her thoughts she closed her eyes again and forced her body to act normal and calm down. She refused to pleasure herself on the thought of him- again...

She really has a problem...

Not getting up from the ground until she was sure that she wouldn’t turn in a lust driven female at the sight of any male, she sat there until she only had about ten minutes left before the feast would start. A knock sounded on her door, which led to the hallway.

“Alpha?” Fare’s voice sounded from the other side of the door. “I’m coming.” She answered as she laid her head against the closet door. Footsteps leading away from the door sounded as she got up from the ground, grabbed the first dress she could find and got ready to leave.

Let the show begin.