She needed to think!
And fast if she wanted her head still fixed on her shoulders in the next couple of minutes,
Or she could kill him?
Now that was just another death sentence waiting to happen, because his soldiers were close, there was no way she was going to make it out alive. What lie could be convincing enough for the general to trust?
She couldn’t believe that she had let her anger get the best of her like that. She had had a nice thing going, and then she just had to ruin it by slipping out of character at the least chance.
And now the General wasn’t going to trust her again.
Hell, even she wasn’t going to trust herself anymore at this point.
As it was now, she had two choices,
Come completely clean and risk dying anyway,
Or try another lie and hope to the fucking heavens that she didn’t blow it to smithereens this time around.
She decided to go with the second option.
“No my lord, I am not a maid,” She admitted, taking on a more regal, elegant looking stance as she looked up at him. “I am a lady of the ton. My real name is Artemis Langdon.” The she-wolf sent an apology to her friend in her head for using her name like that. “Words cannot express how sorry I am for lying to you and taking advantage of your kindness,” She tried to quench his anger, “But, I’m afraid I had no choice. My life was in danger— is in danger, there are people after me.”
“Which people? Werewolves?” He asked with a low growl, but Kendra could tell that he wasn’t as angry as before.
“No, my lord,” She shook her head in the negative. “Not werewolves. I did not lie to you about coming from Silver Crest. They’re not as bad as you believe them to be, General Macintyre. As a matter of fact, I owe them my life.”
Alaric stared at the dark skinned woman with her curls held atop her head in a bun, a few slipping past their hold and framing her face beautifully, and he groaned inwardly. His attraction towards her was increasing by the minute, and she hadn’t even spent a full day in his company yet!
Could she feel the connection too?
He knew what was causing it, but as it stood now, he was pretty sure he was the only one recognizing the signs. She still had no idea. The question now that wouldn’t stop haunting him was this;
Could he believe her this time?
She had already lied to him once. What was stopping her from doing it again?
The General told himself that now more than ever, he needed to keep her close so he could keep a watchful eye over her, but even he knew deep down that it was a child’s cry.
“I decided to give you the benefit of the doubt and trust you, but you broke my trust.” He told her point blank, causing her to wince slightly, “Honestly speaking, no one has done that and lived to tell the story…”
She completely believed him.
“…but I’m going to make an exception.” He said. “I’ll give you another chance, and if I find out that you were lying to me, you won’t make it out of here alive. Are we clear?”
Kendra didn’t need to look in his eyes to know he was telling the truth. She believed him. He’d kill her, no hesitations. Hopefully, she’d have found what she came for and be out of his hair before things got that far out of hand. “Crystal.” She murmured.
Thankfully, one of the soldiers approached them, cutting off anything the General might have wanted to say in response to her reply.
“General, is there a problem? Why have we stopped all of a sudden?” He asked. At a quick glance, Kendra realised that she knew him. He was the kind giant with the bad eye, the one who had thankfully saved her from his woman-starved comrades. He looked even more intimidating in broad daylight, but when he sent a nod her way, Kendra realised that perhaps, he was just one of those people who were both scary and nice at the same time.
“Everything is alright, Pollion,” Alaric informed him, “Have the troupes offload everything. We will make our camp here for now.”
“But General,” Pollion tried to protest, “We were supposed to stop at Dnakle,”
“Pollion,” Alaric interrupted, reaching out to clasp the man’s shoulder. Pollion was by far taller and heavier than the General, but the action still made him visibly flinch. “Do you have a problem with my order?”
“No sir, I just thought that—”
“I don’t need you to think, Pollion,” He interrupted in irritation. “I just need you to act on my orders.”
Kendra watched the scene unfolding before her curiously, wanting to observe how the general interacted with his soldiers. To be honest, she didn’t know why she had expected anything less. He was rude, and all knowing.
So why was he nice to her?
Was it because she was a woman?
Kendra wasn’t so sure that was it. There were a handful of women among them working as maids, and so it wasn’t like she was special or anything. But she couldn’t help but feel like she was getting some kind of preferential treatment.
She didn’t like it one bit.
It made her feel as though he was having some other ulterior motives in mind. One that she hadn’t really picked up on yet.
But whatever it was, she was going to find out.
She just hoped it wasn’t too late when she did.
****
Dnakle.
Killian had been told that the Curers were heading for the small town next, and so he hadn’t hesitated one bit, he had gone back to the tavern for his horse, and had started what was supposed to be a five hour long journey, working Ethereal so hard that they had made it in only three hours, and what did he meet?
No sign of the Curers.
Nor Alaric Macintyre.
Nor Kendra.
The hope that had been growing in him was quickly deflating like a balloon with a puncture as he observed the little werewolf community go about that daily activities, completely oblivious to the fact that impending doom was coming their way soon.
Where the fuck could they be now?
He still had some confidence in Kendra that she could hold out all by herself, but it still didn’t stop him from worrying nevertheless.
But all wasn’t lost though, perhaps he had been brought here for a purpose after all;
To bring the small werewolf town salvation.
People soon noticed though that he was new, and they also picked up his scent— that he was wolf, just like they were. The revelation made excited rumors burst out around him as people discussed who the mysterious, handsome man was and what he could possibly want from their town.
He heard it all.
She-wolves blatantly eyed him with interest, male wolves with envy and distrust, but no one approached him as he slowly rode Ethereal through the town, no one until one person finally emerged from the beautiful house he had seen from a distance… the one he had felt would house their Alpha.
But instead of a male wolf, it was a she wolf that approached him.
“Are you a friend or a foe?” She snarled at him, staring up at him from where he was seated on his horse. A small crowd had followed him to the Alpha’s palace, it seemed.
Killian dismounted his horse, hands raised in surrender. “I come in peace,” He said, meeting the beautiful, strawberry blonde she-wolf’s eyes, gaze for gaze. She was tall and slender, so tall that she almost reached his nose. That didn’t happen often. “I only need to talk to your Alpha.”
She nodded, “Follow me,” she then proceeded to lead him into the palace, away from the many curious eyes and towards one large, plush area with many windows and chairs… perhaps, that was the lobby. “I am his daughter, Aiyisha von Sterling.” She finally said, snapping him out of his thoughts.
“Anything you would want to say to my father, you can say to me… you have my complete attention.”
Now Killian was curious, he just had to test her.
To see if she could hold her own like she claimed, and so he said, “I’m afraid what I have to tell him does not concern women,” He told her calmly, observing her every move curiously.
She seemed at ease, not quite bothered by the sharp barb like he had thought she’d be. “Ah.” She instead nodded, as though something finally made sense to her. “You’re one of those. One of those wolves who think women should be confined to taking care of pups. Well, I’m sorry to break it to you love, but over here, I’m in charge, so you better start talking or get back on your horse and go back the way you came,” She gently said, though the fire in her blue eyes were fierce,
She reminded him of Kendra.
Though she was more reserved. Kendra would have probably had a dagger pressed to his neck by now showing him who was boss. He missed his stubborn mate.
“Very well,” He conceded, “Forgive me for my impetuousness, I assure you that it wasn’t because I have no trust or respect for she-wolves and their capabilities. I just had to make sure that you could handle the information I bring, and I am convinced you can.”
“Very well, let’s hear it then.”
“I have reason to believe that General Alaric Macintyre and the Curers are heading over to your town next.” He said, noticing with concern how the blood drained from her face.