Frost Bite

Chapter Ten.

Zane.

I left her there, feeling like an i***t for having asked something like that. Of course she didn't want me, between Aron and my brother, she was too occupied to even notice that I cared for her. When she had confessed to me that Nixon was her mate, my blood had started to boil, my hands trembling from the jealousy and envy that had enveloped me. I wanted to share that type of bond with her but he had taken that from me and not only that, he would marry a noble woman soon and toss her aside. He didn't deserve to be her mate and she didn't deserve to be treated that way. I slammed the door shut to my chambers, running my hands through my hair as I leaned back against the wall, her confused and puffy red eyes staring back at me in my mind when I had asked the question of whether she wanted me. It was clear that her wolf did but she only wanted me because I smelt like Nixtoni, looked like him to a certain extent. I wanted all of her to want me, not just her wolf but her as well. The sun was still rising over the horizon, the orange light pooling into my room as I took in the sight of it. The gold sheets were replaced with new, clean ones, the mess of books on the coffee table had been organized, the frame of the painting above the fireplace had been polished. The painting of a white bear fighting a grey wolf. I tore my jacket from my shoulders and tossed it aside, the black silk material meaning nothing in comparison to the books I was aiming for. I took one in hand and slumped down in one of the black armchairs, opening it to the last page I had read. Every last one of the books were on history and wolves since I wanted to know as much about her and her kind as possible. There I would sit, for hours into the night, reading. A maid would come in every now and then to fill my glass of wine or to bring me a plate of food. I ran my fingers over the aged pages of words, until one of them jumped out at me. The word 'mates' was written in scribbled ink and peaked my interest, so I began to read the line then the paragraph then the page that leaked into a chapter as the sun rose high into the sky and time ticked on. I wanted to know her, to understand what she was going through. She was alone in the world, most likely the last of her kind with no one to know what she was dealing with, to know how she worked both through mind and body. I wanted to be there for her in a way neither Aron or my brother could, I wanted to understand her anatomy, how her body could shift into that of a wolf, to understand her emotions that were shared with those of her wolf. It was around midday when a servant woman knocked on the door to my bed chambers. I paid her no mind as she creaked open the door and peeked inside to announce that my brother had called for a Court meeting. She then left, closing the door, her feet echoing on into the distance as I finished the page I was on. The author had been a human man who had fallen in love with a wolf but she was mated to a higher up among the wolves. He studied her, conversed with her and wrote down as much as he could before he had been killed by her mate in cold blood. History could sometimes be a cruel and fierce place where love often lead to death. I closed the book and turned to look out the window of my chambers at the bare forest beyond, coated in a grey, gloomy light. The corner of my lips tugged up. Perhaps this story too will end in death.

Blythe.

I stood in the snow, my feet barely able to feel the harsh sting of the cold as I walked in a direction that lead further away from the castle. I could smell blood coming from not too far away, the sound of a body being drug in the snow was clear to my ears. It wasn't human blood, nor was it a human corpse from the strong metallic scent that touched the air. I could feel my canines start to extend with a need to feast, my eyes flickering to black then back to blue. I had spent nearly a decade living off raw meat from my kills and since I hadn't eaten for quite a few hours, I was hungry. There was a sudden rush of pain that coursed through me, causing me to cry out and grip at my chest, my body collapsing into a tree near a cliff. I gritted my teeth, eyes starting to tear up again. The pain I was feeling, the heartache wasn't mine, it belonged to my wolf but because we shared one body I could feel her agony almost as if it were my own. Below the cliff, Aron worked to tie the back hooves of a deer together then strung it up in a tree. He was covered in dirt and sweat and looked like he hadn't slept in hours. I wanted to be close to him, my hands moving to force my body onto my trembling legs as I pushed my wolf further down into the depths of my mind. My legs stopped shaking, my breathing returning to normal with only an annoying, dull ache vibrating through my skin. I sot forward, leaping from the cliff to land beside Aron below, in a deep crouch. He had long since noticed me, his hunting instincts strong as he searched his bag for his pocket knife. I stood upright, beside him, my claws still extended as I reached to the side "Allow me" I muttered then ran a single nail across the deer's throat, causing blood to spill from its gaping neck, down into the snow.. My hand fell back to my side as Aron looked up from his bag, his eyes first inspecting the deer before they landed on my form. He stiffened at the sight of me, the extravagant dress that fit my body like a glove, the earrings that dangled from my ears like teardrops and the clip in my hair, despite the messy state of it. He came to a stop at my neck where Nixtoni's necklace still hung down to my chest "He will have chosen a suitable noble woman to marry by now" I said, raising my hand to cup the pendant with a sad look in my eyes as they gazed downward. Aron tossed his bag to the side, his arm muscles tensing as he watched me, watched the pain in my movements and heard it in my words. I smiled, a sad smile for the sake of my wolf "She's hurting" I whispered, my free arm moving to wrap around my waist, almost in a hug that was meant for my wolf to feel. Aron leaned back against a tree as the stream of blood began to grow thinner while it trickled down "Who is?" his question made me realized that he had no idea of the two souls trapped within my body like Zane did. I paused at the thought of Zaniel, his hurt eyes as they stared down at me, his angry grip on my wrists still lingering there. I turned to look at Aron, glad that he did not feel a need to look away or run like he did the day before "My wolf" I gripped the necklace tighter as the world around us began to fade from the various different colors of dawn to the dreary grey of day "You see-." I began, my feet brushing over the snow as I fully faced him, my deep blue eyes locked onto his dark, almost black ones "She is the one who loves the King-." I glanced down at the bear pendant that hung from my throat and knew that the reason why I was attached to it was not because of me, it was because of her, she was the one who clung to it as if her life depended on it and not me "But I care for another" Aron stayed silent, his eyes hard as they looked me over. I couldn't tell what was going on in his mind, I couldn't know whether he realized that I was referring to him or not. When the silence dragged on between us, I looked to the side, my eyes fixed on the black sea that was a stark contrast to the white land "Would you mind doing me a favor?" I asked out of the blue. Aron tensed, his arms that were crossed over his chest seemed to turn to stone when I spoke. I dared a glance back at him, my eyes almost lifeless as I tore the necklace from my neck, snapping the silver chain and gripping the pendant in the palm of my hand. I could feel my wolf whimpering in protest inside of me but I ignored her and held the necklace out for Aron to take "Ask your father to embed this into an armor plate for me to wear around my waist" Aron slowly pushed off the tree he had been leaning up against and stepped towards me, his hand taking the necklace from my palm to stuff it into the pocket of his pants. The necklace no longer stood as a representation of love but instead of pain and pain should be used to drive a person, to motivate them so I would use it to guide me, to be a Commander worthy of praise, I would turn her pain into a strong drive to fight for the Capital and all of Myres "Thank you" I breathed, nodding my head before I turned to walk off into the distance, heading for the ocean. Aron stayed behind, watching me venture off, my feet carrying me deeper into the forest and away from him. I wanted to be alone for a little while, I wanted to comfort my wolf as best I could while she lapped at her wounds. I wanted her to heal before we would see his face again.

Aron.

"But I care for another" those words echoed through my ears, bouncing off my skull as his face surfaced in the back of my mind. A golden head of hair and blue eyes staring at me like they had back in the armory with a hidden challenge in their depths, almost mocking me with their playful gleam. His lips tugged up in a smirk made my blood boil but I had pushed those emotions aside, leaning back against a tree to listen to her. She was broken or was it her wolf? The concept of two beings in one body was too much for me to comprehend. One thought that seemed to comfort me as I watched her leave was that she herself, the human Blythe did not harbor feelings for Nixon but almost as soon as relief flowed through me, a deep regret came along with it. The image of her lying on the platform beneath me, the fire from the hearth, the only source of light as she gazed up at me with desperation in her eyes 'Please' the pleading tone of her voice reached me and I stepped towards her, my lips parting to call her name only to come to a stop in the back of my throat at the thought of Zane. I lowered my head, eyes staring at the blood that stained the snow as my fists balled at my sides, trembling. That night had been before she had met Zane, before they had formed the type of playful bond I had witnessed in the Courtyard. She most likely didn't feel about me like she had that night and would push me away for Zane. It made sense, he was a Prince and the Prince's who are not next in line to the throne could sleep with and marry Common women if they so chose, however it was an uncommon thing for the Royal family to do since they preferred noble women. Zaniel had made it clear that he intended to make her his, whether that meant making her fall in love or asking for her hand in marriage was beyond me. I was drawn out of my thoughts by a twig snapping nearby. My head whipped around in that direction to find what looked like a hare dancing through the bare bushes. I breathed out through my nose and bent to grab both my bow and an arrow, aiming for the shrubs. The white and grey fur moved in and out of my range of sight until it broke through into a run. I squeezed one eye shut, aimed for the back of its neck then allowed both the string and the back of the arrow to slip from my fingers. The arrow shot through the air, slicing the light morning mist and embedded into its neck. A snapping, tearing sound caused the birds in the tree tops to take flight, crying out when the hare fell limp in the snow, it's spinal cord having been fractured but the sound did not come from the hare, instead it came from somewhere behind me. I lowered my bow and turned to come face to face with a set of brown, black eyes, glaring at me. My entire body went stiff, hand tightening around the carved wood of my bow as the creature roared, baring its teeth while it stood up on its hind legs. Its white fur was coated in red from wondering into the mess of red with its muzzle soaked crimson, teeth stained pink from having torn a front limb from my deer. Its front paws clawed at the air from where it towered over me even at my height. It was challenging me and from where I was stood I had no way of defending myself. My eyes narrowed and my teeth clenched when it slammed its front paws back into the snow, white smoke coming from its curled lips when it yelled at me. I tossed my bow aside and took a small step back but that only seemed to anger it. The bear stayed still for a moment then shot towards me, barreling through the snow and blood to attack with the intent of guarding its next meal.

Zane.

I dressed in my usual attire, a pair of black dress pants with polished shoes, a black shirt and a custom made coat that went with it. It was similar to the one I had given Blythe except it was plain black, apart from the family crest that was embroidered into the left breast. It was the image of a white bear, reared back on its hind limbs and surrounded by an ashen field. I stepped into the Court room later than the rest, most of them already seated at the table and waiting impatiently for me to arrive. When the Knights opened the door for me to enter, Navil looked up with annoyance written across his features. Zachary looked too bored to care and Nazaiha was sipping on a glass of wine despite the early hour. Nixtoni was leaned back in his chair, worriedly staring out of one of the windows as he fiddled with the rings on his fingers, eyes lost in thought "Brother" I greeted Nixon, drawing him out of his daze as I took a seat in the chair closest to the door. He looked at me with a blank expression that turned to a grim mask as he nodded his head in my direction, acknowledging my arrival. A tense silence surrounded us since none of us would speak, but that silence was eventually broken by Nazaiha "Why exactly have we been summoned here?" blunt and to the point was what both Navil and Nazaiha were known for, however the oldest of the two was fiercer, always annoyed and irritated whereas the younger was a calmer version, cool and collected as he stared at his wine glass, twisting it this way and that, allowing the reflective surface to catch the light "Must be serious for it to be so sudden" Zachary added, leaning his head back with his hands folded behind his head. He was the most laid back out of all of us, the youngest at eighteen which meant that he hardly ever understood the severity of things. Nixtoni looked to him as he folded his hands together on the table in front of him. He sighed deeply, eyes closed for a moment before they glanced over each of us individually "There has been a significant amount of attacks on villages to the South during the past two moon turns" Nazaiha's hand stilled, the wine dancing inside of the glass while both Navil and I tensed at the mention of the attacks. Zachary crossed his legs and hummed, eyes staring lazily up at the ceiling. Nixon turned his eyes back to the scenery beyond the window "What exactly does this have to do with the Capital?" Navil questioned. As King it would be impossible for Nixtoni to have full reach of the entire continent, as a result many Noble families have been stationed across Myres to watch over the people and report back to the King. These families have control over Royal Guards that have been sent to them, to use at their disposal so it made sense that Navil would ask such a thing. One of the Noble's should have dealt with the problem by then "They're heading North" Nixon stated, his head turning to meet Navil's gaze from across the table, a hard and stern look in his emerald eyes. He motioned to the Guard stationed by the door with a flick of his wrist and the Knight brought a map of Myres over to the table, spreading it out in front of us "The black markings are the towns and villages they have already destroyed" he explained. I glanced down at the piece of brown paper, the blank ink drawings having long since faded to a dark brown with black crosses decorating the length of it. I followed the trail as it went further North, having started in the heart of the South. A total of eight towns had been attacked from the looks of things "Destroyed?" Zachary asked, his head lowering to look at the map. He raised a single brow at the word used by our King. I watched Nixon, also wondering why he had used that specific word. Usually village raids were when they were robbed of their crops and riches but a cold chill down my spine told me that, that situation was different "These people were murdered-." Nazaiha lowered his glass of wine when Nixtoni stood from his seat, making his way over to the window, one hand pressed against the frame to support him. An air of sadness surrounded him, a black cloud of mourning "The villages burnt to the ground" my eyes narrowed at his words, the thought of hundreds of people being slaughtered in cold blood, their homes burnt to ashes. The towns they were targeting were small and far from the main roads which meant that they were traveling along the back roads "Such violent crimes can only be acts of hatred" I said, my hand placed on the surface of the table as I stared down at the map. Nazaiha glanced at me from his place while Navil refused to even look up from the paper that lay directly in front of him "What are you implying?" Nazaiha questioned as Zachary stared at me, curious as to what my reply would be. Nixon too searched my facial features, his hand balling into a fist against the window frame. My eyes flickered up to meet those of the current King "They harbor a grudge towards the Capital and its King" everyone stiffened, their breaths catching at the realization that they were heading directly for the Capital and demolishing everything that stands in their path along the way. The people who were being murdered, the houses and farms being burnt were a message for the Capital that said, clear as day 'We are coming and if anyone stands in our way, they will be disposed of' "Who in their right mind would be so naive as to advance on the Capital?" Navil spat, his teeth gritting and his fists balling at his sides. He began to tremble in rage. Nixon and I both shared a look, we knew that no one would even attempt such a thing with the Capital surrounded by Knights and people who would gladly defend their King but the very fact that they were attempting it was cause for concern. It would be idiocy to simply ignore it, they were advancing and they were most likely a deadly opponent "Regardless, Zaniel, I would like for you to investigate, find out as much about the enemy as possible" there it was, the same tone our father used to use whenever he would dish out orders, it was the voice of a King now coming from my elder brother's lips. I leaned back in my seat and nodded my head in understanding. He then turned to the rest of the men in the room, including the Knight "In the meantime we will continue as normal, my wedding will take place seven days from now" my mind went to Blythe, her shaking form in my arms, tears streaming from her eyes as blood dripped down her chin from where she had bit down on her bottom lip to stop from crying out in pain. She was so broken in that moment, so confused that she would almost throw herself at me and then my question, that idiotic question that I just had to ask. My jaw muscles tightened at the thought of having to notify her of the progressing events of the attacks as well as the wedding and my head turned to the side when I realized that it was time to make my intentions clear.