The Alpha's Vengeance Bride

Chapter 3: The Anchors Toll

The "rooms" Silas gave me weren't a room; they were a strong room within another super strong room. The walls were made from the black volcanic glass as the rest of the place but the floors had thick white furs on them and a huge fire was burning in a really big fireplace.

"This is too much, " I whispered, touching a silk bed. "I'm an anchor, Silas not a guest."

"You are my property for the twelve months " Silas growled from the doorway. He was still standing there, his hands white as he held the door. "In this group what belongs to the leader is treated with a lot of respect. If we don't do that it would be a sign of weakness."

I turned to look at him. The blue light from the hallway made shadows on his face making his scar look like a shiny river. He looked really upset. His chest was moving fast. His eyes had weird swirls in them that were moving quickly like a storm.

"The quiet is fading isn't it?" I asked, taking a step toward him.

"The further you are from me the louder they get " he said, his voice rough. "The contract made a connection, Selene. My wolf has felt the silence you provide. Now he is... I want it."

As I walked closer the air between us started to buzz. It was that strange energy. When I reached him I didn't stop until I was right in front of him. I could feel the heat coming off his skin. He was burning with a fever that would have killed a person.

"What do I need to do?"

Silas looked down at me, his eyes dropping to my lips before looking at my eyes. "Sit on the edge of the bed."

I did what he said. He followed, moving smoothly like a predator. He didn't sit next to me; he knelt on the floor between my knees, which was strange and humble for a man as powerful as him.

"Give me your hands, " he said.

I put my pale hands into his huge ones. The moment our skin touched Silas let out a breath. His head dropped his forehead resting against my shoulder. I stiffened, my breath catching in my throat. I could feel the stubble on his jaw, the muscles of his shoulders and his really fast pulse.

"Better?" I asked.

"Like a rain after a really long drought " he murmured against my skin.

We just stayed there for a time. The only sounds were the fire crackling and our hearts beating together. I realized then that my "Null" power wasn't a shield. It was like a sponge. I could feel the dark jagged edges of his madness flowing into me but by hurting it felt like a puzzle piece finally fitting into place.

"Why did they call me a Dull?" I asked softly looking at the top of his head. "If I can do this... Why didn't Kael feel it?"

Silas lifted his head, his eyes clearer than I had ever seen them. "Because Kael is a regular wolf. He looks for a mate to run with him. He doesn't have the depth to need an Anchor. Only the powerful leaders. The Ancient Bloodlines. Carry enough power to need a woman like you."

He reached up his fingers tracing the line of my jaw slowly. "Kael didn't reject you because you were weak Selene. He rejected you because he was too small to handle you."

That made me feel validated which hit me harder than his rejection ever did. I felt a tear slip down my cheek. Before I could wipe it away Silas's thumb caught it.

"Don't waste tears on the dead " he said, his voice dropping to a protective growl. "Kael is gone. Tomorrow your training starts. If you are to be my Luna. Even if it's just pretend. You must be able to draw blood easily as you draw breath."

He stood up suddenly. I felt cold and exposed without his touch.

"Sleep " he ordered, walking toward the door. "The healers will be here at dawn to take care of your hands and start your transformation. You'll find clothes in the wardrobe. Wear the colors. I want everyone to know who you belong to."

He closed the door, the heavy iron bolt clicking into place.

I walked over to the wardrobe. I opened it. There were rows and rows of silk and leather in blacks, charcoal greys and blood reds. I pulled out a tunic made of dark suede and held it to my chest. It smelled like him.

I looked at myself in the full-length mirror. I looked really tired, my eyes red and my hair a mess.. For the first time in my life I didn't see a girl who was waiting for a wolf to wake up.

I saw a woman who had just been handed a kingdom.