A Prisoner No Longer

Chapter 8

It was him.

The god from the lake.

I looked up to see the tall stranger staring at me. He was much larger than I expected. He was a good foot taller than me, and I was not short in stature. He towered over the Luna and Alpha, and Bruxum looked like a child next to him.

He filled out his black suit almost to the breaking point. His muscular arms pushed the boundaries of the fabric, and his thigh muscles looked as if they were ready to escape their bonds. His black hair was slicked back, a small tendril out of place just above his left eye.

The scent was back, cinnamon and firewood. My wolf, who was normally quiet when she was not out, was begging me to get closer. I could hear her howling in my mind to just get nearer.

Unthinking, I moved out of Bruxum's grasp and edged closer to this dark-haired male. His amber eyes were glued to mine and I could have sworn he had the same intent as me- just to get closer.

Bruxum c****d his head back and forth between us, sensing the longer than usual stare. He reached out and grabbed me around the waist, hauling me back up to his side. An involuntary gasp of pain escaped my lips as his hand crushed into my waist.

I looked back at my beautiful stranger and saw a shift in his eyes. A flash of anger that sparked and quickly retreated when Bruxum grabbed me.

"You have a beautiful spread of land here, Bruxum. I have enjoyed myself these last two days exploring and getting to know your people."

"It will be even better when I am alpha." Bruxum's response was full of boastful venom, as if he hated it here. "The people here are too free spirited. My father has let them do as they please for too long."

"If you are Alpha." The man reminded him. "Now don't be rude. Introduce me to this enchanting creature next to you."

I swear a blush the color of my lipstick crept up my face.

Bruxum's face turned red too, his eyes turning and boring a hole into my face.

"I don't know her name. She is simply my entertainment for the night."

"You should know the name of a woman this beautiful." The handsome stranger said. "Even the youngest of the pack would learn her name." He reached out a hand in a gesture of goodwill.

Bruxum released my hips resentfully as I extended my arm in greeting.

"My name is Meridae." I said quietly.

"Lovely to finally meet you Meridae." He said as he lifted my hand to his mouth and placed a gentle kiss on one of my scars. "I am Killian St. James."

His eyes never left mine, and I could have sworn the gentle sandpaper touch of his tongue grazed my skin.

Bruxums hand reached out to tug me back to his side but it stopped short at the frigid glare that Killian St. James had leveled at him. Bruxum unwittingly stepped backward, falling off the landing and crashing into his mother. She turned with rage in her eyes, but quickly adjusted once she noticed who was standing in front of her son. She elbowed her mate, who was busy lusting after another young female in the crowd. He grunted and turned his attention to Bruxum, then to Killian St. James.

The Alpha greeted him as he bowed his head in greeting. "I am honored to have you in my home." He said, his voice devoid of any sort of gratitude.

Killian St. James still held my hand in his, his fingers teasing the inside of my palm.

"I have spent the last several days exploring your lands." He said. "You land is bountiful and houses some of the most beautiful things I have ever seen." He squeezed my hand, sending an electric shock straight to my core.

"If we had known of your arrival we could have given you a proper tour." Bruxum commented barely hiding the sneer in his tone.

"A good leader knows that to see the truth sometimes one must experience it without all the pomp and circumstance." His eyes left mine as he released my hand. "You will learn that in time, pup." The insult was thrown with such grace it almost didn't register on Bruxums face. Almost.

I knew the rage was boiling inside, and if I did not diffuse the situation it was more than likely that Bruxum would take that rage out on me or another innocent.

"What was your favorite part of our lands?" I asked, hoping to draw the attention of both males.

"I spent my first two days in the mountains. You have a beautiful cave system that I found most enjoyable." He answered.

"Our highest peak, Mount Ionna, was once home to a group of rebel fighters. They carved out many of the passages and lived in those caves for years."

"That would explain the dust covered materials I found in one of the smaller caves." Killian replied.

"I thought all those caves had been cleared out." The Alpha replied, absentmindedly.

"There were a few surprises in the caves, a family of brown bears woke me from a good nights sleep and kicked my out of my room." Killian smile brightened and he retold the story. "A mama and her 3 cubs came wandering in, clearly claiming the space."

"The Lycan king was chased off by a few bears?" Bruxum commented, his jab clearly evident.

"No. The Lycan King new this clan of bears needed the space more than I so I left." His smile faded. "Again Bruxum, another lesson for you to learn."

"Where did you go after the caves?" I asked

"I made my way down to the lower grounds and found a majestic lake. Its waters were calm and it had a waterfall that emptied right into a glorious basin."

"That lake is a hidden gem all of its shores offer splendid views." I commented, hoping he would not bring up our earlier encounter.

"It is, but I found the most stunning view to be right in the middle of the lake."

"The middle of the lake?" The Luna asked. "What type of view could you possibly see from there?"

"You could see everything. The sun lite up my world like a burning flame. I dare say I wish I could live in that spot and never leave it." His eyes slid to mine. There was an orange flame dancing there, and it terrified me.

"Come Alpha, we need to speak."

With that he turned and left.