Read Online Scent of Valor (Chronicles of Eorthe #2) by Annie Nicholas - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Annie Nicholas
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stormed back into the tower of the castle they shared.
Was this what it was like to be married? He wondered at his own sanity to have been pursuing such a goal for the last two decades.
Life had seemed hard when he traveled the world on his own, but upon reflection, he didn’t recall this dull, empty ache in his chest plaguing him day and night. He strolled to the outer walls that surrounded the castle and small town. Heartbreak shouldn’t take so long to heal. Seven months seemed more than enough time.
The market square teemed with people. Small packs of pups raced through the crowd with faces covered in sticky honey. One of the mothers shouted at them to slow down when she spotted him.
He smiled and shook his head. Children and their noise didn’t bother him in the least. He would take their joyous cries of play over the silence of his halls any day.
Word of the wild shifters must not have spread to the general population yet. He should remember to praise the young guard when he arrived. His shifters appreciated living within his castle walls and were there of their free will, not because he owned them or coerced their loyalty. Many vampires still hadn’t learned that shifters responded better to kindness than whips.
The stone walls rose ahead of him, not that the height would keep wild shifters from scaling them. What deterred them were the guards that lined the top, armed with crossbows. He climbed the stairs to the ramparts where the captain of the wall guard met him.
“My lord.” He led Benic to the wall’s edge and pointed to the large pack of feral shifters waiting below by the gate.
The flow of smooth black fur, like dragon silk, on the largest male caught Benic’s eye. Ahote. So these shifters were Payami. He was more familiar with the male hunter than he cared to be. Benic leaned over the wall so they could see his face. “Are you here to accompany me to the mating celebrations?”
Collectively, the pack flinched and fur rose along their spines until they resembled porcupines more than wolves.
He hadn’t expected cheers, or even laughter, at his jest, but he hadn’t expected this outward display of hate. It wasn’t like he had raped Kele. He barely petted her pretty fur. Yes, he had chained her to his bedroom wall, but the only other option had been the dungeon. The pack didn’t know of Inacio’s taste in the bedroom or why Benic had chains there in the first place.
The guards aimed their crossbows at their wild cousins. It was against vampire law for shifters to use muskets.
Benic lifted his hand. “Hold your fire.”
Ahote separated himself from the others. A brave move, or a foolish one, depending on one’s point of view. “There was an attack on Temple lands yesterday.”
“Which packs were involved?” And was Kele safe?
“Yaundeeshaw and Payami.”
“The mating packs?” There hadn’t been such a coup by the packs in ages, before even his time as lord of these lands. “Is Kele well?”
Some of the hunters paced on all fours as if ready to attempt breaking through the three-foot-thick wooden gate. He’d never seen a pack so upset. Not since the wars.
“Ahote, what’s happened?”
“I can’t scent him properly from here. The castle stink is too strong.” A slight female spoke from the group. She didn’t appear to be a hunter. Her build and stance suited a crafter more. Packs were divided into the alpha couple, hunters, crafters, who were the skilled workers, and omegas, who were the artists, caretakers, and servants.
Ahote set his hands on his hips in civil form fashion and shook his head. “I need to speak with you down here where she can smell you better.” Shifters were the world’s best truth detectors.
Benic’s captain leaned over to inspect the group. “From this angle, I wouldn’t be able to protect you well. They’d tear you apart before we got a second volley into them.”
“They’ll never believe anything I say until they can smell me.” He
Was this what it was like to be married? He wondered at his own sanity to have been pursuing such a goal for the last two decades.
Life had seemed hard when he traveled the world on his own, but upon reflection, he didn’t recall this dull, empty ache in his chest plaguing him day and night. He strolled to the outer walls that surrounded the castle and small town. Heartbreak shouldn’t take so long to heal. Seven months seemed more than enough time.
The market square teemed with people. Small packs of pups raced through the crowd with faces covered in sticky honey. One of the mothers shouted at them to slow down when she spotted him.
He smiled and shook his head. Children and their noise didn’t bother him in the least. He would take their joyous cries of play over the silence of his halls any day.
Word of the wild shifters must not have spread to the general population yet. He should remember to praise the young guard when he arrived. His shifters appreciated living within his castle walls and were there of their free will, not because he owned them or coerced their loyalty. Many vampires still hadn’t learned that shifters responded better to kindness than whips.
The stone walls rose ahead of him, not that the height would keep wild shifters from scaling them. What deterred them were the guards that lined the top, armed with crossbows. He climbed the stairs to the ramparts where the captain of the wall guard met him.
“My lord.” He led Benic to the wall’s edge and pointed to the large pack of feral shifters waiting below by the gate.
The flow of smooth black fur, like dragon silk, on the largest male caught Benic’s eye. Ahote. So these shifters were Payami. He was more familiar with the male hunter than he cared to be. Benic leaned over the wall so they could see his face. “Are you here to accompany me to the mating celebrations?”
Collectively, the pack flinched and fur rose along their spines until they resembled porcupines more than wolves.
He hadn’t expected cheers, or even laughter, at his jest, but he hadn’t expected this outward display of hate. It wasn’t like he had raped Kele. He barely petted her pretty fur. Yes, he had chained her to his bedroom wall, but the only other option had been the dungeon. The pack didn’t know of Inacio’s taste in the bedroom or why Benic had chains there in the first place.
The guards aimed their crossbows at their wild cousins. It was against vampire law for shifters to use muskets.
Benic lifted his hand. “Hold your fire.”
Ahote separated himself from the others. A brave move, or a foolish one, depending on one’s point of view. “There was an attack on Temple lands yesterday.”
“Which packs were involved?” And was Kele safe?
“Yaundeeshaw and Payami.”
“The mating packs?” There hadn’t been such a coup by the packs in ages, before even his time as lord of these lands. “Is Kele well?”
Some of the hunters paced on all fours as if ready to attempt breaking through the three-foot-thick wooden gate. He’d never seen a pack so upset. Not since the wars.
“Ahote, what’s happened?”
“I can’t scent him properly from here. The castle stink is too strong.” A slight female spoke from the group. She didn’t appear to be a hunter. Her build and stance suited a crafter more. Packs were divided into the alpha couple, hunters, crafters, who were the skilled workers, and omegas, who were the artists, caretakers, and servants.
Ahote set his hands on his hips in civil form fashion and shook his head. “I need to speak with you down here where she can smell you better.” Shifters were the world’s best truth detectors.
Benic’s captain leaned over to inspect the group. “From this angle, I wouldn’t be able to protect you well. They’d tear you apart before we got a second volley into them.”
“They’ll never believe anything I say until they can smell me.” He
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