The Moonlit Curse

Ch 33: Change of Heart

August lingered around the entrance to the caverns, letting Kiya go on ahead to the Goddess shrine. As much as he hated to leave her alone, she had been more successful in controlling her visions when he wasn't around. It would be fine. The other two entrances were buried deep under the snow and completely inaccessible. She should be perfectly safe in the caverns.

But 'should be' was far from a guarantee and did nothing to calm his anxiety.

Hadyn appeared after only a few minutes of waiting. He looked as stressed and worried as August felt. "I wasn't expecting you for a few more days," he said, reaching out to grip the reins as Hadyn dismounted. "Did something happen?"

"You could say that," Hadyn grunted and glanced over August's shoulder at the cavern entrance. "Should I expect the hunter to join us?"

"We can speak privately. But I will tell her anything that concerns her and her people."

"Fair enough. I guess I would do the same if I were in your position and Elora was in that cave."

August tensed slightly, not exactly trusting the sudden change of attitude regarding Kiya. Hadyn didn't seem to notice and instead turned his gaze to look around the patchy trees that covered the ruins of The First Village. Kiya was plagued by constant visions of the old village and its inhabitants. He wondered what Hadyn saw when he looked at his ancestral home.

"The rogue is here," he cleared his throat and suddenly turned back. "I felt him cross the barrier a few days after you did. I guess you were right about who his target really is."

"I figured as much. I still can't sense him, but I haven't been able to shake the feeling that we're being watched. The bastard is waiting for the full moon when he thinks he has the advantage."

"Thinks?"

August shrugged and muttered something incomprehensible under his breath. He couldn't immediately discount Hadyn's assessment. He was the one who faced the rogue during the last full moon while August challenged him as a human. It wasn't comparable. Maybe that explained why Hadyn looked so tired and on edge.

Then again, that could just be the palpable tension growing thicker by the second between them.

The First Village was not a place where two alphas could stay cordial for long. Their individual brands of magic, enhanced by the power of the land itself, were bristling in each other's presences. August, wanted to chase off any potential competition from the woman he was pursuing, and Hadyn wanted to defend the territory that had been his family's claim for centuries.

"I'll spend the rest of the month in the area," Hadyn finally continued. "I'll stay out of your way, but I do need to talk to her before the full moon. I need to know if she's able, or even willing, to help with the expanding military problem in Silverkeep."

"Expanding problem?"

"Yeah. One of the goddess-damned masters arrived a few days ago."

"How is that possible? The messenger should have only just reached the capital by now. Even the most efficient bureaucracies would need at least another two weeks to decide what to do and at least another week after that to act on it. We should have had more time!"

"The messenger didn't even make it to the capital. The master was visiting the northern outpost and decided to act on the news without any further discussion from the rest of the military. He's demanding I bring her back to Silverkeep immediately." Hadyn snorted derisively. "He forgets that the military has no jurisdiction here and did not take the reminder well. I'm worried about retaliation. The pack will not survive a war against the full might of the capital."