Everyone paused.
Gavin realized she meant him at the same time Wren did. His eyes widened in surprise, but Wren let out her own growl. “Are you kidding me?” she snapped at her. “I thought you had come to your senses.”
Tracey held Gavin’s gaze for a moment longer. She thought in her head to him, “Give me a moment. I need to say my goodbyes to her.”
With Tracey’s decision, Gavin looked to Gregory. He asked, “And you?”
“The Immortal promised me she’d help my daughter.” He had picked up his sword, but he sheathed it now. “I’ll go to be at her side.”
It was decided then.
All three of them, Tracey, Gavin, and Gregory all turned as one and regarded Wren. Her mouth fell open, and she looked to all of them slowly. She gutted out, “Are you kidding me?”
“We’ve made our choice, Wren.”
She shook her head. “You all are wrong. You’re abandoning our leader.”
“Lucas would want us to help The Immortal.” Tracey reached out to touch her arm.
Wren twisted away, her eyes flashing in anger, and she hissed back, “Do not lie to me. You’re not going to help the human. They are.” The last two words were spat out as she pointed to the other two. “They go for her, but not you. At least, give me that consideration. You’re going for a whole other reason.”
“Wren . . .” Tracey stopped. Wren wouldn’t listen to reason, Tracey saw that now. There was nothing else to be discussed. The goodbye would be pointless. Wren would leave in anger. She wouldn’t be able to hear anything else. She had reached out for her, but her hand fell back to her side now. She couldn’t shake the forbidding feeling that was the summation of their relationship. They could’ve been together again. They could’ve been a force to be reckoned with, but it was only Wren’s way. If she didn’t go to be at her side, there would be no going together. Tracey’s head hung down. She said quietly, “I have to go for my niece. I have to try.”
“Your niece is a Mori. She will only hate you. She will never love you.”
Her words stabbed at Tracey, and she sucked in her breath. Closing her eyes a moment, the blonde vampiress choked out, “That is something I hope does not come to fruition. I have to try, Arwena.”
“Stop,” Wren hissed out, her hand clenched around the end of her own sword. She didn’t pull it out. Her hand fell to it out of habit. It was what she held when she was in battle. And right now, as her lover was leaving her, she felt very much in battle. She shook her head. They were being foolish. The human didn’t want them. She always thought she was better than the rest, that her powers made her more valuable, and perhaps they did. But, Wren knew her place was beside her leader. Her place had always been there, no matter whom he might’ve sent her to protect.
It was done. The three she considered family remained in one line, and she took a step backwards. She rasped out, “So be it.”
“Wren—”
She’d been about to turn and leave, but she stopped at Gavin’s words. She looked back. He added, his eyes looking bleak, “Be safe. Fast travels.”
Her entire body was tense, but she forced her head to nod. “To you, too . . .” She hesitated, then added, “Brother.” She looked to Tracey, who had a tear in her eye. Wren bowed her head to her, saying, “Sister, too.”
Sister.
Tracey closed her eyes, feeling the acknowledgement for what it was. Their relationship was done. Sister. Not lover. She murmured back, “To you, too . . . Sister.”
But it didn’t matter. Wren was gone.
ROANE
The wolves moved underneath them.
There was a path in the valley where they walked two by two in a line. They were in their human form, but there were others that panned out to the side. They melted among the trees and mountainside. Those were in their wolf form and as they moved past the trees where they were perched, their bows and arrows already readied and aimed, they weren’t sniffing for vampires above them. They were sniffing for the Christane wolves.
Lucas glanced over to Bastion, who was in the tree next to him. They’d been in position for two days now. His army and Christian’s were ahead of them. They were still trekking toward the Mori territories. Lucas and Bastion would catch up. They’d have to, and Roane had started to worry. He wasn’t sure if they dared stay any longer, hoping for a glimpse of their enemy from behind. It was the last morning they held back. He’d been about to suggest covering the fire and catching up to their group, when they heard the first scout behind them.