"Father will be greatly displeased at our return being delayed this much," I grumbled, swishing my wine in my cup, "and mother will never let us hear the end of it."
"I have been receiving messenger birds the entire week we have been here," Adrian sighed, "both of them are becoming increasingly irate. This was supposed to be a quick trip to neutralize a threat, Lucien. Now we are camping outside some pack's gates that had nothing to do with the conflict. Will you finally tell us what we're doing here?"
Adrian's voice oozed with distaste at the situation, his tone exasperated and exhausted. Lucien's eyes flickered from his cup to Adrian, to me, and back to his cup. He swirled his wine and took a large gulp of it.
"I hear the Luna of these lands is exceptionally beautiful, with pure Alpha blood on both sides of her heritage. A very fine specimen, the only one within a thousand miles in any direction of us. The only one who would be worthy of being my wife, and the future Lunar Queen."
Adrian and I shared a look, before he shook his head so fiercely, I worried that it might tumble off his shoulders.
"You mean to say that we are here so you can woo a woman? Having your warriors surround her pack and refusing to see any of her envoys? Are you absolutely stupid?!" he roared and stood from his chair, "You send gifts, you send letters, you invite her to galas and balls, you do not nearly declare war on her people! This has to be the most brain-dead plan I have ever heard! Did our battle at the Rising Sun pack knock something loose in your head? Do we need to go back for you to find it?!"
Adrian huffed, staring down at Lucien, who merely ignored the outburst and continued to swirl his wine in his cup. After a few tense moments, Adrian sunk back into his chair with a shake of his head and a groan.
"I am not one to think that we are being threatening. We are merely sitting beyond her gates and camping. At this point, if we do not make a move, they will grow suspicious and attack us." Adrian threw his hands up in the air at Lucien's response and stood once more, pacing back and forth within the tent.
"Oh yes, now they will grow suspicious. Not when we have sent back their envoys on a daily basis, not when we have camped outside their gates for a week, not that we have our warriors patrolling every inch of the forests and their grasslands. No, they will grow suspicious if we don't attack them. I know you have not been injured severely enough recently to warrant this behaviour. Do you mind telling me what the Hell is going through your head?!"
I sighed and slouched back in my chair, watching the level-headed Adrian pop off. He thought he had scented his mate the day we left on our mission, knowing she had been so close to him had been driving him crazy. His drive to return and find her increased by the minute. I was glad I didn't have that problem, as I had enough to worry about with a war looming over our heads.
"So you agree, we should do something," Lucien said, seemingly far off from the conversation, "but what should we do to catch her atten-" He was cut off abruptly as two warriors came into the tent with a woman restrained between them.
"Your Majesties, this woman was caught sneaking around the camp. We think she is a spy." Lucien's eyes flared to life and he stared at the woman, his nostrils flaring. This wasn't good, he was never this quick to anger, even when he drinks. Something in our previous battle had changed him, but I couldn't pinpoint what it was.
"A spy? Bring her to me." The warriors brought her over, shoving her to the floor in front of Lucien's feet. "You don't have to die, my dear, just tell me what your precious Luna wished to learn from sending you here."
Her eyes were a rich caramel colour, defiant and sparkling. Her mouth was pressed into a grim line, staring up at Lucien without a trace of fear. I noted that Adrian's eyes were transfixed on her, and his breathing had increased to a harsh pant before growing still.
"I will not betray her to you," she spat, "I am glad to die in her service." Lucien cocked his head as he considered the woman before him. Adrian and I exchanged glances, trying to decipher the constant mood swings Lucien was having.
"What is your name?" Adrian asked softly, his eyes searching her face as if committing it to memory.
"Akeila," she answered after a moment's hesitation.
"You are a spy for your Luna?" He asked, his eyes intent on Akeila's face. After a minute of her silence, he took a deep breath as he considered what to ask next.
"Is your Luna…mated?" Lucien asked with a far-off look in his eyes. Akeila's eyes narrowed at him.
"Why is that any of your concern?" She snapped.
"Ignore him for now, Akeila. Are your people fearful of us?" Adrian glared at Lucien before looking at Akeila in time to see her roll her eyes.
"Who wouldn't be fearful with an army at your gates? Your army has disrupted the lives of everyone in the city." Adrian nodded and Akeila's eyes came to rest on me, squinting slightly as she looked me over. She quickly dismissed me when Adrian began to speak again.
"We will bring your people no harm. We are simply resting here; we fought a hard battle for two weeks against the Rising Sun pack far south." Adrian's tone was gentle, and she laughed sharply.
"Oh, so you say after a week of camping outside our walls and refusing our envoys? We should believe that you've come to our lands peacefully?" She narrowed her eyes at Adrian, "Actions speak much louder than words, and yours have spoken plenty."
Adrian nodded, tucking his fist into his mouth under his nose, eyes hazy as he became lost in thought. The woman made good points, some we had already pointed out to Lucien many times over the past week, and she analyzed each of us in the silence. When her eyes came back to me, I gave her a half smile and shrugged. Her brows knitted together and I pulled my hood up, making it cover my eyes. I took a sip of my wine and slouched in my chair more, getting as comfortable as I could.
"Wake me when one of you has something interesting to say," I muttered, "you two bore me to death with this silence." I relaxed my body, willing my breath to deepen, and I felt a familiar heaviness seep into my bones. Just as sleep was about to take me, Lucien yelled for the guards.
"Take her to her city gates and release her." Turning to Akeila, he spoke softly, "Please tell your Luna of our kind treatment. We will greet her envoy in the morning." She narrowed her eyes at him, shaking her head.
"My Luna will not be swayed by what you say. She has no tolerance for fools or liars," her voice spit venom at us as her gaze shifted between us, "and that is all you have proven yourselves to be." She stood and strode out of the tent proudly, following the warriors that would lead her to the gates. What a little spitfire…and Adrian is smitten.
"Then we will prove ourselves," said Lucien, staring into his cup before he yelled for the guards again, "call for the generals. We convene in 5 minutes." Adrian's eyes flashed in fury as he looked at Lucien, his vein on his temple throbbing.
"And why, brother, would you be convening the generals?" Lucien took a drink of his wine and looked up at Adrian.
"Because we attack tonight." He chugged the rest of his drink and stood, moving out of the tent, "And I will be taking that Luna as my prize."