The heat in his eyes nearly unraveled me. The strong scent of cedar and rain filled my senses, overpowering everything else happening at that moment. I knew I needed to get up but that scent and the look in his eyes kept me glued to the spot. Mate. My inner voice snarled. Take him now.
I leaned over slightly, my eyes trailing down his neck and chest. He smirked, but his hands stayed glued to my hips, holding me in place, heat pooling between our thighs. I felt conflicted - this man was a murderer sent to kill me, having supposedly killed members of my newly discovered pack family just to find me. And yet... the primal urge building inside me was undeniable. I shifted slightly, dragging my nails down his chest. He shivered but the smirk never left his lips, his eyes turning darker with the sheer thrill of my touch on his skin.
"Ahem," Elias cleared his throat, abruptly disrupting my chain of thought and reminding me where we were. The scent of the woods returned, dirt and pine, and something else I couldn't quite place, something raw, feral and rotten.
I pulled Finn's hands off my hips and stood, focusing on the space surrounding me, One... my own, racing. Two... Finn's, a steady war drum. Three... Elias, fluttering like a trapped bird. And then... a fourth. Slow. Mocking. Coming from directly above. Wait... Four?
A low, mocking laugh came then from above. I looked up to the canopy to see a mangy looking man sat watching us. He smelled of dust and wild sage tinged with rot. Finn shot up, defensively jumping in front of me.
The man jumped down. "Cane," Finn snarled disgustedly. "What do you want?"
Cane glared at Finn, then smirked confidently. "Well, I see The Hound has found a new bone to chew on? Malakai said You'd be coming this way, Little Queen." His gaze shifted as he took me in, assessing every inch of me to determine the level of threat.
Finn growled. A low, guttural growl that vibrated through my chest. Then I saw it. His shift was partial, a jagged display of lethal intent - fangs lengthening, claws tearing through his gloves, and eyes that ignited with the molten gold of a predator ready to kill. It wasn't a full shift, but it was enough to make Cane step backwards slightly.
"Relax Hound" he snarled. "I am simply a messenger. This is Malakai's territory. If you want to pass there is a toll to pay."
"This is the dead zone," Finn's eyes didn't leave Cane's. "There is no territory here."
"Wrong," Cane smirked again. "This used to be the dead zone. Now it belongs to Malakai and to us - the rogues. See?" He pointed towards a tree. Burned into the bark was a symbol that looked like a wolf's jaw crushing a crown - the wood was charred and weeping sap, as if the tree itself were bleeding under the weight of Malakai's mark. It still smoked slightly, as if the wood was afraid to heal.
A familiar scent struck me when I saw it. The scent of the voice that had intruded in my head. Of Malakai.
"What does he want with us?" I boomed, my aura of authority once again hazing the air.
Cane looked taken aback, surprised even, as something hit him and he answered. "The toll must be paid."
"How exactly?" I demanded once again.
"It is not money Malakai seeks but a test. Pass the test, gain through passage. Fail, the Little Queen comes with us."
Finn roared with anger, making his stance bigger, more protective in front of me. I could smell his anger, his fear of losing me, but more than that I could feel it.
"No. You dare touch her - I'll rip your throat out where you stand!" he snarled.
"What is your proposal?" I asked from behind the protective barrier of my hound.
"Malakai requests a demonstration of strength - the lady against one of us. Not a fight to the death, but to submission. He wants you to prove you are what they are saying you are and not just some human pet," Cane scoffed.
"Not a chance in hell" Finn growled through gritted teeth.
"Stop." I told him stepping around him.
Let me out Selina. Let us fight. We can release our anger on him. Test our new found bond. Work with each other to tear him apart. Teach him a lesson he will never forget. My inner beast paced a cage made of glass, her claws scratching against my consciousness as she begged to taste the copper of rogue blood.
"Silence," I said inwardly. If this was what needed to be done, it would be done. But on my own terms. I stepped out from behind Finn.
"I don't need a Hound to bark for me. Tell Malakai I'll accept his test."
Finn froze, hurt clouding his gaze for just a fraction of a second. Then came the anger. He opened his mouth to roar, to order me back, to claim authority he didn't have.
"Selina..." He started.
"Silence!" I commanded.
The command didn't just leave my throat; it slammed into the space between us like a physical wall. The air shimmered with the heavy, silver scent of my power. Finn's jaw snapped shut with an audible click. His eyes widened in shock, the veins in his neck bulging as he fought against the invisible muzzle of my will, but he couldn't break it.
He was a warrior, but I was his Queen.
I turned my back on him, facing the rogue.
"Tell Malakai I'm ready. Send your worst."