Hiraeth

Chapter 31: Mr. Hannum

"You have a different use."

I turn to look at Fenris and see him grinning at me with his hands casually in his pockets. "And what use is that?"

"To get my brother here of course."

It is a trap. Fenris thinks he is luring Kaius in while in a mad frenzy to get to his mate. Fenris is betting his life on Kaius being alone and without an army.

"You think he would go crazy after you kidnap me?"

"I'm betting on it. Mates are such a weakness and Kaius is too soft and weak for his mate that he wouldn't fall for it."

He is right that Kaius is coming after me. What Fenris doesn't know is that we have a plan of our own.

"And your mate? What about her?"

"She was useless. It is unfortunate that she died because she would have been useful to strengthen my claim on the throne."

That is sickening.

"So you just let her die?"

He shrugs. He fucking shrugs. As if she was nothing more than a fly to him.

"That is enough talking. I have someone who would like to meet you." He walks over to me and grabs my forearm tightly.

I am forced to start walking in a direction he chooses for me. The wolves that had surrounded us disperses and only a few stay behind us.

"Where are we going?"

He doesn't answer me but the trees begin to clear and I see a glint of something large and flat through the trees. Something else catches my eye and I begin to smell it too.

We leave the woods and stand beside a small lake with red colors dancing across its surface. Just on the other side of the lake, about a mile into the woods are red flames reaching high into the sky. I hear howling and barking from the distance with an occasional scream.

It hits me. That is a pack. An entire pack in the woods is on fire and Fenris's men are ripping into anyone trying to escape.

"What are you doing?" I demand, clenching my teeth and trying to twist my arm out of his hold.

His hand squeezes tighter and I yelp in pain as my arm begins to feel frail in his hands.

"Making my mark." He says with a growl as he throws me to the ground.

The air around the lake is hot and I can feel the waves of heat reaching me from here. I look up at Fenris and see his blue eyes reflecting the flames in the distance as he looks down at me. His eyes are red with rage and hatred directed at me.

"Did you just bring me here to see this?"

His voice is cold and hateful. "That too."

He steps aside and I see him standing by the tree line, away from the lake and the wall of heat hitting me from the flames.

Mr. Hannum.

He is in his usual suit with his grey hair slicked back. A few flicks of red are still in the ends of his hair, reminding me that this man is blood to me.

His eyes are cold but something else is hidden in them.

I spit on the ground in his direction and he frowns. "Now that isn't very lady-like, is it Hiraeth?"

"Go to hell."

He approaches us and I struggle to stand. The pain of the heat mixes with the heat of the fire and I feel light headed. Nonetheless, I force myself to stand.

"She is a fighter isn't she?" Fenris says with a dry chuckle.

"She always has been. What will you do with her after you kill the King?"

They are speaking as if I am not even here.

"I'll either give her to my men to do what they want or keep her for myself." Fenris lifts the corner of his lips into a sneer as he looks at me. I am like an object in his eyes.

"How much do I get? How will you pay me after everything I have given you?" My father asks Fenris.

"As much as you would like." Fenris's voice is dry and empty, telling me that he does not intend to do anything like that for my father. For Mr. Hannum.

I notice a few of Fenris's wolves approach us from the woods. One of them huffs at Fenris and all of their heads turn towards the far end of the lake on the side we are on.

I frown as my father disappears into the shadows but when I turn to see what they are all looking at, it makes sense.

I feel my soul cry in joy and the pains from the heat subsides just by looking at him.

A large black wolf stands a good distance from us. He doesn't have to be close for me to know who it is. His size next to the trees and lake tells me everything. His black fur sucks in all light around him, even the light from the fire in the distance. His golden eyes shine in the flames as a deep rumbling growl shakes the ground. Ripples form on the lake near him and reach us.

"See what you can do." Fenris commands the 8 wolves around us. They snarl and spit as they throw themselves into a full run at Kaius.

Kaius steps forward calmly, not a care in the world about the wolves coming at him.

Just as the wolves are reaching him and baring their teeth for an attack, I feel a powerful wave come off of him. I stumble backwards from all of the emotions hitting me.

As the power hits me, the pain of my heat and the flames from across the lake do not matter anymore.

All 8 wolves stop dead in their tracks, going stiff. Kaius continues to make his way towards the much smaller wolves. His eye glow even more golden as he approaches them.

The wolves do nothing as Kaius slowly passes them. After he has walked past the crowd of wolves, they start to move. They reach for each other and snap at each other's necks. Blood sprays as the 8 wolves massacre themselves.

Kaius's power rolls off of him as she controls their actions. Like what he did with Mr. Jester and our allies, he commands their obedience without so much as a word.

As Kaius comes nearer, I hear shuffling next to me and feel hands grab my arms. Kaius growls and starts to charge as I try to get away from whoever is grabbing me.

I look behind me to see my father trying to force me towards the woods. Kaius is so close. He is letting out a threatening growl when suddenly, an equally large grey wolf lunches at Kaius.

They rip at each other and growl as I recognize the grey wolf. It is the same wolf as the one who attacked Bryan. It is Fenris.

I try to kick at my father and twist his arm but he blocks me. I have never fought my father but I am quickly reminded that as I was trained by the best self defense trainers in the world, so was my father.

I am helpless as he drags me into the woods and away from my mate.