“I understand,” Henry whispered.
Macauley felt like a voyeur watching their intimate exchange. His brother had intentions of making Henry his mate, possibly tonight, and he’d come and ruined it. Damn. He did feel bad now.
“I’ll be right here waiting for you like always.”
“I’ll bring you a water lily from one of their fountains of peace to place in our home. It is said it will never die and provide a fragrance that will make us never want to leave,” Taleb promised his future mate.
“While you pack, I’ll map out some good restaurants for you and your betas to eat at on your way there,” Henry chided. “No fast food. I mean it. If I even smell a hint of french fries on any of you, you will get the worst of my fury, Alpha.”
“Yes, sir,” Taleb chuckled fondly as he kissed each of Henry’s knuckles while he continued to run down his not-to-do list.
“And I’ll contact a few alphas whose territory you will be crossing along the way in case any of you need to shift.”
Wow. Henry was the perfect mate for his brother. He couldn’t help wondering why fate had not given him the true mate he deserved. The one he already loved.
When Henry finished his lecture, he lifted his glass to his mouth before he thought of something and slammed it back down. “No wonder.”
“What?” he and Taleb said in unison.
“Adres has not come to the dining hall at all since he has arrived. Once, I treated him to the best we had, but it looked as if he could barely stomach it.” Henry’s eyes were sad. “If he’s able to sense you at all—”
“He can. Not all of me, but definitely some. Enough,” Macauley said, panic lacing his voice. “Why?”
“He won’t be able to tolerate anyone else’s blood but yours. He will slowly starve to death if he doesn’t feed from you.” Henry lowered his head. “Starving is a horrible torture.”
“I never said he couldn’t.” Macauley stood, ready to run and find Adres and shove his mouth to his throat. “I didn’t even know he was hungry. Damn him!” Macauley barked. “He’s blocking me again. I should be able to feel that.”
Henry’s eyes got wider. “The king and Belleron are expecting Adres in the war room tonight to execute the prisoners if they still refuse to talk. It’s going to take more energy than I fear he has.”
“Shit. I have to go to him now.”
“Wait.” Taleb grabbed his arm. “Be careful, brother. Don’t let him drink too much at once. Until you mate with him, your body won’t produce enough blood. Trust me… I’ve already experienced it. You can easily get lost in the sensation.”
“And Adres is very old,” Henry added. “His elixir is probably intoxicating enough to put you in a trance.”
Fear tried to grip him, but he fought it away. Macauley would take the risk with his life before he’d let Adres starve.
Adres clutched his sword with both hands and closed his eyes as he repeated his chant. Once he felt the energy move through his palms and up his forearms, he stabbed the blade into the ground. His body jerked as the power exploded from the steel of his sword, creating an impenetrable forcefield surrounding the area. He wished he could cover more ground at once, but he could only extend the shield so far.
It took a lot of strength out of him to produce so much power, but this was all he could give to his beloved. Protection. He would guard him with his life if that was all he was good for. He leapt onto Razboi’s back and nudged him farther up the mountain. He had been working nonstop for days, then coming back to the compound at the earliest hour to rest, in hopes that Macauley was still sound asleep in his own cabin.
It was getting harder every second to stay away from him. Especially when he could still feel Macauley’s presence in his mind. It felt as if it were only yesterday that he’d had his cherished inside him in the most intimate way. His core still stung from where his beast had clawed at him to set him free. It’d been painful and invigorating at the same time. Macauley’s heat mixing with his cold. His goodness combating his evil. And, yet he still claimed to want him, even after all Adres had shown him.
He was tainted. Once a great man, a fair leader, and a fierce warrior who was beloved by his people, now all he had was the fight in him. But he knew that wouldn’t be enough for him to stay.
For as long as he could remember, he’d had the hole in his heart. So long that he didn’t recognize it anymore, until it no longer felt like a hindrance. He remembered nothing before it happened, but the memory of that day was as sharp as if it occurred yesterday. Adres nudged Razboi into a fast gallop as he tried not to relive it. Not here, not now… not ever. He did not want to remember the excruciating pain of the venom coursing through him when the evil creature had touched the tip of his nail to his chest. For days, years, all he remembered was anger, rage… then nothing.