Free Trinity by Clare Davidson

plaster. His
entire body was tense with anger. “Isn’t it enough that my son
acted in a cowardly way? But a traitor?”
    Berend stared at Adalric calmly.
“He has brought shame on you. He has brought shame on us all.”
    He watched as Adalric breathed in
and out harshly for several moments. There was an angry snarl on
the Alpha’s face, but in his eyes, Berend saw nothing but hurt and
disappointment.
    “ Brokk, finish
patching Berend up.” Adalric began to walk away.
    Berend forced himself up onto one
elbow. “What are you going to do?”
    Adalric stopped and turned slowly.
“Send men to look for my son.”
    “ To what
end?”
    Adalric’s eyes narrowed. “To bring
him back for questioning.”
    Berend couldn’t allow that to
happen. “Let me go.”
    Adalric’s lips pressed into a thin
line. “You aren’t fit.” He turned to leave.
    “ Skaric is like a
brother to me.” Berend risked a smile as his words halted Adalric.
“This madness that has taken him… Perhaps the incarnation of Miale
cursed him in some way. Let me find him and bring him back to you.
Perhaps his mind can be healed.”
    Adalric half turned; distrust
danced in his eyes. “You called my son a coward and a traitor.”
    “ That is what his
actions suggest.” Berend had to be careful. “But maybe there is
another explanation. Let me find him. I won’t let any harm come to
him unless he resists too violently.” He hoped his words sounded
reasonable.
    Adalric nodded slowly. “As soon as
you are fit, gather men you can trust. Bring Skaric back to me.
Alive.”
    Berend nodded and smiled as
Adalric left. There was no way he was going to let Skaric return
alive.
     
    *
     
    The evening sky was deepening from
red to indigo, just visible through gaps in the canopy above
Kiana’s head. They had managed to outpace the Wolves. Once in the
forest, Nidan had made sure that their tracks became a churned up
mess, before setting a relentless pace that had left all three
horses lathered in sweat and breathing harshly. Too exhausted to
travel further and too far from Valgate to double back under cover
of darkness, they had been forced to stop.
    The first thing Nidan had done was
check what provisions the Wolves had been carrying. It turned out
to be enough food for four to five days, if the two of them ate
sparingly. They wouldn’t be in the wilderness for that long. Nidan
would guide them back to Valgate the next day. For the time being,
Kiana felt exposed. The only benefit to their current predicament
was that she would have time to give the Wolf answers to his
questions in payment for his help. Without him, they would have
died in that field.
    They had propped the Wolf up
against a tree. He still wasn’t showing any emotion on his face,
though his skin was pale and his side wound seemed to be oozing
fresh scarlet blood. Not knowing his name was annoying. His
animosity was annoying. In fact, everything about him was
annoying.
    Kiana crouched down in front of
him. “You had questions?”
    The Wolf looked at her with his
cold eyes. He breathed in deeply. “Why did you stop to save
me?”
    That was easy! “It was wrong to
let you die.” She shrugged. “All life is sacred, even if the Wolves
have forgotten that.”
    Anger clouded his face, making his
gaze seem even brighter and colder as it bore into her.
    Shivering, Kiana glanced over her
shoulder at Nidan. “You need to heal yourself… and him.”
    Nidan was looking through one of
the saddlebags. He paused and stared at the Wolf and then Kiana.
“I’m not healing him again.”
    Kiana stood and turned to face
him, her hands on her hips. “He saved our lives!”
    Nidan scowled. “Probably so he
could take the glory for killing us himself after he’s asked his
pointless questions!”
    Kiana looked back down at the
Wolf. There was so much anger in his eyes, but she didn’t believe
he wanted to kill her. He’d already had several chances and hadn’t
taken them. How could she convince Nidan