Embers In The North
25

Reyna paced the icy boundaries of the dome, her thoughts swirling like the wind outside. Thinking of Roth’s revelation about Mimir’s well, a myth rooted in Asgard, was overwhelming. Her mind tried to wrap itself around the thought that Mimir’s well really existed.

If Roth’s words held even a sliver of truth, it might unravel the mystery surrounding the conclave. It caused her to question the very nature of their world and its underlying secrets.

Questions multiplied. Who were the Elders? Were they descendants of gods, or extraordinary wolves with ancient roots? How come they confined themselves to the conclave, and why did Aupheadia seem so secluded?

Most of these musings were contained in quiet discussions with Lance, who brushed them aside. The memories of venturing north with the Fleet, weeks passing without leaving the kingdom, weighed heavy on her mind now. It felt like a mirage, an isolated bubble where other species, humans, or distant kingdoms were conspicuously absent. How come Aupheadia seemed to be alone in the universe?

While Reyna struggled with these thoughts, Roth’s revelation cast a shadow over their journey. If Mimir’s well existed, it might hold the key to revealing a deeper truth, or even the fate of the entire world.

“In the conclave, there is an unreal rendering of the world tree, and it exists for a reason, just as the obelisks in all the exalted citadels do in all three territories, Reyna. They’re a part of it, connected to the conclave and the lifeline of the Elders,” Roth explained.

“What are you thinking, telling me this? Isn’t this one of the things you cannot divulge?” she whispered, lowering herself to kneel in front of him.

“If we’re on this path now, nothing else will matter once we reach the conclave,” Roth replied.

“What makes you think that?” she asked, her eyes searching his.

Roth’s captivating eyes dimmed with a poignant sadness she felt in her chest. Instinctively, she gently placed her palm against it.

“I’ve dreamt it. I’m haunted by it, you know. The fall of my kingdom, and I always lose no matter what I do in those dreams.” He removed his gloves. “I should give up, stop trying. To speak candidly, I want to, and I was intent on letting things wither as the Elders have predicted, but…” he trailed off, now fixating on the fire around them as it reflected in his eyes.

“Roth?” she called.

He faced her again. “Giving up means dooming the wolves to death. I won’t let them down.” Taking her hands in his, his long, slender fingers wove into hers, squeezing gently. “I won’t let you down, Reyna,” he whispered.

She smiled at him. “If that’s the case, we should probably stop now. If going on this odyssey only spells doom, we should end it now,” Reyna suggested.

Shaking his head, he replied. “But we must continue. Turning back is not an option. We’d be stuck in this never-ending circle, and this fray would continue to haunt those who come after us. We must see this through, and make sure that you, and only you, make it to Yggdrasil, to Mimir’s well.”

Huffing again, Reyna massaged her temple against the headache. If Roth was telling the truth, she felt a nagging urge to talk with Seth again. She needed to figure something out.

“Seeing as you’re eager to share.” She turned her attention back to him. “Can you tell me why Aupheadia feels so detached from everything else?”

Roth sighed. “There’s a reason Aupheadia is isolated. It’s the result of powerful enchantments woven by the gods and anchored to the Elders. The kingdom is concealed from the rest of the world.”

Reyna frowned. “Why? What is the purpose of such isolation?”

“I cannot tell you that, Reyna. What I can share is that Aupheadia is a sanctuary, a hidden realm, veiled by powerful magic to maintain balance and protect the wolves within its borders.”

It didn’t explain much, if anything it only compounded her questions, which were nearly driving her nuts.

“If this knowledge is a secret, Roth, why share it with me?” she asked, her gaze steady.

His eyes bore into hers. “You’re no ordinary wolf, Reyna. You’re Luna. You would already know this if you had been in the conclave as you were meant to be.” He cradled her face gently. “I’ll do what I can to protect the wolves, but when Aupheadia falls, you’ll have to be ready.”

Dread gripped her heart, and she admitted, “You’re scaring me.”

“I only wish I was powerful enough to protect you,” Roth said, brushing her hair from her face. “But this is a journey that could lead to all our deaths.”

“Then maybe we shouldn’t talk about it any more.” She pressed her lips to his, a long and passionate kiss that momentarily silenced their impending fate.

As they broke the kiss, Roth smiled into her eyes. She loved how his eyes looked like emeralds from the glassy, tranquil surface of a lake. But she felt something else, deeper than what he was showing her.

When she kissed him, she absorbed his energy, reading him like a book. There was a lot of loneliness and some resentment toward the gods, and she felt sorry for him.

Roth spoke, his voice low. “We need to rest now, so we’re ready to move out when the storm’s over.”

Reyna nodded, reluctant to let go, but did anyway. Watching Roth stand and extend a hand to help her up, she smiled.

“You go on, I need a moment,” she said.

He hesitated for a moment before nodding. As he left, the flickering shadows embraced her, and she took a deep breath to steady herself.

“Do you feel burdened by what I shared with you?” Roth’s voice echoed back to her, and she turned to the dome entrance.

“I would use the word conflicted, but that’s not the issue,” she confessed as she rose. “You could claim me as mate, make love with me even because you know how I feel about you. So, why don’t you?”

A small smile played on Roth’s lips as he turned to face her. “You didn’t want to be my mate, Reyna. I do not indulge outside my harem… although you make me weak just by looking at me.” He took a step closer, his gaze lingering on her, his voice low as he said, “But I do want you, Reyna. I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anyone before.”

For a moment, they stood in silence, and then Reyna took a step closer, closing the gap between them.

“Maybe it’s time we reevaluate some of our choices,” she whispered.

“Only if you reconsider my proposal. I will give up a hundred thousand harems to be with you. But, in the chaos that will follow the disbandment of these alliances, will you still stand by me when war bears down on me from all the territories?”

It wasn’t just about being his mate; it was a question about the potential consequences of their choices on Aupheadia.

“The sacrifice of desire is a duty I cannot escape from,” Roth continued. “Are you willing to risk Aupheadia’s future for our own?”

In Roth’s eyes, Reyna could see the struggle he was dealing with, one that now almost left her speechless. Touching his cheek, she traced her fingertips softly along his infamous scar.

“War or not, Roth, I choose you,” she murmured. “Even though, in the end, I’m doomed to destroy it, I don’t want to be the reason Aupheadia falls."

He took her hand delicately, his lips grazing over her palm with a soft, lingering kiss.

“I never thought you’d choose me,” he confessed. “I was convinced, more than anything, that you would pick Decker as mate at the conclave.”

“Decker? Why?” Her eyes sparkled with amusement.

“Well, he has a knack for ensnaring the hearts of any female he sets his sights on. That fiery mane of his may play a part,” Roth remarked, and they shared a brief laugh that echoed in the dome.

“And what about Lorelai?” she asked, raising a quizzical eyebrow. She recalled the mention of the name triggering Decker and noted Roth using it for that purpose.

Roth grinned as he responded, “Lorelai is… a complicated piece in all this. She’s a female from Decker’s past, and not just anyone. There’s history, heartache, and perhaps a lingering flame.”

Reyna leaned in. “Where do you fit into all of this?”

“She is the daughter of the Qaso Warmaster, and she offered to join my harem to broker an alliance, which I accepted, knowing who she is to Decker.” He sighed. “I wish I could say I regret that action, as it deepened the rift between us. But in war, hard choices must be made.”

Earlier, Decker said something similar to her. She wasn’t pleased to hear that Roth accepted Lorelai as his mistress for political purposes and maybe to provoke Decker.

“I get the sense that you intended to spite Decker with it too,” she observed.

Roth’s admission was soft, almost a whisper, “Two birds with one stone. You should know that she’s only my mistress in name. She is enamoured by Decker, and I barely care enough for her to bother about bedding her.”

It made sense why Decker reacted that way to Roth mentioning her name. Now she felt bad for Decker losing his lover like that. The news about Lorelai deepened her curiosity about Decker—his past, his relationships. Was Lorelai merely a lover or his mate?

Roth’s eyes held unspoken regret as they searched hers. Reyna saw everything he’d been through as an Alpha–the political nuances and difficult decisions he had to make while struggling under the shadow of the Maynord name.

“Choices are never simple, are they?” she mused.

“No, Reyna, they rarely are.” Roth sighed. “Every decision, every choice, has an impact on our kingdom and its future. Sometimes, we unravel it willingly, and other times, it’s yanked from our grasp.”

Reyna nodded, grunting as she thought about it.

“In our story, Reyna, you are the linchpin. The one who holds the power to actually affect our future.”

“It doesn’t change the web of choices and consequences we’re caught in,” Reyna grumbled.

“Yes,” Roth agreed, tracing circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. “But, Reyna, know this – whatever happens, my heart belongs to you.”

Roth’s words made her smile, and she stared into Roth’s eyes, almost trembling at his sincerity.

“Roth…” she began, but words eluded her.

He silenced her with a tender smile and kissed her forehead. “Rest now, my Luna. I will see you inside when you’re ready.”

As Roth stepped out of the protective dome, Reyna listened to the fading sound of his footsteps in the howling storm. Sitting down, she ran her fingers through her hair, half laughing as Roth’s admission of his feelings echoed in her head. Even though she knew he felt the same way, hearing him say it out loud made her heart ache. Massaging her chest, she focused on dispelling the Embers that surrounded her.

“By all the gods,” she murmured.

Never in a million years did she think she’d fall in love or find her mate. Though she suspected she was Luna and would be tethered to an Alpha, she never imagined Roth Maynord, whom she’d hated from afar, would be the one.

“Fancy dome,” Seth said, and Reyna snapped out of her thoughts to focus on him.

She hated that he was so stealthy, and she never sensed or heard him before he just showed up, like Decker. It was convenient that he was here; she needed to ask him something anyway.

“Seth-”

“I gather the Redfall and Highthaw have propositioned you to mate with them by now.” Seth sat across from her. “It’s unlikely you want to be my mate, so how about we make a deal?”

“What kind of deal?” she asked, intrigued.

“Be my mate, my Luna, and I will give you the answer you seek about my intention in the conclave,” he said. “I will provide you with the unvarnished truth,” his voice was serious, insistent.

The Icehelm, slightly larger than a human, had a strong-boned face, handsome in his own way, but he didn’t hold a candle to her Roth. She frowned at him before placing her hands on her crossed legs.

“Do you accept?” he inquired.

“I mean, it’s quite a proposition,” she said, chuckling. But, was it really worth becoming his mate just to learn one thing, especially if she couldn’t change it or influence Aupheadia’s fate? “But it’s not enough.”

Seth leaned forward. “What more do you desire, Reyna?”

Reyna tilted her head, contemplating Seth’s proposal. “This is your proposition, Seth. Offer me something more tangible, something irresistible. Information about your intentions in the conclave isn’t sufficient.”

He regarded her for a moment before a smirk played on his lips. “Very well. If you agree to be my mate, I’ll not only share my plans for the conclave but also grant you a token of my power.”

Reyna’s eyes narrowed. This was an unexpected turn. What power was he talking about? Was there more to being an Alpha than she knew?

“Let me think about it,” she said, sidestepping a direct answer.

Seth leaned back, a confident smile on his face. “Take your time, Luna. I’m sure you’ll make the right choice.” Rising, he began to leave but stopped, looking back at her. “I’ll let you in on a secret. The Luna’s choice of mate only happens in the conclave, and even then, it is not entirely yours. Your decision must align with what the gods want. It really was never truly your choice to make. Call it the god’s ultimate hand in this fray, but enjoy the semblance of this… choice.” With a wink, Seth left, leaving her to ponder his words.

She watched him leave, and a feeling of unease settled in her heart. Her brows furrowed as Seth’s words sank in. The gods’ influence felt like heavy chains around her, restricting her freedom even in picking a mate, and she was starting to grow frustrated.

As she sat alone in the ice cave, she took a deep breath and then shot to her feet.

They needed to get to the conclave now!

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