Embers In The North
6

Those mesmerizing mismatched orbs held her attention as he stared at her.

The room sizzled under the tension of their non-verbal exchange. Reyna’s challenge hung in the air like a gauntlet thrown, laced with fierceness that dared Roth to accept it.

For a moment, silence settled between them, heavy. Then, as if prompted by some unseen cue, a slow smile crept onto Roth’s lips.

“Your audacity is peculiar. I wonder if it’s a consequence of your lineage.” He paused. “This dance, as you put it, has only just begun. You may think you’re in control, but as I’ve learned, nothing is ever what it seems–especially when the gods play.”

She smiled, acknowledging the unspoken truth hidden behind those veiled references. Once again, he alluded to her Luna heritage without explicitly confirming it.

It irked her that she couldn’t reveal what she knew without exposing the extent of her powers. She was Luna with abilities from all territories- a secret she was determined to keep.

“Be that as it may, Roth. Don’t threaten me ever again.”

Slowly, he rose and walked towards her, his finely chiselled jaw clenched with eyes blazing. The sight of him filled her with fear and fascination. He leaned in close to her, his face mere inches from hers. Every nerve in her body buzzed and tingled, as if she had been struck by lightning.

“It is not acceptable to talk to me in such a way,” he said. The warmth of his breath caressed her face, and her heart jumped. “While your audacity does hold some appeal, don’t confuse it with unbridled freedom. There is a distinction between unshakable determination and outright disrespect. Learn that difference, and understand the limits of your position, Prime.”

Reyna swallowed. It was true what he said, but he conveniently left out what her ability had revealed to her. He wouldn’t punish her no matter how hard she challenged him because of the simmering conflict between Roth and the Suncrest Territory Warmaster. With a Luna on his side, Roth could cement his claim as the Alpha of Alphas. The irony was glaring—his rise to power was intertwined with the bloodline that his ancestors had tried to eradicate.

He knew that if he punished her, she would be less likely to accept his offer to mate, and he would lose the chance to gain her loyalty. If he succeeded in claiming her as his mate, he could secure his position, making any challenge futile.

As she imagined what it would be like to have him as her mate, her heart raced and she hated it. She meant nothing to him; he was only interested in what she could give him.

“Why, then, Roth?” she pressed. “Why continue to shield me from the repercussions of challenging your authority?”

This was about maintaining his power; she knew it and wanted him to admit it. By quashing the Frostcall Warmasters’ attempt to strip her title and dismissing the need for a public apology, he was trying to her on his side.

“Because I can,” he said. “And because I choose to.” He leaned in close enough that her breath hitched, and his voice dropped to a low growl. “You may not understand my methods, but you will obey them. That is all you need to know.” His mouth curved into a cruel smile. “Now, let us put this matter to rest.”

“Roth–”

“Reyna, as pleasing as it is to hear my name on your lips, do not forget that I am your Alpha,” he interjected. “You will respect me, and I will reciprocate.”

Temptation tugged at her, urging her to delve into his thoughts and explore the depths of his mind, to discover the truth behind his words. Yet, she resisted, finding the idea of invading his thoughts distasteful. She chose to observe and interpret his behaviour, to take clues from his actions and form a better understanding of him.

“As far as I know, Odin did not intend you to be the Alpha of the Wild Lands.”

With a measured sigh, he pulled away from her and returned to sit on the rug. “Regardless of Odin’s intent, I am the Alpha here and now. The gods have no sway in this anymore.”

“Why did you really come here, Roth of Krelon?” she asked, cutting through the ambiguity.

Roth’s lips curled into a wry smile. “Perhaps I wanted to see the Prime Commander of Egranox in person,” he said.

Reyna wasn’t buying his flippant response. There was more to his visit than he was telling her, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was testing her.

“That’s nonsense,” Reyna hissed.

He fell silent, a fleeting shiver rippling through his body. In an attempt to conceal his momentary vulnerability, he wrapped his arms around himself.

“The cold will persist until you yield to it. Peel away the layers and let it seep into you. Only then will the heat consume it.”

As the words left her lips, she realized that following her advice might eventually lead to Roth being naked in front of her. It raised the hairs on Reyna’s warm, honey-toned skin, and she unconsciously moistened her lips.

Was it his striking appearance, his enigmatic eyes, the intriguing scar etched across his face or the mere thought of him undressing that had this effect on her? As he started to remove his garments, she returned to her seat at the table, strategically positioning herself so she could see him. Watching him strip down to his black breeches, her eyes traced the scars splayed over his magnificent torso. A strong desire to touch him surged within her, almost impossible to resist.

She continued to watch him, her teeth gnawing at her lower lip in an attempt to contain her building desire. But, an involuntary groan slipped from her, an unintended response that didn’t escape Roth’s notice. He settled back onto the rug, his back to the fire’s warmth.

A sly smile curved his lips, and Reyna mentally berated herself for allowing her unbridled desires to show so openly.

“Am I providing you with enough entertainment?” he inquired.

The arrogant prick.

The rumble of his laughter echoed through the room, leaving her ponder the reason behind it. Could he read her thoughts as well? By the gods! Were the whispers about the Maynord’s mismatched eyes accurate? If he possessed the ability to truly delve into the minds of others, then they were undoubtedly at a deadlock.

He leaned back, dipping his head closer to the fire as his eyes closed. Reyna’s gaze remained fixed on the web of scars that marked his body; a roadmap of battles and challenges that defined his path to Alpha. Against her will, she rose and walked towards him. His eyes opened, locking onto hers as she lowered herself beside him.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she regarded the scars on his chest and arms. They looked as rigid as his formidable presence. The desire to run her fingers over them surged within her, almost overwhelming. A charming smile played on his lips, and the delicate scent of Eismum roses filled the air, tickling her nostrils.

She had smelt Eismum roses before, but never like this. Like pollen, it wafted off of him, and she wanted to drown in it, to bury her nose into the tuft of his brown hair, and breathe it in.

His question brought her back to the present. “It baffles me, Reyna, how a female so lovely remains unmated?”

She bit her lip, feeling the warmth rise in her cheeks at his interest. Rather than offering a direct response, she countered with a question of her own.

“What is it to you, Roth?” she asked.

He sighed, a hint of annoyance in his voice. “We’ve covered this, Prime. It is Alpha to you, nothing else.”

In a daring move, she leaned in closer, sensing the subtle tensing of his muscles as her lips hovered dangerously close to his. She held his gaze, her words a soft breath against his skin. “I am the only one who gets to call you by name because we have an unspoken understanding. You’re Alpha but you need me to truly be Alpha, Roth, don’t you?”

“Is that what gives you the audacity to challenge me?” Roth asked.

“Don’t even think about denying it.” Her eyes bore into his. “It is important for you to remember that I am not a follower. Our understanding continues, but you won’t control me; I won’t let you.”

She felt the storm of emotions swirling inside Roth’s mismatched eyes as he stared into hers.

His eyes flickered to her lips and then back to her eyes again. “Why have you not taken a mate, the untameable Reyna?”

It wasn’t a topic she relished discussing, especially not with Roth. But who was he going to tell, really?

“As a Prime, my foremost duty is to prioritize Egranox’s needs above my own,” she said. “And, well, I have yet to find a male whose values and ambitions match mine.”

She nibbled her lower lip, careful not to share too much. Finding a mate was more complex than a mere alignment of values—it was about maintaining her own ambitions, like her goal of becoming a Warmaster. She understood that committing to a mate could require compromising some of those aspirations, a concession she wasn’t quite ready to make.

Reyna’s throat felt dry as she eased herself back slightly, allowing some space between them. Then she pulled herself up and stepped reluctantly away. The fire’s warmth paled in comparison to the heat between them.

“It would take a mate who surpasses me in prestige to truly be worthy of that role,” she admitted and walked back to the table.

For a while, silence enveloped them, only broken by the quiet crackling of the fire. Roth’s gaze remained on her, thoughtful and contemplative. Eventually, he nodded, and his voice cut through her thoughts, pulling her attention to him.

“You’ve yet to offer an apology for nearly setting me ablaze,” he remarked with a hint of amusement in his eyes.

Reyna stared at him. Roth, still sitting beside the fire, had beads of sweat glistening down his torso. Reyna swallowed, rankled at her inexplicable attraction to him, as she watched the spectacle of beads trailing down his pristine form like ice crystals.

“I see no reason to apologize. If I had truly intended to set you ablaze, there wouldn’t be much left but ashes.”

Roth’s reaction was swift, leaping to his feet with a playful wave that beckoned her to join him.

“You’re quite the teaser, aren’t you?” he mused. “Addicted to control, I see. Making a male long for the taste of your lips, the warmth between your legs. Stoked by the desire to pursue you until they claim you in sweet surrender.”

The way he looked at her with that smouldering gaze made her heart skip a beat. She held his gaze, her eyes narrowing slightly, a hint of a smile on her lips.

“Is that what you think, Roth?” she asked against the flutter in her chest as she rose and stepped closer. “Yearning isn’t always a guarantee of satisfaction.”

In an instant, he moved behind her, his firm chest pressing against her back. His lips hovered barely an inch away from her ear, his warm breath sending shivers down her spine. The heat radiating from his body engulfed her like an open flame.

“Oh, I am well aware of that, Prime,” he murmured, his voice a velvety whisper sending shivers down her spine. “But I’ve always enjoyed the thrill of the chase.”

She gagged in delightful surprise as his teeth grazed her earlobe, sending a jolt of electricity through her body. The room blurred; Reyna could hardly breathe, let alone speak, as his hands explored her curves. His lips embarked on a searing journey down her neck, each touch igniting trails of fire. Her body was alive in a way she had never experienced, and she knew if she surrendered she would lose control. Every nerve in her body seemed ablaze, and her pulse pounded in her veins, as though she stood precariously on the edge of an abyss. She could feel his heartbeat echoing the sound of hers pounding in her ear.

In a breathless whisper, she said, “Let go of me.”

The soft sound of Roth’s laughter graced her senses, but before she could fully process it, he swiftly turned her around to face him, his movements catching her off guard.

“You are fascinating, Reyna. Stubborn, fiery, and unyielding. I am a worthy challenge, wouldn’t you say?”

Her attempt to create distance by pressing her palms against his chest was met with the solid resistance of his arm wrapped around her waist. Vexed by his ability to hold her in place with one arm, Reyna growled.

“This is not a game, Roth.”

His fingers traced a delicate path along her jawline, his gaze piercing hers. “No?” He arched a brow. “It’s a game of power, desire, and only the worthy come out on top. You owe me an answer, Reyna.”

She drew a deep breath and tried to banish the provocative thoughts invading her mind. The images that tormented her were like fire; a mindless vision of hot, savage sex with Roth. In an effort to regain control, she turned to one of her most trusted tools—her Frost ability.

As the power surged, an icy shroud enveloped her form, casting an unmistakable aura of wintry coldness. The room’s temperature dropped perceptibly, and frost formed on surfaces nearby. Roth’s reaction was immediate; a guttural sound escaped him as he instinctively withdrew from her.

Swiftly she stepped away from him and let out a sharp hiss through gritted teeth. With the sphere she’d created, the air cooled around her, displacing the heat of temptation. Reyna’s mind cleared and her body relaxed. She exhaled audibly, relieved to regained her focus.

Apparently unfazed by her Frost ability, Roth regarded her. Whether he was unaware of its true nature or believed it was a typical Icehelm trait, she couldn’t tell. What mattered was maintaining the facade that she possessed only the powers of her own territory, ensuring the extent of her abilities remained hidden.

“Did I ruffle your icy exterior?” he asked, a playful gleam in his mismatched eyes.

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him, not willing to give him the satisfaction. “Save your charm for your harem. It won’t work on me.”

The way his eyes danced over her made her shiver and burn at the same time. His chromatic eyes flared at her in a way she had never seen before, and she nearly gasped, again.

“Fair enough. I suppose I’ll have to find other ways to impress you.”

She scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Please don’t waste your time trying to impress me. I don’t care for your games, Roth Maynord.”

His eyes danced with mischief, and he took a step closer. “We’ll see about that, Prime Reyna. I have a feeling you might just be more intrigued than you’re willing to admit.”

As his lips curved into an irresistible smile, she steadied herself, suddenly wary of him.

“And it makes the hunt worthwhile when I have to work for it.” He leaned in, close enough for her to feel the warmth of his breath against her cheek, and whispered, “What do you say? Shall we really make a game of it?”

Just like before, Roth moved with a speed that left her momentarily stunned.

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