Serena’s hand on the reins tightened. She exhaled slowly and pushed back a strand of hair that had escaped the bun those women had tied tightly for her.
The ride to Blackthorn, by her estimate, would not take that long. But it had been some time since she was last here, and she had hardly paid attention to the pathway when Darius had ridden her in and out of the manor. She looked down at the floor in embarrassment.
She cleared her throat subconsciously, which drew Livia’s attention. Serena gave her a tense nod and kept her gaze ahead.
She closed her eyes briefly. The expression of the Delegate unnerved her a bit. Her mind gave her no room to calm herself. The blonde woman bit her lip and sighed. Serena desperately hoped it was not a sign of recognition. She knew she looked different from the Ironshade wolves, but she had not expected to stick out like a sore thumb.
"Serena!" Livia hissed from her side.
Serena flinched and gasped softly. She had veered off from the formation they had created.
Her eyes widened slightly. She was so consumed by her thoughts, she hadn’t realized she was making a fool of herself. She swallowed hard and avoided Livia’s piercing gaze.
"What are you doing?" Livia asked through gritted teeth.
Serena shook her head and glanced at Livia. "No—I was elsewhere," Serena replied.
She tugged the reins to the right and squeezed her calves around the horse’s sides. Soon, she was back in the formation. She threw Livia an apologetic look.
"Well, get yourself back here," Livia said.
Serena nearly whispered an apology, but she thought better of it. She kept her gaze forward. She was worried about what was the matter with Darius. She failed to stop thinking about the promise he made—that he would not leave.
Serena cursed herself inwardly. Was she such a child that she could not pull her mind away from irrational thoughts?
She exhaled again, in an attempt to calm her racing heart. The leather reins beneath her fingertips felt as though she was holding onto a mere thread. Just yesterday, she had promised herself that she would not die here—because of that Charlotte woman and her threat.
If that had even been a threat at all? Her eyes widened, and she snapped her head toward Livia. The other woman paid her no real attention; the breeze beat through her hair, pulling strands free from her bun. Livia wondered why they were riding so fast—would it not have served them better to show these people the vast lands they had found themselves in?
She gritted her teeth. Had the Dawnbreak delegate started his puppeteering? She wet her dry lips and turned to see what was up with the rogue at that moment, only to find her making a face as though a nipperkin had jumped out of a tree to cause trouble.
Livia threw Serena a confused look. Serena shook her head and kept her gaze on the road. Livia had already told her that she knew no one called Charlotte—or any tall woman that fit the description Serena had given her.
She wondered where Charlotte was. Was it of little importance to stick by her side and speak for both of them, since the woman did not care about the history and customs of Crimsonclaw? She had only once jumped out from nowhere after stalking Serena in the hallway.
It had nearly scared her to death, but as usual, Charlotte simply shrugged it off. She should have been riding behind her—or somewhere close. Silas must have been a man trusted to his own devices; if not, how else could he bring along someone that seemingly no one in the pack recognized?
Except for Darius. The thought struck her. She pressed her hand to her palm and shook her head slightly. It felt like her memories were fading. Who was this woman really, and what was going on in Ironshade?
The trees started to clear out, and the large party of people began to slow down. Soon, all the horses were brought to a fast trot. Serena squinted her eyes to see if she could find where Darius rode. She soon caught sight of his bright red hair—he was somewhere close to the front.
His eyes were furrowed, as they often were when he was concentrating on something—or demanding an answer from his mind. She sighed and took her eyes off him. It still gnawed at her heart that she was not allowed to see him. Was that Livia’s order—or Darius’?
Serena recalled the way she had commanded her, using her last name, to open the door to her room. But Ryker seemed to disrespect her dead parents. She shook her head again, trying to rid herself of these desperate thoughts. It did not matter. She would speak to Darius soon.
Meanwhile, at the front of the riding formation, Darius clenched his reins tightly and exhaled slowly to calm himself. The delegate was so far from what he expected. He had imagined an older man, with a wobbly gait. He tsked and turned his head away briefly.
The man had given him a sort of blank stare. Darius would have preferred a hostile glare—or a sickly sweet smile flashed at him. But it looked like mere indifference, as though they had come to settle a dispute in one of their towns. Official source is nοvelfire.net
Silas was at his side, and behind him was Iris. Elder Julian and Nana had been left out of the bustle and hustle of the small banquet. It was divided into two parts: the Dawnbreak delegate would pick three of his people to sit with him and share dinner with Darius, his Beta, Silas, and Cedar.
The rest of his people would be kept company by Livia and a select few individuals from the pack, to fraternize with the strangers.
Darius frowned at the thought of Serena. The shocked face she gave him did not escape his observant eyes. He had to do this, for the sake of this story time. But he would be a damned man to say he didn’t miss her.