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Chapter 14

Ayala stood there for a moment, stunned. Why were they after her? They couldn't...no, she hadn't done anything to give herself away. It must just be because the Prince had taken an interest in her. But then what were their motives? Were they trying to help Aylmer or harm him?

"Well?"

The fox's question brought her back to the present. It seemed that she'd have time to think on their motives, whether she escaped or not. The door was close enough, she was pretty sure she could make it. She tensed, preparing herself to dive for it.

The fox simply smiled. "I wouldn't do that."

"Why?"

He pointed past her, towards Aden. "You could, but Aden's heart would acquire a rather thick splinter."

Ayala wanted to ignore what he said, but even as she kept her eyes on him, she could heard the panicked whimpers of Aden behind her. Risking a quick glance, she was horrified to find that the weasel had snuck around behind her. Aden was standing as stiff as a board, a gleaming dagger poised over his heart. She glared at the fox.

"If I come quietly, will you let him go?"

"We will not touch him for a day. That is plenty of time for him to go hide himself."

"That's not much in exchange for my life."

The fox looked shocked. "Good lady, I don't want to kill you! I simply want you out of the way until the Prince is safely mated, as per the contract offered. Afterward, you can give us a way to contact your family, and then you can go home." He paused. "After paying for your room and board, of course."

"Kidnapper."

"Only when needed. Do you agree to the terms?"

Ayala sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Fine. I agree to come with you, on the condition that you let Aden go."

In a few short strides, the fox was at her side. Bowing, he offered his paw. "Then right this way, Lady."

She didn't take the paw. "Show the way."

He frowned, but moved over to the balcony. "These balconies have their uses, yes? It's rather lucky that you got a room with one, otherwise I'm not sure how we would've gotten in." She gave a small shriek as he swept her off her feet and tossed her over the side. Ayala could feel her heart rise to her throat as she dropped a good fourteen feet into the alley below. Just as she thought that they had decided to kill her, she was caught in a pair of strong, furry arms. Something was shoved over her face, and a cloying scent filled her nostrils. Within moments, everything had gone black.

Tylan took his paw away from the girl's mouth, careful to keep the cloth clutched in it far from his own face. A single whiff of this stuff would make a person woozy for an hour. Tucking it in his back pocket, he turned and laid the girl down against the alley wall. Checking her pulse, he made sure he hadn't held it on her for too long. A soft thump came from behind him as someone hit the ground. He assumed it was Lokisson, which was confirmed when the fox spoke.

"We don't have too much time. The Prince is sure to check in on them soon, and if it's not him, it'll be that tavern owner. Let's get her over to the wagon so we can put some distance between us before that happens." The wolf nodded. Bending over, he began to reach for the girl.

"Tylan!" Zypher's voice hissed from above.

He looked up, barely in time to reach up and catch the falling body. Looking down at it, he started as he realized that it was their other target, the pet.

"Zypher!" Lokisson hissed. "We don't have time for extra baggage! Besides, when I do make a promise, I keep it."

The weasel swung over the railing, bracing himself against the outside of the house. Pushing off, he spun, bouncing off the opposite side of the alley to slow himself down before landing on the hard dirt of the alley. "Don't worry, you're not going back on your word. We won't be touching the pet. Tylan can keep hold of him for a day or so, and since he wasn't there, he's not part of the agreement." Drawing a dagger from his belt, he looked it over. "Lord Cedric's taken a shine to this one. This is a fine dagger."

Lokisson raised his eyebrows. "He probably stole it. I don't think Lord Cedric would give someone he has known for such a short time a dagger like that."

The weasel shook his head. "No, he didn't steal it. It was on the outside of his clothes. If he had stolen it, he would've tried to conceal it." He tossed it into the air, allowing it to spin a few times before grabbing it by the blade. "It's rather heavy for it, but it's balanced well enough to be a good throwing dagger."

Tylan grunted, holding Aden away from him. "What happened up there? The pet's bleeding."

"Oh, I might've hit him a bit hard when I knocked him out. I don't have the fancy chemicals you do. A good old-fashioned dagger haft to the back of the head worked just as well, though."

Lokisson glanced up at the balcony. "Talk later, let's get a move on. I don't want to stay around here longer than we have to."

The first thing Aden felt was the pounding in his head. The world seemed to spin as he tried to gather himself. What had happened? He had been lying on the bed, trying to convince himself that Cedric couldn't possibly want to actually mate with him, not after all the kindness he had shown, when the human Ayala came in. He paused as he remembered his first glimpse of her, furless skin, flat muzzle, and ears that didn't move at all. Oh, and no tail either. He had heard of humans before, but as he told Ayala, he had never seen any.

Then they had talked about him and...Alpha. Aden cringed as the memory of the hurt in his Alpha's eyes floated before him in the blackness. He hadn't let it affect his body language, but Aden could clearly see it whenever he glanced at him. Alpha...he had offered him a place as his beta, but Aden couldn't accept that. Even from the short time he had spent with Cedric, he knew his Alpha's political status. To have the same amount of authority...he couldn't handle that. Besides, he knew what Cedric was saying. If he wouldn't be his Alpha's mate, at least he could the next closest thing.

He didn't deserve it. Since Alpha had bound him, he had only been a pit. Pulling and taking all of his Alpha's patience and giving nothing back. Then, when he could do something to repay him, something that he had done countless times before already, he had frozen. Sure, he had earned his keep plenty of times by pleasuring males, but he had been trying to get away from all that...he didn't want the pain again...

And then...

It was like a light had been lit, like the rays of the sun breaking through the dense fog that had obscured the sudden sunrise in his life. Ayala. She told him things he found hard to believe, and yet he wished to believe them so much. What if it was true? What if giving himself to his Alpha wouldn't hurt the way the other times had? What if the pleasure he had so often witnessed on the faces of his tormentors could be his? The howls as the flooded his body with seed, could he replicate them? Could he actually join his Alpha's voice in a howl of victory, their voices melding in harmony; his Alpha's sounding forth, and his harmonizing and supporting?

It was exhilarating, just thinking about it.

But...What happened after that?

Pet.

Aden's eyes shot open. Without looking around, he jumped to his feet, launching himself away from wherever he was. With a mighty yank, something tightened around his neck. His footpaws continued along without him, until their connections with him made them rise up away from the ground, all the way above his head. Air rushed from his lungs as he crashed to the ground, crunching leaves and breaking twigs. Coughing, Aden brought his paws up to his throat, scrabbling at the rope wrapped around it.

A shadow loomed over him. "Well well. The pet has a bit of energy to him, doesn't he?" Aden looked up, gazing into the face of another wolf. The wolf held up a paw, displaying the other end of the rope, tied around his wrist. "Made me stumble, you did." Aden bared his teeth, but the wolf growled lowly. "I intend to bring you back to your master alive, but I can make your life very miserable between now and then."

Aden whimpered, scooting away from the wolf. But the other male would have none of that, pinning him against the ground, arms outspread. His muzzle came closer, fangs dripping, and eyes gleaming with lust. Aden couldn't take his own away from those fangs, inching towards his throat. Thrashing, he tried to escape, but the other wolf was far stronger than him. A cry broke from his throat, a scream of terror and torment, and a call for salvation:

"ALPHA!"

"Thanks for showing me Aden's room, Matron." Cedric said, smiling sadly at the doe as they stood outside the door. "I need to apologize to him. I keep pushing him to be closer to me, and I haven't really trusted him. He knows that the lifebond keeps him to me for the rest of his life, and I shouldn't be trying to reinforce that. I need to trust his virtue." He sighed and looked away. "Also...I didn't think about how much the authority of being a Beta might scare him. It was thoughtless of me, with how short a time he had experienced freedom.

"The dinner was great though. The pie you served for dessert? Fantastic. It had just the right amount of sweetness to offset the tart taste of the rhubarb. The crust was good to..." He paused, cocking his head at the doe, who was examining the wall near the door. "Are you even listening to me?"

"These walls need a new coat of paint." Matron said. "This green is beginning to flake, and it's been on for far too long. A nice light shade of blue, like the midday sky, would look much better, don't you think?" She waved her hoof at the bottom portion of the wall. "The wood can stay though. It will go well with the new blue color." She turned to him. "No, I'm not listening to you, Lord Cedric. You're rambling." She turned and began to walk down the corridor. "Now open that door and apologize to Aden. It's what you came up here for, isn't it? Ayala should be in there as well. Let her know that the Prince is looking for her."

"Right." Cedric nodded. "Of course." He turned back to the door, placing his paw of the handle. It refused to budge. Cedric frowned and tried again, but his paw refused to turn the knob. Sighing, he pulled it off the round knob and laid it against the door, resting his head on the frame. His life had been so much simpler before this week. He had no pressing concerns, enough money to live off of, and all his bounty hunting had, as much as he didn't want to admit it, been for the thrills. That had all changed when he saw that doberman stalk into the alley outside Matron's tavern. He knew that walk, and his protective instincts had been roused.

Now he was saddled with a pup that was years younger than him, and one that he had fallen for deeply. Whenever Aden was scared, he wanted to wrap him in his arms and shield him from the world, and whenever a smile crossed his face, Cedric wanted to be the one to put it there. But as much as he wanted the protect and provide for the young wolf, the other side of his masculinity had other desires. It wanted to make the pup moan and writhe in his arms as the bedsheets twisted about them, or the water roiled, or the leaves crunched...Cedric's breathing grew heavier. A romp in the forest...oh how he would love that. How he could capture Aden and take him just as his ancestors had, the Alpha and his mate, deep in the green twilight of the forest.

But he couldn't. No matter how much he wanted it, Aden didn't, and there was no way he was going to force himself on his pup. However, he promised that if he couldn't have his pup, no one else would either. Aden was his mate, whether the pup accepted it or not, Cedric knew the truth in his heart. Already his scent was mingled with the pup's from sleeping together so much, and any dominant male that approached him would know that he was spoken for. He was an Alpha, and his scent spoke of it more than most creatures knew.

Cedric shook his head. Here he was, standing out in the hallway when he should be talking to Aden! Growling, he glared at the handle, paw moving down swiftly to grab it and...and...

Cedric sighed again, staring at his paw, frozen on the handle. He shook his head and smiled softly. Was this what everyone else felt when they were going to talk to the one they loved? Only now did he understand the look of triumph on Dunstan's muzzle when he came and told him that he had spoken to Leola for the first time. Gathering his resolve, he focused it all into his one paw, and turned the knob.

Pushing open the door, he poked his muzzle in. "Aden, I...Aden?" He swung the door open. Stepping in, he looked around. The room was empty. In front of him, against the wall, a tray of food sat untouched on the dresser, long gone cold. The bedsheets looked like someone had slept in them, or at least laid on them, but no one was around. Cedric took a couple of deep breaths, trying to keep calm as he quickly searched the room. Under the bed, nothing. Behind the chair, nothing. Cedric spun around. Matron didn't show him the wrong room, did she? No, she wasn't the type to make mistakes like that, and the door was open.

He sniffed the air. Ayala had been here, he could smell her scent in the air. Human always had such strong odors, especially if they didn't wash. It took some searching, but soon he found the scent he was looking for. Aden's. It was concentrated in the sheets, and Cedric ran his nose across them, searching. Suddenly, he nose grew cold, and he jerked back. The pillow was wet. Nosing forward, his tongue lapped out. Salt. Aden had been crying.

The pain Cedric felt was almost physical. Whining, he patted the pillow. Oh, how he shouldn't have asked that question! How he had hurt his mate! What a stupid..." His thoughts froze as a breath of wind brought a faint iron scent to his nose. Turning, he looked around, sniffing as he tried to locate the scent. Within moments his eyes narrowed on a spot on the floor. Kneeling, he leaned in close. With another sniff his fears were confirmed. Blood. Worse, Aden's blood. Looking across the floor he spotted another drip, and then another, leading him to the balcony. The last drip was on the balcony railing, and then they disappeared.

Paws rested heavily on the railing as he leaned over, looking frantically into the alley below. It was with mixed feelings of relief and mounting fear when he found the alley empty. Pushing away, he rushed back through the room, throwing the door open and nearly running muzzle-first into Aylmer. Grabbing the other wolf's shoulders to steady himself, he took a deep breath, trying not to babble like a madman. "They're gone." He gasped. "Aden's gone. Ayala's gone. Blood on the floor. Aden bleeding. Over the balcony." He stopped, the urge to protect his mate making him feel like he was about to explode. "Trail grows cold, hurry!"

Darting around the stunned prince, he flew down the stairs, taking them four at a time. As he made his way to the door, Matron stepped in front of him.

"You haven't yet paid for last time, Lord Cedric. Don't expect me to just allow you to keep a tab here."

He stepped around her as he checked the straps on his weapons. "No time for payment now, Matron. Aden's in danger. I'll pay you when I get back, first thing."

"Very well." Matron stepped aside. "Be safe." She murmured as he pushed out the door.

Aylmer came through a moment later. "Guards!" He called to the table, making them all jump to their feet. "Ayala and Aden are gone, assumed abducted from the room they were in. We intend to chase before the trail goes cold. Get your gear and follow on the double!"

"Sir!" Rorc called, gesturing with a webbed paw. "What about Becan?"

Aylmer hesitated, reluctant to send the young pup back to his quarters. He didn't know how vengeful Lord and Lady Sibbald could be, but he didn't want to try them. He kneeled before the pup. "Becan, do you think you can keep up with us?"

The pup nodded. "Yes, sir. I'm not carrying all that heavy stuff."

Aylmer ruffled the pup's ears. "Alright then. Stay well away from any fights we get into, okay?" He stood up. "Move out!"

Cedric was already sniffing about the alley when they arrived. He paused by one of the columns of the balcony. Glancing back at the prince and his guard, he took a deep sniff. "There were three individuals here. One was a wolf. He stayed down here; his scent is the strongest. There was also a weasel, there's no mistaking that smell. And the third..." He took another deep sniff, nose close to the column. His eyes snapped open and he leapt up. "By Fenris..." He growled. "Lokisson."

Thrunor clutched his swordhilt tightly. "Are you sure?"

Cedric nodded as he stood. "He's the only target that I've seen and not caught. I would recognize his scent anywhere."

"What I don't understand," said Thrunor, "is why they were abducted. I suppose the most apparent motive is to get at one of you, but which one? And if they only wanted to get at one of you, which is likely, why did they take both of them, instead of taking one and killing the other?"

"Maybe they didn't take both of them." Cedric said darkly. "Aden's a runaway slave, he has a price on his head. Quite a large one, in fact. I've protected him the best I could, so the easiest way to get at him is if they had an accomplice on the inside."

Aylmer stepped forward, pushing up against Cedric. "Don't you dare accuse Ayala of having a hand in this. She just wanted to help, and it looks like your slave's baggage put her in danger!"

Cedric shoved back. "She was alone with my mate, for an extended period of time. She even took his food up to him, for Fenris' sake! Plenty of time for her to slip something to him while he wasn't looking. How much do you actually know about her, hmm? A whole heavy load of nothin', right? You don't have any clue about her history at all! She could be part of the Black Night, and you wouldn't even know it."

"Whoa, hold on there, M'lord." Thrunor said, waving his paws as he stepped between them. "What's this about the Black Night? I'm not letting my Prince anywhere near that guild of manipulators and assassins."

"Lokisson." Cedric growled. "Is a high-ranking member of the Black Night. He is responsible for the deaths of at least three nobles who were against uniting with various other kingdoms, as well as large-scale thefts from the treasuries of several more that were aiding commerce between the wolf, fox, and human kingdoms." He shook his head and growled. "And as we stand here talking, the trail is growing colder. Hurry, I believe they will head to their headquarters. I know where it is, so that direction is as good as any to start in."

"If you want my help getting back Aden, take back what you said about Ayala."

Cedric spun around, snarling. "Might I remind you that I am the one providing all the services right now? I have no need of your help, and you need to follow me to find your black-hearted human. Don't complain unless you want me to give you the slip and let you try to find her on your own." He turned forward again. "Mark my words, we'll find my mate bound, while yours walks free, wolf."

Thrunor drew his sword. "Do not speak to the Prince as if you were his better, Lord Cedric."

It was a waste of time. Cedric was already out of the alley and loping down the road, nose quivering as he searched for traces of his mate.