14 Blood Eagle

Ow. What the hell?

"Why did she collapse, Alistair," I heard my sister ask, genuinely worried.

I didn't open my eyes as I listened to them speak.

"I'm unsure."

For a brief moment, Alistair's voice seemed to be both laced with worry and fear.

"We are going to hold off on the run until Noir is conscious. Inform the pack," Alistair spoke, his tone once again sharp.

They spoke a while longer before I heard their footsteps moving further away then the click of the door.

When I was sure they were gone, I sat up and rubbed my neck, wincing at its sensitivity then looked around.

Where am I?

The room was twice the size of mine and it took me a moment to realize that I was in Alistair's room.

If his scent wasn't the number one give away, the different animal skulls that hung on the wall along with a werewolf pelt in front of the fireplace definitely helped.

I stared at the werewolf pelt on the floor blankly.

How taboo.

"He was the skelmar I killed who slaughtered my kid sister."

I jumped and fell off the bed as Alistair spoke, stepping from his place around the opposite side of the bed.

"DON'T DO THAT," I hissed before looking back between Alistair and the wolf trying to process what he said then shifted to look at him once again.

"What happened," I asked.

Alistair's expression turned dark as he leaned against a bed post.

"My sister, Damaris, had a bad habit of running off," Alistair paused and stared at me, eyes flickering from honey hues to golden orbs.

"Much like someone else I know," he stated, his tone flat.

When I rolled my eyes, Alistair continued.

"That day, I was leading a hunting excursion when I caught the scent of skelmar on pack lands but a scream echoed through the forest before the warriors and myself could reach them," Alistair's tone was deadly as he glared down at the rogue rug.

"This bastard, Tariq," Alistair spat, kicking the head of the wolf pelt, "had my sister's neck his mouth, shaking her body until her body and head disconnected."

I gasped, trying to wrap my head around what Alistair was saying.

"That's horrible," I finally spoke, my tone weak. I looked back down as the massive rug.

Alistair pushed himself off the bed post and snatched the Tariq rug off the floor and stared at it, holding the pelt up.

Looking at it now, there were long gashes on the side of the rug; huge gaping gashes that no one, human or supernatural being, would come back from.

"What did you do, Alistair," I question, slowly standing.

Alistair looked at me from over the pelt he held and I froze.

His eyes blazed a molten gold and when he lowered the pelt, he flashed a toothy grin as his canines elongated.

"Blood Eagle," was all he said as I felt the blood in my veins turn to ice.

Tossing the rug aside, Alistair's face didn't change as he leaned back against the bedpost once more.

"He wanted to make an example out of my sister so I returned his actions and made a public example out of him," when I backed up, Alistair growled, halting me in my tracks as he continued.

"I had him tied down with his back exposed in his wolf form then slashed his back until I had access to his ribs which I broke and twisted upwards like wings. Once I was satisfied, salt and vinegar was poured over the open wounds. When that was done, I pulled out his lungs and stretched them over his new wings."

When I didn't say anything, Alistair walked up to me and tilted my head to look at him.

"I meant what I said poppet, when I told Calder I would make an example out of him if he ever tried to hurt you again," he said but this time his voice was gentle but I knew he was very much serious.

Leaning down, Alistair eyed my mark, his mood visibly changing.

"It's beautiful by the way."

It took me a moment for my mind to catch up with what Alistair had just explained to me the. to his complete attitude change when he touched my mark.

Temporarily pushing away his torture into the depths of my mind, I rolled my eyes, taking a step back from him and threw a hand up in the air.

"I wouldn't know," I snipped, hands now on my hips.

Alistair chuckled before placing a hand at the small of my back and moved me to stand in front of a mirror. When positioned, Alistair moved my hair from my right shoulder to my left and exposed the mark.

Starting at the nape of my neck and extending to where my jaw 'connected' with my ear was a beautiful black traditional tribal mark.

It was of a crescent moon with two wolves at its base, one looking left and the other looking right.

It was still red from the initial bite but all and all, was beautiful and lining the inside of the crescent moon was the initials A.N. L.

Looking up at Alistair, I asked, "what's the N. L?"

Alistair smiled and traced the mark with his fingers before they rested on the letters. "Alistair Naecel Lajos," he replied proudly.

Before I could ask anymore questions, the door to Alistair's room swung open and in walked Triaa, Valenner hot on her heels.