Filed to story: Luna Riannon and Alpha Brayden Novel
“I can arrange–”Devoss started speaking, but Fenrir stopped him with a motion of his hand.
“I’ll take her personally,” he said, shocking them both.
A wave of goosebumps ran down Astrea’s spine. That man next to her meant trouble. Especially considering his suspicions.
And also, because you are afraid of what will happen if you find yourself alone with him again, Nova jabbed her without pity, and Astrea tried to push her back in their mind to have it clear.
“There is no need for you to do it personally,” she smiled. “I am sure as a King you are busy and–”
“On the contrary, you are my number one priority at the moment, Astrea” Fenrir announced, and she swallowed, the air between them getting unbearably hot.
***
She followed him out of the fortress, once again surprised by how empty it looked. They were supposed to have people to offer to the Republic, an army. But all she saw was an empty building and endless sand behind it. A big car with huge wheels waited for them, and Astrea started to wonder where it came from because she hadn’t seen any vehicles around. Too many things in this place did not add up.
To her surprise, Fenrir opened the door for her and waited the whole time while she got inside. Moreover, when she was settled, he gave her a questioning glance.
“What?” Astrea’s arms almost reached the bite mark on her neck he awarded her with last night, and it took all her willpower to control herself.
“Seat belt,” he reminded her and her lips parted in disbelief.
“Seat belt?” She blinked at him, and he sighed heavily, taking the belt right next to her and leaning all the way over her to buckle it safely. He lingered on his way back, first inhaling her scent and then pausing right in front of her face, their noses almost brushing against each other. His warm breath caressed her skin, and she could almost remember how good he tasted on her tongue the other night.
“Safety first, Menace,” his lips curled, and she licked her lips which were suddenly dry now. The action alone made his eyes a shade darker, while at the same time, the red in them looked ablaze.
“You– have a very unusual eye colour,” she mumbled while he rested his well-trained arm on her seat right next to her head, unwilling to move away.
“So I’ve been told…” He studied her and his gaze alone felt like a lover’s caress.
“As if someone set ice on fire,” she went on, not sure where she was going with it and why she couldn’t just shut up. “Not that it’s possible.”
“You’d be amazed to know what is possible,” Fenrir said and sighed, pushing off her seat as if it pained him to do so. He closed the door and walked around the car, took the driver’s seat and immediately started the car, driving into the never-ending sands drowning in the sunlight.
“I have to say, you must be a pretty adventurous person to volunteer to come here, Astrea,” he praised her as she was captivated by the scenery. It looked very different from the sky, but she loved the change from her usual surroundings.
“I didn’t volunteer!” she rolled her eyes at the thought alone. Who in their right mind would volunteer to go into a rogue territory?
“A punishment then,” he chuckled, and she bit the inside of her cheek, shocked by how perceptive he was.
“Something like that.” She decided to be honest this time.
“Was Jor the one who came up with that?”
Her head darted at him, but Fenrir seemed unfazed, his eyes behind sunglasses focused on the sands before them.
“You know him?” she gasped.
“Among others,” he replied as if it was not a big deal.
When it clearly was a big deal. Very few people in the world could boast of knowing Joran Nathair other than the ones who belonged to him.
On the other hand, they had to know each other. After all, they struck the alliance somehow. Or were about to do it.
“The question is, how well do you know him?” Fenrir’s lips pressed tightly the second he finished the sentence, and she noticed how veins popped on his arms from the pressure he was applying now to the steering wheel.
“Just a working relationship.” Astrea shrugged her shoulders and turned away to look out of the window. She couldn’t tell him more, nor did she want to.
“If you are ever in the market for a new job–” he said all of a sudden and a smile appeared on her face.
“Are you offering me a job now?” she grinned at him.
“If you are desperate enough to work for rogues,” he chuckled, his resounding laugh vibrating through the air and Astrea caught herself on the thought that she loved the sound of it.
“Not quite there yet,” she giggled playfully. “But I will keep it in mind. Let’s see how our collaboration works out.”
“Wanna have some fun?” That question took her by surprise. It could mean anything. It could mean things she hoped it didn’t mean. It probably did, considering the “dreams” Fenrir was having.
“No offence, but I think our ideas of fun are very different,” she replied dryly.
“Wanna bet?” he smirked, and she didn’t like that expression on his face.
As if he had something on his mind and knew she wouldn’t be thrilled about it.
A sharp turn of the steering wheel and the car flew off in the air, Astrea barely managed to grasp the handle next to her head for stability.
“What are you doing!?” she squealed as he turned the wheel in the opposite direction to the maximum and held it there, making their car spin, surrounded by clouds of sand around them. For a moment, it became dark inside, and this was when he stopped, letting the dust settle.
Her heart was racing, pulse drumming in her head as she stared at the rogue beside her with an I-am-going-to-kill-you glare.
“I told you the seat belt was a must,” Fenrir adjusted the sunglasses on his nose and winked at her over them with his lips curved upwards. “Ready for more?”
“No!” she protested, but he was already pushing the life out of the gas pedal and the car drove off again, quickly getting up to speed.
She searched frantically for something to grasp on to, not quite realising it was his thigh. Although, she didn’t care at this point what she was gripping as Fenrir made their car slice the air again and land on the sand that didn’t seem so soft and safe anymore.
“Goddess!” Astrea panicked. Never say never. Of all the ways to die, a car accident was not very high on her list. She was used to dangerous situations but she usually had, at least, some form of control.”
“The Moon Goddess is not allowed in these lands,” Fenrir said in a dark, deep tone that was still calm for some reason. “You need to find other gods to worship. Or better yet, simply believe in yourself.”
“Gosh, you are so deep, Fenrir!” She gritted her teeth, her words soaked in sarcasm as she wished to hit him with something heavy. “How about we discuss this calmly as soon as you stop the damn car?”
“Astrea,” he gave her a knowing look through the tinted lenses. “Would you relax? This is a trust-building exercise!”
“Trust?” she scoffed, worried that he wasn’t looking at the road anymore. Not that there was a road to look at… But he must be crazy doing this and speaking of trust.
“I am not planning to hurt myself or to look foolish in the presence of a beautiful woman who made me dream of her after one short conversation. This is how we entertain ourselves here, and if you relax a bit, you’ll be able to enjoy it too.”
He had a point. Fenrir did not look tense at all, and that implied that he knew what he was doing.
“I don’t like feeling trapped,” she confessed suddenly, shocking herself by opening up to him this easily. She wasn’t that kind of a person. However, the next moment she felt his large palm covering her hand, their fingers entwining, his grasp on her firm.
“You are not trapped,” he said as they drove towards what looked like a giant sand hill. The biggest one so far. “Tell me to stop, and I will.”
She knew he was telling the truth. Astrea felt it on some deep inner level and tightened her grip on him.
“Hold on tight!” he chuckled, sending the car flying again. She could feel the gravity pulling them down, but at the same time, the feeling of freedom that one could only reach during a flight, however short, filled her as well, making her forget about everything.
She squealed with joy right before they landed back into the sand, kicking up clouds and clouds of dust around them.
Astrea lost track of time entirely as he entertained her, and when they finally reached a flat dry surface with the buildings visible on the horizon, she felt a bit disappointed that it was over.
She gently tried to slip her fingers from his grasp but only heard Fenrir chuckle at her feeble attempt. The man had no intention of letting her go.
“I am fine now,” she told him.
“I’m afraid I will not be fine if you let me go,” he knitted his brows pitifully when he gave her a sad gaze. “And you owe me one.”
She closed her eyes, exhaling sharply through her nostrils at this man and his games, turning away to stare out of her window again. As if her hand was detached from her body, and it meant nothing that he had it in his possession now.
His thumb brushed over her skin, creating all kinds of sensations she tried to block, and Astrea had to bite her lip while she was at it to suppress any reactions threatening to escape her. This was the strangest car ride of her life.
They drove into the city if one could call it that. The car barely squeezed into the narrow, dirty streets.
It was exactly as she expected. Dull, overcrowded, underdeveloped. Too sad to look at. The good things that she noticed about it were created at least a few hundreds of years ago. Back when the Perished Kingdom was the official Eastern stronghold of the Moonrise Kingdom, where its inhabitants mixed with the people from the continent on the other side of the sea.
She saw men and women in clothes that had seen some life – tired, unhappy, most with no hope. Others looked like the only thing they had was hope.
Astrea’s heart painfully clenched for all of them.
What was life here like? It could probably be better if they started rebuilding this place. This impoverishment was what she was expecting. Rebuilding was what she would have done in their place. Not that she was going to judge.
Astrea knew very well that rogues lose their humanity over time. Was that what was happening here? Was this why Joran wanted them to join the Republic’s army and fight against the West and the North? He loved heartless warriors, after all. The rogues would be expendable to him.
She shivered at her own thoughts, trying to push them away.
However bad all that was, she had to save herself first, and then Niki.
Fenrir parked the car on a central square, and she noticed a market nearby selling used goods and some fruit she didn’t recognise again. Where were they taking it from?