Amaya's Storm (Book One)
Chapter Forty-Five

“What’s your name?” I heard Jax asking.

“What’s yours?” An unknown voice shot back.

“What about a pack then? Somewhere we can drop you off? Emphasis on the drop.”

“Jax, cut it out,” I said walking up to them.

“Yeah Jax cut it out,” the wolf said.

“Fucking hell. I can’t deal with this right now. What’s your name and what pack do you belong to?” I asked, my frustration evident in my tone.

“Okay okay. My name is Esteban Sáez. I’m the son of the alpha of the Two Rivers Pack,” Esteban finally told us.

“You’re the son of an alpha and this is how you act?” Jax asked incredulously.

I looked at him in complete disbelief, “Jax you’re the son of a king and look at how you act. Thank the gods you two are on separate continents. The heavens knew what they were doing when they did that.”

They both looked at me completely offended, “What does that mean?” They asked at the same time.

“Seriously? You’re the exact same person. You two could switch places and no one would notice.”

“We are not!” They said at the same time again.

“Whatever you guys say. Where exactly is your pack so we can get you home and to your healer?”

“If you go northwest 40 miles you should hit our pack boundary.”

“How were you captured?”

He let out a long sigh, “Not my proudest moment. I was trying to do recon on them and I was caught in one of their traps. They put me under with wolfsbane and I honestly haven’t been that coherent since I was captured. Until now that is.”

“Okay I say we load him up in the basket and you carry us there,” Jax said cheerfully.

“This is going to become a thing isn’t it?” I said to him.

“Well I don’t want to run there! I’ll be too tired to contribute anything to the conversation!”

“What happened to that crazy display you put on when we got back here?”

“Psshhh I don’t know what you’re talking about. Display? Come on, let’s go.”

I rolled my eyes so hard I was surprised they didn’t get stuck in the back of my head. We loaded Esteban back into the basket and I moved it out of my way so I could shift. After I stripped down, I handed my clothes to Jax, and I allowed my shift to happen.

I flew up, grabbing the basket as I went. Once we got up in the air, Niamh let out a loud cry. “Amaya? Are you okay?” Jax asked through mind link.

“Yeah. Niamh is just upset,” I linked back.

“I’m here if you want to talk, Little Duck,” I stayed silent as Niamh and I flew us to Esteban’s pack.

It was a quick trip when we got close, I lowered us. I heard something speeding through the air and just barely dodged a large iron spear. “Hold on guys,” I linked to Jax as I banked hard again to avoid another one.

“What the fuck is going on, Amaya?”

“Esteban’s pack isn’t dragon friendly apparently.”

“He says he doesn’t understand why they’re doing this. They haven’t done this in the past.”

I tried to bank around another one, but it still sliced through my wing. Niamh cried out as we started to fall. I bent the basket closed and twisted my body so that I fell on my back with the basket wrapped in my legs and wings. We hit the ground hard but managed to avoid any of the buildings.

They were on us immediately, throwing an iron net over us. Niamh growled loudly as she burned through the net. We set the basket down, opening it back up, and standing up, shaking off the dirt. A man came out with an iron spear, he launched the spear at us, I bent it easily into the ground. Niamh growled before letting out a roar.

Finally Esteban shouted from the basket, “What the fuck is going on? Why are you attacking her?”

“Esteban?” A woman’s voice rang out, as more spears were brought out, “Stand down. Stand down!” She shouted the orders, walking up to us. Niamh growled low, never one to forgive or forget quickly. “You brought my son back to me. Please, I am sorry for attacking you. Please shift so that we may speak.”

“Niamh it’s okay. I’ll call on you if or when I need you. Relinquish control,” she let out a warning growl to those around us before allowing me to shift. There were gasps and murmurs through the crowd that had gathered, “Jax can you bring me my clothes please?”

“Sure thing Little Duck,” he replied, walking out of the basket and handing them to me. I slipped into them quickly as Esteban’s mother and pack watched me carefully.

“Your son is in rough shape. He needs your healer. We pulled what silver we could from his system and our healer helped dissipate the wolfsbane that was in his system.”

She called for a wolf, who I assumed was the healer, and they came forward as well as two of the warriors. “How did you pull the silver from him?”

I shrugged, “One of the many gifts from my goddess.”

She nodded her understanding, “Come, let’s speak in my office.” We walked the short distance to the pack house and followed her into her office. “What are your names and affiliations?” She asked directly.

“My name is Amaya Wardwell.”

She looked at Jax expectantly, “Alex Jackson, Prince of the American Packs, and second in line for alpha in the Pacific Moon Pack.”

“What does that make you, Ms Wardwell?” She asked with a raised eyebrow.

I chose to ignore the insinuating look, and answered the obvious question she was asking rather than the subtle one, “Princess of the Storm Dragons. What’s your name and title?”

“Marina Sáez, Alpha of the Twin Rivers Pack,” she gave us both a challenging stare daring us to say something about her title.

“Why did your pack attack me?”

“We don’t have the best relationship with dragons. We thought you were coming to destroy our buildings like the other one.”

“Yes and I packed myself a giant picnic to enjoy afterwards.” Jax snorted, “Unless the dragon is actually hostile you shouldn’t attack it. You could cause the human side to lose control. An out of control dragon can destroy more than one that’s completely in control. Mine definitely wanted to harm, if not kill, the people who had hurt her and she’s still not feeling too kindly toward you.”

She nodded, “It won’t happen again. You were held by hunters?”

“Yes. The hunters that held your son have been killed. I made them suffer and Joseph will suffer before he is killed as well, for his part in all of this.”

“We should get to spill his blood,” she said with a growl.

Jax and I kept our faces straight and calm but my voice came out as cold as ice, “He murdered my grandparents, my mother, and my aunt, his own mate. He decimated our numbers and kidnapped dozens of my clanmates to torture, murder, and starve just so he could play at being king. I am sorry for what destruction he brought down on your people, but he will be tried and punished according to dragon law by my father. If you try to stop that from happening, I will see to it you are held accountable. Vengeance will be had but not by your hand.”

She growled and I saw her wolf close to the surface, “Marina control your wolf,” Jax commanded her, pushing his dominance onto her.

She begrudgingly showed her neck in submission, “Do you plan to stay in Venezuela with your people?”

“No. We’re taking them home.”

“We? Are you two mates then?”

“No,” Jax and I said at the same time neither of us elaborated further. “If we’re done here, we have a lot to do and less and less time to do it.”

“Yes I believe we are done, since you aren’t willing to budge on your stance regarding your uncle.”

“No I won’t. It isn’t my call anyway. Thanks so much for your hospitality,” Jax snorted again and Marina sent me what I was sure was a withering glare to anyone else.

We walked out of the office and were greeted by two warriors. They escorted us back to the square and kept watch as I undressed and shifted. Niamh’s snowy white back was still painted red and brown with blood and dirt from the fall. We bent the dirt off and inspected the torn wing. “Seems okay?” Niamh more asked than asserted.

“Super. Loving the confidence,” I said back.

I bent the ground where we landed back to flat. “That was thoughtful,” Jax chimed in through the mind link.

“Yeah well moral high ground and all of that. Get in the basket already, I’m ready to get out of this place,” I linked back.

“Alright alright I’m going,” he got inside and I bent the door shut and the handle back on it. Soon enough we were on our way back to the village.

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