13. Bitterness

The Cardinal werewolf packs were each known for their temperaments and exports.
Goldwater: their generosity and passiveness; their excellent craftsmanship with gold and other natural materials as well as fish and other river-water creatures.
Moonvalley: “boring,” as many would say, based on their neutrality encouraged by their Alpha; their raising of livestock was crucial to all traders.
Leto: even before the raid nineteen years ago, Leto was synonymous with “gray.” They lacked personality as well as monetary exports, barely able to afford imports with their fabricator work. They made fine clothes that sold well, but it was less beneficial to other packs.
And Redbone…all they were was *war*. They could only be described as red: blood, fiery tempers, exporting goods that only came in shades of red—pettiness was red, too, apparently. Their reputation was set in stone by the pack’s very first Alpha who used his own name to define the pack’s legacy for the next hundred years.
Power-hungry, ruthless, and selfish. They took what they wanted and did whatever they wanted to get it. Scare tactics served them well: keeping their werewolf features prominent—fangs thick and long, ears half-transformed, nails sharp as claws. There was always a shadow of the fearsome wolf corrupting their otherwise human features.
They lived in squaller. Baths were rare, clothes rarely mended, and living spaces were left in disrepair. Or so it was said—no outsiders but visiting Alphas were allowed into Redtown.
Rumor told it was less than half the size of Valleytown, which was really saying something when the Redbone dynasty bragged of its sheer number of packmates. With their tendency to lie or stretch the truth, it was impossible to confirm.
Sona, like a great, great many, believed them primitive and capable of nothing but evil. She didn’t think them less—they were anything but unintelligent—but could never see them, especially their Alpha, as anything but an enemy.
Because of Taos Redbone, she lost almost everything and everyone she cared about.
“I’ll give you time to think on it,” he purred to Sona, smirking in Arden’s direction. “Answer me this first, healer. Do you find me revolting, trinket?”
*Absolutely*, she wanted to snarl. Despite Arden’s hissed warning, she said, “You could do with a bath.”
“A bath!” he exclaimed. “Excellent suggestion. Let me lead you there.”
“*What*?” When Taos knelt, reaching for her chains, she scrambled back. “I am *not*—”
The bastard unlocked her bonds easily enough that Sona wondered bitterly if she could have escaped just as simply. Ignoring Arden’s cursing and thrashing, Taos offered her his bloody hand for her to take.
She bared her teeth at it. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
He huffed and rumbled darkly, “I’d rather not be rough with you, trinket, so don’t press your luck.”
“As if you could be anything gentle.”
His baring of teeth made fear lurch in her chest. “Get up. *Now*.” She didn’t move. “Or I rip this one’s throat out.”
“No!” she shouted when he grabbed Arden around his neck. She feared he would be able to lift Arden, a full-grown muscled male, right off the ground. “Fine, fine!”
She jerked to her feet. Determination kept her from swaying and passing out—and the desire to keep Arden alive by complying. Taos released his grip, leaving Arden gasping for breath.
Taos grinned, savageness set aside too easily, and observed her. She felt stripped bare and wanted to claw that look off his face. “You would—”
“Let’s go.”
He stalked toward her until he was inches away. Sona stiffened, holding her breath, and curled her lip ever so slightly to warn him that she would not hesitate to snap if he pulled any kind of shit.
“I thought Omega class was supposed to be respectful toward their Alpha. I can show you what happens if you aren’t.”
“I can’t be useful if you kill me,” she said sharply.
Taos’ voice was soft and deep. “Who said anything about killing?”
Fear snaked down her spine—stiffening further when his fingers featherlight brushed her lower back to guide her out of the tent. She had no choice but to be guided, even as Arden shouted behind her,
“I’ll find you, Sona! We’ll get out of here, I promise! Taos, if you hurt her—”
“I’ll be okay!” she shouted back.
“Shut him up,” Taos said to a male standing outside of the tent. “Don’t kill him yet, though. And don’t let Cerise even look in the direction of this damn tent. Go straight, trinket.”
When she was young, Sona heard stories—more truths than legends—that Redtown was more of a makeshift camp, with no homes or shops for the Redbone wolves to enrich their barbaric lives.
No outsiders who entered Redbone territory ever came out. No one could confirm the terrible rumors, not even the other Alphas, who were sworn to secrecy. They wanted to keep their blood-splattered reputation just so.
Because, Sona realized as her eyes adjusted to dazzling afternoon sunlight, that while Redtown was indeed a town, it barely looked livable. And she’d only glimpsed down one dirt road.
It seemed they were on the outskirts; the tent they’d just exited was in the center of a clearing surrounded by trees. Taos was leading her into those trees.
“Don’t look left,” he warned.
Sona looked left—her scream was stifled by his disgusting hand.
Roped to a post, a Moonvalley Epsilon slumped dead and mutilated, sitting in a pool of his own blood. His throat…his throat was…
It was the most gruesome thing Sona had ever seen.
But it was no small relief that she didn’t recognize him. *Thank the moon goddess it’s not Del*.
Taos pushed her along. “The sneak followed you. We plucked him from that field you were in.”
*The rest of the Epsilon didn’t pursue us*? “The Moonvalley Epsilon will come looking for him,” she said coldly. “Tell me what happened.”
“So demanding you are, trinket. Watch your step.” They crossed the tree line on a thin, worn path. Sona scanned the forest unsure what she was looking for but found no other wolves or any movement at all. “You fainted. I knocked Roshan out with a punch to the jaw. Hoisted you both on some shoulders and walked back here. No one after you, no one else around…quite eerie.
“No one except him, poor thing determined to follow orders. He said—sang, when I first pierced his neck—that you were bound straight for death without the sentence and you escaped. So I doubt that Grayhide would waste resources on you, much less retrieve his own packmate’s body. He has bigger things to worry about, it seems.”
Sona never thought Conri could be so heartless.
“Here we are. What do you think?”
She looked up from the ground she’d been focusing on. Amidst the trees, a massive white stone temple gleamed in the dappled sunlight. It seemed far too smooth and neat and clean for the brutality of Redbone; regardless, Sona couldn’t deny its breathtaking beauty.
“The blood god’s temple.”
It no longer seemed beautiful.
“The malevolent brother of the moon goddess,” she said tightly.
There was a wicked smile in his voice. “We don’t believe him evil. Go inside.”
The entrance was an open archway. Taos was silent as she was shoved forward. The last place she wanted to enter was a place that worshipped a death god that was pleased by blood sacrifices.
But as she padded into it, she realized it wasn’t just a temple. It was a bathhouse. A very elegant, clean, and large bathhouse.
It made Sona bitter with guilt with her own misjudgment.
A massive pool dominated the space, its still water made faint red by whatever red stone used for the floor. Curls of steam radiated off the surface. The air was stuffy and humid, the heat’s only escape a large circular hole in the center of the domed ceiling above that poured sunlight. Alcoves ringed the perimeter, some with linen curtains.
Taos leaned forward over her shoulder to purr, “Do you like it?”
She sidestepped, not looking at him even as he chuckled. “Why did you bring me here?”
“Does this look like an eatery to you? We’re here for a bath.”
“*We* are not.”
“Alright. *You* are.” Taos came close to her again to draw her attention, but she kept sidling toward one of the alcoves where she saw a stack of linens. “My amenities are yours.”
“Thank you,” she said stiffly. “Now leave.”
He laughed, and the boom of it echoed. “Fiesty trinket. You can’t ask me to leave my own temple. I am the Alpha. You are a guest. And while I make sure my guests have free will...it is good manners to obey the laws of my land.”
“Your law is shit—”
“Alright, alright,” interrupted Taos. “I shall be outside.”
Sketching a mock bow, Sona dared turn her neck just a little to check that he left back through the entrance. His exaggerated chivalry set her teeth on edge. The last thing she would ever do was trust that conniving bastard.
She looked at the pool, then down at herself. She looked no better than the assumptions of this damned pack. Damn Taos Redbone. He *kidnapped* her. Kidnapped Arden. Fucking unforgivable.
*I’ll escape this place*, she thought. *But first*…
That water called to her. She hurried to the alcove, hiding behind the curtain, and peered over it to make sure the temple was empty. She strained her ears—no heartbeats. Alone.
It certainly occurred to Sona that she could run. There had to be a second exit somewhere.
No doubt she would run straight into a patrolling Epsilon that would drag her right back to Taos. Even worse…*he* could catch her.
She peeled off her shirt and pants with no shortage of difficulty. Goddess, she was caked in grime. Wrapping a linen around her, she padded to the edge of the pool to dip one toe into the water. Comfortingly warm.
“Ahh!”
The scream shot adrenaline through Sona’s veins. A yelp ripped from her throat as Taos hurtled past her and dove into the pool.