Chapter 19
"Rafail," Torrance called his name, making the king turn on his heel to look at him. "Can we have a word?"
Rafail held his gaze for no longer than a second before nodding at the two hunters in front of him. Torrance and Shane - two of the best hunters that Elson had trained and now they had left him too.
"I'm listening," Raf said and both men could feel the powerful aura radiating off him, making them want to shrink and fall to their knees. Just how strong was this king in front of them? They clearly remembered the ease with which he fulfilled his missions and, even though they didn't even admit it to themselves, it scared them. But they would have never guessed his true nature back then.
"We want to thank you for all you have done for us," Shane was the first to speak.
"We know our request for help is suspicious," Torrance added. "And we are aware that we put you into a difficult position."
Rafail scanned their faces but the only thing he found was genuine gratefulness. "I'll admit," The king spoke. "I wouldn't have expected you to come and ask for help from the very creatures you hate."
The hunters rubbed their necks in discomfort.
"You're not just any werewolf, Raf," Torrance sighed. "Sure, we didn't have any good relationship but we did respect you. And, if anything, these last hours have only proved you are the same rightful man you once were."
"You saved our lives," Shane raised his head to look at Rafail. "You could've easily killed us and you chose not to. We won't forget that."
"Your life isn't guaranteed here," Rafail truthfully said, with his arms crossed on his chest. "This area of the Alps is quite rough but it is the best option I could come up with. You'll have to fend for yourselves. And let's all hope that Sybil is not actually interested in you."
"We know that," Torrance glanced at the tall trees around them. "The terrain won't be a problem. We're hunters after all. And if Sybil is indeed after us, there is no saving us anyway."
"Honestly, I wouldn't have expected you to spend hours trying to find a way for us to survive," Shane sheepishly admitted, making Rafail grunt.
"I don't enjoy killing for no reason," The king almost rolled his eyes at the hunter's words.
"You never did," Torrance's voice trailed off.
"Well," Rafail rolled his shoulders back. "You have enough tents and food for a while. When the weather starts getting too cold, Blynn will come to insulate the tents," He repeated the plan once again.
Torrance nodded. "Thanks again!"
"Do not give me a reason to regret this," Rafail warned them off. He kept his voice even, not wanting to agitate them. "If you want to survive, you better not try to harm Bly-"
"We won't," Shane cut him off, making Rafail hold back a growl. "We promise you that."
"Actually, - Torrance looked at the king with uncertainty, - the real reason we wanted to talk to you was to propose a deal."
Rafail simply raised a brow at him in question.
"Well, it'll only be valid if we aren't wiped off, but yeah," Torrance let out a small, uncomfortable chuckle. "We want to come to an agreement."
When Shane noticed Torrance struggling to voice the proposal, he quickly stepped in. "Truth is, after you left, the hunters' headquarters became a sort of prison. Elson went mad with the missions and his desire to wipe out the werewolf race. I mean, he even accepted the help of a witch. What could be more telling than that?"
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Crowned King (Throne of Thorns #2)
Fantasy'Heavy is the head who wears the crown.' Rafail knew the words to be true as he weighed the gold piece in his hands. He had finally managed to avenge his father and take back a kingdom that was rightfully his. But at what cost? As a new threat cam...
