His dark voice trails down her spine, lighting a path of desire that renders her breathless. "If only I were in a position of no consequence."
Alia's breath wavers when the pad of his thumb slowly glides across her bottom lip.
"Then I could give in...
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"Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are." - Benjamin Franklin
•
The once lively critters of the forest have become silent, ceasing their movements after hearing the snarl that emanated from Alia's lips.
Flashes of the memory whip across her mind. A hand around a throat. Purple skin. Sharp blades. A chest.
"You are angry."
Valen's words barely register in her mind, all she can think about is the pain. The cell. Of course she's angry.
With her eyes closed, she asks, "what came of them?"
She can't manage to wrap her head around the fact that a group of individuals in the Kingdom managed to get away with such acts of brutality. If Bertraim and his father had been vigilant Kings, maybe things would have been different for Valen. But, one can only ask for so much.
"They are no longer a concern," he mumbles.
His words soothe her like a burning fire doused by the ocean.
Alia slowly unclenches her fists and takes a slow, deep breath. Birds begin to chirp and bushes begin to rustle, bringing the forest back to its true nature.
The dimming sunlight invades her pupils once she opens her eyes. Alia blinks a few times to regain her focus and recognises Valen sitting across from her, having not moved an inch from when she last saw him. "I'm sorry, I don't usually react like that. It's just- I-" she shakes her head, unable to think of the words to say.
Alia watches as he gracefully moves to a stand.
He looks through the trees and motions for the girl to stand up. She quickly does so, all the while trying to pinpoint whatever it is that caught his attention. What's going on?
"About an hour South, there are eight men who have trespassed into Pack lands." Valen grabs the remaining hare carcass from the floor, commenting no further on her emotional outburst. "You are free to stay here whilst I deal with them."
Alia shakes her head. She needs to release some of her pent-up energy and what better way than to involve herself in combat. Plus, she doesn't like the idea of staying here alone. Travelling behind Valen has become somewhat of a norm to her over the past day and she's not sure if she wants to get rid of that just yet.
His voice is stern as he reaches up and places the hare at the crook of a thick tree branch. "Very well, but from this point onwards you must remain silent."
