Fenrin watched Jalyn out of the corner of his eye as she said her goodbyes. She hugged her aging father who held her firmly and said something in her ear. The entire town was out to see her off, most ignoring Fenrin or giving him suspicious, if not hostile, glances.

His men had left the night before and Fenrin had seen the patrols circling the town making sure they didn't sneak back. Judging from the fact that no one stood less than fifteen feet from him, he guessed Jalyn had ordered that no one interact with the Wolf.

A wise move, Fenrin thought, trimming his nails with a knife while waiting for Jalyn to finish. He may have decided to try out the little alliance, but there was a lot of pent up bloodlust just looking for a reason to put a knife between someone's eyes.

As the good-byes, well wishes, and advice begin to repeat, Fenrin began walking out of the town. "We're leaving," he called out and listened with a smug smile to the grumbles of the village as Jalyn tore herself away to follow.

She walked beside him, a pace or so behind and her usual cool was fragile. He could smell her nervous fear and it made him twitchy. As they walked farther and farther from protection, the temptation to take revenge and throw out his promise grew. When the silent tension was almost unbearable Jayln spoke up, her voice showing some of the strain.

"Have you been to Taka?"

"Yeah."

"Oh." She seemed surprised.

"I had a pirating phase."

"That...makes sense," she said lamely before continuing more confidently. Her normal steadiness returning. "Taka is the farthest coastal city from the capitol so it makes sense that it'd be a stop for pirates. I've only been to the port a few times, but it was enough to know we should be able to find a boat without paperwork."

"Paperwork?" Fenrin had never bothered with any such thing. His or his father's reputation usually was enough to keep any idiots from messing with their affairs.

"All passengers have to have identification and all ships have to give a copy of their manifests for the ship to leave port. I have my papers, even out as far as we are, it helps to have a few registered as Imperial citizens. Should work well enough even at a Valhym port."

Fenrin stopped and turned around. "Give me those papers."

Jalyn stopped and looked at him confused. He crossed his arms and added mockingly, "That's an order."

She rolled her eyes but slipped off her bag and rummaged through it before pulling out a roll of leather and parchment. She handed it to Fenrin and he unrolled it. It listed Jalyn's name, gave her an identification number and declared her a citizen of the Imperial Empire. Fenrin snorted and then ripped the paper into shreds.

"Wha--stop that!"

Fenrin shot Jalyn a dangerous look and she stopped, her arm still outstretched for the paper. He ground the paper shreds into the dirt. "That's a real bright idea, leave a nice record of where you've been. We're not working with the Imperials, I do things my way."

She tore her eyes from the shredded scraps. "And what way’s that?"

"Well usually the bloody way, but we'll see how it goes." He turned around and continued walking, whistling idily. Tearing up the paper had diffused some of his rage and now Jalyn was too engrossed in thought to be nervous. They reached a steady rhythm until Fenrin declared it time for lunch.

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Leaning on a tree, Fenrin watched Jalyn as she slid off her pack. She carried too much. He was interested to see she had a small sword at her side. After they ate, he stretched and drew his own sword. "Can you use that sword?" he asked her.

"Yes. And my bow."

"Hm, saw the bow in action before. Draw your sword, I want to see what you can do."

Jalyn brushed a few crumbs off her lap and then readied her weapon. Fenrin moved in with some basic thrusts which she easily blocked before giving him a 'Are you serious?' look.

He grinned and moved faster, weaving in more and more complex patterns until she struggled to keep up. Fast as a snake, Fenrin disarmed her and when she turned around to pick up her sword, he slapped the flat end of his on her behind. She gave a small yelp and spun around, eyes narrowed. He gave her his signature grin and moved forward.

Her green eyes flashed angrily and she dropped into that strange stance he had seen in the jitsu training grounds. Sword abandoned, she charged Fenrin. He held his ground and thrust his sword, she dodged, knocking it aside with a careful wrist. She quickly closed the distance, getting inside his range.

Fenrin kicked out, catching her in the hip and she slid back before bolting forward again. Her hand jabbed his gut, he gasped but moved right up to her, moving his sword and placing the flat of the blade on his opposite forearm, trapping her next to him.

She kneed him in the groin and he grunted, before whipping his sword aside and tossing it, letting his body fall forward. He had her pinned under him. Her hands moved fast, expertly knocking him in the neck and ear, making his head ring, but he let his superior weight hold her as his hands found her wrists and forced them down. She struggled but finally stopped and they both laid there panting.

Fenrin's sight cleared of stars and he looked down into her dark green eyes. He hadn't noticed before but her skin was speckled with light freckles, barely darker than her tanned skin. A different hunger grew and he kissed her.

She bit him and he pulled back laughing. He licked the blood that dribbled off his lip. She pulled at his grip. "Get off of me."

"I don't think so." Carefully, fully aware of her strength, he moved one of her arms, pinning it under her own body and his. Using his freed hand he slipped in under her jerkin and light undershirt, feeling her smooth skin, hot from the fight.

She struggled again, "Get the hell off me!"

A note of panic grew in her voice and it was sweet to Fenrin's ears. His hand went down, finding her pantline and expertly working it down. Her eyes grew panicked and he grinned.

"What if I order you to just lie there?" She froze and Fenrin used his legs and hand to shimmy her pants to her knees. He worked on his own belt.

"If you do this, you'll have to kill me after, or I'll escape and my people will hunt you down."

He laughed and lowered his face to whisper in her ear. "So I kill you, get more men and burn your village. Keeping a few alive to torture the secrets of jitsu from. You're naive." He kissed the nape of her neck and she tried to flinch away.

"If...if that was your plan all along, why even bother with the agreement? With sending your men away? Why not leave this morning?"

"Without you?" he asked in mock love, his hand emerging to brush the hair from her face. He leered down as her, her face pale and eyes wide but full of desperate thoughts.

"I don't believe this was your plan. I think you intended to follow our alliance. I think you're just not enough of a man and too much of a beast," she spat.

He jerked the end of her shirt up, pulling it up to her breasts. He leaned down, running his tongue over her ribs. She twisted under him but what she'd said had taken some of the joy out of it for him.

Had he really intended to follow the alliance? Maybe he had. But with the wild joy of freedom and her there under him, he'd just followed his instinct. A beast. Maybe he was.

“Run north, mangy dog. Too dumb to do more than bite and fuck.” Lyra mocked.

Would he be able to form his own kingdom when he couldn't even handle an alliance with one measly village?

Bryn never needed alliances. He would do exactly what you're doing. Take what you want, when you want it.

There was the catch. Fenrin didn't want to be his father. He didn't want to be Lyra. He was sick of them both. He wanted...he wanted...something else.

His mood plummeted and he jerked up, spitting in the dirt beside them both. In a second he was on his feet, he didn't even look down at Jalyn sprawled half naked on the dirt with shock on her face. He just buckled his belt and stalked off into the trees.