"No, you didn't." Leveret met my gaze. "That implies I went unwillingly. I wanted to go with you, Animus."
I paused, taken aback. That was illogical. Why would Leveretwantto be stolen away from his family? And byme, the spirit his pack hated so much?
"Why?" I blurted out.
Leveret looked directly at me. "Because you’re beautiful."
The temperature of my entire corporeal form rose a million degrees. My cheeks blazed like they were on fire.
My silver tongue failed me. I was at a loss for words. I stammered uselessly, unable to think straight, let alone speak.
Here I stood, stroking a mortal alpha's hair as he called me beautiful. It was a scene out of a fantasy. It was unreal.
If those words came from anybody else, I would've assumed it was flattery, or a facade somehow. But Leveret never lied. Everything he said was genuine, heartfelt.
Something was wrong with me. Leveret's honest compliment brought me to the verge of tears.
I felt like I was on the edge of a cliff, about to trip into an abyss I couldn't get out of. I removed my hand from Leveret's hair and backed away before I fell into him.
I coughed. "We really shouldn't linger. I'm going to summon him, all right?"
"Okay," Leveret said.
I sighed in relief when he didn't comment on my embarrassing reaction. But it wasn't the time to mull over that. Whether this was a stupid idea or not, I had a spirit to confront.
Standing at the mouth of the collapsed cave entrance, I raised my arms and called, "Come out, come out, wherever you are, Terranus!"
Nine
Leveret
The bank of strewn rocks and dirt exploded upward with a roar. A heavyset lizard-like creature with stalagmites on his back emerged from the ground. He looked like he was made of the earth itself. He bared rows of sharp yellow fangs in an unfriendly grimace.
But his most striking feature was his cold green glare.
"Ah, there he is! The spirit of the hour," Animus declared.
His tone was upbeat, but I noticed the way his shoulders tensed and the veins on the back of his hand tightened. He wasn't happy to be here.
I suddenly felt guilty. I’d encouraged Animus to confront his family without knowing anything about them. For example, I didn't know Terranus—the earth spirit who'd nearly killed Ashe and Bear—was Animus's brother.
But family was family. Even if they argued and disagreed, they would never hurt each other on purpose.
"What do you want?" Terranus boomed. His voice was rough, literally like the sound of gravel.
Animus clicked his tongue. "That's not a very kind way to greet me."
Terranus reared his head and bellowed a roar.
"I see you haven't acquired any manners since the last time we spoke," Animus mumbled, wiping the spittle off his arms.
I stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do. Neither of them seemed like they wanted to talk. But if they didn't, the conversation would fizzle out. Nothing would be accomplished.
Still, Animus told me to stand back. I didn't want to disobey him unless it was necessary. I trusted that he'd know what to do.
"What is your reason for disturbing me, wretch?" Terranus snarled at Animus.
My skin prickled. It was that hot, angry sensation again. How could Terranus speak to him that way? It infuriated me.