“I do not. The locations were kept secret. They have been lost to time.”
I was tempted to tell her that I had just uncovered a secret, but I didn’t want the information to be spread around just yet, not until I had a chance to understand what Kara was doing here.
“And this world walker, what could they do? Could they be trusted?”
Tania smiled at this, as though I was little more than a child.
“I don’t think it matters whether they are trusted or not. A world walker would be more powerful than any other lion. If they have the strength to open the doorway between worlds, then they have the strength to do just about anything. They might even be limitless, and we would have to bow down to them.”
I smirked at this, thinking of the weak, pitiful girl who had tried to lunge at me. “I bow to nobody,” I said.
“Why are you asking about these anyway? You never struck me as the type to be interested in the old stories.”
“As Alpha, it is my duty to be informed about every aspect of our society,” I said, and then walked away, knowing that further questions would only bring more scrutiny about the matter. Tania was a curious sort, as those who sought knowledge often were, and the last thing I needed was her trying to figure out the truth before I was ready to share it. What she said was slightly troubling though. If the stories were true and this girl possessed such wondrous power, then what was she truly capable of? Was she here to cause discord? Perhaps our ancestors had conquered all there was to conquer and were now ready to return home to take this back. I gritted my teeth at the thought, and my hands clenched into fists. I wasn’t willing to let anyone take this pride from me, no matter who they were.
The sooner we understood why this girl was here the better, and then, I could decide what to do with her.
Chapter Six
Volkan
I approached the cell again and took a deep breath as I entered. I was determined to not allow the situation to escalate again. Kara was on the bed, staring at the ceiling. She looked up as I entered. I saw her eyes widen as she noticed what I was carrying. It was a tray of our finest foods. The meat was roasted and still sizzled with heat. The cut was clean, the meat pink in the middle and tough on the outside, dusted with herbs to add a little flavor.
“I thought you might be hungry,” I said.
“I’m not,” she replied, and turned her back towards me. I placed the tray down beside her and then stepped back, putting as much distance between us as possible in this room. She turned to assess the situation, but still did not move towards the food.
“The food is going to be there whether you talk to me or not. You might as well eat it,” I said.
She narrowed her eyes, but she did twist around and moved slowly towards the tray, almost as though she expected me to try and trap her. She crawled towards it and then sniffed the meat eagerly. Axanar had told me that she was like us and could shift. I longed to see it, for I did not know whether there would be a difference between her and the way we looked when we shifted. She wore one of our gowns. It looked good on her, naturally accentuating her curves. Axanar would have probably thought me foolish for finding her attractive, but I could not resist the natural impulses of my body. It seemed as though she was from another world, and this gave her an exotic air, something that was incredibly alluring to me.
I remained motionless as she examined the meat and then took it in her hands. She licked it first, and then sank her teeth into it, pulling the meat apart. She chewed slowly, but I could see that she began to enjoy it and soon enough she was devouring it. Her hunger took her senses over and, within moments, the meat was gone, and she was licking her lips. She looked defiant, and waited a few moments to make sure that she was not going to collapse.
“See, it was just a meal,” I said, trying to smile reassuringly.
“I guess it was tasty enough that, if I die, then it was worth it,” she said. I took the tray away from her. She retreated. Apparently, she was not yet trusting of me.
“Kara is your name, yes?” I asked. She nodded. “I am Volkan. The other man you met was Axanar. He is our Alpha. Do you have an Alpha where you come from?”
She eyed me suspiciously. “Where do you think I come from?”
I pursed my lips. I knew that Axanar would not want me revealing too much of ourselves to this stranger, but I equally knew that she would not tell me anything without getting anything in return. Axanar worried that she might have been an intruder, here as a prelude to an invasion, but she was alone, and her fear seemed genuine. She might not be here by design.
“In all honesty, I am not sure. That is why there is so much intrigue surrounding your appearance. We were not expecting anyone to arrive as you did. Do you know where you are?” Kara shook her head. I decided to take it upon myself to enlighten her. “You are in the Tower of Orestes. This is our home.”
“Orestes?”
“Orestes is the land around us. There are plains and jungles and mountains, as well as our village. It is where we have lived for generations, where we hunt and feast and live.”
“So, you’re lions too?” she asked.
I nodded. “Axanar told me that you had the ability to shift. It is the blessing of the gods, and it is why you are still alive. I assume it’s why you are here, because you are one of us.”
“One of us? How do you know that you’re not one of my pride?”
“Ah, so you do belong to a pride,” I said. She scowled, apparently annoyed that she had given me some vital information. She folded her arms across her chest and looked away. “There’s no harm in talking to me. I’m not here to hurt you.”
“No? Then why keep me in here? Why drag me away? You have no idea what happened to me, or what you’re keeping me from. All I want is to be let go so that I can get back home.”