My Second Chance Mate is a Barbarian (Sera and Fenris) novel Chapter 491

Vidar

"This makes no sense, Alpha," Gunnar said. His voice was hard. "We've been standing out here in the cold for the past fifteen minutes."

"We sent no word ahead," I said levelly. "They didn't know we were coming."

"Kael knew," Gunnar said. "He's the one who told you to hurry. He should have sent word to his Alpha. He should be standing at this gate himself."

"Enough," I said. Gunnar shut his mouth, but the tightness stayed in his jaw.

Ironmaw loomed before us, its great wall hewn into the mountain, the gate huge and iron-bound and shut. Guards stood on the wall, watching silently, none of them moving to open it.

Behind me, our twenty riders and their pack horses shifted and snorted. The men were cold and restless, stamping their feet, pulling their furs tighter. The cold mountain air was heavy with the scents of horse piss and wet fur.

Up on the wall, the guards changed. One of my riders called out, "Alpha, can we light a fire? It's bloody cold!"

"No fires," I said. "We're guests at this gate, not a siege."

Gunnar muttered under his breath, "Guests get let in."

He reined around to look behind us. "From that wall, we look like we're surrounding them," he said. A few of the men had drifted off along the wall on both sides of the gate, watering horses, pissing against the stone, stretching their legs.

Gunnar's jaw clenched and he scratched at his stubbled chin, glaring at the men. "You fools!" he hissed. "You cursed idiots!" Then he cupped his hands around his mouth and bellowed, "Get away from that wall and close ranks behind your Alpha!"

The men came back quickly, leading their horses, and fell in close behind me. I nodded to Gunnar and he took his place at my right hand.

We waited. The gate stayed shut.

I touched the letter inside my coat. The words tangled in my head. "Come quickly, brother. I need your help." Twenty-three letters and not one word back. Then this.

The seal was Kael's. Kael's hand was cramped and angry. I would have known it anywhere, in the dark, in a single word. This was neat, even. I had put it down to a scribe.

"Alpha, for a man in a hurry, your brother is slow with a gate."

I glanced at Gunnar. His face was blunt as ever, giving nothing away. I nudged my horse forward a few paces. The mastiffs at the gate surged up on their chains, growling deep in their throats. I called up to the wall. "Tell Kael his brother is here."

No movement on the wall. Then a guard called down, "The Luna's been sent for."

I waited a moment for more, but none came.

The Luna. Not Kael.

One of the men behind muttered, "The Luna? Where's his brother, then?" The rider next to him hissed, "Hush."

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