hesitation. “They want Samuel.”
“They get me,” I snarled. This time, my old pack wouldn’t find me so easily bested.
Wulfgar bowed his head.
“Besides,” I said in a lighter tone. “They dinnae call me Daegan Silvertongue for naught.” I was more adept at the finesse of politics than our strong Alpha. Besides, someone had to remain on the mountain, with Brenna. She was a secret we could not afford to reveal.
Wulfgar’s head dipped a little lower, even though he was a head taller than me and any other pack member, he took a deferential pose in respect of my dominance.
We waited for the meat to finish cooking. Most wolves ate their catch raw, but cooking meat satisfied the man, and allowed us to feel civilized again. Besides, we had to cook it for Brenna.
Berserkers lounged about the clearing, some as wolves and others in warrior form. Since Brenna’s arrival, the pack was healthier, the bloodlust muted. The peace that flowed from our beloved to Samuel and I reached the pack through the Alpha bond.
I prayed the peace would last. The beast had been restless these past few days. One wrong word, or move, and it might break free, and everything we dreaded would come to pass. The beast loved breaking beautiful things.
To wash away my fear, I turned my thoughts to Brenna. My body stirred merely at the thought of her, her flawless skin and tempting curves, her shining hair spilling over the pelts. I could eat and drink of her day and night and never get enough.
I could almost smell her perfect scent even over the smoke and fire. I half closed my eyes and inhaled.
My eyes snapped open when I realized I wasn’t imagining her scent. My beloved stood at the entrance of the cave, barefoot and clad in a simple shift we’d provided for her.
Her eyes widened as she took in the rocky clearing full of warriors and wolves.
“Brenna,” I snapped, rising. Every wolf in the clearing swung his head towards her, their faces full of one dangerous emotion: desire.
Brenna sensed it. In an instant she did the worst thing she could’ve done. She took a step backwards. Retreat, and a wolf knows you’re weak.
I launched myself across the clearing, but not before a young red haired warrior darted to her side. Fergus was the smallest of us, but he had the strength to lift a buck thrice his size and carry it up the mountain. He would break our beloved and not even realize he’d tried.
A second after I realized I would not reach Brenna in time, a hand came out of nowhere and clamped onto the youth’s shoulder. “Change,” Wulfgar ordered, and Fergus’ body obeyed. The young man turned into wolf, following the command of the third most dominant in the pack. A few other warriors winced as the order blew through them like a cold wind, almost forcing their own Change.
I bowled past the two of them, grabbed Brenna and hoisted her over my shoulder.
“You’re in trouble now, lass.”
She squirmed and I backed up my words with a sharp swat on her backside as I strode down the cave hall to our rooms carved out of the mountain.
“We told ye not to leave our quarters, lass. What were ye thinking?” Real fear rose in me, and I pushed it down, turning to anger instead.
I heard a grunt behind me and I whirled, snarling. A blond warrior had followed us, unable to resist the siren scent of our woman.
He growled a challenge.
“Mine,” I snarled back. I shrugged Brenna off my shoulder and pushed her towards our quarters, at the same time stepping between her and the would-be attacker. “Back off, Siebold.”
The warrior crouched in preparation to fight, a wild light in his gold eyes. His shoulders hunched as he roared in challenge.
“Change,” I barked, and put the power of the Alpha behind it.
Siebold fell onto hands and knees, fur appearing along the ridge of his spine. His bones snapped and crackled as his wolf took over. “Stay.” I ordered smugly, and left him in the hallway, howling in defeat.
I paused on
“They get me,” I snarled. This time, my old pack wouldn’t find me so easily bested.
Wulfgar bowed his head.
“Besides,” I said in a lighter tone. “They dinnae call me Daegan Silvertongue for naught.” I was more adept at the finesse of politics than our strong Alpha. Besides, someone had to remain on the mountain, with Brenna. She was a secret we could not afford to reveal.
Wulfgar’s head dipped a little lower, even though he was a head taller than me and any other pack member, he took a deferential pose in respect of my dominance.
We waited for the meat to finish cooking. Most wolves ate their catch raw, but cooking meat satisfied the man, and allowed us to feel civilized again. Besides, we had to cook it for Brenna.
Berserkers lounged about the clearing, some as wolves and others in warrior form. Since Brenna’s arrival, the pack was healthier, the bloodlust muted. The peace that flowed from our beloved to Samuel and I reached the pack through the Alpha bond.
I prayed the peace would last. The beast had been restless these past few days. One wrong word, or move, and it might break free, and everything we dreaded would come to pass. The beast loved breaking beautiful things.
To wash away my fear, I turned my thoughts to Brenna. My body stirred merely at the thought of her, her flawless skin and tempting curves, her shining hair spilling over the pelts. I could eat and drink of her day and night and never get enough.
I could almost smell her perfect scent even over the smoke and fire. I half closed my eyes and inhaled.
My eyes snapped open when I realized I wasn’t imagining her scent. My beloved stood at the entrance of the cave, barefoot and clad in a simple shift we’d provided for her.
Her eyes widened as she took in the rocky clearing full of warriors and wolves.
“Brenna,” I snapped, rising. Every wolf in the clearing swung his head towards her, their faces full of one dangerous emotion: desire.
Brenna sensed it. In an instant she did the worst thing she could’ve done. She took a step backwards. Retreat, and a wolf knows you’re weak.
I launched myself across the clearing, but not before a young red haired warrior darted to her side. Fergus was the smallest of us, but he had the strength to lift a buck thrice his size and carry it up the mountain. He would break our beloved and not even realize he’d tried.
A second after I realized I would not reach Brenna in time, a hand came out of nowhere and clamped onto the youth’s shoulder. “Change,” Wulfgar ordered, and Fergus’ body obeyed. The young man turned into wolf, following the command of the third most dominant in the pack. A few other warriors winced as the order blew through them like a cold wind, almost forcing their own Change.
I bowled past the two of them, grabbed Brenna and hoisted her over my shoulder.
“You’re in trouble now, lass.”
She squirmed and I backed up my words with a sharp swat on her backside as I strode down the cave hall to our rooms carved out of the mountain.
“We told ye not to leave our quarters, lass. What were ye thinking?” Real fear rose in me, and I pushed it down, turning to anger instead.
I heard a grunt behind me and I whirled, snarling. A blond warrior had followed us, unable to resist the siren scent of our woman.
He growled a challenge.
“Mine,” I snarled back. I shrugged Brenna off my shoulder and pushed her towards our quarters, at the same time stepping between her and the would-be attacker. “Back off, Siebold.”
The warrior crouched in preparation to fight, a wild light in his gold eyes. His shoulders hunched as he roared in challenge.
“Change,” I barked, and put the power of the Alpha behind it.
Siebold fell onto hands and knees, fur appearing along the ridge of his spine. His bones snapped and crackled as his wolf took over. “Stay.” I ordered smugly, and left him in the hallway, howling in defeat.
I paused on
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