Scent of Valor (Chronicles of Eorthe #2) Read Free

fell from the sky. I do.” She gazed up at the trees. Seven months ago, she’d fallen from a blue light and saved his pack.
    He glanced at the forest.
    Sorin, his alpha, paced around them. The expecting father’s protective nature was driving everyone crazy. The last two days had been constant arguments between the alpha couple about traveling to Temple lands. Somehow Susan had won and here they were, with five hunters prowling neutral territory while Peder helped measure things with a rope.
    Susan stood under a rather large tree. “This is it.” She then marked the rope with a piece of coal she’d carried from their den’s fire pit. “Sorin?”
    Not even a second later, he was at her side as if ready to carry her in his arms. “Are the pups coming?”
    Her silence spoke volumes.
    “Not the pups?”
    “You need to get your shit together. I can’t handle your nerves.” She tapped his sensitive nose with her fingertips. “Show me where we saw the other gates. Th-the blue lights.” She twisted around. “Peder, come stand here with that end.” She pointed.
    Sorin rubbed his muzzle, leading her farther away as he changed position. “I wish you’d stop doing that to my nose. It’s sensitive.”
    Vendu, one of their hunters, rose from a nearby bush. “Sorin would be more relaxed if she’d stay in feral form while outside the den.”
    “She’s more comfortable as civil. Maybe once she has her pups, she’ll be more, uh, more graceful in feral.” Peder leaned against the tree and took a deep breath of fresh green scents. Spring shoots spotted the forest floor and thickened the air with their fragrances. He’d first spotted Kele on such a day about a year ago from the cliff overlooking these lands, long before Susan changed their lives.
    “Peder, come stand here now,” Susan shouted.
    “Yeah, Peder, go stand over there now.” Vendu gave him a lopsided wolf grin.
    Peder playfully slapped him across the muzzle. “You’re just jealous that you’re not her favorite.”
    Vendu rubbed the spot where Peder had hit him. “Hey, you’re getting strong.” He pinched Peder’s upper arm and trailed him as Peder followed the rope to where Susan and Sorin stood. “Have you checked out Peder’s new muscles?” Vendu poked his stomach. “Not bad.”
    “Stop, that tickles.” Peder elbowed the bigger hunter in the side.
    Vendu dropped to the ground, clutching the spot where he’d taken the shot. “That hurt, Peder. I think all that building and digging Susan makes you do is starting to pay off.” Climbing to his feet, Vendu eyed him more carefully.
    Peder stood where Susan had gestured. She walked away, shaking her head again as if confused by their conversation. She’d been born human and still was learning pack dynamics. Peder was so low in Apisi hierarchy, he shouldn’t have been able to draw the hunter’s attention. Because he’d dropped Vendu accidently with one shot, suddenly the big hunter was watching him more closely.
    Peder had no desire to fight challenges. Not just so he could beat his chest and declare he was stronger than Vendu. What was the purpose? To get a better mate? The mate he wanted lived with another pack. To get better clothes and food? Their pack was so poor that better wasn’t possible. He’d keep his fur intact and duck his head.
    Sorin followed Susan, but shouted back to Vendu, “Peder’s been training with me every morning.”
    “Training?” The young hunter’s ears came forward. “As in fighting?”
    Peder stared at his feet and nodded.
    “Hunter Peder has a nice sound to it.”
    He jerked his head up, half expecting to see a teasing grin on Vendu’s face, but found him quite serious instead.
    “About time too.” Vendu slapped him on the back. “I look forward to when you work up the courage to challenge me.”
    A few months ago, such a strike would have landed Peder on his knees, but his stronger body absorbed the impact. “I’m not ready for challenges. I just