Gnawing on my bottom lip, I rasped, “There’s an irony to the fact that I wouldn’t be here, that we might never have found each other, if it weren’t for the steps I took back when I was a kid.”
“No, I’m not surprised. It’s not irony, it’s fate.” He reached up and cupped my chin. “We were always meant to be on this path, but I just wish you hadn’t been hurt along the way. I wish—”
I gently shook my head, caught his eyes, and whispered, “You don’t have to say another word. I understand. Maybe I wouldn’t have before, but now I do.” I released a whistle. “I know you wanted me to revert to human skin earlier than I did, but to be honest, I’m glad I didn’t. I think I’m more comfortable with the she-wolf than I might ordinarily be, and even though I’m still learning her and she’s still learning me, I think it’s made us gel together better.”
“Then I’m glad,” he said simply.
“Would you tell me some of the stuff Ethan and Austin got up to?”
His lips twitched. “You really want to know? You should ask them. In fact, ask Austin. He’s a great storyteller.”
“He is?” I queried, my eyes wide at the thought, then I tipped my head to the side and said, “No, that’s dumb. I can see that.”
“If he could sit still without getting bored, he’d make a fantastic recanter—”
“Recanter?”
He winced. “Sorry, I forget you don’t know all the terms. It’s interesting, really, but there are two positions in the pack both of them would fill perfectly. Ethan would make an exceptional keeper—they look after the pack’s library, recording everything and making sure our history is never lost. Then there are the recanters—the storytellers. The ones who pass down the fables, who teach the children the legends.”
I perked up at that. “I could see Austin doing that. That’s how the Roma pass on their history—through stories and through songs.”
“I’ve had my eye on him for that role for years, but he never seems to grow up.” He grunted. “Maybe when we’re a bit older, he’ll be ready.”
“You should have faith in him,” I chided. “I think he’d like the responsibility.”
He shook his head. “I know my brother,” he replied dryly. “Anyway, I need him as enforcer for a while. Until we can get things settled, then…”
When his voice waned, I tipped my head to the side as I studied his beautiful face. Kali Sara, how was a man this handsome mine? It was beyond belief. Not only that he would treat me as if I were a porcelain doll, as if I were precious, but that he’d treat me as his equal?
It blew my mind.
Because I didn’t want him to notice my goo-goo eyes, I prompted, “Then what?”
He shrugged. “This rite of my mother’s. It never made sense to me.”
“You mean, how she ended her life in return for you to gain a mate?” I blinked, because it sounded nuts to me, but what about this world wasn’t a little crazy?
“Yeah, that’s what I mean,” he rumbled, his gaze distant. “When she came to me with it, I never expected it to work. Never wanted it to work. Then it did. And barely a few hours later, I had you in my life. There’s no denying A led to B, but I’m curious where the hell she came up with A in the first place.
“I don’t have the time, patience, or wherewithal to focus on that at the moment. The pack’s changing for the first time in years, so I need to manage things from the top, but…” He hitched a shoulder. “It’s going to wear on me for a while.”
I could see that, and though I wanted to soothe him, I had no answers, no way of easing his confusion. “You don’t want him as your enforcer forever?”
He pulled a face. “Truth is with Ethan as beta, and Austin as enforcer, the lines between the roles will blur. Austin won’t realize that yet because he has self-esteem issues, but it’s true. Ethan looks to books, but he’s a strongbox—has no desire to impart his knowledge. That’s why he’d be a perfect keeper. Austin? He’s a gifted storyteller. The recanter is both. He’ll feed off Ethan’s knowledge banks, just like Ethan will look to Austin to shore up his position.”
“So the roles will blur again?” I nodded, understanding where he was coming from.
“Exactly.” His smile was wry. “But I can’t afford for that to happen yet. So even though I do want answers, they’ll just have to wait. Their current positions are going to be a nightmare. Betas are usually stronger than Brandon was, so Ethan is going to have a shit ton of work to do, which Austin, naturally, will help with.” He sighed. “Father let Brandon be beta for political reasons. He always was a fool.”
“What were they?”
“Stupid ones. Brandon’s father was beta before him. It doesn’t matter that a hundred different wolves could have challenged Brandon for the role and would have won, Father would have never sanctioned the challenge on purpose.”
My brow furrowed at that. “That seems wrong. That isn’t how it should work, is it?”
“No, it isn’t. Might over right is never the way to govern a pack as extensive as this one. We’re not the biggest, but we cover a lot of territory, thanks to where we’re positioned, and we have prime grazing land that a lot of packs would fight us over and that the humans want to build on.
“The last thing we need is to get into politics, but Father insisted.”
“Are you going to change things back?”
He shrugged. “Already have. The next step is the council.” His gaze turned pensive. “I’ve been planning this, behind the scenes, for a long time. I might have seemed like I was leading the pack passively, continuing my father’s legacy, but I wasn’t.”
That didn’t surprise me—Eli was a determined man, and determination often required someone who was willing to think twelve steps ahead. To ease him, I murmured, “Thank you for talking about this with me.”
His spine stiffened at that. “Of course! Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because I’m only a woman,” I rasped, feeling a little awkward.
“Only a woman?” He snorted, his eyes sparkling with laughter. “Well, it takes only a woman to make this man very happy. You’re not ‘only’ anything, Sabina. You need to know that right from the start.”
I bit my bottom lip, unable to deny that I loved that answer. “That’s my past talking. Business was never discussed in front of womenfolk.”
“Idiots. Some of the best members on the council, even though it’s useless right now, have always been women. That’s why when I overturn them and gradually bring in new players, I won’t be doing it the way my father did.”
I thought about what I’d learned last night, and, tipping my head to the side, I asked, “You won’t allow a married couple a dual seat on the council?”
His eyes lit up with amusement. “Only a woman, my ass. You spotted that?”
“Spotted what?”
“That they’re all couples.”
“Well, it was obvious,” I said with a frown, unsure why he was praising me but ridiculously glad for it anyway.
“Not so obvious.” He tapped my nose. “You’re a lot keener than you even know. Our council has always consisted of couples, but the men rule with their dicks, and the women are smart but get ignored. That’s going to come to an end under my watch.
“Anyhow, omegas are always an integral part of the pack. They always have their ways of getting involved in the business at hand. I never expected you not to want to know how I was going to do things, just so that you could prepare the pack emotionally for the changes that are coming.”
His words had my eyes flaring in surprise. “You want me to prepare the pack?”
His lips twisted. “Yeah. I do. But like we keep telling you, things change when you’re claimed. You might even start to hear them the second we’re joined. You won’t just be able to affect their moods and emotions, but you’ll be able to project to them as well and hear their thoughts if you try to tune in.
“At least, that’s what Mom could do.”
My mouth d
ropped open. “You’re kidding. That’s incredible!”
“You’ll be just as incredible. For whatever reason, you need three mates, not just two. Mom was strong, but clearly, you’re going to be stronger.”
I could hear his pride in me, and though it filled me with warmth, it also made me nervous.
He tutted. “You won’t let me down. Honestly, love, you don’t know what you’re capable of yet. An omega only accesses her full powers when she meets the man or men who can anchor her. How can she be exposed to the full reaches of her abilities if she has nothing to keep her grounded, hmm?”
“I think I can understand why now,” I muttered. “Especially if you expect me to be able to hear all those people’s thoughts, and to be able to help make their moods better.” I cleared my throat. “Without going crazy.”
“You won’t.” His lips twitched. “That’s what we’re here for. But that’s exactly how strong you’re going to be. It might take some time for you to work into the role, but you’ll get there. Of that I have no doubt.”
Snuggling into him, I stared across the beautiful pond, safe in his arms, even though I was nervous about what this place held for us. “You have faith in me, don’t you?”
“More than you even know,” he rasped.
“Thank you,” I said on a sigh, and when he wrapped his arms around me tighter, I sighed again, loving his touch, needing this so badly that I didn’t understand how I’d survived without it.
Kian, the man who’d had all my heart for so many years, who I’d been mourning since he’d passed, was a distant memory now.
I felt bad about that, but I wasn’t the same Sabina as I had been before.
I was different.
I was transformed.
And for the first time, I realized that wasn’t a bad thing to be.
Eli
Being with her like this was a blessing I’d never have anticipated.
I wanted to be inside her more than I wanted my next breath, but fuck, I could see how fragile she was, and after viewing the carnage of the scene she and Austin had left behind, I got it.
I did.
That was a brutal challenge from the naturals, and even though I was curious what the fuck had triggered it, I was impressed that Austin had survived.
I could scent no less than eight wolves, and while I knew how powerful Austin was, I was astonished nonetheless.
Of course, things were different when a mate was involved.
Especially a newly claimed one at that.
Austin could have probably taken on twelve, and he’d have made sure that Sabina would have been safe, that was simply how we worked.
However, what did come as a surprise?
The smell of cordite in the air.
Gunpowder.
Interesting.
More than that, a scent I remembered…a scent… It couldn’t be. The last time I’d smelled that strong odor was back when Father still lived.
Shrugging off the thought, I peered around the site, trying to discern what had happened here. I’d left Sabina by the pool, curled up on the shore, comfortable, even if she was uneasy with being here again.
A part of me was jealous that Austin had gotten that time with her where she could be free from worries, but also, this was my time. I had to make the best of it and make her comfortable.
It was why I was tilted the way I was.
Half veered toward her, just in case another threat appeared, while looking over the scene of the crime, as it were.
I’d already seen how the magic had taken away my clothes, and before she’d rolled out of the pool, she’d summoned a comb, so it didn’t take much to figure out the state of play in this world.
“I need a BLT,” I rasped under my breath, and just as she had, I held out my hands.
When one popped up, I’d admit to thinking that was one of the coolest things I’d ever seen, but then, this was another place.
Another time.
Yeah, she’d drowsily clued me in on her nickname for this place as she was drifting off to sleep, and it fit.
Even as I had to wonder where we were and when, mostly I was trying to figure out what was going on.
I knew for a fact that all mated couples didn’t go through something like this.
It wasn’t that complicated. I knew because this place had an unmistakable scent.
And when Austin and Sabina had returned to us?
They’d reeked of it.
It wasn’t a bad scent, more like the earth after a good rainfall—a rich, pure aroma that was entwined with lavender and water, a smidgen of fire, and perhaps even some ozone.
I’d smelled it once before.
And that was the key word.
Once.
I’d smelled it around my parents when they were together.
That told me what was happening here.
This was the Mother’s version of a bonding exercise for the leaders of her packs, but I could have done without it. I didn’t need to be here on some kind of fucking task while I just wanted my woman.
She’d already been traumatized, and while this was evidently how an omega was prepared, how being tied to her alphas helped ground her, I didn’t need to add to the stress she was already under.
So, I was trying to understand what was happening here, and I was pretty much failing.
With the sandwich in hand, I retreated from the challenge scene, wondering if we were in danger for real.
Austin had, without a shadow of a doubt, been genuinely injured. So it wasn’t like this was a dream or a fugue state.
Any dangers were real and raw, but they were also planted for a reason.
We were being woven together like a rich tapestry by a skillful hand, that much was clear.
Munching on my sandwich, I pondered that as I returned to Sabina’s side. She’d rolled onto her back, displaying a lack of self-consciousness that surprised me.
Most human shifters were very nervous when it came to being nude and comfortable in their skin.
I guessed I had Austin to thank for that.
Neither my wolf nor I were happy until I was sitting at her side, so close that my hip touched her thigh, and I sat there, viewing the place where I’d been crash landed like a Martian on Earth.
It was spectacular. Like something from a book, with a majesty that was beyond my comprehension.
Every color was a thousand times richer than the ones on Earth. They almost sparkled with an intensity that was borderline blinding.
Everything from the grass to the sky, and to the water and the rocks that were around it.
I was amazed and enchanted, even while I was wary.
This situation was crafted purely for us, and that put me on edge.
I had a feeling I knew the Mother’s score.
Austin had to protect his mate against a large pack.
Austin, who had self-esteem issues, who hid those issues in laughter and teasing, in fucking anything that moved to prove to himself he was good enough. Austin, who wasn’t sure of his place in the pack, who probably wouldn’t be sure of his place in his relationship with his shared mate…
Now that he’d defended that mate from a pack of naturals, he was aware of his strength, knew he could defend her, and also? He knew Sabina wasn’t a delicate lily. She’d fought back. She’d helped during the fight.
Their relationship was stronger as a result, and their own esteem?
Higher.
She had faith in him to protect her, and he had faith in her that she would have his back.
The Mother was canny, but that meant she was working with our problems and our weaknesses, making us stronger, tying us tighter together.
And me?
I had a lot of issues, so that meant I was left wondering which the Mother had selected in the mate lottery.
A sleepy sigh escaped my mate, and I twisted to look down at her, amused to see she was watching me.
I tipped my chin to the side. “You okay, mate?
”
She smiled. “I like it when you call me that.”
“Better than ‘love’ or ‘sweetheart’?”
Her eyes twinkled. “Yep.”
“Then you’ve got it, mate.” I reached for her hand with the one that wasn’t holding a damn sandwich, and raised it to my mouth, kissing her fingertips before I asked, “Want a bite?”
“Of your butt? Sure!”
I laughed, even as I handed her the sandwich. “It’s good.”
“Everything is here.” Her smile faded, and she stared at the sandwich with distaste, so I wasn’t surprise when she put it on the ground where it instantly disappeared. “Until it isn’t.”
Hating to see her amusement and contentedness disappear, I rolled back down to her side and turned my head to look at her.
“It has a purpose.”
“I figure everything does.” She shrugged. “Make a mated pair stronger, right?”
“Yes, but I don’t think this is something that every mated pair goes through. This is unique for the omega and her alphas.”
“What makes you think that?”
I explained about the scent she and Austin had, a scent I sometimes smelled on my parents.
“You mean they always smell of this place?”
“Either that, or they sometimes returned here.” I shrugged. “I have no way of knowing. Maybe it’s the Mother’s idea of marriage counseling.”
She laughed at that. “So whenever we don’t see eye to eye, we get shoved back here?”
“Could be,” I said dryly. “I just recognize the scent, and I know I’ve never scented it anywhere else.”
“That’s insane.”
“That’s the mate bond,” I told her. Then, I reached over and pressed my hand to her heart. Not her breasts, her heart. “I can feel yours beating for Austin now.”
“And you,” she rasped.
I shook my head. “Not yet. Not until we’re claimed. It’s there. The link.” I closed my eyes. “I can feel it burning away, but it’s not cemented in place.”
She pressed a kiss to my shoulder. “Eli?”
“Yes.”
“I-I know it’s crazy, but I already love you. Without the claiming even.”
WOLF CHILD: A PNR RH Romance (The Year of the Wolf Book 1) Page 22