“Okay. I just called you here to make sure you were all right and because I wanted to have you close until more of the Alphas leave,” he said, changing the subject.
I was glad to hear that the Alphas and members of the other packs would be leaving today. It meant I wouldn’t be held under so much scrutiny; there would be nobody gunning for me to fail as Alpha Female, except for maybe Brenna, but I could handle her. It also meant my parents would be leaving, along with Oria and the other pack members that came here with us. While I would feel the loss of my parents, I would miss them like any pup would, I knew they would be there if I needed them. Oria I was worried about. She had spent so much time with me, I worried she would go back to the pack and fall into her old ways again. I wanted to keep her with me because I somehow knew she would thrive here like everyone hoped I would.
“I’m fine, might be a little sun burnt, but apart from that, I actually have a request,” I stated, sitting up straighter, trying to use the same demeanour that my mother used with my father when she wanted something.
Roarke chuckled, resting his arms on the table, tipping his head in a way that would have looked cute had he been in wolf form; some traits like that seemed to carry through to skin.
“Is this a request or a demand? Because I feel like you will only accept one answer from me, my female,” he teased lightly.
I caught the smirk on Quillan’s face as he finally took a seat, despite his attempt to turn his head away.
“I want you to accept Oria into our pack. I have made sacrifices, and doing this for me would mean a lot, to both myself and Oria. She has already bonded with the Omegas here and one of your high ranked too, if I am not too mistaken,” I answered.
Quillan’s head lifted again, his eyes meeting mine, but my expression remained neutral. His reaction however, was confirmation enough to my suspicions. Oria had indeed caught his attention, even if I wasn’t sure in what way yet.
Roarke sighed and leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair, but before he could answer, I carried on, desperate to make every argument I could to keep her here with me.
“She isn’t any trouble, she’s a hard worker, and I know she loves it here. Oria is also my closest friend, my confidant, and as Alpha Female I think our pack needs her to keep the peace and find themselves again,” I pleaded, letting the emotion bleed through the words because I knew Roarke would feel my distress at the idea of losing her. I also knew a wolf hated when their mate was distressed, that they would do anything to calm them down again.
Perhaps I was being a little manipulative, maybe I was wrong to use his instincts against him, but it was for something important to me, and I had to admit, the power I held over him was almost addictive.
He was silent as he contemplated my request, his eyes flicking to Quillan’s, which made me wonder if it should really be Zale who was his Third and Quillan his Beta before remembering that Quillan’s lack of control made him too volatile. Yet it was Quillan that Roarke had asked to look after me, and it was Quillan that was in the room with him now. Roarke seemed to seek Quillan’s advice and talk things through with him more than I’d seen him do with Zale, but perhaps it was simply because they were so close as brothers? Roarke humming drew me out of my thoughts.
“I will consider your request, my Alpha Female,” he chuckled, conceding. “Let me talk to your parents and I will let you know what is decided.”
I grinned, jumping up and almost over the table to hug my mate, who stilled in surprise before he hesitantly returned my hug. When I stayed in his arms, they tightened more confidently around me, making me smile with a low, rumbling purr of satisfaction. I felt his lips brush over my mark and shuddered at the heat that flooded through my body, making me melt into his arms.
The door slammed shut and we sprang apart.
Quillan was nowhere to be seen.
Chapter Sixteen
Ready or Not
“Do you have to go?” I asked, gripping my mother’s hands so tight that I was surprised she hadn’t said anything.
“Your father has done all he can to help Roarke. He has a mate, he has his allies, and he knows what he needs to do. It’s time we left. I can’t coddle you through this or you will not learn, and you need to learn. I’m but a phone call away. You know you can visit. You’ll need to come to meet your little brother soon.” She smiled, pulling my hand to rest on her bump.
I nodded, but tears kept falling, leaving hot trails down my cheeks that I wiped away with my sleeve.
After coming back from University, I never thought I’d have to leave them or have them leave me.
My father came up behind my mother, and I looked away, unable to meet his eyes. Instead I watched members of my old pack bid farewell to family and friends, trying to find solace in the fact that it wasn’t just me being left behind.
“We will see you soon, my female,” my father said, ruffling my hair before placing a kiss on my forehead.
“I am not your female anymore, Father,” I replied tersely, unable to hide the fact I was angry at him.
His laughter was unexpected and made me glance back at him.
“You will always be my female, my pup, my child,” he argued, ruffling my hair again before taking my mother’s hand and leading her to the caravan, pausing to turn back and call, “We love you.”
“I love you too.”
I couldn’t bear to watch them leave, but I couldn’t go back inside until the sound of the cars drifted off and I knew for sure they were safely gone. Roarke’s presence had my back tingling with awareness before I even caught his scent. He stepped beside me and wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me into his side, offering me comfort.
“It’s not like you’ll never see them again, Cathwulf.”
I bristled, despite knowing his words were meant to soothe me. I wouldn’t have to part with them if it wasn’t for you, I wanted to say, but I bit my tongue to keep me quiet.
Oria appeared by my other side and took my hand, threading her fingers through mine, watching the cars disappear down the track. The tremble in her touch was the only sign of her emotions, and I gave her hand a squeeze.
“They will have to return soon with the rest of your belongings, and mine too,” Oria added, turning to smile at me.
I shook my head. “My mother is too pregnant to make this journey again now. We both know my father will not leave her side, not until the pup is born and has grown enough to shift to his wolf. It’ll be Seaghán they send, or Eagan.”
“And when your mother does have her son, we will need to go and visit,” Roarke said before placing a kiss to my hair. “Do not fret over it.”
“I’m not fretting,” I protested weakly, knowing that my words were unbelievable.
Oria snorted. “You have always been a worrier, Cathwulf.”
And that was the truth. Even when I was little, I had worried over every little thing. It was something I was trying to grow out of, but I sometimes struggled to ignore the little voice in my head that told me to nitpick. Even my wolf doubled checked and then checked again when we went running or hunting. It was just in my nature.
“Have all the Alphas left now?” I asked, trying to change the subject.
Roarke nodded, gently leading me back into the house and to the kitchen. “Alpha Robert seemed less than pleased to have been asked to leave, but it is tradition to give the new Alpha pair peace so they can bond and settle into their roles. He couldn’t argue, but I have sent Quillan to trail their car to make sure they leave the territory and don’t leave anything behind.”
By anything, I knew what he meant. Leaving a member of his pack to watch us was something I wouldn’t put past the old Alpha. The idea made me nervous and only added to my suspicions that he had something to do with or was the mastermind behind Roarke’s parents’ murders.
I looked around at my new home, glad to have Oria with me, but I felt this odd sense of, for the first time, not knowing what to do with myself.
At my father’s pack, I had woken up each morning, ran the border, gotten home in time for lunch, trained, helped Oria with a few chores, and then went for another run. Here I had responsibilities that I wasn’t even sure of, and I wished I had paid more attention to what my mother spent her time doing.
“You have training with Weylin today. He needs to see what you can do and where you need to improve so he can start a schedule for you,” Roarke stated as if sensing my thoughts, guiding me towards the expanse of back garden where I had seen warriors fighting before.
I sighed, my body feeling drained of energy. “I don’t think I’m really in the mood today. I just had to say goodbye to my—”
“So you think wars only happen when people are in the mood? You will train when Weylin says you will, come rain or shine, whether you feel up to it or not, unless told otherwise,” he said firmly, squeezing my shoulders as he stood behind me. “You may find it’s just the distraction you need.”
I twisted to look at him, catching his smile and giving a weak one back.
“You’ll do fine. I know you will.”
Smiling properly, suddenly finding a part of me that was in awe of his belief in me, I nodded. He smiled back, and I noted the way his nose scrunched boyishly, the way his lips quirked and his eyes glittered. How had I never noticed just how beautiful his smile was?
Because you didn’t want to see, a voice whispered accusingly in my head.
But now I was seeing and I was entranced.
My eyes fell to his lips again, and I remembered how they had felt when pressed against my skin, but now I wanted to taste them. I remembered the first time we had almost kissed, how his hard body had caged mine against the wall, how his hands had felt on me, the burning look of desire that had been in his eyes.
Did I want to kiss him now? Yes, but it was so much more than simple want. It was an aching need to have his lips on mine, to taste and devour him.
He gave me a gentle nudge of reminder, and I snapped out of my trance. I was sure he could smell my arousal on the air; there was no hiding it.
I needed to focus on training, on not having my ass handed to me, on not imagining what it would feel like to have this male between my thighs. Gods, when I had gotten so horny…
It was still summer, still a little too early for me to come into my heat, so I couldn’t blame it on instinct.
Oria was smirking at me and waggled her eyebrows suggestively, which only made Roarke grin.
“Is something distracting you, my female?” he asked innocently, but the look in his eyes told me he knew very well what was on my mind.
Blushing, I looked away and started to march determinedly towards the field where I could already see Weylin. A warm hand wandered down my side to rest on my hip, and I stilled. Roarke’s body pressed against my back, his lips by my ear, hot breath fanning over my neck. My eyes closed as my breathing hitched, my world narrowing down to only him.
“Make me proud like I know you will. Don’t show any weakness. Fight like I’ve seen you fight,” he urged, and I nodded, willing to make my mate proud.
Until I spotted Quillan.
He was in the middle of the males fighting, his skin glistening with sweat as he kept them all at bay with an ease that would terrify any enemy. I almost hoped Alpha Robert had left a wolf behind to watch just so he could report on the fierceness with which Roarke’s warriors fought, all teeth and claw, not holding back.
I hadn’t realised I’d stopped walking again until a swift pat to my rear had me stumbling forward after I threw Roarke a glare over my shoulder. He chuckled, nodding towards the warriors.
“Remember, Cathwulf, you’re my female. Keep your head up.”
To show I had listened, I tilted my chin up, trying to exude confidence with every step like Roarke somehow managed. Oria trotted happily beside me with wide eyes that took in the training. She and Ámhra were kindred spirits with their puppy-like demeanour. It was no wonder they got on so well.
She crept a little closer to my side, the growls and violence making her shell return.
“Glad they’re on our side,” she muttered.
I laughed. “We’ve done well, you and me. We’ve made friends with the big kids on the playground. Nobody will mess with us.”
Oria snorted, pointing out Brenna, who was watching us from where she stood beside her father. “If only. That one still looks like she’d rather have your throat than your back.”
I had to agree with her. Brenna still hadn’t learnt her lesson; her eyes held her desire to see me beneath her.
Roarke tutted, drawing our attention back to him. “You two need to stop tittering and get to work, honestly, less gossip, more…” He seemed to struggle to find the word before he gestured back to the fighters. “…more fighting…and stuff.”
Oria looked wide-eyed, her eyes flicking from the warriors to Roarke and back to me with a pleading look.
“It’ll be fun, I promise, or you can just watch if you really don’t want to join in,” I amended, giving Roarke a look that told him not to argue with my decision. Oria’s past meant violence, even in sparring, had her instincts urging her to run. At some point I’d have to tell my mate a little of her past so he would understand why he had to be gentler with her.
He looked over Oria’s slight form and sighed. “I like all of my pack to know at least the basics of self defence, but as you’ve never trained before…for now I won’t push, but eventually, even if it’s just with Cathwulf, I would like you to train.”
His voice took on a soft tone that I’d only ever heard him use with the pups, and it warmed my heart. He must have known how delicate Oria was, how easily intimidated she was, and I appreciated how he handled her. Maybe her past didn’t need explained after all. Something told me that Roarke had figured some of it out for himself.
Oria nodded and turned to start walking again, and I mouthed a “thank you” to my mate, whose smile lit up his face.
I caught up with Oria and practically skipped my way over to Weylin, who was directing a younger male and his sparring partner. Stopping by his son, Ruiraidh, I tried not to laugh at the terrified look on the boy’s face as Weylin scolded him for yet again not centering his weight.
“He’s all bark,” Ruiraidh commented, shaking his head at his father. “Poor pup doesn’t know that yet.”
I laughed. “I’m glad I know that or I’d be terrified too.”
Ruiraidh chuckled. “We should leave him to it. He just wanted you to run the border with me anyway, test of endurance.” He smiled, nodding his head towards a worn mud path that led to the forest.
“You can handle that right, Oria?” I smiled, trying to encourage her.
She nodded and was quick to shift, not bothering about the dress she tore as she did. I rolled my eyes and stripped, morphing after her, our wolves greeting each other. Teeth nipped gently at my jaw, and I bumped into her side. I’d always thought Oria’s wolf was much more beautiful than mine, with fur such a light grey it was white in places and her eyes still a sky blue that looked like sapphires against her fur.
Ruiraidh’s wolf butted in between us, tongue lolling out and tail wagging excitedly. He yipped then started to run, and Oria and I were quick to follow. Ruiraidh was fast, almost faster than even Oria, and she ran like quicksilver. I was panting hard by the time we slowed down, allowing me to take in the scent of the area we were in, adding it to the map of the territory in my head.
A flash of white fur was the only warning I got before Oria barrelled into my side, her playful nature infectious, urging me to let my wolf take over until Ruiraidh gave a reproachful chuff. I nudged Oria back to her feet, letting her know that there would be time for fun later, if this run didn’t wear me out first.
With Ruiraidh taking the lead once more, we were on our way again, only stopping so I could familiarise myself with the landmarks and smells. I could pick out Quillan’s scent amongst everything; he had been here recently, perhaps when he was making sure Alpha
Robert and his wolves had left the territory. Yet it was the fresh scent that seemed to follow his that had me stopping and barking for Ruiriadh’s attention. It was definitely the scent of another wolf, but only Ruiraidh would know if it was one from our pack. Even though that allowed me to remain calm, there was a lingering doubt because I knew Quillan; I knew no wolf would think to follow him and risk his irritation.
Ruiraidh trotted over, sniffing amongst the crunching leaves and grass, a low growl rumbling from his chest. I took that as my cue to panic. Oria was whining by my side, her eyes darting around and ears perking towards every sound, her nerves making me skittish.
Snapping branches had my hackles raising and teeth baring as I twisted towards it. Quillan walked through the bushes, his hands raised only for him to still and growl as he too caught the scent.
“Go back to Roarke. Ruiraidh and I will follow the trail,” he ordered gruffly, making my wolf rumble in irritation.
I was higher ranked than him; whether I went back or stayed to help should have been my decision. Quillan’s eyes flicked to Oria, the anger in their depths quickly turning into concern, making me back down. I would go back, but only because I too would worry about Oria going on her own without running into trouble. She wouldn’t be able to defend herself against any wolf that Alpha Robert would leave behind, if he was indeed the mastermind behind this.
Perhaps I was judging him too harshly, but the Alpha had earned my suspicion. I would be sure to tell Roarke his parting words to me now. Keeping it from him had been a mistake if my instincts were telling me so strongly that Alpha Robert was indeed the perpetrator. A wolf should always trust their instincts; I had been taught that since birth.
Letting Quillan take over, I began to corral Oria back in the direction of home. Unable to help myself, my gaze lingered on Quillan, needing to make sure he was okay until he and Ruiraidh disappeared deeper into the trees, following the trail of the mystery wolf. It was only when we were alone that Oria and I started to run. Even she seemed hesitant to go, her head swinging back to where Quillan had gone even as I nudged and growled at her to move faster.
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