Bound to the Tribe (Bound to the Pack, #2)

by Morelle, Sonja

  He was the alpha of my own pack, the only shifter whose opinion I truly cared about.

  Ian.

  He looked over us, gaze lingering on Jen and causing her to step closer to my side as unease wafted from her. He then turned and walked off, an indication that we were to follow.

  One of my guards came to me and undid the bindings on my arms, leaving the rest of the harness in place. They wouldn’t want me to fall and break my neck before they had the chance to try me and find me guilty.

  As the guards went back inside, Jen looked around. “What’s going on?”

  “We are to follow,” I replied simply, and walked off to the trail that lead to the reservation.

  “Wait,” Jen continued, searching around as we all moved into the trees. “Where’s Troy?”

  That was a good question.

  “Fuck Troy!” Kristen hissed angrily. “He’s a traitorous ass and I’m going to fucking kill him.” I could hear her teeth grinding as she growled, fists clenched.

  “What?” Jen moved closer to Kris. “What happened?”

  “He sold you guys out,” Kris growled. “The minute he left us by our cars the other morning, while you were passed out. He was telling them exactly where we all were. He even left them the extra room keys so they could be waiting for us when we got back from the club.”

  White hot anger flared within me, no wonder they had found us so easily! I wanted to charge off right then and hunt him down to end his miserable life.

  Kristen must have known my thoughts because she stopped ahead of us and turned to face me. “He’s mine,” she spat out between clenched teeth. I nodded slowly.

  It wasn’t like I could actually leave, anyway.

  The scents and sounds of our escort surrounding us were brought to me no matter where the wind blew from. There were at least two packs worth of guards out here. Representatives from each of the clans seemed to be present as well; deer, fox, and moose.

  This matter wouldn’t be left to be handled internally by just wolves.

  Our hike continued quietly for a time, the scent of sadness coming from Jen while an unrestrained anger flowed off of Kris. Surprisingly, my own anger had died down quickly. It was difficult to focus on staying angry when you faced your own approaching death.

  It brought an odd sense of serenity.

  “How long will we be hiking?” Jen asked some time later. The pace we were moving at was blessedly slow. Ian taking pity on the human perhaps, as unlikely as that would be.

  “It depends on whether we are to arrive tonight or in the morning,” I answered simply. We would arrive when we were required to.

  Morning passed into afternoon with little of note occurring and few conversations. We were all lost in our own thoughts as we progressed further into the hills.

  The highlights of my day were the simple moments I spent assisting Jen. Holding her hand as she crossed wet rocks over a stream, pulling her up a steep incline or onto a boulder, holding her waist as we crossed a fallen log over a short drop.

  I relished every second we were in contact.

  An unfortunate side effect was that as the day wore on Kris became more sullen and withdrawn.

  It was late afternoon when I confronted her while Jen drank from a stream nearby. When I had asked why Troy would do this the answer shocked me.

  They had never bonded.

  “Why the hell are you smiling, Liam?” she asked, hurt that I could smile at her loss and the instrument of my capture.

  “I succeeded,” I replied as I continued to smile down at her, a huge weight removed from my shoulders.

  “What?” Kristen was confused. “What do you mean?”

  “I came down to prevent you bonding Troy and, whether or not I have any credit for it, you didn’t.” Seeing her anger rising I walked to her and hugged her tightly. “You’re safe. You won’t be exiled.”

  “Fat lot of good that does you.” She smiled sadly up at me.

  “It does me worlds of good, sister.” I smiled again, genuinely happy. “I know you will be all right.”

  She sighed and shook her head before giving me another squeeze. “Your definition of all right is much different than mine, but I’ll do my best.”

  I nodded, it was all I could ask for.

  An hour or so before sunset I began to plan how best to get Jen through the trails in the dark. Carrying her again was likely the best option.

  It was a relief, however, when the familiar grey and white wolf came into view as we rounded a bend in the trail. He was resting on his haunches and waiting for us to close the distance. As we approached he stood up and trotted off of the trail.

  Jen groaned softly as we turned to follow, the smell of exhaustion had been radiating from her for hours. It had become difficult for her to lift her feet very high so I made sure to find a path she could shuffle through.

  The scent of roasting pheasants and rabbits reached us long before we arrived at the camp. Even Jen’s limited senses had picked up the aroma and set her stomach growling. She continued onward with a renewed determination.

  Stepping into s small clearing we found a single man sitting on the ground by the fire, tending the roasting meat. Logs had been set up for us all to use as seats and a tent stood nearby.

  I growled despite my best intentions not to. These were all subtle insults, insinuating that I had lost myself to human comforts.

  Kris walked up and took the seats gratefully, but I eschewed them and lowered myself to the ground, opposite from my mentor. “Ian,” I said simply.

  “Liam,” his response was just as flat. “Kristen.” He turned and looked at Jen, who shied away from his unsettling gaze. “And the human,” he finished, his tone a mixture of curiosity and disdain as he watched Jen, still standing at the edge of camp. Fear rose within her under his piercing eyes.

  “My name is Jen,” she spoke quietly, anger beginning to replace some of her unease, “Not ‘the human.’” She stared back at Ian, both unblinking, then slowly walked to the open seat across from Kristen, brazenly sitting nearer to Ian than to me.

  Kristen watched Jen, worried. Ian wasn’t someone to be pushed.

  After a time Ian spoke. “Very well then. Jen.” He regarded her with thinly veiled surprise.

  I turned my gaze from Jen and watched Ian as Kris relaxed nearby. The scent of Jen’s emotions lingered in my mind and I marveled at what an amazing person she was.

  She couldn’t have known that the fear coming from her had angered Ian. Ian was a hunter through and through, and any weakness would be exploited.

  The only chance she had to get by safely had been to do as she had done. Take a chance and confront her fear boldly.

  A true hunter respects nothing more than something facing its fears and overcoming them. In doing what she had done, she had upended the image Ian had built up of the weak human I had bonded.

  “Ian,” I spoke as he continued to watch Jen as she stared into the flames. “Tell me, what is the general feeling of the tribe? What are we likely to encounter when we arrive?”

  Jen and Kris both looked up at me before turning to Ian as he answered. “You know I spend little time on the reservation.” He met my gaze and poked the fire, sending sparks dancing up into the air.

  “Still, you must have been there if you are here now.” I watched his face for a reaction and was rewarded with a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth. A quickly suppressed grin.

  “Clever, and true.” He grinned fully before continuing. “It’s been quiet. Suspiciously and intentionally so.”

  I stared at him, confused, as Kris spoke my own thoughts. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  “It means,” he looked at us each in turn, “That once word came in of what you had done, the few who knew were sworn to secrecy.” He stared me down and his face grew darker. “We were also forbidden to speak with any of you.”

  “Then why are you here? Is that why the rest of our guards are off in the woods around us
instead of being close ‘in case?’” Kristen’s words caused Jen to stare off in random directions through the trees, fear spiking slightly but never reaching her face.

  What amazing control she had.

  It was easy to forget that while Kris, Ian, and I could easily hear and smell the others in our area, Jen was essentially blind by shifter standards. And yet, she still stayed with us, ignoring her fear and human ‘limitations.’

  Ian watched her as she calmed back down and looked to him, awaiting his answer. Ian’s opinion of my mate rose another notch in his book and he nodded to her before replying. “Yes, none of the others want to anger an alpha, let alone the entire council.” He snorted. “Bunch of chicken shits.”

  “You don’t talk like Liam,” Jen commented suddenly and I sighed. Was I never to live that down?

  “And thank the gods for that!” Ian laughed quietly. “He was raised by one of the old packs that go on and on about tradition. If only they could see their star pupil now.”

  My growl only earned a grin from him.

  “Oh. I guess I just assumed everyone at the reservation would be like him. Proper.” Jen said, looking at me; irritated, probably wondering why I had never mentioned it before.

  “Proper?” Ian laughed again. “Is that what you’re calling it then? Only the old packs are like that, most of the rest of us just are. We don’t need to learn an awkward way of speaking or have useless traditions forced down our throats.”

  “Tradition is not useless, Ian.” My voice held little heat for the old argument, though my wolfish instincts cringed a little inside for antagonizing our alpha.

  “There’s a place for tradition, don’t get me wrong,” Ian continued by rote, both of us playing our roles. “But tradition for tradition’s sake fails to keep up with more current times. It should be able to adapt somewhat. Who knew a few thousand years ago that humanity would be what it is today?”

  “Ian, as a rule tradition isn’t required to adapt.” I snorted, finishing our age old argument.

  Ian looked at me, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “You seem the same to me as when you left. I don’t know what caused your... lapse.” He looked to Jen. “But can I assume that if I take off your harness you won’t do something stupid like attack me or try to run?” He nodded at my flat stare before coming around to use the releases on the back of the harness.

  “Thank you.” I rubbed my shoulders where the leather had been biting in. “I think there may be something amiss with that set, they continually tightened and required adjustment.” Ian looked me over as he sat back down across from me, dropping the shackles nearby.

  “They aren’t broken, boy, you’ve been growing.” He looked at Jen, “And unless I miss my guess, she has too.”

  “What?” I laughed. Ian rarely joked, but when he did, nobody every understood them.

  Kristen, however, was nodding. “I missed it at first,” she said, looking between Jen and I. “Jen’s an inch or two taller, you’re probably twice that.”

  “Wait, what?” Jen was as confused as I felt.

  “I noticed it earlier,” Kris said slowly, “At first I thought it was just because I had changed out of my heels. But then I really looked. I used to be able to see clear over your head, Jen. Now I’m looking at your forehead.” She shrugged. “I can’t explain it.”

  This had to be a side effect of bonding a human, but what did it mean? Jen stared at me; unease, confusion, and worry flashing through her as she wondered the same.

  “Maybe the elders will have some answers for you,” Ian spoke, unconcerned, “But I sure as hell don’t. Dinners ready.”

  We fell into an uncomfortable silence as he passed around skewers of meat.

  “As delicious as this always is,” Jen commented as she accepted her meal. “Would it kill you guys to add some vegetables or anything that isn’t strictly meat to your diets?”

  “It might,” Ian replied without missing a beat. “Best not to find out.”

  Kristen chuckled as he handed her a spit as well. A few minutes of quiet eating followed, Jen finishing her meal quickly and taking some of my own with a mischievous grin.

  One spit still stood near the fire, keeping the meat warm, and Ian regarded it a moment after Jen had playfully taken a few bites from my own.

  He looked up at Kris and spoke. “I assume it’s safe to say that your bond mate, Troy, wasn’t it? Isn’t going to catch up to us tonight?” Ian’s words caused her face to darken, though she kept her eyes on the flames and didn’t reply.

  Jen’s emotions flared. Concern, anger, worry, love, and too many others to describe, all passed through her as she looked at Kris calmly. I had to rub my nose at the onslaught and caught Ian doing the same out of the corner of my eye.

  The silence drew out uncomfortably before Kris said simply, “He isn’t coming.”

  “I see,” Ian nodded. “So those rumors are true as well. It certainly explains his enthusiasm in helping us find you all.” Seeing the effect his words were having he continued to press on, instinctively exploiting what he saw as weakness. “Seems you may have to take notes from your brother on how to pick a mate, then. Ironic, isn’t it?”

  She stood up, furious, face twisted in anger and loss. “Don’t you dare!” The words hissed out of her.

  I needed to step in, but how? Kris would not appreciate it in the slightest and Ian was still my alpha. Locked in indecision, I watched with a sense of dread as Jen stood up and whirled on Ian.

  “Hey! That’s totally out of line!” She stared challengingly at him. “Who the hell do you think you are?!”

  Kristen was startled out of her anger as I cursed inwardly. Jen really had no idea that Ian was important; an alpha, not just some run of the mill shifter like those she had been meeting till this point.

  This was bad.

  “Girl,” Ian said softly, an edge of danger coating his words, “This is none of your business.”

  “She’s my best friend and she’s just gone through some serious shit.” Jen stared at Ian defiantly. “I’m making it my business.”

  I wondered where this fire was coming from, Jen had never flared up like this that I knew of.

  “Jen, it’s fine. Really,” Kristen spoke, hoping to diffuse the suddenly dangerous situation.

  “No.” Jen’s anger continued to rise. “It’s not fine, not even slightly.”

  “I could beat you senseless, child,” Ian continued to speak softly as he stood to his considerable height. He felt he was being challenged. This was going from bad to worst. Fast.

  “And?” Jen actually took a step closer to the angry alpha, and he blinked. A small thing, blinking, but it spoke volumes. This was likely the first time in his entire life that anything had come closer to him while it was the target of his anger.

  “What do you mean, ‘and?’” Ian asked, surprised.

  I prepared myself. There was no way I could fight Ian purely in human form, and Kristen wouldn’t be able to help much either. Not to mention that any noise would draw in the rest of our guards.

  “Jen.” I had to try diplomacy, it was our only hope of getting her through the night unscathed, but she just talked right over me.

  “What I mean,” she continued, staring at Ian, who actually seemed off balance, “Is so what if you could kick my ass? Just because you’re bigger, stronger, or just more violent doesn’t mean that what you say is right.” There was no fear in Jen, only a righteous anger.

  Ian was truly confused now. In the shifter world being bigger, stronger, or more violent did make his words right. And he was all three and an alpha as well. His word was unquestioned law.

  I moved quickly, putting myself between them as Kris jumped over the fire and pulled Jen back. Ian was surprisingly fast for his age, though and he didn’t have to move far. Unfortunately, I was completely unprepared for him and looked on uselessly...

  As he laughed.

  Head thrown back, arms wide, he turned in a slow circle where he stood as gal
es of genuine laughter poured out of him. Looking back, I saw Kris and Jen both starting at me in shock.

  This was unexpected.

  Relaxing slightly, I stepped back towards Jen as Ian laughed himself hoarse before plopping back down by the fire.

  “Liam,” Ian spoke, still shaking with laughter and wiping tears from his eyes, “Bring her with you before the council, it’s your right and she is nothing like what we expect humans to be.”

  He regarded her warmly before turning to me and continuing, “Put her in front of the council and she’ll win your fight for you. Probably leave as the first human alpha as well.”

  The rest of the evening passed without further incident and, before long, Jen and Kris were crawling into the tent while I found an appropriate tree to sleep under for myself.

  Reflecting back on the night’s events, I felt myself smile at the marvel that was my mate. Walking into the camp, Ian had been an enemy. By nights end she had turned him into our ally.

  By challenging an alpha.

  Chapter Nine

  Jen

  We entered the village shortly after noon, the wooded path suddenly opening up onto a well-tended dirt road. Log cabins dotted the area nearby, trees coming right up to them, apparently left as close to how they found the area as possible.

  As we followed the charming, yet terrifying, Ian further in I was startled when animals began emerging from the tree line to our left and right. I assumed they were our shifter guards but for some reason I wasn’t able to tell just by looking at them. Perhaps I could only tell a shifter when they were in their human form?

  “I didn’t expect there to be farms here,” I commented as I noticed a cabin next to a tilled field in the distance. There were even some penned cows, pigs, chickens, and sheep.

  It was Ian who responded. “We’ve done it for centuries, maybe longer. The old packs are still bitter over it.” He grinned. “Wait till you see your cottage.”