Chasing the Alpha: Shifters of Nunavut, Book #3

by Rivard, Viola

  “What is your problem? Wake up!”

  She said something back to him. Maybe that she wasn’t asleep. Whatever it was, he ignored her and continued pulling her along. Everything around her took on a dreamlike quality as they turned down winding tunnels.

  While her mind had dulled, her senses had sharpened. The darkness did not impede her vision. She saw every nook, cranny, and rock formation that they passed, though nothing looked familiar to her. Her sense of smell had improved exponentially, and at one point she caught a trace of Sten’s scent in the distance. For an instant, she forgot that Erik was even there, and her feet tried to go in the direction of her mate. Erik made a harsh noise and continued pulling her forward.

  The worst part was her skin, which gradually went from hot, to hypersensitive. The pebbles beneath her shuffling feet felt like shards of glass, and even the fur that she wore seemed to have metal bristles.

  Her stomach roiled at the scent of blood, and a moment later her hearing became perfectly acute. The sound of a crying female drew her back into her own mind, and she recognized it as Astrid.

  Erik pulled her into a room that was lit by a single candle. The tiny, flickering flame might as well have been a blazing inferno, and she brought her hand up to shield her eyes. She blinked away tears as Erik spoke, his words coming fast, his tone demanding.

  “She was like this when I woke. She will not stop bleeding.” A pause. “How long are you going to stand there?”

  Indigo squinted against the light, until she could make out Astrid, huddled in a ball on the pallet of furs. She was crying softly, and each sob knifed through Indigo’s heart. Making her way to the bed, she kneeled down beside Astrid and put a hand on her shoulder, as if preparing to comfort her.

  No, that wasn’t right. She didn’t need comfort, she needed help.

  Indigo took a deep breath and used every bit of willpower she had to force her wolf back so that she could focus on Astrid.

  “Let me see,” Indigo said, her voice sounding distant again.

  Gently, she tugged at the blanket that Astrid had cocooned herself in. The human wasn’t much help, but she didn’t resist Indigo’s efforts to uncover her. She knew what she was going to find underneath, but the sight of so much blood still made her gasp.

  “Are you in pain?” Indigo asked.

  “Yes.” The word sounded as though it had been ripped from Astrid’s chest.

  Erik was there in an instant, standing behind Indigo. He was only concerned for his mate, she knew that, but his presence put her on edge.

  “Why is this happening?” he asked. No, demanded.

  Before Indigo could formulate a response, Astrid let out a stream of rambling apologies. Indigo wasn’t sure who she was talking to or what she was apologizing for.

  “This isn’t your fault,” Indigo told her. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

  Astrid only cried harder, and when Indigo leaned in to hug her, she was yanked up by Erik’s large hand. For once, his blue eyes were not icy. There was pain in them, but mostly ferocity, all of which was currently centered on Indigo.

  “You need to fix this.”

  Indigo’s blood ran cold. “I don’t think there’s anything I can do.”

  “You don’t think?” he gritted out.

  “I—I don’t know. I—”

  “You will fix this.”

  Even if there was something she could have done, she was in no state to do it. Every second was a struggle to hold back her wolf. Maybe if she could get out of the room, away from the smell of blood and the sound of sobbing, she could calm herself enough to devise a course of action.

  “What I can do is make her comfortable,” Indigo said, affecting the best placating tone she could manage with her wolf barking inside of her skull. “If you’ll just let me go back to my room and get some pain medicine—”

  “That is not good enough,” he growled.

  Staring up at the furious male, more than twice her size and fully capable of crushing her, Indigo felt trapped and began to panic. Her instincts took over, and she put her hands against his bare chest and shoved hard.

  Erik staggered back with a snarl, and when her hands came back there was blood on them. She didn’t remember sinking her claws into him.

  More panic.

  She ran past him. Or tried to. His hand seized her by the neck. She heard shouting. From him. From Astrid. The words meant nothing to her as she clawed at his hand. She couldn’t breathe. He was going to strangle her.

  Abruptly, he pushed her away. Indigo stumbled and fell backwards, her head crashing into something hard. Her eyes went wide, and she saw Erik holding up a bloodied hand, staring at her incredulously. Then she blinked, and darkness swept over her.

  Chapter 28

  Indigo woke up in bed. She could smell Coral, but only Lake was within her field of vision. The boney female was crouched a few paces away, holding a cup in her hand and eyeing Indigo warily.

  Coral appeared then, swooping in to snatch the cup away. Indigo tried to sit up as Coral thrust the cup at her, but her head felt like a stone block.

  “Help her up,” Coral said, prompting Lake to approach them hesitantly. Indigo tried to protest as Lake put her cold hands under her arms, but her voice stuck in her parched throat.

  Lake kept Indigo propped up as Coral gave her a cup of water. They spoke amongst one another, but for a moment Indigo was only aware of how wretched she felt.

  “You have to drink a lot,” Coral said, thrusting a second cup of water at her. She sounded uncharacteristically chipper. “Otherwise you might remember that you’re hungry, and then you’ll really be miserable, because you’re going to puke up anything you try to eat.”

  As Indigo set the second cup down, she noticed her fingers. Her hands appeared to have been cleaned, but there was still blood embedded beneath her fingernails.

  Erik’s blood.

  She held her hands up in front of her. “I think… I think I attacked Erik.”

  Or had he attacked her? It was all such a jumble in her mind.

  “You destroyed his arm,” Lake said, sounding nervous and impressed.

  Coral added, “That’s nothing compared to what Sten did to him.”

  The mention of Sten set Indigo’s pulse racing. “What happened?”

  “I only know what Sylvestre told me,” Coral said. “He came in right after Sten found you unconscious in Astrid’s room. Erik was shaking you, to wake you up, and Sten attacked him.”

  Indigo covered her mouth with a shaky hand.

  “He’s fine,” Lake said quickly. “Sylvestre and Astrid managed to break them up before they did anything too serious.”

  “Astrid,” Indigo said, practically moaning the name. “Is she all right?”

  Both females shifted uncomfortably.

  “She is with her sister now,” Coral said. “It is the best thing for her.”

  Indigo slumped over onto her side. “Erik brought me to help her and I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t think… I…”

  Her head was still swimming.

  Coral patted her on the back awkwardly. “Erik should not have gone near you. It is all his fault.”

  Indigo tried to counter the argument, but all she could do was shake her head. She wanted Sten.

  * * *

  Tension crackled in the air between the two alphas. Zane sat on his heels, hands clenched into fists. The Siluit alpha looked as though he could spring forward at the slightest provocation. Across from him, Erik appeared equally ready to lash out, though his own fury was indiscriminate.

  A gouge marred Erik’s collarbone, and Sten knew that beneath the dark pelt he wore, there were at least five more like it, all by Sten’s own hand. Wounding his brother had not taken the edge off Sten’s anger. That had happened later, once he’d learned the full scope of what he’d walked into.

  Erik had lost his pups. They might not have been born, but it was a different kind of loss, one that Sten understood. He had no dou
bt that beneath Erik’s cold façade, the alpha was grappling with grief, both for the future he’d imagined, and for Astrid.

  In light of the situation, he couldn’t remain angry with Erik. At least, not too angry. Mostly, Sten was pissed off at himself for leaving Indigo alone when she was vulnerable. She was not alone now, but he needed to be with her.

  Finally, Sylvestre strode in, his wet hair clinging to his face. He hadn’t slept the night before, but unlike the rest of them, he appeared energized. He took a seat on the floor between Erik and Zane, oblivious to the animosity flowing between them.

  “Did I miss anything?” he asked.

  “Apparently we have been waiting for you to take a bath,” Zane said. “Whatever this is about, let’s be done with it.”

  Sylvestre glanced at Sten. “Do you want to say it, or will I?”

  While Sten was not exceedingly angry with his brother, his next words gave him a profound sense of satisfaction.

  “We’re leaving Amarok.”

  He paused, letting the statement hang in the air for a moment. Erik’s eyes narrowed marginally, but his mouth remained shut. Zane looked perplexed, as though trying to figure out what this had to do with him. When the answer came to him, his eyes hardened.

  “Are you asking if you can take my sister?”

  “With your permission,” Sten said, looking between both alphas. “We’d also like to take a few members from Siluit and Amarok with us.”

  Erik’s impassive mask slipped, and his lips parted to bare teeth.

  “Hear us out,” Sylvestre said. “We’re not making this decision lightly. It is the best interest of both of your packs. The bear clans have twice our numbers, and I would wager that we four are the only ones in either pack that could take on one of their males alone. The disparity is too great.”

  “Fuck the bears,” Erik spat. “Henna and Brynn have already left with their little assassins. When they arrive at the Siluit den, they will find it empty and free for the taking. What concern are they of mine?”

  “They aren’t united,” Sten said. “It’s only a matter of time before factions decide they want to break off, and the next logical territory for them to take is Amarok.”

  Zane said, “But by that logic, we would benefit most from sticking together.”

  Sylvestre sighed impatiently. “That’s what we’re proposing, if you’ll both listen.”

  Erik shot him a look of censure, and to Sten’s surprise, Sylvestre met the alpha’s gaze without flinching. Sten wondered if Sylvestre’s former subservience had been pretense, or if he was masking his apprehension well.

  “We are stronger together,” Sten said. “But this region can barely sustain one pack, let alone our current numbers.”

  Erik and Zane remained silent while Sten outlined his part of what he and Sylvestre had already discussed at length earlier that morning. That by dividing the packs three ways instead of two, they could take better advantage of hunting grounds in the north and farther west, while also keeping the packs close enough that they could readily defend each other when attacked.

  “We’re still spreading ourselves thin,” Zane said when Sten was finished. He seemed at least intrigued by the idea. Erik had refused even to look at Sten as he’d spoken.

  “That is only half of the plan,” Sten said, nodding towards Sylvestre.

  “We’re going to use the new pack to secure an alliance with Sedna,” Sylvestre said. “I’ll be taking Coral as my mate.”

  He said it as though it was a forgone conclusion, though in truth, Sylvestre hadn’t asked Coral for her opinion. For that matter, Sten hadn’t discussed any of this with Indigo either, but after the events of that morning, he doubted she was going to object to having her own pack, even if it was shared with Coral and Sylvestre.

  Sten still wasn’t certain how a pack with two alphas would work, but it seemed preferable to remaining Erik’s beta. Also, it helped that he actually got along with Sylvestre.

  “And you think Sedna is just going to hand over an alliance because Coral is your mate?” Zane asked.

  “It’s not like they have other options,” Sylvestre said. “The only other alphas in the region are the two of you, and neither of you are interested in taking her. And with bear shifters encroaching on wolf territory, they’re going to want to ally themselves with someone.”

  Just as Zane was conceding the point, Erik spoke up, his tone scornful.

  “And where exactly do you plan on residing with your new pack?”

  Sten answered, “The lake valley to the north. It can support a medium-sized pack, and if we take enough members from Siluit, then their pack will be small enough to live comfortably in the northwestern mountain range.”

  “Both regions are part of my territory,” Erik grated.

  “Your territory is already too large to hold,” Sten said. “I know it doesn’t seem like it, but this will benefit you. You’ll have two strong allies a day’s journey away, as well as an alliance with Sedna.”

  Sten didn’t point out the obvious blow, that with he and Sylvestre leaving, Erik would need alliances more than ever.

  “I like the idea of downsizing the pack,” Zane said, ignoring Erik completely now. “But which members were you planning on taking?”

  Sten said, “I think it would be best if you and Indigo spoke about that together. We won’t ask for any of your betas, but it would help to have a few capable adults and juveniles that can be trained.”

  “You won’t be taking any of my betas,” Erik said, before Zane could respond. Erik shot Sylvestre a look that was almost mocking. “That includes Ciel and Beau.”

  To his credit, Sylvestre didn’t flinch, but Sten could see his fist clench at his side. Ciel and Beau had been with Sylvestre before they’d all joined Amarok. Sten and Sylvestre were friends, but the other two betas were like brothers to Sylvestre.

  There was a quick rapping on the stone at the doorway. They all looked up as Lake entered. Until the first time he’d seen her, Sten had never known it was possible for anyone to look so unfortunate, without being exactly ugly. Everything about her was slightly unappealing. She was a little too thin, her eyes were a little too far apart, her nose was a little too long, and she had a crooked tooth that might not have been noticeable, if not for the way she sucked on it as she spoke. She was doing it now, as her eyes darted anxiously between the males, landing on Sten.

  “Indigo’s awake. She asked for you.”

  At the mention of Indigo’s name, Sten was already standing.

  “You’re leaving?” Zane asked.

  Sten nodded, but looked at Erik when he spoke. “I’ll be returning next week. In the meantime, Sylvestre can finish this discussion and address any concerns you have. We’ll be leaving shortly after I return.”

  He didn’t like leaving Sylvestre to sort out the details on his own. Sylvestre’s usual even temper had been frayed as of late, and the pack negotiations needed a still hand and a steady tongue. But then, given his own mental state, Sten thought that perhaps that was the best reason for him to leave.

  Erik sniffed at the air, which was the best response Sten could have hoped for. Zane appeared displeased again, though Sten suspected it had less to do with him leaving, and more that he was leaving to mate with the alpha’s sister.

  Sten stopped short of telling Zane that he would take care of Indigo. That was one wry smile short of sounding indecent. Instead, he assured Zane that he would protect Indigo, and bring her safely back to the den. Zane still appeared disgruntled, but he did nod his approval.

  When he was finally out of the room, Sten’s shoulders sagged. Sitting through the discussion had been necessary, but near unbearable. The entire time, his wolf had been clawing at the back of his skin in an attempt to break free and get to Indigo. While Sten had been worried if her fall had caused any injuries, his wolf only cared about finding her and mounting her.

  Lake came trotting up beside him. “You know, Indigo is one of my closest frie
nds. Did she tell you that we’re cousins? Her father was my father’s half brother.”

  Sten arched a brow at that. He could not find one part of his lush, violet-eyed mate in the boney, bug-eyed female next to him.

  “Kya, too,” she went on to say. “All three of us are very close. It would probably break Indigo’s heart if we were all separated.”

  Sten walked faster, half-hoping she would give up keeping pace with him. “Are you asking to join my pack?”

  She nodded enthusiastically, even as she said, “I wasn’t thinking of that, but if you think it’s for the best—”

  “Get approval from Zane, and you may come.”

  He didn’t like the female, and it had little to do with her unfortunate face. But she was always in Indigo’s company, and he wasn’t about to separate his mate from her friends.

  Squawking a thank you, Lake dashed ahead of him at a breakneck pace. He wasn’t sure where she was off to in such a hurry, and he didn’t much care, so long as she wasn’t pestering him anymore.

  Indigo’s scent was a tantalizing fragrance as he neared his room. Frustration melted, giving way to anticipation. There were two layers to his desire, the baser instinct to mate, and the burning desire to know what it would be like to mate with a female of his own kind. Once they were alone, he could release the tenuous hold on his self-control and become the wolf. A wolf, even his wolf, would not hurt its mate, not in any way she wouldn’t enjoy.

  He was pulled from his carnal thoughts when he heard Lake’s nasally voice, just inside his room. Suddenly, he realized why she’d run ahead of him.

  “…and they’re forming their own pack and we’re all joining. It’ll mostly be Siluit wolves, but they’re going to need Amarok muscle, which means there are going to be at least a few gorgeous males. Oh, but not for you. Sylvestre’s going to ask you to be his mate.”

  “What?” Coral’s voice was strangled.

  Lake clicked her tongue. “You better say yes. I mean it, don’t fuck this up for us, Coral.”