Page 22 of Wolf Alliance

“Aye.”

Again, he said, “I dinna want them believing you’re another nanny.” Then he added with a hint of a smile brightening his dark expression, “I’ll see you in the inner bailey.”

She thought Erik would give her grief over her decision and was prepared for it. When he didn’t, she was glad. But she had planned to swordfight with the boys and hadn’t intended to do so in front of their da!

7

Accalia decided—whether right or wrong—that she was doing well here, taking charge like she wanted to do as she did with her staff at home. She had always found that easy to do, but taking care of the boys, she wasn’t sure about that.

Then she headed out to the inner bailey where the boys were waiting for her with wooden swords. Hendrie had two and he ran to her to give her one.

She took it and ruffled his hair. All three lads were smiling. She felt good that they were so eager to play with her.

Several clansmen and women were doing chores but when they saw Accalia coming to fight the boys, they all stopped to watch. When she saw Erik come out to observe the situation, she had a thought. She hoped she wasn’t making a mistake that she would later regret.

She walked over to Erik and handed him the wooden sword. “You wear them out a bit and then I’ll fight them.”

Erik’s mouth opened and she thought he would tell her no, but then he gave her a hint of a smile, took the sword, and approached the boys, who appeared a little worried. They probably figured she would be easy to beat. She was proud of Erik for agreeing to play with his sons.

Thorfinn attacked his da first while the other boys waited.

But then she worried that Erik might be too hard on his boys. She was standing off to the side, casting Erik a look like he should take care with them. She didn’t want to tell him how to battle his sons. But she didn’t want him to beat them so badly to prove his masculinity and to demonstrate something to the rest of his clan. Or maybe even to her.

He caught her eye and Thorfinn struck Erik in the chest, then looked up at him as if he feared he would be in trouble. Erik smiled. She let out the breath she’d been holding up until then.

He motioned to the other boys and fought all three of them. Erik was so fast, sending Thorfinn’s sword flying with a whack of his. He ran to retrieve it as Erik hit Johnne’s sword and sent it off in a different direction. He raced to get it while Erik struck Hendrie’s sword, and it went sailing through the air. Thorfinn rushed back to attack his da again.

Erik’s intense expression, a fighter at heart, turned to joyful laughter when his sons’ swords were airborne. Erik’s reaction melted her heart. He glanced at her and smiled. She smiled back, feeling the more she saw his interactions with his sons, the more she liked the person he truly was.

The boys were so wild and looked eager to beat their da, Accalia was glad he was wearing them down. Sweat dribbled down Erik’s face as he readied his sword to fight his tiring boys. Johnne took a break. Hendrie came in swinging but missed Erik’s sword. Thorfinn came in for another clash with his da but without his brothers’ help distracting him, he lost the advantage.

Forever it seemed they fought.

Everyone was laughing and cheering. Even Accalia couldn’t help but laugh and smile to see the battle progressing between da and sons. They were so bent on fighting him but also having a great time, she thought this couldn’t have worked out any better.

Erik knocked Thorfinn’s sword out of his hand, then Hendrie’s, but Johnne was sitting that fight out.

Erik raised his sword, ending the session, and said, “Good work, lads.”

Then they looked at Accalia. She had hoped they would be worn out after all the fighting with their da, but the boys looked eager to fight her next. She’d promised.

Erik held his sword out to her and when she reached for it, he grabbed her hand and pulled her close. He leaned over and kissed her mouth, shocking her. She was so startled that she didn’t respond at first, not that he probably expected her to. But then she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressed her body against his, and kissed him. No man had ever kissed her like he had, and she wasn’t letting him go until he kissed her further.

His eyes widened a bit as he looked down at her. Now she had shocked him! Which was just the effect she was going for. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her back, his masculine lips warm against hers. She parted her lips to take a breath, and he inserted his tongue into her mouth, teasing and tasting hers and that astonished her all over again. But she loved this with him.

She nearly forgot that half his pack was out there watching them kiss and that his sons were too, and she wondered what they were thinking about all of this. More than that though, she couldn’t believe her body was reacting to his to such a degree. Her breasts tingled, her heart was beating like crazy like his heart was, and she smelled the scents they were both giving off that said they were highly interested in each other as a mated couple. She hadn’t expected that.

Then she broke free from the kiss. She was surprised to connect with him in such a way. Though some wolves didn’t take a mate if they had lost one, his actions made her believe he was interested in mating.

His lips parted as if to speak, and then he saw all his people watching and smiled. “You, lass, are a bundle of fascinating contradictions.”

“So are you.” She was pleased with his praise and realized just how much she craved it—from him. Even if he had room for improvement—just like she had, she looked up to him as a warrior and protective—someone who held his emotions in check most of the time but let them slip for her to enjoy.

He smiled again and stalked off.

Then she faced the boys. They looked worn out, sagging in their stance, their breathing ragged, their hearts beating hard, which was good for her. She waited. Then Thorfinn’s body tensed, and she knew he was ready to spring into action. She readied herself as he rushed her. Hendrie and Johnne waited. Which she was glad for. She didn’t think she could fight off all three of them at the same time.

Thorfinn struck at her and she smacked his sword with hers, sweeping it away. Unlike when he challenged his da, he held onto it. He was a strong lad, and she assumed he wouldn’t want her to show him up. Likewise, she didn’t want to be too easy on him when he might not appreciate it. It was different when his da was fighting him. He was so much bigger and stronger than the boys and her. That’s why she hadn’t wanted Erik to be too hard on them.

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