Page 2 of Wolf Pack

“I willna be engaged in combat. As you said, it will take hours for them to arrive at our shore, if they even beach their ships nearby. Someone can relieve me after a few hours.”

“Aye, do it then.” Alasdair and their brothers had trained Bessetta to fight using a sword and asgian dubh, but only to protect herself as a last resort. They would make sure she was relieved from her job as theneach-faireway before the Vikings landed. Even so, as a wolf, she could hide, and they would never be able to catch her.

Bessetta smiled brightly. She might not be the best at sword fighting, but she was always eager to help their clan in any way that she could. Being the clan chief and her brother, he wanted to keep her home safe from harm.

“You need to marry her off,” Hans said, jesting. “Then she’ll have a husband who will worry about her.”

“Then we’ll worry abouthim,” Alasdair said.

Rory laughed. “Aye. Just as long as you dinna try to find lasses for us to wed.”

Mege, a woman who had become part of their clan when her family joined them last year and had her sights set on Alasdair, rushed out to speak with him. She often concocted reasons to approach him, trying to capture his attention as if she wished he would court her. However, that was not going to happen.

In their world, wolves needed to be mutually attracted to each other since they lived long lives and mated for life. While Mege was a lovely dark-haired woman, her personality didn't appeal to him. She acted like no other woman should show interest in Alasdair, as if she were claiming him for herself. The notion irked him.

“What is it, Mege?” Alasdair asked brusquely, having important duties to conduct.

“One of the villagers—a weaver—is having her babies.”

Alasdair’s jaw dropped before he hid his shocked expression.

It was not a good time for this, but he suspected the threat of battle had been the reason. He frowned. “Have the midwife see to her.”

Why did Mege feel he needed to be involved in the matter? He had to ensure his men were ready to fight and the villagers and crofters under his protection were safely within the castle walls.

Running her hands through her hair, Mege looked ready to collapse. “Our midwife, Rheba, is…missing.”

Inge was worriedas she saw her uncle plot behind the chieftain’s back to overthrow him. She didn’t know her uncle’s exact plans, but others were eager to back him as Funi led several warriors, men and women, to raid a neighboring tribe again. His cousin, Ari, was off raiding somewhere else, though she didn’t know where, so her uncle decided to take control of the clan while he was away.

If Funi died in battle, Inge’s uncle could easily take charge. Funi’s son, Vigge, wanted to marry Inge, which would be problematic. Inge and her family were not really members of the clan, born and raised. They were wolf shifters, unlike the clansmen and women they lived with now, who were strictly human. But they could never reveal the truth about themselves.

Inge told her cousin Bodolf, who was four years her junior, “Come with me.” She had to speak to him about what they must do if Funi returned and her uncle failed to take over the clan's rule.

Bodolf set aside the ax handle he was carving on. “What? I have much work to do.”

“Ja, as much as I do. But we must speak.” They had to prepare for the deadly consequences of her uncle’s actions should they go awry.

They hurried to a cave half a mile away that opened to the ocean. Once they entered the dark, damp cave, the jagged rocks formed a natural barrier from the outside world. They spoke freely without worrying about clan members, not even her younger cousins, overhearing them. The sea breeze blew into the cave, smelling of briny seawater and seaweed.

“Ja, what?” Bodolf folded his arms, looking annoyed.

She let her breath out in exasperation. “I know you wanted to go with the great warrior chieftain to make a name for yourself during this latest raid of his, but you are not one of them.”

He frowned at her. “This is what you wanted to lecture me about?”

“We must be prepared to escape, should your da attempt to wrest power from the chieftain and fail. All of us will be killed if that should happen.”

Bodolf’s eyes widened. “He wouldna fail, would he?”

“If he has enough support, nay. But what if he doesna? What if he fails anyway?” She didn’t want to say that his da could fall in combat before he even reached Funi, but it could happen. “We have to plan for our escape should that happen.”

They had to be prepared for any outcome.

Bodolf ran his hands through his tangled blond hair. “What about Vigge?”

“What about him?”

“He might…might side with you even if da tries to take down Funi and fails.”

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