Page 37 of Wolf Pack

“Who are they? Since I am no’ staying at the keep, I am no’ privy to what is going on there.” Which, in a way, was nice. On the other hand, as she was learning now, it was beneficial to have Elene there, who could tell her what was being said.

“Mege is the one who is pushing her plan the most. The pretty dark-haired woman seated two tables over. She is glowering at you even now as we speak. Then there is Marioziota and Theebet. But they may no’ pursue Alasdair unless he does the pursuing. Mege isna one to cross, however.”

“Hmm,” Isobel said.

“She thought she had an in with him and then you came along. Alasdair’s sister has filled me in on all the details. Bessetta is truly fun to get to know.”

“What aboutyouand Alasdair?” Isobel thought that Elene would stand a good chance with Alasdair, even better than she would because Elene was Scottish.

Elene laughed. “I have an eye on one of Alasdair’s brothers. No’ that either take any interest in me, but you definitely have caught the laird’s eye. I think it was when you practically shouted at Alasdair that there had been no one on the beach with us that had intrigued him most of all when we first ran into him.”

Isobel sighed. “I hadna meant to make the outburst. He immediately knew I wasna Scottish and that others were on the beach then.”

“And once he learned who they were, he respected you for trying to protect them. But also, the word has spread how you killed the Viking guard in charge of the hostages and longships and that you wished to pull guard duty. That has intrigued no’ only Alasdair but many of the bachelor males of his clan.”

Isobel laughed. “I didna need to flash my eyelashes at a man to gain his attention, no’ that I would ever do such a thing.” Then she thought about something else that Elene had said. “Which brother are you interested in?”

Elene laughed. “I willna say unless things change between us. By then, I’m sure you’ll know yourself. Though if I return home, I’m sure naught will come of it.”

Suddenly, Lorne stalked into the great hall to speak with Alasdair. Everyone quieted, and Isobel figured a problem had arisen since he oversaw the guards.

Isobel wondered if she would if Alasdair needed her to help other guards in defense of the keep. The clan still had a long way to go to make the wall fully secure after it had suffered damage. She thought she could help rebuild it when she wasn’t doing guard duty or helping the MacEachens.

As much as everyone was watching Alasdair and Lorne, she knew it must be serious.

Alasdair glanced at her, his look stern. Was the trouble overher?

Instantly, she worried that the chieftain of the clan she, her kin, and Elene had lived with was here—ready to fight Alasdair and his people so he could take revenge against Isobel, her kin, and Elene.

“Did you tell Alasdair that the guard you killed was Ari?” Elene asked, worried.

Alasdair knewhe would have to deal with Cleary and Baine one way or another. They wanted to join his prosperous clan. They couldn’t unless they were wolves. He didn't want issues between them and Isobel and her kin.

“Cleary and Baine want to eat with us,” Lorne said.

“Turning them would mean they would have difficulty controlling their shifting during the full moon and couldna shift at all during the new moon,” Alasdair reminded Lorne.

“Aye.”

Those with fewer human roots were known as royals and could shift at will. Alasdair wondered if Isobel was a royal wolf. They must be since they were living with a human clan.

“They came with a cache of fish,” Lorne said. “Do I accept the fish and send them away?”

Alasdair let out his breath. “They are trying to learn if Isobel and her kin are from the north.”

“Aye. They’ve tried every way they can to ingratiate themselves to the pack before that though,” Hans said. “I say we turn them and make them part of the pack.”

“What about Isobel and her cousins? If we turn Cleary and Baine and they become part of the pack, I still believe they will want them dead because Viking raiders killed their family,” Alasdair said.

The men were likable, hard workers, even working on the wall once the storm had damaged it. Alasdair didn’t want to eliminate them. They were good hunters, having brought venison for the pack before; fighters, when they’d had skirmishes with a neighboring clan; and fishermen, bringing a fresh catch to them when they had enough.

But Alasdair couldn’t allow them to harm anyone in his pack.

“They can help repair the fortifications again,” Rory said. “And if they try to harm Isobel and her family, we’ll eliminate the troublemakers. You know they’re not going to stop trying to join our clan, and at the same time, learn if Isobel and her kin have Viking heritage.”

“I agree. Thank them for the fish. Ask them to join us for the meal. Beyond that, they can become part of our clan, and they can help repair our wall, among other things. They’ll stay in the barracks with the rest of the bachelor men and eat with us during the meals. But make room at a table farthest from Isobel,” Alasdair said.

“Aye, we will.” Rory hurried off to have some of their people make room at one of the lower tables, and Lorne went to fetch Cleary and Baine.

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