Page 58 of Wolf Pack

“Other than the lassies who are glaring daggers at you.”

She smiled.Thatshe could deal with. “Why do you have so many enemies?”

“Others want what we have. ‘Tis easier to steal from others than to put in the hard work to build it yourself.”

“The castle.” Land, power. She understood that.

“Aye. We have allied with clans who are enemies to others, and so we have made enemies of those. But you canna survive without making alliances. Because of what we have and how prosperous we are, I have had several offers to wed lasses.”

“Did you ally with Hamilton?”

“Aye.”

“And his daughter?”

Alasdair smiled. “There was no need to marry her to ally with her da.”

Isobel raised a brow as she lifted her tankard of mead to her lips. “What about the offer of marrying other chiefs’ daughters? None suited? Or are you still pondering a new alliance or an old one?” She was disappointed that he might end up with someone else that he already had his sights set on.

“They are no’ wolves, so I’m no’ interested. The woman I will mate will have to be a royal wolf. One who can have my royal bairns.” Alasdair drained his mug.

“Oh,” she said.

“I have no intention of turning a woman, nor of dealing with the fallout with her family when she canna see them when she wants, or they wish to see her, and she is having trouble with her shifting. Nor do I want to have offspring who are not from royal lines. Life would be so much harder for them because they would have shifting difficulties also as they grew up.”

“Aye. I agree. I had talked to the children about never shifting in front of humans, ever. And when running as wolves with Conall or me, they were never to show themselves to humans. If they ever came across one, they were never to bite him or her.”

He frowned at her.

“With me, to protect them, it’s a different story.”

He sighed. “You have given them sage advice. We tell our young ones the same.”

“But we are all royals, so we can shift at will. I have told you my story—how my father, mother, uncle, and aunt died and how we were living among people who were not of our clan. What about you? How did you become clan chief? Did your da rule the clan before that?”

“My parents died young in a skirmish with other clans. My uncle, my da’s brother, never had a mate or offspring. Heoversaw a pack of ten. During a battle with another clan, he was killed. I was older and had been helping him run the pack as if I were his son for some time.”

“I’m so sorry for your losses. But I can see why your pack would want you to lead them,” she said.

He smiled at her. “I immediately ended up taking over the pack and expanding it as soon as I could. We needed more wolf numbers, but we had to ensure they were wolves that would go along with my rule, or we would have just had infighting and chaos.”

“Like when I decided to bite Cleary and Baine without your approval.”

Alasdair ate another bite of his trout. “You remind me of me—in a good way. Sometimes impetuous but fair-minded and protective of kin.”

They discussed his plans for his people, including increasing the number of wolves, finishing the wall, and expanding the castle. She wanted to be part of it all.

She swore the meal lasted much longer than it normally did, and she figured she was the reason for it, though no one was eager to get back to work, so it might have been a good thing. Except the women who didn’t like her were still eyeing her with animosity.

When they finished eating the meal, Alasdair and Isobel walked outside of the keep together, both bound to do their duty. But she felt lighthearted, eager to see him tonight at the loch. She couldn’t wait.

After the meal, he had to speak with his brothers about business while Isobel went up to the wall walk to pull her last guard duty before she had dinner and returned to the croft.

To her surprise, the dark-haired Mege came up the stairs to see her on the wall walk. She probably had never been up there before for any reason.

“You are naught but a wild Viking—dangerous to our people. Dinna think your kind will mate our pack leader. Everyone canna believe you would attack and turn Scotsmen. You are unstable.”

“If ‘tis something Alasdair and I both need to do, we’ll do it.” Isobel had no intention of pretending it might not happen. “As to attacking and turning a Scotsman, if he is harming one of my young cousins, I would do anything in my power to protect them. If she had been your kin, would you no’ have acted on her behalf?”

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