Page 56 of Eclipse Pack

Hannah thanks her Alpha and then me before walking back into the shop, and beginning the process of clearing up. I look at Ember and she has a faraway look in her eyes.

“I should have killed him when I had the chance, Luna Taria, but how could I justify killing my friend's brother as she pleaded for his life? That decision will come back to haunt me, I know it.” Ember will take time to come to terms with this, I think to myself. I hope Elijah doesn’t come back and hurt his sister, because that will be something I don’t think Ember would ever forgive herself for.

“Warrior Ember, I am giving you a Luna command. If you ever see Elijah again, you are to terminate him immediately. Any repercussions from that action will lie squarely at my door and I will bear any consequences of my order. If we come across him again, it can only be because he has broken his oath.” Placing my hand on her shoulder, I feel some of the tension ease and her muscles slowly unwinding. “Is that order okay with you, Bronze?” To which Bronze gives me a small nod of agreement.

“Thank you, Luna Taria. It will be as you order.” Ember walks away, but only as far as the door and takes a guard's stance. I look at Bronze, who has been talking with Cameron and Logan, no doubt praising them on the wardrobes, drawers, trunk, and bed.

Once we have left the carpenter shop, we call at the clothes shop and thank Malakai and Reagan for the wedding suits. Bronze also thanks Reagan for the training suits and I’m confident that there will be a package arriving at the alpha suite in the not-too-distant future.

Chapter 29

LYLE

After hearing about all the drama that Alpha Bronze and Luna Taria went through at the Wolfsfoot Pack, I hope their visit here is a little more sedate. I have enough going on myself without having anything else brought to my door.

It was evening when Alpha Bronze and Luna Taria arrived and we enjoyed a meal together while they told me of Elijah and his plan to sell his sister. That is such a low moral standing that I just cannot envisage any Spirit Walker pack member sinking to. Having said that, I don’t think any Alpha of any pack would expect to have a traitor in their midst, but I’m sure we must all have them.

My interest is piqued by this bat warrior, Ember, of Taria’s, too. Apart from the fact that Ember looks stunning, the whole bat warrior thing has me intrigued. When Alpha Bronze explainedhow it all came about, I was laughing so hard I almost upended the table we were eating at.

If I wasn’t so set on finding my fated mate, I could quite easily have approached Ember as a chosen mate. I’m not convinced that there isn’t some mutual interest going on there either. Perhaps I should use the bat as a way of getting her into the training ring with me?

Listen to yourself. You’ve obviously been alone too long.

‘I was just thinking out loud, nothing more.’

I wouldn’t think too ‘out loud’ if I were you. If you’re wrong and she takes offence, I bet she could cool your ardor with that stick of hers in short order.

‘It’s not a stick, it’s a bat. Apparently, it’s a very efficient weapon in her hands.’

Well, if you decide to ever test its efficiency, just be sure to know that you’ll be on your own when you do. I’m having no part of her stick, branch, bat, or whatever the heck else it comes under.

‘I bet if she threw it, you’d chase it and bring it back, tail wagging!’

That is the most disgusting, underhanded, degrading, insulting thing you have ever said to me! You think I’m a dog, indeed! I’ve a good mind to ask the Goddess to put me with someone far more worthy and understanding of my talents and abilities.

‘No one else would put up with you like I do, Hunter. We are perfect for each other, and you know it.’

That’s as may be, but wait till you find your fated mate. I’ll tell her all the things you’ve just said. You lecher!

My thoughts are interrupted by a mind link from the border warriors. It seems there is a buildup of rogues yet again. I find all these ‘hit and die’ tactics more than a little baffling. They are gaining absolutely nothing from them.

Mind linking with Chief Warrior Glen, I’m not surprised when I find he has already dispatched more warriors. We set up a staging area for reinforcements closer to the border so we don’t have to have such long traveling times. It has proved invaluable with all the regular skirmishes. Perhaps this is one of the things that Arric has not yet realized. Maybe he is testing our response times, thinking we are still traveling from the packhouse grounds. Interesting.

Luna Taria has asked to see what our gardens are like, so we are all going to have a tour of the grounds later, and see what suggestions she has, if any, for improvements. We don’t have a head gardener as such, so I’m sure that will be one of her recommendations. I have someone in mind who is one of our regular garden team but have always balked at making the position permanent for her, as her name is Blossom. I think it’s my inner child that has prevented me so far.

It wasn’t your inner child that was thinking of Ember!

‘You intrude my thoughts at some of the most inopportune moments, you know that, don’t you?’

As you said, we are perfect for each other.

‘I may have been exaggerating, slightly.’

A knock at the door halts our banter and after having called ‘Enter’, the door swings open and Earl Stone Shadow, my Beta, walks in.

“Alpha Lyle, I have received some information that you should hear immediately.” The seriousness of his tone and the look on his face tells me I’m not going to like what he has to say.

“Take a seat and let’s hear it.”

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