Page 62 of Wolf's Prize

Gaharet’s chuckle snapped his head up.Gaharet is not angry?

“There is nothing to apologize for, Aimon. I understand your need to protect her.” He gave a nonchalant shrug of his shoulder. “I, myself, acted similarly when Ulrik suggested Erin should be with another.”

Aimon’s gaze shifted between Gaharet and Erin—a mated pair. Was Gaharet suggesting…?It cannot be.Can it?He turned to Kathryn. His wolf pacing, a restless presence in his mind.Could she be…my mate?

Kathryn hovered behind him, uncertainty pouring off her in waves. Their gazes met and his wolf howled. He swallowed hard.

“Aimon? What is happening? What is wrong?”

“Don’t worry,” said Erin, skirting Aimon and slipping her arm through Kathryn’s, steering her toward the cottage. “Gaharet didn’t tell me either,” she said, rolling her eyes at Aimon and Gaharet. “Men.”

“Tell you what? I do not understand.”

No, she would not. She had no experience with wolves. He had three years of living as a wolf and he had not grasped the significance of his feelings for Kathryn.

“I’ll explain it all later,” said Erin. “Gaharet needs to talk to you first, and then we’ll have some girl time.”

She led Kathryn into the cottage.

Gaharet clapped him on the shoulder. “Congratulations, Aimon. In such hard times as we find ourselves, this is a blessing. Come, we have much to discuss.”

Aimon stared after Gaharet, his emotions unsettled. His alpha seemed so certain. If Gaharet was right, was it any wonder he had struggled to keep his distance from her? He stared after his alpha’s retreating back, then followed him inside.

Aimon barely glanced about the small, cozy cottage—his attention fixed on Kathryn. In a daze, he sat next to her, his thigh brushing against hers beneath the table, unable to drag his gaze away from her. Erin stifled a giggle, and Kathryn turned to him, one eyebrow raised. He swallowed and shook himself out of his stupor. Now was not the time and place for this conversation.

“I do not know how much Aimon has told you about us, Kathryn,” said Gaharet, the deep rumble of his voice demanding their attention, “but I am now your alpha.”

Kathryn stiffened beside him. Aimon reached a tentative hand out to hers, and when she clutched it, emotions in his chest swelled and his wolf preened.

“Aimon has mentioned it.”

Gaharet nodded. “Do you understand what that entails?”

“A little.”

Her voice wavered. His wolf snarled inside his mind. He schooled his expression to remain blank and his body to remain seated. He would not interfere, but he could comfort her, encourage her. As her teacher, as her friend, her lover…and maybe her mate. He brushed his thumb across the back of her knuckles, and she rewarded him with a smile.

“It means,” said Gaharet, “as a werewolf in our pack, you now answer to me.”

Kathryn’s nostrils flared. Her free hand clenched into a fist, and her scent deepened. Aimon thought she might shift, and he leaned closer. Gaharet’s gaze bored into her, his alpha dominance rolling off him. His own wolf bristled, and he half rose. Gaharet’s dark gaze shifted to him, giving no quarter. He slunk back to his seat, acknowledging Gaharet’s authority, but his hand remained clenched around Kathryn’s.

Gaharet returned his attention to Kathryn and waited. With her jaw clenched tight, she held Gaharet’s stare for a heartbeat, then dropped her gaze to the table.

Aimon released a pent-up breath. Few could match Gaharet. Ulrik had tried and failed. But if Kathryn decided to challenge Gaharet, Aimon could not be certain on whose side he would fall. His alpha’s, to whom he owed his life? Or Kathryn’s, the woman who fate had chosen as his mate?

Kathryn stared at the table, conscious of the weight of Gaharet’s gaze. The power rolling off him had her wanting to shrink down in her seat, or better still, flee the cottage altogether. Anne had said Gaharet ruled the pack with a fair hand, but he clearly also ruled it with a firm grip. Unlike her father, he would not view any disobedience with tolerant amusement. He was more likehisfather, whom she had always found intimidating. Stern and commanding, Jacques had dominated a room with his presence alone. She could well see Gaharet as the alpha, keeping them all in line, as his father must have done in the past. She gritted her teeth. The gentle pressure from Aimon’s hand was the only thing keeping her in her seat.

“We have rules,” Gaharet continued. “And traditions. Your training will involve learning what they are. It is imperative you follow them. Our safety and survival depend on it. Anything that affects the pack goes through me, and I base my decisions on the welfare of us all. If you have a problem, you come to me. Even with one of our own. Especially with one of our own.”

Kathryn squirmed in her seat, but she did not raise her gaze, keeping it fixed firmly on the table. Rules? Traditions? How much more cloistered could her life get?

“But,” he said, his tone softening, “it also means that I am responsible for you andtoyou. It is my duty to ensure the wellbeing and safety of the entire pack, including you. We take care of our own.”

Kathryn dared a glimpse at Gaharet through her lashes. His gaze had not left her face, but his expression was not the stern countenance she remembered her Uncle Jacques for.

“It will feel strange at first, but it is my hope, in time, you will find comfort in being part of our pack.”

She licked her dry lips.

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