Page 46 of Wolf's Reckoning
He hadn’t hesitated. Not once. Not when he said “rogue.” Not when he said “breach.” Not when the druid called him pack leader, like the title hadalwaysbelonged to him.
I hadn’t flinched either. I didn’t need to flinch to feel the press of a knife at my throat.
Adair appeared at my side, quiet as always. “Those guys are waiting for you.” She rubbed her cheek. “The pack is asking for you too.”
Of course they were. Because that’s what they did, wasn’t it? Ask. Demand. Expect. What they didn’t do waslisten. I hated that I felt so bitter. I hated that I was reacting in this way. I was the alpha’s daughter, and I needed to stopthinking about myself and remember who I was. Who I was to my pack.
A leader.
Someone they depended on. If they saw me falling apart, then they would panic and be uneasy. With a deep breath, I squeezed Adair’s hand, turned around, and walked back inside the hall.
Dex and Tyler were hovering, but I had no energy for them right now. Yes, I had told Wolfe’s beta—Killian, his name was—that the two of them were staying, but I’d been foolish. There was no need for them to stay. Seeing Wolfe walk out of the woods, the scent of him surrounding me, I felt silly for not seeing his natural leadership. It was evident in the way he walked; no wonder my dad had picked him over the others.
A quick glance around the hall told me Wolfe and his friend had already gone to my father’s rooms. I hurried to catch up. I slipped inside, no one looking my way, as I made my way to my father’s bedside.
That was new.
I was used to being scrutinized and watched. Wolfe didn’t even pause as he spoke. He was at the map on the wall that my father had of our packlands, one hand planted on the edge as he pointed to the border.
“I caught the scent here,” he said to no one and everyone. “This is your marked territory. They’d killed without feeding, claw marks on the trunks, sending a message.”
Lewis looked at my father before speaking. “Could’ve been a stray?”
“No,” Wolfe said, glancing at him and then at Dad. “This was a trained soldier; they knew what they were doing.”
Killian nodded. “The kill was deliberately vicious. The prey was not the deer it took down.” His gaze swept the room, landing on me briefly, dismissing me just as quickly.
“And you followed them, alone. Why?” The druid hovered near my father, but their attention was wholly on Wolfe.
“The scent was strong. I thought I would be able to catch up to them.” Wolfe shrugged. “The more I followed, the more I knew I was being led on a chase.”
“You’ve seen this before?” my dad asked him.
Wolfe looked towards Killian before answering my father. “Yeah, we’ve seen this before.”
The druid gave a soft, agreeable hum—just enough for my father to nod in agreement to whatever they said through the mindlink. Every alpha could communicate with their pack through a mindlink. Another gift from the Goddess.
Lewis asked a question, and I heard murmurs around me as Wolfe answered. I watched my dad as he watched them all. He looked paler, his face more drawn, with blue-tinged circles under his eyes. The voices faded as I looked him over, seeing how much he had deteriorated as they spoke of borders, territory, security, and marriage.
Wait, what?
I refocused on the conversation and saw that they were all looking at me. “What?”
The druid frowned at me. “What of your decision, Rowen?” they asked me firmly.
I blinked. “My decision?”
“Your husband?” they asked, and it was not said unkindly, though it did make my skin prickle. “Surely the danger to the pack makes it more urgent for you to choose.”
I wouldnotlook at Wolfe.
But then I realized that I could feel his eyes on me from where he stood across the room in my peripheral vision, feel him pulling at me like a string ready to snap.
“I need time,” I said.
The druid was unimpressed. “You’ve had time.”
I met their gaze, teeth clenched. “Then you can give me more.” I looked at my dad and saw the sorrow in his eyes. “Two more days.”
