Page 58 of Wild Wolf
With Nolan fighting Palmer and Todd last month, her outburst at the meeting could have fueled the pair’s restless itch to take on Nolan once more. Would it always be like that, Nolan struggling to prove himself as strong of an alpha as hisfather?
Maybe that’s why Craig kept up the spring tradition of the alpha run. Maybe Craig himself was always trying to prove hisstrength.
“I’msorry.”
“You could have told me in private,” he said gently. “Then we could have discussed it first. Whatelse?”
“That tradition of spanking a youngster with a leather belt is stupid. Let the parents handle the discipline or the child will grow dependent on you instead of having his parents set theguidelines.”
Good advice. He’d always hated thattradition.
“And of course…” She glanced at his mother. “That asinine tradition of the alpha doing the spring run every year to prove he’s physicallyfit.”
His mother’s eyes filled with tears. “Yes. Nolan, please, get rid of that one. I can’t bear to lose you as well if somethinghappened.”
Stopping that tradition would be hard. “If I end it, the pack will think I’m weak.” He flexed hisarms.
“You’re 28 years old, Nolan, not in your seventies like your poor fool pa,” MeeMaw snapped. “Lupines aren’t even elderly until they live past 200 years. Your pa was still a spring chicken, but he was tooproud.”
“No one could call him weak,” Nolan pointedout.
“If anyone thinks you’re weak, beat himup.”
He grinned. “Love you,MeeMaw.”
She harrumphed. “You’re the alpha now. Make new traditions. Have a challenge each spring so the foolish young bucks itching to move up in the pack will fight each other and the winner fights you. You can easily win. You’re a Mitchell and Mitchell’s ain’t fools, and they ain’tweak.”
Nolan glanced at Jordan. “Are you okay withthat?”
She sounded uncertain. Nolan went to her, took a knee and then slid his hand intohers.
“Listen, pixie. I want to do what it takes to make this marriage work, and make the pack strong. I can’t do it alone. Will you helpme?”
Her gaze softened. “Of course I will. I want you to succeed, Nolan. Never wanted anything else foryou.”
Jordan’s voice dropped to a whisper. “I do want to be a good alpha female mate for you. Just as long as I can be at your side as yourule.”
The kiss he pressed into her palm was gentle, lingering. Then he licked her palm andwinked.
“As long as you’re under me naked in bed, that’s fine withme.”
Jordan blushed and MeeMaw laughed. Then a spark ignited her eyes. “I think I can stay on top of that situation,” she sassed himback.
Nolan grinned, tapping her nose. “Let’s wrestle forit.”
“That’s just like a Mitchell. Go on now, git you two, and find a room. Make me a great-granny before I pass from thislife.”
As they drove away, waving good-bye, his spirits lifted. Surely now things would be all right between himself and hismate.
Maybe now Jordan would finally confide in him what had happened to her. Because he needed herbadly.
He hoped she needed him asmuch.
11
Later that afternoon,as Nolan met with his security team to map out areas where the pack would run tomorrow, she slipped out of thelodge.
Nolan had promised to make changes to the pack. Because of those promises, she needed to do her ownpart.
