Page 6 of Wild Wolf
Nolan whipped out his cell phone and made a call. “Ten cases to the forest drop pointtonight.”
The wine would, as always, refresh the Fae and help them rest to regain their stores of magickpowers.
The Fae glanced at him as he hung up. “You are a strong alpha, Nolan. They do as you bid. They always do. You could use achallenge.”
Nolan retreated to his rocking chair. “I’m challenged enough by the Harlow pack and their threats and arsonattempts.”
“If you had more females in your pack, it wouldhelp.”
He said nothing. Selene’s band of Fae were all female, and their strength came from the earth and themoon.
“You need a good female. A mate.” Selene gestured to the full moon. “You’ve been alone too long, Nolan. A good mate can tend the grapes, help you with fighting those infiltrators. All we can do is put out the fires. Not end the blood feud with theHarlows.”
Nolan remained silent. Words were wasted on the Fae leader when she got a notion into her mind. The blood feud, started more than sixty years ago as a boundary war, had flared up now like a dying fire. His father had poured gasoline on that fire during a fight with Brandon Harlow three decades ago. Brandon’s mate Trixie had tried to stop them from attacking each other and in the chaos, Brandon slashed her with his claws. Frail Trixie died in her mate’sarms.
“My people grow tired of this. They say the vines need a female presence, a strong female.” Selene leaned forward, her silver hair curtaining her face. “You have none in your pack. You need an alpha female at your side to teach thefemales.”
Frustrated, he clutched the arms of the rocker so hard the wood cracked. The Fae queen was right. What happened with Roy and Charlene was a good example of it. Had Charlene stood up to her mate, Roy would have thought twice before helping himself to the magickvintage.
“What do you want from me? I don’t want a mate. A woman can’t help me run thepack.”
The queen frowned. “Do not become like your father, Nolan. He was a just, but hard Lupine with little regard for the females in hispack.”
Before he could voice a protest, the queen shapeshifted. Nolan’s heart raced as his father suddenly sat before him, with the same gray threaded through his brown hair, the same severe scowl. He’d forgotten about the Fae’s ability to glamour themselves as otherbeings.
“You are not me, Nolan. You are the leader now, and I know you have regard for females,” the queen said in his father’svoice.
“I do,” he snapped in a rough voice, spooked by the living vision of the man he’d admired and detested all at once. “Now changeback.”
She shifted back to her regular form and he rubbed his chest. “You have an odd sense of humor, Selene. I’ll forgive you that little trick because I like you and we need each other. But Idon’tneed a mate, no matter what yousay.”
“But you do.” Selene’s gaze softened. “Have not you yearned to fall in love and make a female Lupine yourown?”
He thought about Jordan, the only woman he ever didlove.
“No.”
The terse answer made her frown. “No matter, Nolan. Love or not, you will have a mate. Take one by the next full moon or we shall no longer aid you in growing the vines and fighting yourenemies.”
Dread kicked him in the chest. He knew what she meant. Without the Fae to lovingly tend the vines and infuse them with magick, they would wither and die. Fires started by the rival pack who wanted his territory would burn fierce and harm all livingthings.
He might end up dying in the very lodge he vowed to never let go, to protect with life andlimb.
The only answer was to find a mate worthy enough to kick ass when warranted. He only knew of one suitablefemale.
Jordan, the one who had broken his heart six yearsago…
Unless she preferred prison over marriage tohim.
2
“Oh hell no,I’m not marryinganyone.”
Jordan folded her arms and gave her most defiant stare at Tristan, the Silver Wizard. Clad in all black, his shoulder-length black hair fringed with silver, he looked intimidating. The wizard, judge and guardian over all shifters, including Lupines like herself, could fry her with a flick of hisfinger.
But Tristan didn’t look angry, onlyresigned.
“Aiden found a suitable candidate willing to take you as his mate.” Tristan perched on the edge of the balcony, never mind that it was four stories in the air. “I suggest, strongly suggest, you take the offer. Shifter prison will break you,Jordan.”
