“Her name is Carina.” Orkamahki. “She’s tied up in my cabin.”
He grunts. “Keep her there. You’ll cause a riot if she’s outside. The others are anxious about having one ofthemaround.”
Not the ones who accompanied me. Cautious, but not anxious.
Regardless, his blatant command unsettles me. Amos has been by Dad’s side for decades, and in the past few weeks since becoming Alpha, he’s struggled to see me as anything more than the heir. His lack of faith pisses me off, as do his “suggestions.” But nothing more than his blatant attitude.
My growl forces his unspoken challenge to cease.
“Have you thought about her escaping?” He crosses his arms. “She’s awitch. Rope won’t hold her.”
Marissa, ever the peacekeeper, rests her hand on his shoulder, urging him to back down after reading my expression. “What’s important now is handing her over to that coven. Will you warn her?”
“Tomorrow, yeah, so she understands. She won’t be quiet until learning the truth.” No one would accept this kind of kidnapping without proper explanation.
“She won’t care about any of us,” Amos mutters.
My wolf is unsettled in that anxious pre-fight way. Before this turns deadly, I tamper him down by gripping the closest wooden post.
“If you were in her place, would you? It’s her against us, and for her survival, she will deem herself more important.” I pause, considering the entire meeting. “Then again, she might. She came semi-willingly. Morgan was ready to deny us, readyto accept a battle over the accords, but Carina stepped in and agreed to come. She already guessed we need her, and she wants to learn why.”
Marissa hums lightly, glancing at my cabin. “She’s a High Priestess’s daughter. She’s doing what’s right by her people.”
Amos’ lip curls as he turns for the door. “Guess we’ll see. I’ll take the first shift, Marissa. You get some sleep.”
“Wake me if you need me to take over,” I say when we’re alone. The elders are the caretakers of the pack, but he’s still my father and I’m still Alpha, which makes him ultimately my responsibility.
“You’ll have your hands full, it’s okay. Be sure to rest as well. I feel in my weathered bones the next few days will be trying.”
With Carina around, I guessed that the second I realized who she is.
“You did good today. It’s an unfortunate twist of events, but this will work out in the end. For everyone.” Her gaze travels to my cabin, a thoughtful twist of her lips.
Having my wolf react to Carina, constantly feeling possessive about her, doesn’t suggest it’ll work out. If there’s anyone here trusting enough to give me useful information besides Dad, it’s Marissa.
“Marissa.” I wait until she faces me again, but at the last second, tug her down the small porch of Dad’s cabin and around to the other side, deeper into the woods and away from anyone able to overhear. “Have you ever heard of reacting weirdly to another person?”
Unfazed by the fact I just dragged her around, she checks, “Weird how?”
Please don’t make me say it.
“You know. Like…”
“Like…?”
She’s making me say it.
“Like…acting like they’re a mate when they’re not?”
It’s so rare Marissa’s carefully constructed façade drops, revealing her true reactions—but this instance becomes one of them. Her mouth slips open and she jerks back a step until my cabin is once again in view.
Swallowing through my dread, I tell her everything. Starting from this morning when finding Carina sneaking around on our territory—which she barely reacts to—to the strange thoughts and feelings, and then again during the meeting. To her being in my cabin, and even now, how my wolf is practically clawing to return to her.
“Oh, Ryder,” Marissa breathes with a tentative smile. “Ithappened. What a strange and unusual manner, but I’m so happy for you.”
“I’m sorry?”
The fact she has an answer—whatever it may be—is relieving. I’m not losing it, that this has happened before, which means there’s a cure. It means Carina didn’t curse me. However, her reaction is unsettling.
