Ramsay, Eric and Colton… As the sons of the pack leaders, we held a higher status over the rest of our pack members. We were next in line for leadership, and as such, we had a great responsibility to our people.
But we had also grown up together. As kids, we all looked forward to playing at Moon Meetings, innocent and carefree, not giving a shit that we came from different packs. Not caring that we weren’ttechnicallysupposed to be such close friends.
Our close bonds didn’t last, though. Things changed. As we got older, our parents nudged us further and further apart, probably not wanting the four of us to be buddies when we were in opposition.
Now that we were all adults, we knew to keep a healthy distance from each other, even if we regarded one another with mutual respect. We were, after all, supposed to be enemies. When our parents retired or died, we would take over as pack leaders, and we were supposed to act like it. The four packs around the lake weren’t at war, but we weren’t exactly partners either.
Still, it was hard to deny the fondness I had for the other leaders’ sons, enemies or no.
Which made the anxious lump in my throat even more difficult to swallow.
How was I supposed to tell them the truth about me? More nervous now than when we first arrived, I slunk behind Dad.
“What news?” Mom asked, taking a seat around the bonfire with the others. Nobody seemed to notice anything strange yet. She nodded politely in Dan and Ramsay’s direction. “I see Lady Linda isn’t with us tonight.”
“Nah,” Ramsay replied, stretching lazily by the fire. “There’ve been humans scrounging around our outermost borders lately. Probably stray bandits or something, trying to steal supplies, so she decided to stay back just in case they pulled any nonsense.”
Mom nodded. “I see. Have you been having trouble with humans lately?”
“Not so much that we need you to worry about it,” Dan, Ramsay’s father, replied.
His tone was playful but it had an edge, and I knew why. Each pack hated appearing weak to the others. I always thought it was silly. Obviously they could deal with their own problems, but I guessed it was a matter of pride. No one wanted to seem like the weak link.
Working together has apparently never been an option,I mused in the safety of my own mind. I’d never voice that suggestion out loud.
Mom didn’t take offense to Dan’s comment. “Great. How about the others?” she asked, aiming her question at North Pack and the sole leader of West Pack.
“We’re fine,” Eric replied curtly. “No issues with humans or any other outsiders. We’re as strong as ever.”
I noticed Eric barely blinked as he spoke, as if even closing his eyes would be an admission of weakness. With a pang of sadness, I remembered he used to be a lot less uptight before his parents died.
“Things are well in North Pack,” Gabrielle said. “A bit cold, as usual, but nothing we cannot handle.”
“Still swimming here instead of takin’ a boat, I see,” Ramsay commented with a grin. He nodded to Colton, who was shaking water droplets out of his hair like a dog.
“It’s more natural this way,” Colton huffed. “Besides, you use it or lose it. Can you even swim in the South Pack?”
“‘Course we can,” Ramsay replied, sitting up and dusting himself off. “Just don’t like getting wet if I don’t have to, is all.”
I watched the two alphas banter with an amused smirk. For two men who weren’t supposed to be friends, they sure didn’t act like enemies.
A cold wind blew from the lake surface, chilling me and making me shudder. Meanwhile, Eric didn’t seem so amused. He furrowed his brow and suddenly shot me a strange piercing look. It took me off guard and I blinked rapidly. I noticed his nostrils twitching, then I grew wary.
Shit,I thought.Did the wind blow my scent in his direction?
I didn’t want my newfound secret revealed that way. I nudged Dad, hoping to get his attention.
“Should we, erm, tell them?” I muttered. “About me?”
“I guess we should,” Dad replied.
I tried to avoid Eric’s gaze, which had turned into a suspicious glare by now. Unfortunately, Neil had noticed Eric’s pointed look, too. From the corner of my eye I saw him frowning deeply, like he knew this was a bad idea all along.
Well, too bad, Neil,I thought.
With a surge of desperation and confidence, I stepped up beside Mom and cleared my throat.
“I have an announcement to make,” I said.
