“Mother,” Colton said suddenly. “Don’t call him that.”
She crossed her arms, looking disdainfully at me. “It’s what he is.”
I tried not to wince at her hurtful statement. I should’ve known others would think of me that way. I just had to try not to let it bother me--which became easier to do, since all three alphas present immediately got their hackles up.
“His name is Matheson,” Ramsay snapped.
“With all due respect, Lady Gabrielle, Matheson is too important for you to speak to him the way you just did,” Eric said. His civil words were a sharp contrast to the glare on his face.
“Mother,” Colton said again. But this time, he came over to my side and held my hand. The gesture made Gabrielle’s eyes widen.
The anger in her expression disappeared, leaving only vague annoyance behind as she watched the two of us with our hands intertwined.
“I see,” she said. “So you are getting to know the om--to know Matheson.”
Colton nodded.
“Hello? Is everything all right in here?” Linda’s voice called from the front doors. “I heard a big commotion, and then the guards came to tell us there was an intruder, but they didn’t seem too fussed about it…”
She sauntered inside and joined the group, tossing Gabrielle a confused glance. “Well, hello, Lady Gabrielle. What brings you here?”
I was surprised at how casual Ramsay and his family were about having someone who was technically an intruder on their property. It didn’t seem to bother them at all. Or maybe they saw the situation for what it really was--a mother looking for her son, and not caring what lines she crossed to do it.
“Yes, Lady Linda,” Gabrielle said, a bit more respect in her voice now. “I came to bring my whelp home. This isn’t the first time he’s run off, but the first time he’s been gone for a long time.” In a mutter, she added, “And across territory lines.”
Linda nodded in understanding. She even put her hand on Gabrielle’s shoulder, who seemed surprised by the gesture but didn’t shrug her off. “Pups worry us so much, don’t they? I remember when Ramsay was young, he would--”
“Ah, okay, no one wants to hear my childhood stories,” Ramsay said quickly. “So, Colt, I guess you’re going back home.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Eric frown, and his eyes darkened.
Colton shrugged. “I guess.”
He didn’t seem pleased with being dragged away, and honestly, I wasn’t either. But I couldn’t argue with his mother, who was a pack leader.
“Lady Gabrielle,” Eric said in a steely voice. “Don’t you think it’s irresponsible to remove Colton from the situation?”
All of us were surprised at his statement, but Gabrielle the most. “I beg your pardon, Eric?”
“My proper title is Lord Eric, in case you’ve forgotten the fact that I’m a pack leader as well,” he said with narrowed eyes. “And I stand by what I said. Matheson is to find love among one of the three of us, as stated in the prophecy. By not allowing Colton to act autonomously, you’re restricting not only him, but all of us. If Colton is the alpha that Matheson is destined to love, why would you try and stop it?”
Everyone in the barn went silent. If Gabrielle was a little less composed, I’m sure her jaw would have dropped. For a terrifying moment, I was afraid she would slap Eric or something, but she didn’t.
Some of the tension in Gabrielle’s jaw went away. “Yes, Lord Eric. You’re right.”
Eric’s brows raised ever so slightly, but that was his only reaction.
Gabrielle continued. “I don’t like the idea of my son gallivanting around on other packs’ lands, but if we have an agreement that he won’t come to harm…”
“Oh, of course not!” Linda cried. She gave Colton a friendly pat on the arm. “Colton is always welcome here. Besides, it looks like he and Ramsay have become good friends.”
Ramsay rolled his eyes. “We’ve always been friends, ma. It was the rest of you who assumed we were enemies.”
Colton smiled and nodded.
“I’ll tell Dan and we’ll announce it to the rest of the pack,” Linda promised. “Colton--and Eric--are under protection and allowed to freely travel along pack borders. Ours, anyway,” she added with a wink. “South Pack will always be safe for you four.”
“West Pack will operate the same way,” Eric announced.
