“We know it’s a big ask,” Luca said. “But within the alliance, Alpha Varian is a long-time ally of ours, a friend, a brother. And his pack is young. They need help and guidance, even if they’re not yet willing to accept it.”
And there was the other thing. Devan didn’t share the vitriolic hatred of wolves that many of his kind did. After all, they were kin now—brothers and sisters—had been for more than a century since the Shadow Clan, Dash’s family of misfit shifters, had forged a treaty with the ancient wolf packs. But old rivalries and differences were hard to ignore, and there was every chance the young wolves in the northern pack would resent his presence too much for him to be of any use. “How intense is the fighting right now?”
“There’s a lull at the moment,” Luca said. “The healer was killed in a skirmish in London, and the northern pack lost a lot of ground. They retreated to regroup, and the southern packs let them. They won’t cross the border... at least, not yet.”
Luca’s ominous tone made Devan shiver, though it had been decades since he’d last felt cold. “If the southern packs take the whole of England, it’s only a matter of time before their aggression spreads to the rest of Europe.”
“It is,” Luca agreed. “We’ve stayed out of the war so far, as agreed when we forged the alliance so long ago, but if the southern packs claim that much territory, there’s no telling how much more they’ll want.”
Devan nodded slowly. The southern wolf packs were known for their power-hungry alphas: men and women who ruled their communities with terror and oppression. It was only fear of Luca’s military might and lack of support from the wolves in the north that had kept them in check this long. “How long will I need to be there for?”
“There’s no way of knowing that,” Dash said. “Which is why we’re giving you the opportunity to refuse.”
“You are?”
“Of course. Bratislava and the healer’s commune is the only home you’ve known as a shifter. Asking you to join a potentially hostile wolf pack is a momentous task, and I told Varian we’d only be able to help if I found a healer willing to accept the role.”
“Why did you ask me?”
“Because you’re unmated and young and known for your lack of aggression,” Luca said.
“Are you calling me a coward?”
“Far from it.” Luca shook his head. “The opposite, actually. It’s far easier to fight first and ask questions later, and it takes more courage to stand in the face of a challenge and ask why.”
Dash’s gaze flickered between Devan and his mate. “It’s true, though I wasn’t expecting Luca to explain it so succinctly. There were other candidates, but you’re a shifter who thinks before he acts. Dropped in the middle of a war-hardened pack, you’re going to need that quality.”
“What about actual fighting? What if the war advances north and the southern packs threaten Alpha Varian’s remaining territories?”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Luca said.
But Dash frowned. “I think we should cross it now. Extraction will be difficult if the war spreads into previously safe territory, and also, Devan’s healing instincts, even among wolves, may prevent him from even wanting to leave.”
“So he fights?” Luca said.
“I hope not.” Dash turned bright blue eyes on Devan. “Because that would start a much bigger war, but whatever happens, we’ll support you. Just as if you want to come home, we’ll make it happen.”
“You literally just said extraction would be difficult.”
“It will be, but above all else, you’re clan, and we’ll protect you no matter what.” Dash spoke with the alpha timbre that let Devan know there would be no further discussion, and warmth flowed between them, a familial bond that was absolute.
Devan reached out to touch him. Their hands clasped, and Dash leaned over and nuzzled his neck.
“I’ll go,” Devan whispered. “When do I leave?”
Chapter Three
Devan flew to Norway from Bratislava, then caught another plane to Greenland, passing through the shifter sections of the human airports and abiding by the rules the human governments enforced to keep shifters in check. Before joining the wolf pack, Dash wanted him to visit the last surviving wolf elders, who lived far north of where the military units were based in England.
Jonathon met him at the airport and took him home to meet Madhi, his mate. In human years, they outnumbered Dash and Luca combined, but they’d stopped shifting a decade ago and were finally growing old.
Their cabin in the woods was small and rustic. They’d made Devan a bed by the fire.
“It’s okay,” he said. “I don’t need much sleep, and I’m eager to join the pack in England.”
“We’re sorry you have to,” Madhi said. “Many years ago, we had hundreds of healers, more so than even your clan, but so many have been lost to the wars.”
“Shadow Clan has fought wars too,” Devan said. “It’s only Dash and Luca’s leadership that has kept us at peace for so long.”
