He still had no idea what the kids were trying to achieve, but it clearly meant a lot to the whole pack. He sighed.
I cannot believe I’m doing this.
“Very well,” he said in resignation. “Ragvald, I accept, though on one condition. Swear on your honor that you won’t?—”
“Wait!”
Thisinterruption was far more welcome. Paige hurried up, Archie in tow. Conleth breathed another sigh, this time of relief.
“It’s okay, everyone,” Archie panted. “You can let him go now.”
Conleth shook off campers, hastening to his mate. Putting his back to as much of their increasing audience as he could, he murmured in her ear, “What’s going on? Where’s your mother?”
“She stayed behind in the office. She’s not ready to face a big group of shifters yet.” Her smile was the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen. “But she’s agreed to get help, now that we know the real problem. Everything’s going to be all right.”
Beth looked anxiously from Paige to Archie. “So your mom knows about Conleth?”
“Yeah, I explained that he and Paige are mates,” Archie replied. A somewhat disgruntled expression crossed his face. “Except it turned out Paige had already told her. So I guess you didn’t actually need to keep Conleth busy. Thanks anyway, though.”
Sothat’swhy the kids had been hell-bent on occupying his full attention. “You have my thanks, too. All of you. Even if it wasn’t necessary.”
“That’s okay, it was still fun,” Nancy said cheerfully. She turned to her parents. “Sorry for worrying you, Mom, Dad. I wasn’treallyin trouble, honest.”
Her father was still looking somewhat stunned. “When did you get so good at climbing, sweetie?”
“At camp,” Nancy replied. “Please don’t be mad at Conleth. It’s not his fault I didn’t tell him I’m half fainting goat. He’s been helping me practice all summer.”
“But—your heritage!” her mom exclaimed. “You can’t do things like that!”
“Honey.” Nancy’s dad touched his mate’s hand. “I think we’ve just seen that shecan.”
“I know that you only worry because you love me,” Nancy said to her parents. “And that you want to keep me safe. But Mom, I didn’t inherit the condition. I just needed to get over my own doubts, and trust both myself and my mountain goat’s instincts.”
Her mom’s gaze drifted up to the tree. Her anxious expression shifted, the corners of her mouth tilting up. “You did goveryhigh. And up a tree rather than a cliff face, too. Not many members of the herd would be able to do that so easily.”
Nancy beamed. “Want to see me climb it again?”
Her dad chuckled, pulling both her and his mate into a bear hug. “Yes. I think we would.”
“Though perhaps not right at this moment,” Conleth interjected hastily.
Paige laughed, sliding an arm around his waist. “We should rejoin the other packs for the rest of the planned activities. Leonie’s probably having kittens over all this disruption to her schedule.”
“Hold, shield-sister!” Ragvald boomed. “First, friend Conleth and I must resolve a matter of honor.”
“It’s okay, Ragvald,” Archie said. “I only asked you to challenge Conleth as a backup plan, in case the other kids couldn’t keep him busy for long enough. You don’t actually have to toga honk him.”
“But I must!” Ragvald declared. He reached out a hand, drawing an alarmingly familiar rope out of nowhere. “The challenge has been issued and accepted! Surely you would not suggest that either one of us would retreat now.”
Conleth took a reflexive step back. “Personally, I’m very happy to retreat.”
“Ragvald,” Moira said, her tone sharpening with regal command. “Stand down. That’s a direct order.”
Ragvald shook his head. “I am sorry, Princess, but some things must override even my oath to you and your noble clan. You may as well ask me to pluck out my own beard. My ancestors would cover their faces in shame if I broke our most solemn and ancient tradition.”
“Would your ancestors accept my unconditional surrender?” Conleth said, without much hope.
From the look Ragvald gave him, he might as well have offered to perform intimate acts on the wyrm’s ancestors. “To concede without even facing me would imply that I am unworthy to be your opponent. Such a grievous insult could not be tolerated. We would have to settle it like men.”
