William didn’t look like he believed him, but then again, neither did August. Steve might believe that heshouldn’tbe angry with his brother, but it was obvious that he felt betrayed and that he was furious because of it.
William opened his mouth to say something more, but he shut it when Ryker suddenly rose and walked into the aisle.
“Where are you going?” August asked, keeping his voice neutral. Ever since Ryker had agreed to join Steve’s pack and fight for his place in the hierarchy, a laser-like focus had come over him. It was intimidating, and if August hadn’t been so stressed over Dylan, he would have found it incredibly sexy.
“Nowhere,” Ryker said, rolling his shoulders and stretching his arms. He looked at Steve. “Will the fights happen today?”
Steve looked caught off guard at being addressed. He squirmed under Ryker’s intense scrutiny, eventually shrugging helplessly.
“I don’t know,” he said, swallowing when Ryker narrowed his eyes. “I think the district alphas all have to be there, so that might take a day or two, and nothing can happen until my dad has claimed you and August and accepted you into the pack.”
Ryker’s nose wrinkled with distaste at the idea of being claimed, though August knew that they’d both be fine with it in the end. Neither of them had ambitions of being a true pack alpha – despite Ryker technically leading their little two-person pack – and as long as they could be together, they would be fine belonging to another pack.
When they were younger, Ryker had chafed at the idea of submitting to an alpha that might be weaker than him, but at the same time he hadn’t wanted to challenge anyone for leadership. That, coupled with the fact that their parents were opposed to them being together, had made it easier to just leave.
With the Northwestern pack, things would be different. There would be no question about the alpha they were submitting to being weaker, and though he might have a reputation as being absolutely unhinged when dealing with the outside world, everyone agreed that he treated his pack well.
“Will I be allowed to shift?” Ryker asked, flexing his fingers.
“If you’re able to shift, you’re expected to do it.” Steve bit his lip. “You can, right?”
Rather than be offended, Ryker let a cocky smirk settle on his lips. “I can, yes.”
Steve looked relieved. “Good. I can, too, but my dad helped me learn how to do it when I was a teenager. He was pretty intense about it.”
Ryker sat back down, his foot tapping restlessly against the floor. He looked over at August, his gaze softening.
“This is unexpected, huh?” Ryker nudged August’s ankle with his booted foot. “We wanted Steve to join our pack, and now we’re joining his instead. Pretty crazy.”
August nodded, not sure where Ryker was going with this. “Pretty crazy,” he agreed. He glanced over at Steve, who was looking out the window and blushing furiously. William, sitting next to him, looked like he wanted to gag.
“You’re okay with it?”
August tilted his head, giving the question the consideration it was due. They hadn’t been given much time to think on Marcus’s offer, and it wouldn’t be unreasonable for either of them to be getting cold feet.
Examining his feelings, August found that he was surprisingly happy with the outcome of the previous day’s events. He was incensed that Dylan had been tricked into leaving the safety of their territory and been taken hostage by Steve’s father, but Steve’s older brother had come through for them with a solution that seemed like it gave everyone what they wanted.
The rest of the werewolf world would be less than happy that the Northwestern pack was expanding further beyond its original borders, but no one would risk war over a slice of neutral territory and the unclaimed land that lay between it and the Northwestern pack’s borders.
“I am,” he said. “But I’ll feel better once everything has been made official and we’re back home.”
Ryker reached over and squeezed his hand before leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes. Steve cleared his throat, making him open his eyes again.
“Something you want to say?” August asked, examining his future mate. He looked nervous.
“Yes. Just that… I know this has all been forced on you, and even if you have to claim me, I don’t expect you to actually include me in-”
“Shut up,” August interrupted the ridiculous puppy, kicking his leg. “You’re not getting away from us that easily.”
Steve looked startled, his eyes wide.
“You’re ours,” Ryker agreed, eyes still closed, his voice rumbling and content.
Steve shuddered, and August knew exactly how he felt. Having Ryker talk to you in that deep register he used when he was being extra sincere was intoxicating.
“We’ve wanted you from the start,” August said, rising out of his seat and standing up so that he could put his hands on Steve’s armrests and lean over him. At Steve’s raised eyebrow, he smirked. “Well, almost from the start. You’re annoyingly easy to get attached to.”
Steve’s face turned red as he was forced to meet August’s penetrating stare.
