"Rivik..."
"Don't." I held up a hand. "Whatever you're about to say, I've already said it to myself. A hundred times. A thousand. She's human. She's from somewhere else. The pack would never accept her as their alpha's mate. I know all of it, Ryke. I know." I stared off into the growing darkness, feeling the weight of position like never before.“I know I have to let her go.”
CHAPTER 16
DASKA
Ipositioned the heavy stone sledge above the pole while Rivik braced his weight against it, his hands gripping the wood with the kind of careful precision that made me think he was concentrating harder than the task required. The storm the previous evening hadn't been as bad as many of the others we'd experienced over the last few years, but the wind had torn three of the hide panels loose during the night, leaving the central fire pit exposed to the elements. Spring storms weren't unusual, but this year, they seemed to have increased in both regularity and intensity. When Rivik had asked me to help him with repairs this morning, I'd agreed immediately. My strength was useful for work like this, and truthfully, I'd been hoping for a chance to spend time with him. He'd been distant lately, harder to reach.
"Ready?" I asked.
"If you miss and crush my hands, I will make you explain to Sira how you damaged your alpha."
"Your hands or your pride?"
"Both are equally valuable."
I snorted and brought the sledge down in a controlled arc. The impact shuddered through the pole, into his arms. I watched him absorb it, saw his jaw tighten slightly. The post sank another hand's width into the earth.
"Again," he said, adjusting his grip.
Another strike. Then another. We fell into the rhythm of it—him steadying, me pounding, working in the efficient silence that came from years of partnership. Around us, the pack moved through their morning routines. Children chased each other between the shelters. Hunters prepared for the day's patrol. The scent of cooking meat drifted from the communal fire.
Normal. Peaceful.
But something felt wrong. Rivik's mood was clearly off.
"You are distracted," I said, pausing mid-swing.
"I am focused on not losing my fingers."
"Your fingers are fine. Your mind is elsewhere." I set down the sledge, studying him. I'd known him long enough to recognize when something was eating at him. "You have been elsewhere since yesterday."
He released the pole, flexing his hands. "The storm damaged more than the fire pit. We lost part of the root storage. Three hides are beyond repair. And the eastern patrol reported fresh tracks. Wolf tracks, but not ours."
"So assign wolves to repair the storage. Trade for new hides at the next gathering. Double the eastern patrol." I picked up the sledge again, moving to the next pole that needed reinforcement. "These are simple problems, brother. They do not require this level of brooding intensity."
"I do not brood."
"You invented brooding." I positioned the sledge, waiting for him to brace the pole. "When we were cubs, you would sit bythe river for hours, staring at the water like it held answers to questions no one had asked."
"I was thinking."
"You were brooding." I brought the sledge down with more force than necessary. The pole shuddered. "And you are doing it again now."
He said nothing, just focused on keeping the pole steady as I struck it twice more. The repetitive work was almost meditative. Lift, brace, strike, adjust.
I wondered, not for the first time, what it must be like to carry the weight he carried. To have every decision, every problem, every pack member's wellbeing resting on your shoulders alone.
"Do you remember," I said, pausing to wipe sweat from my brow despite the cold, "when you convinced me to help you 'reinforce' the elder's den?"
Despite whatever was troubling him, his mouth twitched. "We were reinforcing it."
"We collapsed half the roof."
"The structure was already unstable."
"The structure was fine until you decided it needed your help." I grinned, remembering the chaos. "Old Makris chased us through three valleys. I have never seen you run so fast."
