“I was worried, Killian.” She nibbled her lower lip. It took me a moment to notice how pale she was.That touched me. She cared. She cared very much.
“I could take both Royal and Thad with two paws tied together. You don’t have to worry about me.”
Daphne shook her head. “Is stuff like that common?” We walked along just outside the tent. I wanted to make sure no one tried to use the chaos to start something else.
“How common is common?”
“Like, is this a weekly thing?”
“I wouldn’t say that much. We’re in interesting times, so it may be a bit more common than usual.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I’m set to succeed my grandfather as the White Fang alpha. I’ve taken over in all but name. Sometimes people call me Alpha Heir, sometimes they just say Alpha. When a new alpha comes to power, that’s when many think a pack is at its weakest. So we’ll face challenges.”
“I never thought territory would be that big a deal. Don’t they have their own towns? It’s not like you guys are fighting over who has more fertile farmland.”
I smiled. “We’re not fighting over that, but we are fighting over a natural resource. Shifters and witches always want to be near the most powerful ley lines.”
“And let me guess, the White Fang have access to particularly nice ley lines?”
“That is correct. Our land is among the most magically charged in the nation.”
She nodded thoughtfully, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as we walked. “Are my father’s pack as fortunate as yours?”
“Yes, they also live in the strong magic area. Unfortunately, magic doesn’t discriminate. The Iron Claw pack originated from a bunch of bullies hundreds of years ago, and they absorbed the magic and became very strong. The Iron Claw should be happy with what they’ve got. Now, the Valley Prowlers? I can see why they might be a bit more hungry.”
The moon was getting to the point in the sky where it was a good time to turn in.
“We’ve put in our appearances, Daphne.” I circled my arm around her waist. “I want to take you back home where I can have you all to myself for a little while.”
Fifteen
Daphne
Back in my room, I reverently set my gift from Killian down on a table near the window. I ran my fingers over the engraved gilt on the cover. Ooh, pretty.
Killian followed me in, his eyes wandering around the room. “I see you’ve made some renovations.”
“You noticed?”
Well, I had completely redone the bookshelves. That was true. There had been a vase full of peacock feathers. I’d replaced them with fresh flowers. Moved some furniture so the room flowed better. Moved a few pictures into a different grouping. Used some rope belts to tie back the windows.
“I really like what you’ve done with it, to be honest,” he said, pacing about. “Makes it feel more homey and lived-in.”
“Homey,” I murmured.
He approached me and placed his hands gently on my shoulders. “This is your home, Daphne. Not just this room. This entire mansion. This entire compound. You can decorate it however you like because whatever you dream of will be beautiful.”
“Well…thank you.” My voice went husky. It was hard to be snarky in the face of such kindness and generosity.
I loved the sound of “home” and “make it your own,” even though I knew it couldn’t be.
Could it?
The reasons why were getting harder to remember.
Oh, yes, my mother, mainly.
