I rolled my eyes.
My father rested his hand on my shoulder, though whether in comfort or for his own support, I wasn’t sure.
For ten long minutes, we sat in silence and watched Amelia as she cleaned, Packed, and then bandaged the wound. Most of the time, stitches were a wasted effort with a shifter’s enhanced healing, but with the gash looking the way it did, I wondered if maybe Amelia should consider them.
Embry remained lucid, though his face was tight as he fought what had to be an inscrutable amount of pain.
When Amelia was finished, she turned to my father, her eyes resigned. “The Lyc-V in his system should take care of the rest. There’s nothing more to do but wait and let him recover.”
My father nodded. “Thank you.” He turned to me. “Melinda, come with me.”
I pursed my lips together. Great. He only ever called me Melinda when I was trouble.
He waited until we made it back to his chambers before taking a seat in a nearby lounge chair. Fatigue stamped across his face.
“Asa never should have come to you. I could have—”
He held a hand up, halting my words. “I’m their Alpha. Why wouldn’t he come to me?”
I bit my lower lip and braced myself for the verbal lashing I knew would come next. We both knew he was too old and too weak to remain Alpha much longer. That he still was, even in his current condition, was a testament to the respect he’d earned over the years, but saying that aloud was a slap in the face he didn’t deserve.
“Father, I only meant—”
“I know what you meant. But, I’m not dead yet and I will run this Pack until I am.”
I pursed my lips and nodded.
He sighed, a sound full of unvoiced regrets. He waved me closer and took my hand in his, urging me to take the seat beside him.
“Tell me what happened.”
I did, recounting how we came across the humans in the woods. Embry’s unprovoked attack and subsequent injury. And then the trade I made with the humans. My voice rose with excitement when I got to the exchange.
“He suggested letting you go with Embry in exchange for his safety and that of his men?” he asked.
I nodded.
He mulled that over, his lips pressed into a tight line.
“I know you said peace wasn’t a possibility, but maybe it is. Maybe this man—”
“Have you come across him before?”
I shook my head. “No. I’ve memorized the faces of every one of the men who call themselves Hounds and wear those stupid red cloaks. This man was new. I think…”
I paused, not wanting to get ahead of myself. How did I explain to my father the gut feeling I had about him. That for some reason, I believed we could trust him. Maybe even negotiate with him. He’d shown he was level headed, and not once—even with my fangs sinking into the tender flesh of his forearm—had he panicked.
“I think he could be useful. He didn’t smell of fear. He—”
My father sighed again, a long, suffering sound. “Melinda, dear, that isn’t necessarily a good thing. What if he’s simply more confident in his ability to kill us than most?”
I shook my head. “I don’t believe that. There was no sign of hatred in his eyes. He was… intrigued.”
He ran a hand through his silver hair. “I know you want to see the best in people but, we’ve had this conversation before. It’s just not realistic—”
“Father, we won’t survive much longer like this. You have to know that.”
He nodded. “I do. And before I go, I’d like to know the Pack is safe. That you are safe. But Embry is right. It’s high time we—”
“No. You can’t mean that.” I shook my head in denial. He always took Embry’s side. Always wanted to solve problems with teeth and claws rather than voice and reason. “We aren’t murderers. There are women in that town. Children. You can’t possibly suggest—”
“Lindy, there are women here, in our very Den. Children too. Are their lives worth less than the lives of humans?”
“Of course not.” I pulled my hand free from his and shoved it through my white-blonde hair. “But that doesn’t give us license to slaughter them. Not for the prejudices of a handful of men. We have other options. We could make peace with the humans. We could leave. Find another area to settle in.”
He shook his head before I finished. “We can’t leave. This is our home. Your mother’s body is buried on these lands.”
I nodded as grief swept through me. “I know.” My voice softened. “This is our home. Isn’t it worth at least trying to reason with the humans of Lethbridge? See if we can find some measure of common ground?”
He stared off into empty space for several minutes. I fought the urge to fidget. I knew the fears that plagued him. I knew our numbers were dwindling little by little with each passing year. Right now, there were enough of us to hold our own against the humans but in five years, maybe less, would that still hold true?
He worried for the Pack’s safety. We both did.
I was the Alpha’s daughter. Had I been born a son, it would have been expected—hell, assumed—that I would pick up the mantle of Alpha once he was gone. But just because it wasn’t expected of me, didn’t mean I didn’t have every intention of being my Pack’s next Alpha. I was born to lead.
Having breasts might make it more difficult and not having a dick between my legs meant having to push that much harder to be heard. But, I was the most dominant wolf in the Pack, second only to my father. Embry was right up there beside me, and he was a male but that didn’t make him better suited for the job. Today was a prime example of that.
However, the Pack would accept Embry as Alpha before they ever accepted me, despite my upbringing, which was why my father pushed the two of us together every chance he got.
Father had trained me. He’d mentored me and taught me how to be strong and fair. But none of that mattered if the Pack rejected my claim and we both knew it. An Alpha only held on to their position through brute force. I was more dominant, but Embry was the better fighter. He was bigger and stronger and if I made a claim and he chose to challenge me, I would lose.
The question was… would he challenge me?
I just needed a way to show everyone that I was the better leader. That I deserved their support.
Ideas swirled through my mind.
I wasn’t okay with even considering attacking the humans. We weren’t savages, despite what they believed. And Father was right, we couldn’t leave. This was our home.
But if I found a way to bring the humans and the Pack together, it would show everyone I could lead our Pack into better times. It would bring about a peace we desperately needed, instilling their confidence in me, and showcasing that I didn’t need a man by my side in order to lead.
“Your heart’s in the right place.” He squeezed my hand. “But… ”
I braced myself. “This is a matter better suited for the men to work out.” I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from spewing the curses running through my mind. Of all the chauvinistic things to say to me. “I’m not a little girl anymore. Let me do this. Let me prove to you and everyone else that I’m capable of leading of our people. That I can keep everyone safe.”
He shook his head. “Lindy—”
“Please. Don’t say no. Give me a chance. I deserve that much.”
He sighed. “A compromise?”
“Anything.”
His eyes softened, and he reached out to cup my cheek. “You know I love you?”
I leaned into his touch and nodded. My father might not understand me, but I’d never questioned his love, nor his devotion.
“It concerns me, knowing my days are numbered and that I’ll be leaving you behind… alone.”
I closed my eyes briefly and took a deep breath through my nose. Don’t panic. He said we could compromise. This might not be—
“I’ll allow you to pursue this idea of peace you’re so intent on.”
Yes!
<
br /> “On the condition that should you fail, you accept Embry’s proposal, accept him as your mate.”
My face fell.
“I would feel much better knowing you were looked after once I was gone.”
Indecision wormed through me.
I could find a way to make peace with the humans. I knew I could. But… if I failed… was it worth the risk?
My chest tightened, and I worried my lower lip. I didn’t want Embry. I didn’t love him. Not in the way I should love a mate. We’d tried before, in our teens. But we didn’t work as a couple. He never listened to me and he tried to control my every step. When I’d finally broken things off, the relief I’d felt was instantaneous.
I jerked away from him. “Why do you keep pushing him on me? Why him?” Couldn’t he at least suggest someone else? Anyone else.
“Mel—”
“Stop. We broke up, and we did so for good reason.”
He scoffed. “You were little more than children. It’s been years.”
I stood from my seat and paced to the opposite side of the room. “He still hasn’t changed. He’s just as short-tempered, controlling, and selfish as ever. He is everything I don’t want in a mate. Why can’t you see that?”
“Melinda.” My name was long and drawn out on his lips. “Please, see reason. He’s strong, capable. He can take care of you.”
A growl worked its way up my throat. “I don’t need to be taken care of. I’m not a child. I’m capable of making my own decisions, and I’m more dominant than every male in the Pack. Why should I shackle myself—”
He heaved a long-suffering sigh. “If you want to pursue a peace agreement with the humans, those are my terms. There are those within the Pack who would feel better about you leading if Embry—”
I snorted.
“But, a vote of support from me can go a long way.”
I held my breath. Was he saying what I thought he was?
“Make peace with the humans, and not only will I stop encouraging you take Embry as your mate, but I’ll also support your claim as Alpha once I’m gone.”
“Deal.” I didn’t let myself think about. He was offering me everything I ever wanted. With his support, the rest of the Pack would fall in line, at least long enough for me to prove to them I was the right choice. Long enough to earn their respect the way he had.
He smiled. “Good. Should you succeed, my support won’t ensure your claim holds. Your Pack mates like to see a united pair. But it will help. And perhaps in time you’ll take a mate. You’re still young. So is he. You both have years to grow and change.”
I rolled my eyes, knowing it was childish but unable to help myself.
“And, you can smooth out some of his rough edges given enough time. Your mother did so with me when she and I mated.”
I scrubbed a hand over my face as longing pierced me in the heart. I’d never had the chance to meet my mother. She’d died during childbirth. But I knew my father had loved her very much.
“You’re like her in a lot of ways,” he said. “And she, like you, was not overly thrilled with the prospect of mating at such an early age. But we grew to love one another, and she gave me you.”
I chewed my lower lip. I hated talking to him about this. Hated that binding myself to someone else was even up for consideration.
“I’ll find a way to make peace with the humans. You’ll see… ” And then all this talk of settling down with a mate could finally come to an end.
He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m sure you will.”
I nodded and turned to leave, needing to escape. “I’m going to go for a run. I’ll be back to check on Embry later,” I said, knowing it would be expected of me. I didn’t wait for his response. I bolted from the room as quickly as my feet could take me.
Red
The forest was eerily quiet.
I’d wasted no time showering and throwing on a fresh pair of clothes, though this time, I left my bow behind. It was a risk, but a necessary one.
If I came into the woods armed, it would send the wrong message. I didn’t want to give the wolves any reason not to trust me. Coming unarmed demonstrated I wasn’t a threat. I only wanted to talk.
Okay, maybe claiming to be unarmed was a bit of stretch. I did have a dagger in my left boot. But come on, I wasn’t an idiot. These were wolves after all.
Hours ticked by in silence. The sun began to set. I’d resigned myself to the fact that the shifters wouldn’t be crossing my path again today when a sudden flash of movement caught my attention.
“Hello?” I called out.
Leaves crunched, but no one responded.
“Hello?” I tried again. “I just want to talk.” I scanned the trees and movement had me jerking my attention to the right. “I know you’re out there. I’m unarmed. Like I said, I just want to talk.”
A woman jumped from behind an evergreen, taking me to the ground. Fighting every instinct to strike out, I forced my body to still and relaxed against the earthen floor, her forearm pressed against my throat. Her long white hair hung on either side of her face, created a veil that hid everything from site but her face.
I stared in surprise at the same woman who’d held me captive in the woods earlier. Her eyes, twin copper orbs flecked with gold, were narrowed as she appraised me.
Letting her look her fill, I took in her full lips and small, pert nose. She had a sprinkling of freckles across the tops of her cheeks and her features hinted at a native heritage.
Interesting.
If I’d thought she was beautiful before, she was even more so now that she was up close.
“Hi,” I said in a way of greeting, lifting a single brow.
Still on top of me, she leaned back and settled her ass more firmly on my groin. Fuck. I shifted beneath her and she glared at me, leaning forward once more to put added pressure on the forearm across my throat.
She did realize she was the one sitting on me, not the other way around, right?
“I’m Red. It’s nice to meet you. You are?” I lifted my free hand in a wave.
Something in her expression shifted. Worry lines pinched the corners of her mouth.
I slowly placed my hand on her arm and pushed it gently away from my throat. “I meant what I said earlier. I’m unarmed. It would be nice if, you know… ” I indicated her position on top of me.
I mean, she was welcome to stay where she was, but I was pretty sure she wouldn’t like the results.
“You’re lying.” Her voice was velvet. Made for the bedroom, and God what the fuck was wrong with me that I was thinking about taking her to a bedroom?
She reached behind her with narrowed eyes, and slid my dagger from my boot, tossing it aside and well out of reach. “See, lies.”
My cock stiffened and her eyes widened.
“You might want to move, sweetheart,” I suggested. “I’m all for getting to know one another, but things are going to escalate here pretty fast and I don’t even know your name.”
In a flash she jerked to the left, and I found myself staring at her several paces away. “Sorry about that,” I said. “Not every day a pretty woman decides to sit in your lap.”
“I didn’t sit in your lap,” she snarled, her cheeks tinged with pink.
I smirked and looked down at myself. “Well, my cock would beg to differ.”
Her cheeks brightened to scarlet. “Why are you out here?” she asked, her brows furrowed. “You’re too deep in the forest and you’re alone. Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
“Actually, I was looking for you?”
That took her by surprise, judging by the wide-eyed expression on her face. “Why?”
“Okay, look. I’m going to level with you, but first, it’d be nice if we made introductions. I’m Red. You are?”
“I… I’m…” She cleared her throat. “I’m Melinda. I mean, Lindy. Everyone calls me Lindy.”
I nodded in a way of greeting. “Nice to meet you, Lindy.” I
liked the way her name sounded. It was different. Unique, like her.
“You’re not from around here.”
It wasn’t a question, but I decided to answer anyway. “I’m not.”
“Then why are you here, in our woods?”
I didn’t miss the emphasis that these were her woods. I needed to show her I was on her side. That I knew how a Pack worked and I was here to build bridges, not create new enemies. If I had any hope of finding her Den, I needed to earn her trust.
“I’m passing through. I’ve been looking for my sister, Caroline, for a few months now. Lethbridge is just a dot on the map on my road to finding her.”
Lindy’s nostrils flared, and I knew without asking that she was scenting me for a lie. She wouldn’t find one. Shifters could scent a direct lie, not a lie of omission. And there was nothing but truth in what I’d said. I was looking for Caroline. It’s what brought me to Lethbridge in the first place.
I needed to feel her out first. See if she was receptive to me. To sharing information. If she was, I could wrap this little project up with a bow, collect my payment, and move on before shit hit the fan.
The money would be enough to get me through winter while I tracked down my elusive sister.
“How’d she go missing?” Lindy asked, and her concern appeared genuine.
I shrugged my shoulders. “It’s probably work related and for all I know, she’s not really missing. I just don’t know where to find her. Caroline has a habit of going where the wind blows her.”
She nodded but didn’t say anything else.
Silence stretched between us.
I took a step toward her.
She took a step back.
I smiled and took another step.
Again, she retreated.
“It can’t be easy living beside humans who don’t understand you. Who don’t understand that a shapeshifter Pack doesn’t have to be a threat. They can also be an ally.”
She lifted a single brow. “And let me guess, you want to be allies?”
I nodded. “I don’t see why there needs to be any hostility between us.”
Trouble with Wolves: An urban fantasy romance novel (Magic and Bone Book 1) Page 4
