Her friends—if Coral and Lake could be called that—all remained silent as they watched. After what seemed like forever, Sylvestre gave the bear shifters a mock bow, and then began leading them through the room. Rather than having them sit down to eat, Sylvestre guided them towards one of the passageways that led to the lower chambers of the den.
“Where is he taking them?” Kya asked. “This wasn’t part of the arrangement. They were supposed to eat and leave, not stay in our den. It’s just like before.”
Indigo’s body hummed with anxiety. “Zane must not have told him…”
Coral swallowed. “I can go speak with Sylvestre.”
Indigo shook her head. “No. There’s only one person who can do anything about this.”
Stepping around Coral, Indigo went down the ramp and headed across the room in purposeful strides.
Erik was still standing near the entrance, swathed in dark pelts and peering around the room with his pale blue eyes. Indigo almost stumbled when those cold eyes fell on her. When she stepped into his massive shadow, it was hard to remember that he was only slightly larger than Sten.
“Where is Sylvestre taking those bear shifters?” she asked.
Erik’s mouth was a hard line. “I am getting tired of you inserting yourself in things that do not concern you.” Indigo opened her mouth to reply, but Erik kept talking right over her. “This is still my pack, and what I said before stands. Fucking my brother does not give you license to do whatever you please here.”
It stung less hearing it the second time, and Indigo even managed to raise her chin.
“Don’t forget, I’m the one who helped save your mate, and I’ll also be the one delivering your pup when the time comes. You should be grateful that I love your brother, because otherwise I definitely wouldn’t be doing you any favors.”
Indigo could hardly believe what she’d said, and she leaned back as Erik stepped forward. With the distance between them closed, he seemed to grow even taller. With his eyes narrowed on her, it was a wonder she could breathe. His lips twitched with a smile, probably because she reeked of fear. Others were surely watching, but no one intervened, and she was glad Sten wasn’t out there. This was her mess, and she had to deal with it herself.
“Two months ago, the week after you and Astrid came to our pack, we found a bear shifter in our territory. She was in human form, so Kuva didn’t attack her. She told us that she’d been driven out of her territory by humans, and that her pack had been killed.
“Zane and Ginnifer had left the night before to go to Port Trent, and the betas made the decision two to one, and they brought her back to the pack. They invited her to eat with them, but she said she was tired and wanted to sleep, so Breeze took her back to her room to rest.” Indigo paused to take in a shaky breath. “That night, after we were all asleep, she slit Breeze’s throat and managed to kill six more of our wolves before Roch and Kuva caught and killed her.”
Erik had listened patiently until she’d finished, his expression a blank mask. “And you think these females intend on assaulting my pack?”
The prospect seemed to amuse him.
Indigo’s jaw clenched. “I’m saying that there’s probably a reason they sent a bunch of pretty females. They want you to let your guard down so that they can strike you while you’re vulnerable. You can’t let them stay here tonight. There’s no telling what they might do.”
Erik smirked. “I have a better idea. Come.”
* * *
Sten stood in the doorway to Astrid’s room, watching her sleep. Curled up under a pile of furs, she clutched a pillow to her chest and snored softly.
She’d fallen asleep almost the instant she’d arrived back at the room. It was well past the time for her afternoon nap. He’d never minded watching over her before, but at the moment he could only think about all of the other things he should have been doing with his time.
Resentment burned in his chest. He should be with Indigo and Halley, not watching his brother’s mate sleep. Anyone could do this task. Was it his fault that there was no one else in the pack that Erik trusted?
He almost thought his mind was playing a trick on him when he smelled Indigo and Erik approaching, but a few seconds later they appeared around a bend in the passageway. Seeing the two of them together made Sten’s wolf bare its teeth, and he went to meet them halfway. He kept his face neutral, but his arm went around Indigo’s waist, pulling her close.
“The representatives have arrived from the bear clans, or tribes, or whatever it is they’re calling themselves,” Erik said with a brusque wave of his hand. “They’ve requested to stay the night, and I have reason to believe that they might try an attack.”
“How many are there?” Sten asked.
“Eight females. All of them fighters and carrying concealed weapons.”
Indigo’s eyes widened. “What? How do you know that?”
Erik gave her a flat look. “Do I seem like a hospitable male?”
Indigo shook her head.
“Then why do you think I made a point to waste my time greeting them as they entered my den? We all knew from the moment we saw them that they were dangerous. That said,” he glanced back at Sten, “they would be fools to attack us tonight. It is most likely that they are still planning to assault Siluit, but in case they take leave of their senses, I’m going to have you and Henna coordinate a defensive position around their sleeping quarters. If they try to make a move, kill them all.”
“Kill them?” Sten repeated. “Do you really think that’s the wisest course of action? Why not capture them and use them to negotiate?”
“I wouldn’t hand over fighters to a pack that has already betrayed me once.”
“Fair enough,” Sten said, still not liking the plan. “In any case, you’ll have to get Sylvestre to handle it. I still have things to do, and I’ve already spent the afternoon watching your mate.”
Erik gave him an impatient look. “What is it that you have to do that is more important than securing this pack?”
Sten hadn’t had the opportunity to tell Erik that he planned on taking Indigo as his mate, and now his brother was in a combative mood, likely to deny Sten leaving simply out of spite. Had his brother had been as soft an alpha as Zane, Sten would have walked away right then. But while Erik gave him more leeway than most, he would also come down on Sten twice as hard as any other wolf that challenged his authority. Sten knew this, but he still found himself glaring at Erik, his tongue poised to deliver a scathing response.
Sensing his irritation, Indigo put a hand on his chest. “I’ll stay with Halley tonight, and I’ll sleep better knowing that you’re watching those females.”
Sten tightened his hold on her and reluctantly, he nodded.
“Good,” Erik said curtly, before pushing past Sten. “If you need me, I’ll be with my mate.”
I should be with my mate and pup. The thought was so fierce that Sten wasn’t sure if it was his own, or his wolf’s.
Sten glared at his brother’s back, until Indigo started leading him away.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
“What is this all about?” he demanded.
Sten hated that he was being short with her. Erik was the one he was angry with, and that wasn’t going to change any time soon. The more obstinate Sten became, the harder Erik would try to hammer him down, back into his place as a beta male. And with Indigo as his mate, the situation would only become more frustrating. Erik rarely left Astrid’s side, but he doubted that his brother would see anything wrong with sending Sten away from the den while Indigo was pregnant, while his own instincts would be urging him to keep her close.
He was absorbed in his thoughts that he only picked up some of what Indigo was saying. That the Siluit wolves had taken in a bear shifter, who had assaulted them in the night.
“We never talk about it,” Indigo said, rubbing at the corners of her eyes. “Zane never punished Kuva or Tallow. He said that losing Breeze and the ot
hers was punishment enough for their lack of judgment.”
“I don’t understand why you were so willing to trust me when we first met. I would think you’d be wary of strangers.”
Indigo gave him a watery smile. “I knew you were my mate, even then. I was just waiting for you to figure it out.”
Sten stopped, and swung her around into his embrace. When he leaned in to kiss her, he could already pick up the subtle shift in her scent. He didn’t want to leave her.
“Be careful tonight,” she told him, stroking the side of his face. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
Chapter 27
“Anything?” Sten asked as he arrived back at his post.
Sylvestre shook his head. “Henna and Brynn did a walk by, but they’re all asleep as far as we can tell.”
“And even if they’re not sleeping, they’ll know we’re watching them,” Sten said.
They stood against the wall, just before the wide passageway split into three directions. This far underground, the floor and the walls were chilled stone, and they served to remind Sten of how hot his skin was.
It was already early morning, and aside from a brief trip to the Siluit quarters, he’d been standing there with Sylvestre for most of the night. Sylvestre was in an unusually good mood, which was unfortunate because Sten’s mood was nothing short of foul. Sylvestre must have sensed the tension rolling off his body, because he’d made little effort to engage Sten in conversation.
Indigo was a fixture in his mind, and his body burned to go to her. He hadn’t, though he had bribed Tallow into checking in on her and Halley. If he’d gone himself, he wasn’t sure he would have been able to leave.
The sound of feet slapping on stone drew their attention towards one of the passageways, but neither male tensed. If the bear shifters had been attacking, they would have made some effort to be quiet.
Coral emerged from the darkness, carrying a pelt that had been folded into a square. She looked from Sten to Sylvestre, and there was venom in her eyes.
Stopping a short distance from Sylvestre, she hurled the pelt at his head. He caught it easily, and when he lowered his hand, he was grinning.
“Take it back, I do not want it,” she hissed.
“No? I thought the color suited you.”
Her face went red, and Sten couldn’t tell if she was angry or bashful.
“You need to stop doing these things,” she said in a tremulous whisper. “No more feeding me your stolen meat, or giving me things, or talking to me. It is upsetting Kya.”
“Kya?” Sylvestre repeated the name with a disgusted shake of his head. “If Kya wants to be pissed that I am providing for you—”
She stomped her foot. “I do not care about Kya’s feelings! Or yours, or anyone’s! All I care about is myself, and right now my position in my pack cannot get any lower. I’m invisible to everyone, or at least I was, until you started causing trouble for me.”
“I’ll talk to Kya,” Sylvestre said. “And if anyone else bothers you, tell me and I’ll make sure—”
“Stupid, boneheaded male. Stop involving yourself in my life. You’ll only make things worse for me. Leave me alone, so that everyone else will leave me alone.”
“Is that what you really want? To be alone?”
There was silence for a moment as the two stared each other down. Neither seemed to remember Sten was there, and he was content to remain back and watch.
Very little escaped his notice, and he’d seen the way that Sylvestre had been behaving towards Coral during the past week. He’d been giving her half of his daily rations, seemingly just for the opportunity to talk to her for a few moments a day. What he didn’t understand was why.
Coral might have been attractive, but she was consummately unpleasant. She never smiled, or laughed, or sought out the company of others. Sten wasn’t sure any male would want to be with her, let alone Sylvestre, who was her opposite in every way. But then, here they were, staring at one another as though they weren’t sure if they wanted to fight or to fuck.
Coral broke the silence first. “Do you want to leave Amarok?”
Sylvestre frowned. “What? Of course not.”
She took a step towards him. “Do want a mate?”
Sylvestre said nothing, but the muscle in his throat flexed.
She took another step forward. “Do you want pups?”
Sylvestre’s lips parted, but he remained silent.
Coral was close enough to press a finger to his chest, and he stepped back as though she’d shoved him.
“That’s what you get with me,” she said, her hard eyes boring into him. “And believe me, I’m not worth it.”
She looked him up and down, her lips tightening. Then she turned on her heels and stalked off.
Sylvestre straightened his spine and affected an amused look, but he held the pelt in a clenched hand.
“You want her as your mate,” Sten said, surprised.
Sylvestre let out a harsh breath. “No, I… What does it matter? She’s right. If I took her as my mate, there’s no way I could stay here. And where the fuck would I take her? I couldn’t protect her, or pups.” He gave a hollow laugh. “Pups? What am I thinking? I don’t even like pups, Sten.”
“It’s different when they’re your own,” Sten said carefully.
He could hardly believe he was having this conversation with Sylvestre, a male who had never spent more than a week at a time with any one female. He wanted to give Sylvestre the benefit of the doubt, but it was difficult.
“Why now?” Sten asked.
Sylvestre sighed and let himself fall back against the wall. “My mother is dead. My brothers, my aunts, they are all dead. And now Sabine. By rights I should stay as far away from Coral as possible, but…”
“I understand,” Sten said, sparing Sylvestre from having to finish.
It was as he’d thought. Sten remembered when he’d broken away from the pack of his birth, and then not long after, he’d parted ways with Erik. No matter where he’d gone, no matter the people he’d kept around himself or the life he’d built, he had always felt adrift without a family. That was how he’d ended up with Elizabeth, and why he’d stayed for so long, even when they were both unhappy.
They stood in silence for a time, and Sten had almost forgotten why they were there when Henna approached, her booted feet making hardly a sound as she strode up to them.
“Just made another pass. It’s clear.” She glanced at Sten. “Where were you?”
“Making arrangements for Halley to be watched while I’m away.”
Sten had told Halley that he and Indigo would be going away for a few days, but he still hadn’t explained why. He wasn’t sure how to explain in a manner that was appropriate for her age, and he didn’t want her to be disappointed if they didn’t end up having another pup.
“Oh, right,” Henna said with a nod. “Erik told Vale and I to go with you tomorrow.”
Sten blinked in confusion. “To where?”
“He said all the way to Siluit, but in my opinion we should drop them off at the border. We can send one scout to track them and make sure they’re following through with their plan to take the Siluit den, and the rest of us can be back within the week.”
Sten took a calming breath. It didn’t help. “Erik told you that I would be escorting the bear shifters to Siluit?”
Henna edged away from him warily. “He didn’t tell you?
* * *
The room was dark and quiet when Indigo woke. She listened for a moment, and was able to hear the slow, even breathing of Halley and Piper in the next room over.
She sat up and wiped a thin sheen of sweat from her brow. Her heart pounded as though she’d woken from a nightmare, but her hard nipples and the throbbing between her thighs proved otherwise.
Staggering to her feet, she let the pelt fall to the floor. The cold air felt good against her heated flesh. She made her way out to the living room, where she sat down and poured herself a cup of
water. She finished it in one long swallow, and then poured another. She still felt parched.
She realized that she wasn’t hungry anymore. Just thinking about food made her feel queasy, and she knew what that had to mean. Even if Coral hadn’t told her the signs, she would have instinctively understood. In spite of her discomfort, her wolf was calm. Sten would be back soon.
Her sweat grew chilled, and she wrapped herself in a pale brown fur before getting up to pack her bag. It was difficult to decide what to bring. Would she need an extra outfit, or just one for the trip back to the den? Should she bring a book? He’d said they could be gone for up to a week. They wouldn’t be mating the entire time, would they?
The thought made her inner muscles clench, and she stifled a moan. Her peace trembled as her wolf began to grow agitated. Thoughts became scattered things, and each time she tried grasping one it slipped away from her.
She was so distracted that she didn’t hear anyone approaching until the door hangings were thrown to the side. She whirled around, half expecting to be ambushed by a bear shifter, but the reality was only a little less frightening.
Erik stood in the doorway, breathing quickly as though he’d been running. His dark hair was disheveled, and he was naked from sole to crown.
“Come with me.”
Indigo’s frazzled mind drew the worst conclusion. “Is Sten hurt?”
She could hear the frustration in his voice. “My mate. She is bleeding.”
“Was she…cut?”
“Come, now,” he snapped, causing her to spring into motion.
Dropping her bag, she followed him from the room. His large figure was a shadow striding down the passageway, and she had to run to keep up with him.
Anxiety had done nothing to improve her focus. If anything, it made it even harder for her to think straight. Words refused to join together in her mind, and were instead replaced by images and impressions, no doubt pushed on her by her wolf. Images of turning back, finding Sten, and leaving the den. Impressions of danger and urgency.
She hadn’t realized that she’d stopped until Erik was beside her, jerking her along by her wrist. She managed to hear him, but it sounded as though he were speaking to her while her head was submerged in water.
Chasing the Alpha: Shifters of Nunavut, Book #3 Page 24
