Not very smart, since you’re hoping to be welcomed into his pack.
But Erec hated the way Boden looked at him, like he was worthless, the lowest of the low. A no one. He was allowed to think like that about himself but not Boden. He wanted to prove him wrong.
The standoff ended, though, as soon as Astrid rushed over to her father and wrapped her arms around his middle. Boden’s entire body eased, and a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as she squeezed him.
Even one of the most feared men of their kind was a kitten when it came to Astrid.
“Father,” she whispered into his vest, her words muffled by the fabric. “I missed you.”
Erec knew what she meant by the words. The last time they had seen Boden, he’d been talking to the sky with a distant look in his eyes, his mind gone. He had hated seeing Astrid screaming at him, heartbroken.
Boden pulled back, holding her by the arms, and looked her over. “Look at you, shining like a little star. My Astrid.”
“Father…” she warned and stepped away from him. “Please don’t.”
His laughter thundered. “All right. All right. I’m just relieved to have you home. Safe.” His attention snapped to Erec again, and the coldness returned to his stare.
“My son said you were going to rescue some of Jerrick’s prisoners,” Boden began, straightening his spine to appear even taller. He spotted Erec’s bandaged shoulder, and his nostrils flared. “What happened?”
Erec hesitated, not sure how to respond. He needed to figure out how to tell the alpha what had happened with Claus and the scouts without really “telling” him what happened.
Boden’s grip on his axe tightened as he waited for an answer. “Well?” he growled.
Suddenly, Astrid was between them. “Father, Erec not only rescued the survivors, but Jerrick’s scouts had been watching us nearby and—” She paused. “They chased me. Erec saved me. Because of him, we’re alive. Because of him, I’m alive.”
Boden’s top lip curled up, his anger radiating off him like heat from a fire. “I told Filip. You should have never gone. Jerrick’s scouts? You could have been killed, Astrid.” His scorching glare whipped toward Erec. “She should have never gone.”
Oh, I know.
“Are these them?” Boden asked, swinging his axe toward Henrick and the others.
“Yes,” Erec replied. “There’s about a dozen of them.”
“And who is this?” He gestured to Claus the same way.
“One of the scouts who chased me,” Astrid chimed in. “He’s Jerrick’s right-hand man. Or should I say dog.”
Another threatening growl rumbled in Boden’s throat. “How do you know this?”
“Erec recognized him,” she said.
“He was the one who knocked me out the night of the attack on Mikel’s pack,” Erec added quickly. He didn’t need Boden thinking they had a connection other than that. It was obvious the alpha still didn’t trust him.
“You should have killed him,” Boden huffed.
“Believe me, I thought about it.” Erec gritted his teeth. “But killing him means we lose the only connection to Jerrick we have. Claus has information. He knows Jerrick’s plans, and the more prepared we are the better. We’ll be able to stop him.”
“He’s right, Father. Claus will know everything about Jerrick,” Astrid said. “Listen to him.”
But the scowl on Boden’s face didn’t lift.
“Father,” Astrid started, tone firm, “Erec has done a lot for us already. We should trust what he says.”
Most alphas didn’t like to be told what to do. Erec had only had three encounters with Boden the Warrior, and those few were enough to confirm that he was no different.
The alpha was quiet for a long moment.
Finally, he heaved a sigh. “Bring Jerrick’s mutt to my tent. I have some questions for him myself.”
Claus’s head snapped up. Terror flashed across his face as Bec and Kalle lifted him up. They carried him off.
“Father, what about the survivors?” Astrid asked, regaining his attention. “They have to stay here with us.”
“They’re strangers, Astrid,” Boden retorted, his tone harsh. “It was a risk even bringing them here.”
This wasn’t going to go as easily as Astrid claimed. Boden was never going to accept any of them into his pack.
“They’re harmless,” Astrid shot back. “Do they look threatening to you?”
Erec didn’t need to glance over to know each one of the survivors appeared dirty, cold, and malnourished. What was Boden afraid of?
His anger sparked to life. These people wouldn’t hurt anyone. They just wanted a place to stay and feel safe and maybe some food. Only a heartless monster would deny them that.
Astrid pounded the shaft of her spear into the snow. “All I see are some poor, hungry people who need a pack. They need our help.”
“I don’t expect you to understand, Astrid,” Boden replied. “I have to protect my people.”
“Are you serious?” Erec shook as fury spiraled through him. He couldn’t stop the bitter words spitting from his lips. “I thought you were Mikel’s friend, his ally? Yet you turn away his people when they’ve done nothing but come to you for your help?”
Boden’s eyes widened, and Erec could bet every other face around them mirrored his surprise. It was one thing having the alpha’s daughter confront him, but an outsider? A rogue? It was unheard of. Challenging an alpha could result in death.
But Erec didn’t care. He’d gone through too much in the last few nights to let Boden—or anyone for that matter—cast them aside like spoiled meat. The alpha didn’t need to give him a thing. Days separated him from his last Blue Moon and his death. He didn’t care about having a pack; he had survived this long without one, but there was no reason for him to throw out twenty innocent men and women who had been through hell by Jerrick’s hand. None.
Boden raised his axe. “How dare you!” he roared. The skin around his eyes and mouth rippled as his rage pushed his wolf toward the surface. His alpha aura smacked into Erec so hard this time, it knocked the breath from his lungs. “I’ve had about enough of your disobedience—”
There was a blur of silver, and Astrid was between them again, the sharp tip of her spear pointed at Boden. Her chest heaved, but her weapon never wavered.
“Enough, Father!” she barked. A fierce determination clung to her brow. “I won’t let you hurt him. Put your axe down.”
Boden was frozen in place, taken aback by his daughter’s defiance. Erec couldn’t believe what he was seeing, either. Astrid had pitted herself in the middle and had chosen him over her own father.
“Erec deserves to be here with us,” she said, unmoving. “He’s helped us more than he had to. If he goes, so do I.”
Erec’s heart stopped. Icy fear ricocheted through him. Did she know what she was even saying? Desert her pack—for him? That was insane! “Astrid, no. You can’t. You don’t know what you’re saying.”
But she didn’t move an inch. Her expression stayed as hard as stone.
His stomach somersaulted. He couldn’t let her do this. “Astrid…it’s all right. I’ll go,” he whispered. Not knowing what else to do, he reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder. “I’ll go.”
She remained completely still with her narrowed gaze locked on her father.
The tense moments dragged by.
Finally, Boden’s axe lowered, and the wrinkles around his mouth deepened as he frowned. Then, he uttered the words Erec never thought he would ever hear from him. “Get them settled with the others.”
Boden’s heated glare drifted back to Erec, and he let out a threatening growl. “All of them.” The alpha walked away before anyone could say another word.
Erec stood there, stunned into silence. Had that really just happened? Pain sliced through his chest, and he realized he had been holding his breath throughout the entire thing. He drew in as much frigid air as his lungs could ho
ld, but he still couldn’t manage to do anything but blink, mouth agape.
It wasn’t exactly the “welcome home” he had always dreamed of, but compared to the catastrophe he had expected, he’d take it.
Chapter Twelve
Only when Boden disappeared from view did Astrid’s spear lower, but the tension in her muscles didn’t ease. She had stood against the alpha and won. That was unheard of in itself, but what baffled Erec the most was that she had been willing to pick him over her father, over her pack, and over everything she had ever known. How could someone who had everything he’d ever wanted be willing to abandon it all so easily?
The intensity of what happened hung in the air like thick smoke around them, leaving everyone, including Erec, disoriented and confused. He’d heard rumors about wolf shifters sharing a special bond with pack members but had never experienced it for himself. Until now. Somehow, he could sense the survivors’ discomfort; their collective panic vibrated across his skin, making goose bumps rise. Even the excitement of several children who were chasing one another on the other side of Svanna Rock buzzed through him, along with the joy of their parents as they watched them from their half-risen tents. It was as if they were a part of him. All of them—every single one. Every heart, every mind, every wolf—their essences pulsated through Erec all at once. It made him dizzy, but at the same time, the clamor soothed him. He didn’t understand why, but knowing he had so many people around him, connected to him, brought him a sense of protection. Safety.
It was the strangest sensation Erec had ever experienced. He had never gone through anything like this during his short time in Mikel’s pack. Why was that? Mikel had been like a father to him. Erec should have felt welcomed there. It was one of the reasons he couldn’t accept Mikel’s offer to be alpha. That and his own fear.
Erec glanced at Astrid, wondering if his sudden acceptance had anything to do with her. Had he established the west-side pack as his own because Astrid was here?
“Come on.” Astrid beckoned the group forward with a wave of her hand. Her spear came back to her side, but her lips remained pressed in a grim line. “Let’s get you all settled in.” She started toward a cluster of unfinished cabins at the edge of the rock’s face.
The survivors fell in behind her, walking in silence. Exhaustion reflected on every face as they passed Erec. So did uncertainty and—was that a hint of relief? Anticipation, too? He could certainly sense it, like a tickle down his spine. Then he spotted Stefan’s mother. She hovered toward the back of the crowd, a heavy blanket draped over her shoulders. Despite the purple tint to her lips, they were spread in a big grin. She met Erec’s gaze and mouthed a word of thanks as she shuffled on.
Erec’s chest swelled. After making the ultimate sacrifice to protect her baby, mother and son were about to be reunited again. It was then that Erec realized Astrid had done the right thing. Stefan’s mother, along with every single one of Jerrick’s captives, had been through a great deal of pain and heartache. They deserved this.
Still, there were many questions Erec wanted to ask. He understood standing up to Boden for the survivors, but Astrid had threatened an alpha with a weapon. For him.
Even with her being Boden’s daughter, that type of extreme defiance called for immediate ejection from the pack. Even death. She was lucky Boden gave in and didn’t punish her.
“Astrid, wait!” He sprinted to the front of the group, weaving in between the men, women, and wolves until he reached her side. “What was that all about?”
Astrid’s attention remained straight ahead, her expression focused. “What?”
“You know what,” Erec said. “That. With Boden. No one stands up to an alpha like that.”
Still, she didn’t look at him. “You have,” she replied.
True. He had confronted Boden the very first time he had met him. And again just before. Cursing himself for being such a terrible influence, he wiped a hand over his face. “Well, yes, but I didn’t have a pack then. I had nothing to lose. Do you have any idea what could have happened?”
“Of course I do.”
The indifference in her tone only spiked his worry. “You could have been kicked out of the pack, Astrid,” he went on. “You could have become a rogue and lost everything.”
“I know.”
“I admit my anger got the best of me, but maybe we could have offered Boden some kind of deal to make the survivors pack. Maybe he would have listened to that.”
She didn’t answer.
“You should have never taken such a risk. Not for me.”
She halted, drawing everyone else to a stop. When she turned to Erec, the same severity flashed in her eyes as when she had challenged her father. “You deserve a place to call home as much as these people do.”
Erec’s throat tightened. His first instinct was to refute what she was saying, but his words tangled on his tongue.
“After everything you’ve done for this pack, for these survivors—for me—there was no way I was going to let you leave here, just to return to that cave. No way.” Astrid paused, her eyes closing. She said nothing for a few breaths.
Then, her shoulders fell, and when she looked at him again, her expression softened. “I knew the risk,” she whispered. “I knew, but look what happened. Now everyone is part of the pack. And so are you.” A faint smile touched her lips. “It was worth it,” she said. “I think so, anyway.”
Radiating warmth spread throughout Erec’s body. He didn’t know what to say. Astrid’s selflessness stunned him. To her, he was worth losing her home and her family for. Sure, Erec had helped the west-side pack find Svanna Rock, but that was because he couldn’t stand to see another pack overrun by Jerrick and his men. And, of course, he had saved Astrid from Claus. It was his fault she had been the scouts’ target in the first place; he had been foolish enough to leave her behind.
He hadn’t done anything to earn such kindness.
Astrid spun around and strode toward the collection of dwellings again. “Come on,” she called to the group. “There’s food and some new clothing for you all this way. I think you’ve waited long enough.”
Henrick and the others continued behind her, but Erec remained locked in place. All he could do was watch in silence as Astrid and the survivors walked off. As the distance between them grew, the weight of everything that had transpired these past few days tumbled down on him. The ambush, the death of Mikel, Jerrick’s scouts, the survivors, the fight with Claus, Svanna Rock…then finally having a pack, having a friend in Henrick, and possibly outliving the curse. This time, instead of snow, his thoughts were burying him.
And Astrid… For the first time in his life, he wasn’t alone anymore. She wanted him to stay with her. Be with her. Even if she wasn’t his mate, Erec couldn’t think of anyone else he’d rather spend his remaining days with than her, here, in the west-side pack, part of a family.
The sound of heavy footsteps approaching captured his attention, and he turned. A sizzling sensation raced over his skin again, and then he felt the push of an alpha wolf’s aura against him. Boden. He must have been returning—maybe to tell him he’d changed his mind. But a few seconds later, the black hair and broad shoulders of Astrid’s brother, Filip, appeared at the top of a snowy knoll.
Erec hesitated. That couldn’t be right.
But the closer Filip got, the stronger the alpha spirit became, reaching out to him and searching for Erec’s wolf, curious. Erec’s animal was dormant because of the daytime, but the alpha power emanating from Filip was strong enough to make its mark. He could see it, too, somehow—shimmering a brilliant gold around Filip’s body. But unlike Boden’s aggressive and commanding essence, Filip’s transmitted acceptance and respect. A leader.
A pack with two alpha wolves? Impossible. There was no such thing.
With Boden’s faltering health, Filip had been forced to take over most of the pack responsibilities, and it looked like his wolf had accepted the role of alpha completely now.
“I just heard you arrived,” Filip said with a tinge of laughter. “Cutting it a bit close to the three-day mark, don’t you think? I was about to send a search group to find you.”
Erec rubbed the back of his neck. The movement sent a spike of pain through his wounded shoulder, and he winced. “We ran into some trouble.”
Filip’s gaze landed on his bandage, and his face turned serious. “I see.”
“But Astrid is fine. She’s over there, getting the survivors settled in.”
Filip glanced at the figures in the distance. “Were you able to rescue all of them?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“It wasn’t easy to convince my father to let you go. Or to take Ash with you. But I’m glad everything went as planned.” Then he added. “For the most part. I also heard one of Jerrick’s scouts is currently in Father’s tent.”
Erec nodded. “That was one of the reasons for the trouble.”
“There are more of them?” Filip’s thick brows raised in worry. Erec could sense that worry, too, as if it had slithered across the space between them and become his own. He tried to shake it off.
He wasn’t sure he’d ever get used to this strange pack connection that linked them all.
“There were two more scouts,” Erec explained. He was much more comfortable relaying the details to Filip than his father. “They chased Astrid, but she managed to kill one of them during the fight. The other ran off.”
“Ash killed one of Jerrick’s men?” He paused as the information sank in. Then, to Erec’s surprise, he laughed.
Had Erec missed something? Confused, he waited for Filip to speak again.
“Ash always wanted me to let her train with the boys growing up,” he went on, shaking his head and chuckling. “I had thought it was a waste of time. Women don’t need to learn to fight, but she had insisted. I eventually gave in, thinking it was only to keep her from wandering off and that it wouldn’t matter much, but she killed one of Jerrick’s men and chased the other off? I can’t believe she proved me wrong.”
The Curse (Shifter Origins) Page 12
