Way Of The Wolf: Endeavour (The Wulvers Series Book 3)

by Rebecca Anne Stewart

  Quillan’s eyes locked onto the pup in my arms and a wide grin stretched over his face. In two giant steps he was in front of me, his arms reaching out before he hesitated.

  “You can hold her,” I urged, but my mate shook his head.

  “She’s so small.”

  Laughing, I looked up at him, seeing the worry in his eyes. “Most newborn pups are small, Quillan. You won’t hurt her.”

  He sat first on the couch, sitting back before he held out his arms uncertainly. Carefully, I placed my charge in his arms and he held her close to his skin. Raeghan was now thoroughly covered in the scents of those that would protect her. He stared down at her in awe but was stiff as if still scared. I touched his arms, gently moving them into the right position so the pup’s head was supported.

  I sat beside him, pressed against his side. “They’ve named her Raeghan Ava.”

  Dark eyes met mine, grief in their depths before his gaze moved back to his niece.

  “She’d have liked that Roarke named his pup after her,” he murmured.

  I knew he was talking about Roarke’s mother. The female who had taken him in and raised him as her own son. I wished I’d had the chance to meet her. To thank her.

  “She’s strong,” he noted as Raeghan woke once more, jerking her little body around. “She’ll be an Alpha Female for sure.”

  “Cathwulf is going to raise her as she would if she was the firstborn male,” I told him, watching for his reaction.

  To my surprise he smiled, his thumb brushing against Raeghan’s cheek. “As she should be. She comes from one of the oldest and strongest bloodlines in the world, she should be brought up so.”

  I kissed his shoulder, happy he agreed. We sat in silence for a while, both of us completely entranced by Raeghan while our Alpha pair got much needed rest. We barely spoke for a while, happy to let the TV drone on while we fawned over our niece.

  “We should have a pup, so Raeghan can grow up beside her cousin, her future Beta,” Quillan suggested teasingly, looking at me.

  I stilled, chewing my lip, unsure of how to tell him how I felt. While he seemed to have been joking, I couldn’t be certain. “My heat has already passed. It’ll be almost impossible to get pregnant until the next winter.”

  He hummed and I sat up properly. While I wasn’t ready now, perhaps in a year I would feel differently. Before I could answer, he spoke again.

  “I don’t think I could handle being a father right now. Being Beta is so new to me, a lot of responsibility to get used to. If it’s okay with you, I want to wait. Maybe next year, maybe a few years. Maybe it will just happen in its own time.”

  I almost laughed in relief, nodding my head quickly before kissing him happily. He kissed me back, making sure Raeghan wasn’t squished between us. “I’m happy with that. We can practice with Raeghan.”

  He chuckled, then leaned down to place a kiss to his niece’s forehead. My heart swelled. Now the moment was perfect.

  Chapter 27

  Family

  I grinned as the familiar blue BMW came rumbling down the drive. The car screeched to a stop and Kerra stayed behind the wheel for a moment. She stared at the house, not seeing Quillan or I waiting by the door as she got lost in painful memories. There was a sadness creasing her brow and I let out a shaky breath. I knew what she was feeling as she looked at the last place she’d spent a night with her mate.

  She seemed to blink back tears before she climbed out of the car, moving to the other side to take out the car seat that held a sleeping pup. Even from here I could see how much Everett had grown.

  Her face lit up when she finally spotted us and her steps hurried. My own body thrummed with excitement, my legs bobbing as if I’d run towards her. Quillan chuckled quietly from next to me and I gave him a look. His lips were quirked in that almost smile he always did when others were around. His true smile, his grins, they were for only me to see.

  “Gods above, is that you, Oria?” Kerra gushed, cupping my face in her warm hand. “Look at you!”

  I beamed under her praise, holding myself tall and proud, only making her smile grow. She herself looked much better than when she’d left. Colour had returned to her cheeks and the spark had returned to her eyes. There was still a sadness there, but I doubted that would ever leave.

  She looked me up and down again as if she couldn’t quite believe I stood before her as I was, strong and confident with a mate by my side. My gaze fell to Everett’s sleeping form, his body buried beneath a cosy blanket. Soft snores came from him, his little face scrunched in a dream. I was lost in adoration of him until Kerra spoke again, drawing my attention back to her.

  “It’s good to see you again, Quillan. I hope you’re looking after my Oria,” she greeted my mate, her eyes showing her wolf’s glow as she studied him.

  My lips twitched in amusement as this female weighed up the male who had claimed the female she saw as a daughter. Quillan bowed his head, his hand sliding protectively to my hip. He held me close to his side, turning his body towards mine in a primal show of his dedication to me.

  “It’s good to see you too, and I hope I am, not that she needs looking after. She’s a strong she-wolf.”

  Kerra grinned again, happiness shining in her eyes as they flicked back to me. Quillan had passed her inspection. She pulled me away from him, pressing her cheek firmly against mine to whisper. “I’m so very proud of you. Everett would be too.”

  I blinked back tears, refusing to cry, desperate to remain strong in front of her, to show her how much I’d grown. She patted my arm before she stepped back, tears shining in her own eyes.

  “Cathwulf and Roarke are waiting in the living room, Raeghan was needing fed,” I told her, motioning for her to step inside.

  She nodded and picked up the car seat that held little Everett, who hadn’t so much as moved. With Kerra’s free hand in mine, I led her into the house, our den. The pack was still keeping their distance, allowing Cathwulf and Roarke their time with their pup. They’d both be overly aggressive for a while, calming down a little after Raeghan’s first shift. It wouldn’t be long, I had no doubt, she was the daughter of an Alpha. As a healer I’d learned that there had been cases of females giving birth in their fur to an already shifted pup. Sam had seen it happen before. Normally it took a few weeks.

  Opening the door to the living room, I let Kerra enter first.

  Cathwulf sat on the couch, watching Roarke with Raeghan, both completely entranced. I took the car seat from Kerra as she rushed towards her daughter. Cathwulf gasped and jumped up, launching herself into her mother’s arms. I looked away, giving them a little privacy. She wouldn’t be here for long, she wanted to be back home with the pack for Yule.

  I didn’t feel guilty for wishing I could have a moment like this with my own mother as Kerra gushed over her daughter, telling her she wished she’d gotten here to see the baby come.

  Quillan crouched down to take Everett out of his seat, giving the pup his secret smile.

  He was more confident with babies now. I’d made sure he held Raeghan when she was with me. My wolf wanted him to be confident with our own pups. He held Everett to his chest and walked further into the room and I stood back, happy to watch them. I wished I had a camera to capture this moment. I’d never felt the need to have photos before, but now I knew I wanted to have them. On Yule, I would find a camera so we could save the memory forever. Maya and Fenna would need to be in them, I wanted our whole family.

  Smiling, I realised this was what we were now. I had sisters in Maya and Cathwulf, and nieces in Fenna and Raeghan, a brother in Roarke. Quillan’s eyes met mine, and I knew that he understood how I felt right now because he felt the exact same way. We’d both been left with nothing but broken shards thanks to our parents, now things were mending.

  “She’s beautiful, my female,” Kerra complimented as Roarke placed their pup in her arms.

  Everett perked up when he saw his sister, babbling happily and loudly, making us lau
gh. Chubby arms reached out, small fingers making a grabbing motion towards Cathwulf. She grinned, reaching out to take her baby brother in her arms. His childish giggle rang through the room and Cathwulf rubbed her cheek against his.

  “He remembers me,” she announced happily.

  “Of course he does,” Kerra agreed, even though she couldn’t peel her eyes away from her granddaughter. “How do you feel? Is she feeding all right? Sometimes it takes a while for them to get the hang of it.”

  “She’s feeding fine and I feel good, a little tired but strong. How do you feel, Grandma?” Cathwulf asked teasingly and Kerra choked a little.

  “Grandma…gods, I feel old.” She laughed, bouncing Raeghan in her arms.

  I dared to sneak a little closer, feeling like I was intruding, even if this was my family. Kerra smiled over at me, urging me to come closer too. Suddenly, her smile fell and her face became serious, her hazel eyes narrowing at me. I froze, my mind whirring over my every action, searching over how I had offended her.

  “I wasn’t too pleased about hearing that you’d taken a mate through pack gossip. Where was my phone call?” she scolded.

  I balked, feeling the hurt in her tone that almost had me crumbling until her stern expression became laughter once more. Relief was what almost had me crumbling this time. Cathwulf grinned at me, enjoying my shocked expression. “She’s been busy, Mum. She’s Beta Female and Healer now.”

  Roarke smirked, nudging Quillan. “Not to mention being newly mated comes with its own distractions. They were missing for three days after they took each other as mates.”

  Quillan’s dark gaze met mine, his lips twitching into an almost smirk and I blushed furiously, wishing my hair was down so I could hide behind it. Kerra’s laugh was nearly a cackle as she looked between us.

  “Will I be hearing about another of my daughters having a pup?”

  A furious shake of my head set her off again. I didn’t mind this time, my chest had warmed with hearing her call me daughter. Taking a seat on the couch, the rest followed suit, and for the next small while, we caught up with the goings on in the Eastern pack. Kal was doing well as Alpha and while the pack still mourned for the loss of Everett, they’d settled down. Kerra had taken her place as an elder, guiding Kal’s mate in the ways of an Alpha Female. Eagan was distant and quiet, Kerra thought he would leave soon to start again somewhere else. Everybody had accepted Everett’s right to be alpha when he was old enough. Though there may be challenges, we were all sure he would come out on top.

  I spoke about my work as a healer and getting used to my new position and rank in the pack. Kerra was beaming with pride for all of us, from Quillan settling down, to Cat and Roarke being new parents and leading the pack. The room felt warm with joy as we revelled in each other’s achievements.

  There was one subject we all avoided but when my gaze met Cathwulf’s, I knew we had to tell Kerra about my father. Cathwulf’s eyes held a question, and I gave a small nod. My fingers curled so nails dug into my palms as I was reminded that he was under our feet. He’d been told what his fate would be and I heard Ben tell Liam that he’d only laughed at his sentencing. No sign of fear or remorse for what he’d done.

  “There’s something else we need to talk about, something I didn’t want to tell you over the phone,” Cathwulf began slowly, her gaze still on me.

  Kerra straightened up, sensing the seriousness. All eyes turned to me now but I wasn’t sure I could make my mouth work. My tongue felt heavy and my mind wouldn’t slow enough for me to think. I gave Cathwulf a pleading look, silently begging her to speak for me.

  Kerra frowned and gave Raeghan back to Roarke so she could come to sit next to me. She took my trembling hand in hers, squeezing gently, sending me confidence. I wondered if she had any inkling as to what had happened.

  “You can tell me anything, Oria. You must know this,” Kerra urged with a small, encouraging smile.

  I nodded and was glad I had Quillan on my other side. “My father was here…is here.”

  Kerra froze, the smile falling from her face to be replaced with a look of horror. Her body turned towards me, worry taking over her features. Fangs peeked from behind her lips as instincts kicked in.

  “He didn’t hurt you, did he?” she growled, her emotions changing again. Protective fury burned in her eyes.

  I shook my head, looking down, and she was quick to tilt my chin back up. Her eyes scanned my face and then she began checking over the rest of me. I pulled away. “He didn’t touch me. Really. He just…watched. He left some notes for me to find and he killed my friend’s cat to send a message. I thought that was the worst of it until a few days ago.”

  I couldn’t carry on. My anxiety had exploded, making my leg bounce off the ground, fingers twisting on my lap. Chewing on my cheek was the only way to stop my teeth from chattering but I managed to keep the panic attack at bay. The taste of copper filled my mouth when I bit too hard.

  Already I was doing better, that’s what I told myself as voices whispered I was being weak.

  “He killed two humans. We have police scouring along our borders looking for a wolf. It’s all over the media, camera crews drove up one of our roads yesterday.” Roarke’s voice was muffled under the static that had filled my head. Breathe in, breathe out, find things I can see, touch, and smell, I reminded myself. Quillan’s hand rubbed up and down my back and I closed my eyes, focusing on his touch. I zoned out from the conversation around me.

  Roarke and Cathwulf filled Kerra in on everything else that had happened. I didn’t want to hear it all again. When she was up to date with all she’d missed, she turned back to me. I dared to look up to see the sympathy in her gaze.

  “Are you all right with all this?” she asked, taking my hand in a whisper. “I can’t begin to imagine how you must be feeling. Everett and I should have tried harder to track him down, I’m so sorry.”

  “You did all you could. You took me in and kept me safe. My father knows well how to hide,” I replied, hoping she knew I didn’t blame her for this.

  Cathwulf muttered something about him being a filthy rat and I flinched. My father had called me that once when he found me trying to sneak back into the house one night. I couldn’t remember what he’d kicked me out for, maybe so he could drink in peace or bring an unsuspecting human woman back to the house to have in his bed. It had been too cold for me out there though, thick fur doing little to keep the blizzarding snow and wind at bay.

  It was only when Quillan’s hand took mine that I realised I’d been scratching the skin of my wrist raw. I swallowed before finding the confidence to ask, “Have you decided when he will meet his fate, Alpha?”

  Roarke looked uncomfortable as he shook his head. Waiting for a date was worse than anything else. It felt like I myself was kneeling on an execution block with an axe hovering above me and no idea when it would drop. When my father’s death would condemn me.

  “Yule is in a week. Our first Yule as an Alpha pair, as parents. I don’t want to taint it with blood that will cause you suffering. Yet at the same time, I don’t feel safe having him under our roof indefinitely,” Roarke explained, his voice gruff and torn.

  The snarkier part of myself wanted to spit out that I was sorry my family was spoiling the festivities but I understood. The pack’s new beginning under a new Alpha had already been tainted by war and betrayal long before my father appeared.

  “I’m not a part of this pack but I hope you respect my advice; things like this are best dealt with quickly. You don’t want to live in unease and potential danger,” Kerra advised.

  As hard as it was, I nodded. A band had wrapped tightly around my head, making it pound until I could hear the rush of blood in my ears.

  “Why don’t Roarke and I discuss what you think is best later, Mum,” Cathwulf suggested, her eyes flicking to where I slumped on the couch.

  Kerra gave her a strained smile. “I think that’s a good idea.”

  Awkward silence filled the
room. My problems had ruined the once happy atmosphere, clouding us all in shadow. I shifted, wishing to be elsewhere. Roarke, Cathwulf, and Kerra talked a little more while I stared out the window, watching melting ice drip from the roof.

  An unhappy cry from Raeghan drew me back.

  “I think this little female needs a nap, I’m going to take her upstairs,” Cathwulf said with a smile.

  “I’ll take her for you,” I offered quickly, standing. “You stay and catch up with your mum, Cat.”

  She considered me a moment before she nodded and placed her daughter in my arms. Before I could leave, I was stopped by Kerra, who kissed her granddaughter’s cheek.

  “I’m going to steal you for myself for a while when you wake,” she whispered to her.

  I smiled. This little one was surrounded by family, she was lucky. She’d have everything she’d ever need, and I was sure as she grew, she’d have the whole pack wrapped around her tiny fingers. Quillan stood too, following me out the door without so much as saying goodbye to everyone. I gave him an amused look over my shoulder but his eyes were on Raeghan. He seemed lost in his own world, not noticing my gaze. That wasn’t like him at all.

  “Are you with me, my mate?” I asked, heading up the stairs.

  I frowned when I caught sight of his expression. He forced a tight smile, his hand going to my lower back. “Of course, Mo Lighiche Beag.”

  “No, something’s wrong,” I argued, pausing outside our Alpha’s bedroom.

  Quillan smiled a little more easily this time, leaning down to brush his cheek against mine. I relaxed a little, greedily inhaling his scent.

  “I just want to be near you and the pup, that’s all. I want to make sure you’re both safe,” he assured me as he opened the door and motioned for me to enter first.

  I wasn’t sure I believed him, I could tell he was hiding something from me and it had my hackles rising. Why would he lie to me, his mate? Talking about my father must have put him on edge as much as it had me.

  He stood over the crib as I lay Raeghan down, tucking the blanket around in a way that would make sure she wouldn’t get hurt or tangled. She yawned, thick lashes resting against her cheek as she settled to sleep. I stroked over thin wisps of fiery red hair, my heart clenching. She didn’t have a worry in the world.