Chapter 33
FAR FROM ORDINARY
LUKE
Lyall bounds around the garden, a playful puppy in all but her vicious tendencies.
She’s gotten over chasing her tail but she’s now discovered that her paws are surprisingly large and she’s enjoying trying to make pawprints in the wet earth.
The white wolf holding my attention is energetic and enthusiastic, determined to make her mark on the world and she’s destroying the lawn in the process.
I adore her.
Completely and utterly.
The mushy, soft and warm feeling spreading through my chest is too damn nice to ignore.
Lyall and Nia weren’t wanted and were barely invited, but they’ve taken over my entire being and I’m no longer quite the same.
It’s been a shitshow and I’m reluctant to admit that the Elders were right, but the truth is undeniable.
I’m calmer, more content. Less irrational, unless it’s over her. My violent outbursts grow more infrequent and the pack is happier. There’s balance when there was none, and it’s all because of the she-wolf who’s playing as if she’s never seen a goddamn stick before.
Lyall picks it up and shakes her head from side to side, apparently determined to wring the life out of the little piece of wood. She growls before clamping her teeth down on it and giving it another thrashing, annoyed it isn’t making more of a protest.
I smile, amused by Lyall’s frustration over a small stick that refuses to give her the pleasure of a final moan or cry before it dies.
Her head snaps to me and the silver in her eyes shimmers like stardust dancing in the moonbeams. She’s felt me and she prances around, her head held high, putting on a show as she tries to impress me with her prowess.
The wolf’s thrilled with her catch and even I can’t find it in me to deny her this pleasure, clapping my hands as she brandishes her trophy like it’s a goddamn deer that’ll keep us fed for weeks.
“The asshole is back, Alpha. He’s asking to enter your territory near the rocky river crossing. Shall we let him through?”
I clench my fist and jaw, irritated that the Elite Guard has kept his word and Cole’s forced to disturb me and my Luna. I would have happily spent all afternoon basking in the heat of one of the last warm days before winter, watching Lyall and Nia as they learn how to be wolves.
But it isn’t to be, and her safety must come first.
We’re not done with Bastan and the Elite Guards might be helpful. An alliance ought to stop them attacking the pack at the very least, and it’s another thing the Elders were keen for me to agree to.
“Fine. Bring him to mine. The large sitting room, Cole. Try and minimize how much he sees on the way here.”
Cole and Elias bow their heads, while Lyall drops her stick and whimpers. She doesn’t want to abandon her fun but she knows her time has come to an end. That doesn’t stop her from looking at me with big, puppy dog eyes that plead with me not to ask this of her.
“Sorry, Lyall,” I mumble, standing and patting her head. “That cunt will want to talk with you and I’m not letting him into the pack bond.”
Technically, I could.
But there’s not a chance that’s happening. He’s still a threat. He’s still an enemy. I’ll be damned if I expose Nia with anyone outside this pack and that cunt’s not getting near the connection that we share.
Lawson growls in agreement, deciding that now is an appropriate time to make himself known.
It’s been another surprise to discover that he’s made fewer demands since Lyall emerged, content now he spends time with her and he intrudes on me less.
It might explain why I’ve been less aggressive and more placid, and it’s a change in my dynamic that both my wolf and I seem to like.
“Put on something that shows your mark, sweetheart.” I brush her fur and she rubs against my leg. “I want to show you off.”
Lyall bounds away, as thrilled by my possessive pride as she was moments ago. I sigh and watch her race toward the house, her white a blur that streaks across the grass and her speed is impressive.
I smirk again, certain there’s a reason for it and Lawson laughs, agreeing that our mate is showing off for us.
“When do you think…” Lawson stops, mid-thought and sighs.
“Whenever her body is ready, Lawson. Pressurizing Nia or Lyall won’t make it any easier for them. They need time and we need to be patient.”
His snort is gruff as he slinks through my consciousness. “The pack needs pups, Luke. Our pups. They need to know there’s a future and that it’s secure. Malcolm should be looking into how to hurry this up.”
I stroll back into the house and head to the kitchen, still arguing with my wolf.
Lawson won’t be content until he knows Nia’s carrying our child and in many ways, he’s right.
The pack does need security and while I’ve fucked many women, I’ve never sired a child with them.
I refused, taking pleasure from their bodies but unwilling to risk any of them getting ideas above their station.
They were never my Luna.
They were simply easy fuck toys, brief moments that I could lose myself in and use to scratch a fucking urge.
Nia’s different. She’s nothing short of spectacular and I’m devoted.
I wasn’t the type to get attached but I’m inextricably linked to her and there’s not a shadow of a doubt that she’s my mate.
Our connection is pure, almost too pure.
It’s a fire burning in the deep of winter, the cabin you shelter in during a snowstorm.
She’s everything and I won’t let her come to harm, even from myself.
I pour a coffee and wrestle with Lawson, reminding him of the ordeal our girl’s been through.
She’s still recovering physically and I’m not sure how she’s doing mentally.
Nia seems okay, but the mind is a strange thing and I’m not na?ve enough to believe this is all behind us.
She’s enjoying discovering all that she was ever meant to be, but the simple pleasures of nature and running wild might not be a strong enough balm for all that’s coming our way.
Especially not when we have to tackle her father.
Cole reaches for me and that Elite is making surprisingly fast progress through my territory. He’s not wasting time and he’s certainly a force to contend with. One neither Nia nor I can afford to underestimate. He’s going to have an agenda and we need to figure it out. Quickly.
And we need to figure out why the hell he was so struck by Lyall’s coloring. Her pure white coat is rare but his reaction was more than that. There’s something about her that means something to that asshole.
Cole’s spent days trying to figure out what it is and he’s failed.
Miserably. There’s not one reference to white wolves and their powers in my father’s library, and if Lyall’s that special then there ought to be.
We need to extract that information from the cunt who’s a few minutes away, preferably without giving anything away in return.
This is going to be interesting.
Fucking interesting.
Elites are powerful enough to overwhelm Alphas and it might not be a fair fight. But Nia and Lyall took out three Elites and she looked like she was just getting warmed up.
Interesting times call for interesting measures.
The door creaks as Cole walks through and I hear the cracking of bones and ligaments as wolves shift into men.
There’s more than one in my entrance hall, and Cole’s pissed, angry that he’s had to run hard and fast and is cold and wet.
He’ll be grabbing spare clothes from the trunk at the door and his thoughts tell me he’s making damn sure he’s getting first pick of what’s in there.
“Change of plan. The kitchen, Cole.”
I smile and get up, making myself a second coffee even though I don’t need it. Cole takes his pitch black, sweet enough to stand a spoon in, and I’ve finished making his by the time he arrives, leading the Elite in behind him.
“Alpha,” he says, bowing his head.
“How do you take it?” I reply, biting back the urge to remind him of the ass-kicking he and his pack took at the hands of my Luna.
“Black’s fine,” he replies. “I don’t think we did introductions, not formally.” He heads to the island and takes a seat. “Carl. I already know you’re Luke and you’re Beta’s Cole. We have quite the dossier on the pair of you.”
I slide his coffee over the marble counter, barely registering his thinly veiled threat. I slurp mine, deliberately loudly, before taking a seat on the other side of the island.
“Where’s your Luna?” Carl asks.
“Changing,” I reply, leaning forward as if we’re all good friends hanging out together. “Lyall was playing and Nia doesn’t like the dirt. She’ll be down soon.”
She’s upstairs fixing her hair like we’re going on some date. Nia’s dressing up and she’s getting nervous, worried she’ll let the pack down. Her confidence needs work and I find her in our merge, reassuring her she’s perfect and trying not to tell her to hurry up.
“How’s that going?” Cole takes a large gulp of his coffee.
“I’ve never seen an adult she-wolf who’s been deprived of her adolescence go on to become a Luna.
She’ll be a handful and it’ll take years for her enthusiasm to curb.
You understand there’s a risk she won’t be able to control herself at formal events? ”
“She needs time and understanding. Pressurizing her won’t help.”
I don’t know if I’m speaking to the Elite cunt who’s nodding approvingly at me or my wolf.
Both need putting in their goddamn places and I’ll be damned if either of them makes Nia feel bad about herself.
She’s not to blame for what’s happened to her and I will not let her carry any shame for anything that isn’t her responsibility.
That doesn’t mean I’ve quite forgiven her for what happened with my father. We’ve agreed to move on but we’ll be coming back to that particular topic just as soon as she can handle it. No sooner, but no later either.
“Wolfsbane and silver make an interesting poison,” Carl says, taking another large mouthful of coffee.
“It’s a delicate balance. Too much wolfsbane and the human convulses and there’s a real risk their heart will stop.
Too much silver and the wolf runs rampant, driven mad by pain.
Not enough of either and it doesn’t work.
” He finishes his coffee and I glare. “Most wolves hold out for about a year if it’s done right.
Nia’s quite remarkable. Her wolf should have died years ago. ”
I grind my teeth and the appearance of my mate is the only thing that stops me losing my shit with this asshole.
She’s breathtaking.
Nia’s hair is curled and half down, half plaited back and it’s looking whiter by the day, as if the tarnish is working its way out.
Her smile is genuine and the flush that spreads over her face as she notes my adoration is perfection.
She giggles and her nose crinkles, and it’s so fucking cute I want to devour her on the kitchen worktop. With or without that cunt watching.
“Luna,” he says, tipping his head.
“The cunt’s called Carl.”
“Did I interrupt?” Nia asks, glancing at Cole.
“We were just discussing your recovery,” Cole says, easing into the conversation. “And about to discuss what we do about your father.”
Nia nods and sits, and I note Carl following her far too carefully.
He’s sizing her up, noting her movements, and trying to discover her tells, and he’s looking for something else.
He’s searching for something on Nia’s mark and I don’t like it.
His dark, beady eyes wander over her chest and she glares back, mistaking his interest for something I’d never tolerate.
“He’s looking for something on your mark, Nia.”
“What?” she asks.
“No idea,” Cole interjects. “It seems important and it might be best to get it over with. It’s a risk, but one worth taking, I think. If you can be…”
Nia’s already up out of her chair and waltzing over to the coffee machine.
She doesn’t usually drink coffee after lunch and I force myself to maintain my calm facade, certain she’s trying to make this look natural.
My girl’s about to put on a show, and I wait, aware my role is to let her perform and protect her from her audience if things go wrong.
Lawson’s on edge too, both of us possessive and proud of the mark that we gave her but is a blend of everything we are together. Both determined to protect her, no matter what.
She reaches for a cup and her cardigan falls off her shoulder.
Nia doesn’t put it back as she presses the buttons on the machine and my heart rate quickens as she lets it fall lower.
Almost accidentally. Almost naturally. The machine spits and splutters the final drops out and she shrugs her shoulders, making the cardigan fall completely as it hangs at her waist, leaving her back exposed.
Her open-back top shows off all her mark.
All the colors of the night and the silvers of the moon and stars. All the swirls and lines, the patterns that brand her as mine, and me as hers in many ways. The marks of my pack and her heritage, of the constellations and their magic.
And a mug shatters on the floor, drawing my attention to the Elite who’s staring at her, mouth open and in awe.
“Shit,” he mumbles. “Shit, this is bad. Sorry. I’m so sorry what this means for the pair of you.” He fumbles with his coffee covered sweats but his eyes dart back to Nia. “You don’t know do you, Nia?”
Nia’s arms brace against the counter, her back still to us. She’s gripping the cold marble for more than just effect, clinging on as her heart races and her anxiety soars. My girl’s panicking and I can smell it in the air, as well as sense it in our bond.
“Know what?” I ask for her, trying to save her from more pain.
“Maybe you should spend more time together before you have to face this. Maybe now isn’t the time…” Carl begins and Nia’s head whips around so fast that it leaves me speechless.
Her eyes narrow and they home in on the Elite who looks more than a little shaky. Carl might have thought he would see something, but his reaction screams he’d hoped he wouldn’t and his world has changed now he has.
“Now seems like the perfect time,” Nia snarls, her fingers wrapped around her cup as if nothing extraordinary is happening.
It’s far from ordinary.
My world’s about to change again.
For a second time, it’s about to shift, thrown off kilter by the girl I didn’t know would have this effect on me. Nia isn’t running from this, but she might not be ready to face it either.
Not if the darkness breaking over Carl’s face is a sign of what’s to come.