15. Dirge

FIFTEEN

Dirge

I could smell the nervousness and tension in my mate's usually lovely floral scent. Now that I had been smelling it longer—or perhaps, now that the man was steadily rising back to the surface—I was certain it was freesia. And pomegranate, maybe. Delectable, except for the hint of uncharacteristic sourness.

I kept close to her side as we stepped off the aircraft—a whole new and not entirely pleasant experience in wolf form when I couldn't chug water to relieve the pressure on my ears—but she didn't have to ask. I wasn't leaving her side ever again, unless she sent me away.

She might, if she couldn't adjust to me staying in wolf form. I was still excitedly awaiting the first time she shifted, so that our wolves could meet. We'd be on equal footing for the first time. But those thoughts were distractions from the task at hand, and as we walked down a small footpath leading away from the grassy airstrip, a plethora of unfamiliar scents hit my nose. Unfamiliar, but not unpleasant.

There were dozens of new shifter scents, yes, but also the smells of cooking meat, soft hides, and, if I wasn't mistaken, an extensive garden nearby. And perhaps the sharp tang of a tannery, which made me wrinkle my nose. That I could do without, but the rest of it was invigorating.

The path was soft underfoot, shade-loving mosses with gentle ferns lining the sides. On any other day, I'd run through them, soaking my fur and enjoying the coolness of an Alaskan summer. But we were on a mission, and Shay's fingertips were tangled in the fur on my ruff. Keeping me close. I relished that little bit of contact. The man chafed at the fact that if we shifted, we would have had much, much more contact by now. But that wasn't possible. So I pushed it aside, despite the intense pangs of longing coming from the man.

The Athabascan pack's meeting grounds were small but inviting. A series of tidy modern buildings laid around an open shared central space governed by a large quaking aspen. The tree was lush and shady, with that garden plot I smelled situated at one end of the grounds. It overflowed with life, and the itch to run through it nearly won out over common sense.

But I had a purpose. And so it was that I stood proudly beside my beautiful mate as she waited to make her halting introductions to the pack's representatives who came to greet us.

"Yaghali du, friends of healer Inuksuk. We offer our condolences on the death of your father, but are pleased to host you and congratulate you on your recent bonding." A middle-aged woman with golden-bronze skin and dark, shiny hair greeted our party with a smile. "I am Ilana, daughter of Inuksuk, and this is Iaoin, my twin brother. Tonight, we hold a feast in your honor."

"Aa'yaghali, Ilana. Thank you for your generosity." Kane stepped forward, offering his hand to shake first to Ilana, then to Iaoin. "We are grateful to be among friends at this tumultuous time."

The two made their way through our group, repeating a shorter version of the greeting and shaking everyone's hands. Iaoin came to Shay first, and I immediately bristled at the dominance he freely exuded, with no attempt to rein it in.

A cocky grin lit the male's face as he appraised Shay, giving her a subtle once-over that pulled a growl from my throat. Shay frowned down at me, ignoring his appraisal.

"Yaghali du. Are you Shailene?" He said her name like a lover's caress—one that sent a molten barb through my chest because I hadn't even known her full name—and I hated every second of it. She was my mate. I should know her better than this pup with more power than sense.

She looked startled that he knew her name, but recovered quickly, shoving her thick curls back over her shoulder before offering her hand for a shake.

"Aa'yaghali, Iaoin. Everyone calls me Shay."

"Shay," he murmured, accepting her hand, but instead of releasing it, he leaned low over it and sniffed. One long, deep inhale, his eyes closed in bliss. When he opened them, they glowed turquoise with his wolf.

I shoved forward, putting myself between Shay and Iaoin, forcibly pushing her back with my body.

"Dirge! Stop! You're being rude," she scolded me, tugging on my ruff to try to get me to relent.

But his eyes glowed brighter as they met mine. A challenge . Let him try. Shay was mine.

"You claim this female, in wolf form?"

I growled, the sound a promise now, not a warning.

"And yet, she is unbonded." He cast an entirely too wolfish smile at Shay before once again fixing his stare on me.

"It's complicated. We?—"

"Everything okay over here?" Leigh sidled up next to me, not blocking my view, but edging her hip in front of mine to at least slow me down.

"Everything's fine. I don't know what's gotten into Dirge when he's been doing so well. All we did was shake hands." Shay sounded irritated, but I didn't spare a glance backward. Iaoin still held my gaze, the challenge growing by the second. Our power filled the air, the thick dominance a physical presence.

"Oh, I think I do," Leigh said, but then called out in a breezy tone. "Kane? I could use a little help over here."

But Kane was engaged with Ilana, and two other members of the Athabascan pack who had wandered up to pay homage to the high alpha. Gael, however, was in front of Leigh in a heartbeat.

"What's wrong?" His voice was all gravel, a barely concealed threat that his heavily muscled physique left no doubts he could make good on.

"Just a friendly chat, but your friend here seems to have taken offense. Why is he shifted? It's considered quite rude for a diplomatic envoy." Iaoin answered Gael, but never broke eye contact with me. I put subtle pressure on Leigh's hip, slowly edging her further behind Gael and out of my way.

But the stubborn bitch wouldn't go, angrily shoving at the male's shoulder instead to try to get him clear.

"Please, we have no intention of rudeness," Leigh said as soon as she edged past Gael, which earned her a stony glare from him. "Dirge here is more comfortable in fur, and their mate bond is very new, which has them both… edgy. If we could just give them a little space?—"

Iaoin threw back his head and laughed, the first time he'd broken eye contact besides flirting with Shay. "New, and he won't shed his fur?" There was heavy censure in the male's tone. "I challenge for mating rights."

Kane and Ilana both stopped, stunned for a moment at our sides, having disentangled themselves from the others to see what was happening.

"Iaoin, no !" Ilana gasped and tugged on her brother's arm, but he wouldn't budge. "We cannot dishonor Father with this bullheadedness. My sincerest apologies. He will rescind the challenge immediately."

"I mean no dishonor, but I will not desist. Her scent… It calls to me. They have not consummated the bond. Do you bear mating marks?" He directed the highly impertinent question to Shay, and I charged.