Chapter 36

T he dragon led him to an office library and waved to a chair in front of a large oak desk. "Have a seat. Leopol will bring something to eat soon. What led you to the cottage?"

He told the dragon about the illegal alpha challenge, his injury, and how it led him to the druid's cottage.

"The druid wasn't there, but Scarlet arrived and patched me up before I bled out."

The dragon's brows rose. "That's surprising. She'd as soon gut you as fix you."

He smiled and leaned back in the chair, spreading his legs and trying to get comfortable. "Aye, she's a gem, isn't she? But my natural healing wasn't working as fast as it needed to, so she stitched me up, put on salve, made some type of disgusting potion and forced it down my throat." His voice trailed off but his smile remained.

Knox scowled. "That doesn't sound like Scarlet."

Wulfric's smile widened. "Well, at first, she almost ended me with her daggers even though I was barely conscious."

Knox relaxed and chuckled. "Ah, that sounds more like her."

Wulfric explained about the druid arriving, the glocken berry, and the bond that kept him and Scarlet together for days.

Knox frowned and rubbed the back of his neck. "Grandma was meddling again."

Wulfric just nodded and opened his mouth to continue the story when a knock interrupted.

An old woman poked her head around the corner, and his brows rose. Knox stood, his eyes wide. "Lailaint, is Scarlet going to be alright?"

The woman came into the room, leaning heavily on a gnarled walking staff. "Of course she'll be fine. Are you questioning my healing abilities?"

Knox rubbed his forehead. "Of course not. I apologize. It's been an exhausting week."

She chuckled as she sank into the chair by the fire. "Just wait until the egg hatches. Then you'll reach new levels of exhaustion that you didn't even know existed."

Knox groaned, but the woman's eyes flashed white. It was so quick, Wulfric blinked, not even sure what he'd seen had been real or just a flash of the light.

Her eyes narrowed. "Do you recognize me?"

He shook his head and frowned. How would he know her when he'd been a Growler for ten years?

Her eyes flashed white again, then returned to a normal brown. "Ah, so your memories haven't returned yet?"

His brows rose. "I—ah, yes?"

She tilted her head. "Is that a question?"

He shook his head. "I was just telling Knox about how I met Scarlet and took her to the Growler camp. If I continue my story, I'll answer your question as part of it."

She waved her hand and settled back on the chair. "Very well."

Knox's lips twitched at the imperious note of authority in the woman's voice, but Wulfric chuckled and continued with the story. He took them through the events at the Growler camp and the meeting with the other alphas, Scarlet's shifts, and even their fight when she left and how he found her in the cottage.

"Then my men showed up with the ice monster so you'd see the severity of the situation and why I'm here to broker a treaty between the Growlers and your kingdom."

Knox pulled out a piece of paper and pen. He dipped the tip into the ink pot and scribbled while the old medicine woman scratched at her knee.

"So most of your memories are back, but not quite all of them. Well, I guess I'll keep waiting for the right time," she said, standing and shuffling to the door again.

Knox didn't look up as she left. "The kingdom that I rule with my queen is organized in such a way that requires a vote to agree to a treaty. You and I can work on the details of the document, but ultimately the people and the Confederation will need to approve it."

Wulfric frowned and glanced out the window behind Knox. "If the reaction of the two men who brought me in here is any sign, I'm not sure your people will approve a treaty."

Knox looked up at him then went back to writing. "Perhaps not, but given enough time to prove positive relationships, we can change stereotypes and make it happen."

Wulfric's hands clenched on his thighs. "I'm not sure how much time we have, but I did bring a rough draft of the treaty signed by all the alphas. It's in my pack."

The door burst open, banging against the wall. Wulfric jumped and shifted on the balls of his feet to put his back to the bookcase to his right. He kept Knox on one side and faced the threat. The only threat was to his heart though, because Scarlet stood in the doorway looking like an avenging goddess.

Hair still wet but piled into a messy bun on her head, bandage held her left arm tight to her body, but she looked ready to fight. She took his breath away. Wulfric strode to her and ran his hands over the side of her face and down her uninjured arm.

"Are you alright?" he whispered, checking her for more injuries.

Olive said behind her, "She'll be fine. She's healing much faster than normal, which I can only attribute to her new abilities. Well done, Growler."

Wulfric moved them out of the doorway, pulling Scarlet into his arms. She sagged against his chest, and he ran his hands up and down her back, soaking in how perfectly they fit together. Knox's gaze made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end, but he couldn't look away from Scarlet.

The druid winked at him then went across the room to the other chair by the fireplace, greeting the medicine woman as she sat. A servant came through the door rolling a cart full of sandwiches and tea.

Scarlet pushed his shoulder with her free hand, and he winced as she glared. "Have you been fighting my brother? Are you alright? Did the eagles hurt you? What about the other Growlers?"

He took her free hand in his, his other settling on her lower back as he led her further into the room. "Everyone's fine and healing. Your brother is more bark and no bite—"

"Hey," Knox said.

Scarlet glared at him and lifted a finger. "Don't you go complaining about that. If you were more like me, they'd all be dead already. I'm glad you're a talk first, action second kind of man because heavens knows how much trouble I get into by acting first."

Wulfric chuckled and drew her to the couch in front of the fire. "Calm down, bunny. We're all fine, see? Just a few more hours, and we'll all be healed. Those claws were massive and hurt like hell, but I'm almost back to normal."

They sat, and he pulled her into the crook of his arm, wrapping it around her back. She shifted imperceptibly closer as Knox pulled one of the chairs in front of his desk closer to their group.

"The Growler was beside himself with worry for you, Red," Knox smirked.

Scarlet glared, "Don't call me that, and when are you going to do something about those eagles? Why are they still hanging around? I haven't had this much trouble with them in months."

Knox closed his eyes, and Wulfric suddenly saw the dark smudges under his eyes.

"I know," Knox said. "The colder weather has made them more desperate for food and warmth."

The tight material of the blue shirt stretched over his back as he settled deeper into the couch. Wulfric's hand settled on the back of it, his fingers playing with the wisps of hair falling out of the bun on the top of her head. She placed her head on his shoulder and sighed, the angle knocking his hand away. He slid it down her bandaged shoulder, gently holding her.

"Why don't you feed and shelter them, then?" Wulfric asked, eyes meeting Knox's without shame. If the man had a problem with him holding his sister, well, he better get used to it because Wulfric wasn't going to stop.

All three of the others looked at him with surprised expressions, and he squirmed.

"What?" he asked.

Knox stroked his chin. "Maybe… Eirwyn has had people raising baby eagles to domesticate them from a young age, but perhaps it's not too late to train the older ones."

The druid looked at Knox with a smile. "See? He's a keeper. If Growlers can be tamed, then so can the eagles."

Wulfric stiffened. "I wouldn't say tamed exactly—"

Scarlet laughed, and the knot in his stomach dissolved at the sound. She rarely laughed, and it was like sunshine after a rainstorm. It lit him from inside, spreading warmth wherever it touched.

Knox grinned and said, "Now, about this treaty…"

Hours later, after a fight with Knox about Wulfric being allowed upstairs, Scarlet led him to her room. When the door finally closed behind her, she leaned against it. He didn't take his eyes off her, smelling the apprehension on her as they'd gotten closer to the room.

"What is it?" he asked, taking her hands in his. "Are you tired? Hurting?"

She shook her head and stood straighter. "Help me take this bandage off. I feel fine now, and it's too confining."

He nodded, and found the edge. Slowly, he began to unwrap her like a present. "Are you sure that's all? You seem nervous."

She looked to the side, avoiding his gaze. "So, um, Grandma said that either the mate bond or the Elder's spell made me into a full druid now. I'll need to train with them, go to the annual meetings, and other druid things that I'm sure I don't remember."

Wulfric's hands paused and he looked at her. "How do you feel about that?"

She looked at him, her gaze guarded. "How do you feel about that? I mean, the Growlers have been afraid of the druids for years."

Wulfric kept unwrapping her bandages. "I'm not afraid of you, Scarlet. I'm proud of you. You're an amazing fighter, fierce and determined. You're going to make a great druid, just like you'll make a great Growler."

Her breath hitched and her eyes widened. "You—still want me to go back to the tribe with you?"

He arched a brow and tossed the bandages aside. "As if it's even a question. Of course I do. I want to be where you are. Think they'll let me tag along to those druid meetings? Because I'm not so keen on being apart from you."

She blinked, then snorted and walked around him toward the settee. "Now don't go thinking this means I agree to live with the Growlers. But I'm glad you're alright with me being a druid. Now come help me take these boots off. I'm tired."

He prowled to her, the scent of her desire and relief flooding his senses. "Well, if it'll get you naked in that big bed, consider me at your service, my lady."

She chuckled, and the sound sent a shiver up his spine. He wanted her to always be happy and relaxed, and he'd do everything in his power to make it so, even tag along to mysterious druid gatherings.