Chapter 19 - Heath

Chapter 19

Heath

Since neither Freya nor Rowan had ever learned to drive, Flint and I took turns for days. Due to the various packlands that dissected the state, we were forced to continue along a circuitous route through the wildlands to avoid asking for favors or amnesty when crossing other packs' territories. And since no one kept up the roads in the wildlands, it was slow going until we finally reached a highway in neutral territory that brought us into Wyoming. Just like Montana and Idaho, everyone in the state lived under pack rule, with the largest and most powerful being the Elder Forest pack.

The slow travel gave me time too much time to reflect on where I was bringing my packmates. When Gage's brother had exiled him from the Frost Fang pack, I'd given up everything to follow him into the wildlands. My father had tried his best to change my mind, and he'd even threatened to leave Frost Fang if Garth refused to allow me to return.

"I can't stomach living in a pack that would exile my son," he'd said on the day I'd chosen to go with Gage.

Never mind the fact that, technically, I hadn't been exiled. Garth had even agreed to let me return, hoping to keep my father as his valuable ally and asset. Dryden was a skilled politician, and he'd helped keep pack law as the sovereign law of the land throughout Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. He held his own against fae, witch, and vampire politicians alike, as well as the few humans left in Congress.

But I hadn't returned, escaping his control and, in his mind, making him look foolish — two things he'd never forgiven me for. So, Frost Fang lost three alphas when they exiled Gage.

In truth, Dryden's decision had little to do with me at all. He had, unsurprisingly, ended up in the Elder Forest pack, which didn't seem like a coincidence to me. For all that he'd hated losing control of me, he'd twisted the situation so he could safely burn his bridge with Frost Fang while also having a larger stage to perform on. He'd probably started ingratiating himself there well before Gage was exiled, and my leaving just gave him the opportunity he'd needed to play the victim.

Going to him for help made my fur stand on end. But it was for Freya, and for her, I would do nearly anything.

While Flint drove, I texted Rowan's contacts in Elder Forest, arranging to meet a regional alpha of the pack in his small town on the edge of packlands. The Howling Echo didn't rate high enough to meet the pack alpha in the capital, of course, especially without our pack alpha. Which was fine with me — one of my favorite parts of our nomadic pack was how little we had to be involved in politics.

Soon, the ordered streets of an Elder Forest town greeted us. Compared to the wildlands, the town ahead looked like heaven with its well-kept buildings and tree-lined streets. I was definitely looking forward to a comfortable bed after several days of sleeping rough.

Before we could reach it, however, we had two checkpoints to go through. At the perimeter, guards checked our IDs and then called ahead, checking to make sure someone was expecting us. At each checkpoint, the guards eyed Freya hungrily in the backseat, and each time, the chorus of growls from three angry alphas made them look away.

"Are we sure this is a good idea?" Freya asked when they waved us through.

"No," Flint answered.

Rowan might have agreed, except he was in the bed of the truck in wolf form. It was a wise strategy, because more Elder Forest wolves would recognize him by sight that way.

"Don't worry, little wolf," I said, turning to face her in the backseat. "I'll negotiate a den on the outskirts of the town, but your heat will be different this time."

"Why?"

"Your scent might pique interest, but as soon as another wolf recognizes you're mated, they should back off without much fuss."

"They didn't in the wildlands."

"There's no reasoning with rogues. Without a pack, they slowly go mad."

Then her lips curled up as she hooked a thumb back toward the guard post. "Well, if you're right, then why did you guys growl every time?"

I grinned. "It's in our natures to be possessive over you. Nothing changes that fact."

"I wonder if this heat will be different in any other ways…" Her words were quiet as she gazed out the window, as though it were a rhetorical question she'd meant to speak only to herself.

When I saw her fingertips caress the glowing rune beneath her collarbone, though, I couldn't help but reassure her. "If you think Gage's bite will keep the rest of us away, you're sorely mistaken."

If I'd been in the backseat with her, I would've pulled her against me and kissed her. Since I wasn't, I contented myself with a wink.

She pulled on a jacket, which covered both the bite marks and her glowing rune. We'd agreed we didn't want anyone knowing about the rune until we had a chance to learn more about it.

"Heath," Flint snarled, and I jerked, wondering what had set off my normally unflappable packmate.

When I turned toward the front, however, my snarl matched Flint's own. Because standing outside the town's larger-than-average alpha residence… was my father. His posturing made it look like he owned the place, but that seemed unlikely — the man who'd raised me would rather be dead than living this far away from the pack's capital.

Like me, he had dark caramel eyes, though his tanned skin may have been a shade or two lighter than my own. His dark, artfully shaggy hair reminded me of a male model past his prime but afraid to give up on his looks. He'd given me my wide shoulders and bulky frame, but he didn't keep up the exercise regimen I did, given his political proclivities.

He looked soft, unthreatening. But I knew he could be more dangerous than Nira and Luka combined if he wanted to be. I'd hoped to put off meeting him until after Freya's heat had passed, and we'd all had a chance to rest and recover, so we could be at the top of our game. But even the best laid plans went awry… and this idea of mine had been far from that.

Nothing for it now but to face him. As soon as Flint parked the truck, Rowan jumped down from the truck bed fully clothed.

Cross-pack conversations were almost always in human form since most wolves couldn't communicate telepathically outside the pack bond. Alphas could project their thoughts, of course, but Freya would be at a loss otherwise, so I'd messaged ahead that we'd like to meet in human form.

"I asked to meet the regional alpha," I growled at my father before I'd even slammed the truck door closed.

Dryden opened his hands as if to say, "Here I am."

He gave me what would have looked to anyone else like a genuine smile. "It's good to see you, too, son." Rowan received a curt nod. "Welcome back," my father said cordially. Then he glanced at Flint. "You must be his other packmate… Flint, was it?"

"Your mind must be slipping, father," I snarled. "Flint used to belong to Frost Fang with the rest of us."

Dryden gave a little chuckle. "Ah yes, I thought you looked familiar, but you were much younger when you were exiled. Eighteen, if I remember correctly? You've clearly matured into a fine alpha since then."

"Aren't you going to invite us in to your residence?" I asked, hoping to avoid introducing Freya.

He hadn't actually claimed to be the regional alpha or not, and I was pretty sure he'd merely intercepted us. I'd take any chance to embarrass him that presented itself.

"And you must be Freya."

I stifled a sigh. I should've known his attention wouldn't be so easily diverted.

"Your intel is as impeccable as ever," I growled, wondering how word had gotten back to him.

Dryden glanced her up and down again, making me want to tear out his eyes for looking at her with that leer.

"Rumor has it, she can't shift." He gave her a fatherly smile that still managed to be creepy. "The Elder Forest is a benevolent pack. I would be willing to intercede with the pack alpha so that he might extend his protection to you. Even the pack omega is well treated here, my dear. You'll have nothing to fear once you join the Elder Forest pack."

Growls rumbled from all three of our throats, and it was all I could do not to lay hands on my own father.

Instead, I ground out, "According to pack law, she can't join your pack, since she's already been claimed by another pack alpha as his."

Dryden scoffed. "Who would claim a non-shifter as his packmate?"

I gestured to Freya, who raised her wrist, showing off Gage's bite, clearly proving she belonged in a pack.

"Without a pack tattoo—"

Flint stepped forward with a growl. "You and every shifter here can tell that's Gage's mark. She's ours."

Still, Dryden waved him away. "She can't shift, so her pack vows mean nothing."

"Maybe not to your pack. But the Howling Echo doesn't stand on tradition like other packs do." I didn't bother hiding my annoyance in my tone of voice from my father. "You cannot claim her for the Elder Forest pack."

That's when Freya raised her chin, meeting my father's eyes. "I belong with the Howling Echo pack. Now and forever."

Her words gave me chills, but my father patted her hand and pretended not to be offended that one of such a low rank dared to meet his eyes. "I'm glad you've found a place, my dear."

But his gaze hardened as he switched his focus over to me. Of course, since he'd gotten nowhere with Freya, he was gathering himself for another line of attack.

"Which of you is her mate, anyway?" he looked around as if expecting Gage to pop out of the truck.

Before I could think of how to answer that, Freya stepped forward and took my hand. "They're all my mates."

I was thankful my father contained his disbelief, because I really might have decked him otherwise. But he was a skilled politician, used to hiding his reactions.

"Somehow I'm not surprised with the kind of company my son keeps." So instead, he turned his disapproval on me. "I understand you have a fondness for your packmates, and appreciate that the Howling Echo has given you space to sow your seeds and grow out of your wild side."

I stiffened, instinctively worried about what Freya might think. Before I'd met her, I had ‘sown my seeds' far and wide, in every port of call that welcomed the Howling Echo. It was a balancing act, making sure not to offend any pack and jeopardize our chance at future jobs, while still enjoying my freedom as an unmated wolf.

Then Freya had shown up and turned everything on its head for the entire pack.

Dryden's nostrils flared, and he glanced at Freya before fixing me in his heavy stare. "You've had your fun with wolf shifters, and I'm sure her heat makes her seem attractive to you. However, I've recently secured a prestigious place for you with our allies, my son. A powerful Colorado coven."

He clapped me on the shoulder as though he were proud of me, when I knew he was anything but. Whatever ‘arrangement' he'd made, I knew I wanted no part of it. A low growl escaped Rowan's throat, probably at the thought of my father selling me out to witches.

"Did your allies know I'm not one of your pawns when they agreed?"

He chuckled as though I'd said something amusing. "They know I make good on my promises, as do you. I made this promise on your behalf because it was simply too good to pass up. The validity of pack law as a governance system is at stake, my boy. Surely you agree it's to the benefit of all wolf shifters that a powerful and influential Colorado witch coven wishes to strengthen alliances with us? The coven leader has agreed to take you on as her third Bonded."

My father played politics on the national stage and was always trying to pull me into his games. It was part of why I hadn't hesitated to follow Gage when he'd been exiled.

"Why would the old crone want a wolf shifter to marry into her coven?" I shook my head at my father's scheming. "Especially when she already has two perfectly good Bonded already, who I assume are her own kind."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Freya take a sudden step back, breaking contact with me, but I couldn't show a moment of weakness in front of my father right now. His heavy hand squeezed my shoulder as if he could compel me to obey through touch alone. But I was just as dominant of an alpha as him, if not more so. His power slid off me without any effect. I never found Gage's commands quite so easy to shake.

With the casual way Dryden let his power roll off him, I might have expected a non-alpha like Freya to look disturbed by the weight of it. Instead, her expression was a neutral mask. I gave her a quick nod that I hoped would be reassuring. She gave back a small smile, letting me know she knew I could handle anything my father threw at us.

"You know how witches are, my boy. They always want more Bonded — something about boosting their magic, I suppose. And trust me, this woman is no crone. Trella came into power early through unusual circumstances, you might say. No, she's a beauty, a true goddess to look upon. You would occupy a place of prestige by her side, in a coven where the most powerful witches often bond a dozen mates. It seems she wants a wolf for her collection. You would be her first, and I know you would impress her."

He'd used flattery to ingratiate himself with more than a few alphas. But I knew compliments were just another tool in his kit to get what he wanted, so his praise rolled off me like it always did. Beside us, Rowan's fists were clenched, his teeth bared. I could spar with my father about this sometime when Rowan wasn't around to get riled up.

"I'll discuss this at length with you later," I growled, "but—"

Before I could change the topic properly, Dryden nodded as though I'd agreed. "I know your betrothed will be overjoyed to hear you accept the proposal to become one of her Bonded."

Now even Flint growled. Sometimes the only way to avoid playing Dryden's games was to stop mincing words.

"We come seeking sanctuary. I was told quarters would be arranged for us. I'd like them to be on the outskirts of town."

"Of course, of course. Only the finest for my son and Trella's future Bonded. You can have the smaller house on the estate. It's set back far from any other property for privacy. I often host visiting dignitaries and their covens or packmates there."

"That's hardly necessary," I rushed to say. "We were hoping for somewhere closer to the border so that we could pick up the job where Rowan left off. Unless you've solved the mystery?"

Dryden waved me off. "No need. Rowan's already been paid for the little he learned about the missing wolves. Clearly, there's nothing more your pack can help with."

"No one went missing after I left?" Rowan asked, his voice sounding rusty with disuse.

"Now, I didn't say that. Just that there's nothing more you can do. Last I heard, two more wolves had gone missing."

I noticed Rowan's frown. "What is it?"

Rowan's frown deepened before he answered. "I feared my departure would give them the opportunity, and it appears they took it."

Dryden chuckled. "Don't blame yourself. Surely one extra alpha patrolling along the borderlands alone couldn't have prevented other kidnappings."

Rowan turned his steady stare on my father. "Every time I left my post, more of your packmates went missing."

Dryden's eyes narrowed before scanning Rowan up and down, as if evaluating an opponent. "They went missing before you arrived, continued going missing while you were on our packlands, and two more went missing after you left. Your presence made little difference, and we'll pay nothing more for any so-called ‘assistance' from the Howling Echo on this matter. Stick to what you're good at. Making deliveries."

If we'd been in wolf form, our hackles would've risen. As it was, Rowan's golden eyes almost glowed.

"Now, let's get the four of you settled in. I'm glad you're here, my son. We have much to discuss before the Bonding ceremony."