ROWAN.
I watch as Viktor takes one more glance at me before leaving.
“Wow,” Rina says as she gets to her feet and stretches. “That was so tense, I can feel. my muscles knotting up as you two were speaking.”
“I think it went quite well,” Lisa remarks. “She didn’t try to hit him and he was very calm.”
“Calm?” I ask darkly. “That was calm to you?!”
“For an Alpha, yes. You know how quick to temper they are, especially when they are felt to be challenged or disrespected. More less by one who is their mate. It speaks volumes of him to still maintain his cool, be worried about you and not blame you for your anger. I mean, he practically apologized, he came here to warn you of who your enemies are and offer allies?”
“We don’t know that for sure,” I say.
“Oh, come off it. You know he is telling the truth,” Rina grouches from behind me. “What more do you want? For him to crawl in glass for you.”
“Don’t be silly,” I snap at her before slouching down into the chair. “I don’t know. I don’t know what I want.”
“Yes, you do. You are just too prideful, too used to keeping everything inside to finally open up and let him in.”
“And besides, there is no point in wallowing. The Alphas are going to be here in two days, we need to prepare,” Lisa adds.
“Prepare? Prepare what?”
“Food, appearance, where they would stay, things like that,” Rina answers.
“Ehn, I was thinking more of the lines about protocol. How to arrange the sentinel wolves to be ready and alert but still not look like it,” Lisa tells her.
“Huh. You are both right,” I say as I get to my feet. “We have a lot of work to do. Rina, you are in charge of hospitality, Lisa, come with me. Goddess, I hate this room.”
“I don’t think anyone likes this room,” Lisa says as we all walk out. “It is so freaking cold. And I am not talking about the AC.”
Rina leaves on the base of the stairs while I and Lisa head up to the study where Alden is patiently waiting by the door.
“Guia,” he greets as we walk in. “Any orders for me?”
“Plenty. But first, how many able wolves do we have at present?”
“Hmm, six of them have already left, two said they will be back by tomorrow evening, so I will say a total of fifteen wolves.”
“Fifteen, that is nowhere near enough,” I say as I take my seat.
“Guia?”
“Viktor has made us aware of the attack coming towards us.”
“Viktor? Who is that?”
“Ah, right. You know him as Louis.”
“Louis is Viktor? Why would he lie about his name?”
“Because he is not just Viktor,” Lisa responds with a smile. “He is Alpha Viktor of the Vale pack.”
A long beat of silence while Alden just stares at her like she has just spoken in an unintelligible language.
“What?!”
“You heard me. Our sweet, dear, amenable chef and trainer is none other than the dreaded Alpha Viktor.”
“What the hell?! What does he want? Is that why you kicked him out?!”
“Mhm.”
“And he had the audacity to come here? Again?”
“He came here to warn us, ready us for a potential battle and also offer allies.”
“And he came here personally to do that? Why? I am sorry, I just don’t see why he would risk himself like that.”
“Because,” I say with a resigned tone. “Viktor is my mate.”
Wow .
That has to be the first time that I am acknowledging it out loud, with his real name.
Viktor Thorn is my mate
I look over at Alden and I see he has the most stupefied look on his face.
“Oh,” he says as comprehension dawns on him. “That makes so much sense. It all makes sense now.”
“It does?” I ask. “Why?”
“Well, every wolf that has come in here always tries to keep their distance from people, especially from the head. But he… he always sought you out. Always hovering in your hemisphere. He just wanted to be close to you,” he answers on a scoff. “And here I thought he had some twisted scheme up his sleeve. He was just being a lover boy.”
“A lover boy,” Lisa repeats as she sends me a look. “Do you hear that, Ro? You made the great Alpha Viktor a lover boy.”
“Shut up,” I tell her before redirecting the conversation. “Now, about those sentinels, the fighting wolves, how many do we have ready to battle? Not with the trainees or the ones who have never fought before, I mean the ones who know what to expect?”
“Hmm, I can say we have between two hundred and three hundred.”
“Not bad,” Lisa remarks.
“Yeah, if we were facing an attack from just one pack. But we are not. I guess we do need allies after all. Alden?”
“Yes, Guia?”
“Select thirty more from the wolves, have them support the sentinel wolves. We are having three new alphas coming in the day after tomorrow. Five wolves will be on one alpha, the other theory will be arranged along the border lines and beyond it to report any unusual sightings.”
“Yes, Guia. If I may ask?”
“You may.”
“Who are we expecting the attack from?”
“The Obsidian Pack. Their alpha has rallied some packs to come and wipe us out on account of the disappeared wolves.”
“What does that have to do with us? They should at least be sure of their reason before launching such a battle.”
“I am pretty sure we have already established that not all packs are led by sane, rational men. We are rogues, and an orderly one at that. We are a stench to them. They would have come for us anyway, this is just a flimsy excuse to get some wretched glory.”
“So, we are having this meeting to get other fighters?”
“No, Alden. We are having this meeting to prevent it.”
It doesn’t matter how ready I am to slit Dominick’s throat, I can never let him near Jhnelle.